Where Will We Run?

Aria Ashford

“I am not married!”

Victoria’s words hit me all at once.

Every bit of sleep vanished instantly, and for a second, I just stared at her.

No! She had to be joking.

“If this is one of your stupid jokes, please stop... I am tired, Victoria. I cannot deal with this now.” My voice shook as I stared at her, trying to process what she meant.

But Victoria did not laugh. She did not even blink. A strange smile stayed on her face as she folded her arms over her chest, like things had finally gone her way.

“I am not joking.”

My stomach sank. I kept staring at her for long seconds, struggling to breathe properly, before she said calmly, “You signed a marriage contract yesterday... and your new husband’s men will arrive soon to take you.”

What...? I could not process what she was saying.

I snapped. “What the hell are you talking about?!”

I waited for her to laugh. To say it was all a twisted prank. Anything. She only kept staring at me with that same cold expression.

“You said I was signing papers to give up my father’s properties to save the house!”

“I think you are smart enough to understand now.”

“No... impossible.”

I stepped back and looked at the papers scattered across the room. “You are joking... right?”

I got off the bed and walked toward her. “Why are you silent? Speak!”

She did not reply and returned to arranging my suitcase as if nothing had happened.

“Stop being dramatic, Aria, and start thinking about what you will wear to meet your husband’s family.”

I stopped breathing for a second. All that sudden kindness now made sense. It was all planned.

“How could you do this to me?!” I slammed my hand against the table. “Am I just something you can trade away? Something that can be sold this easily?!”

She stepped closer, spoke in that calm voice of hers. “Darling, you will thank me later. That family is wealthy. I am not evil enough to marry you to a bad man.”

“Are you serious?”

“You are insane!” My voice came out uneven. “Do you think I will agree to this? I am not going anywhere, do you understand?!”

She continued arranging my things with a sly smile, like she did not care at all.

“The Vontracy contract is signed, Aria... there is no escape now.”

I felt nauseous. “I will not marry a man I have never seen in my life just because you decided it!”

She rolled her eyes with annoyance. “Do not be childish. Once you find yourself inside a luxurious palace, you will realize I saved your life.”

“I do not want palaces! I do not want any of this!”

“I understand your shock... so I will leave you alone for two hours before your husband’s men arrive.”

She moved toward the door. But before leaving, she turned toward me and said in a sharper tone, “Your husband is a military man with powerful connections, so do not even think about running away. He will find you wherever you go.”

She paused for a moment, then added with obvious disgust, “Do not let your stupid feelings for that bastard Marcus ruin your future.”

Marcus. Just hearing her speak about him like that hurt more than I expected.

Victoria finally left the room, and I remained standing in the middle of it. The room felt too small.

My eyes widened.

Phone call. Five hundred thousand dollars. The disabled man...?! How did I fall into the trap this easily? I had to run away...!

I did not care who that man was, or how much influence or money he had. The thought alone made it hard to breathe.

One name appeared inside my head like the only person I could think of.

Marcus.

I did not waste time. I threw some of my things together randomly, grabbed my phone, and called him, my hand shaking.

It rang only once before his worried voice answered: “Aria? Why are you calling at this time? Are you okay?”

Hearing his voice nearly made me cry. “Marcus... I need you.”

“What happened?”

I swallowed hard and said fast: “Meet me at Cherry Tree Park... now.”

I ended the call, walked toward the window... looked down and jumped. I gasped, but I was fine. I barely processed it before I started running as fast as I could, my heart pounding hard.

I just kept running. Run, Aria!

When the cherry trees finally appeared, I saw him.

Marcus. He was walking back and forth beside his car, and the moment he saw me, he ran toward me.

“Aria!”

He grabbed my hand, looking me over. “Are you okay? Did someone hurt you?”

I shook my head while struggling to catch my breath. “We need to leave... now.”

His brows pulled together in confusion. “What? Leave where?”

I took a breath. “Victoria married me to another man.”

“What?!” He stepped back as if I had slapped him.

The tears came before I could stop them. “She tricked me...” My voice came out weak. “She made me sign a marriage contract instead of property papers... she sold me for money.”

“How could she do that?” He stared at me in disbelief.

“For five hundred thousand dollars.” I wiped my face and let out a bitter laugh.

His face changed... he stepped toward me and held my shoulders. “I will not let them take you away from me.”

I grabbed onto him tightly. “Let us leave...”

But he hesitated. Marcus pulled his hands away from me. “Aria... we cannot run away like this.”

“What?”

“Running away is not a solution.” He sighed.

“You are joking, right?” I stared at him in disbelief.

He closed his eyes for a moment as if trying to control his nerves, while I could barely hold myself together.

“I am telling you that I was forced to marry another man and this is your answer?!”

“You do not understand...!”

I cut him off angrily: “What do I not understand?!”

He finally exploded. “You want to run away? Fine, let us do it! But where will we go?!”

He ran a hand through his hair. “Do you have another place? Do I have one? We do not have money, a plan, or anything!”

He stopped to catch his breath, then continued in a quieter voice: “I just... do not want anything to happen to you... and I am not going to run away with you just to spend the rest of my life running.”

I stared at him, tears burning in my eyes.

“What will we do?” My words barely came out.

He dragged a hand over his face and started pacing. “I do not know... I do not have a solution that can save us.”

I let out a dry laugh. “Solutions are built before disasters, Marcus...” I whispered. “But now? Now it is too late.”

He stopped moving and stared at me in shock.

“You think the idea of you marrying someone else is not killing me too?!”

He stepped closer, but I stepped back. “I am only trying to think rationally.”

“Rationality will make me another man’s wife tonight.”

I waited for him to say something. Anything.

“Do not search for late solutions, Marcus.” I wiped my tears and lifted my head anyway.

I swallowed hard. “Stay in your safe life... and let me face my fate alone.”

I turned away before losing control and walked away.