Sold to a stranger

Lilian Sanchez

The past three days have been the worst days of my life. I am used to people bullying me for my look, but the only person that ever referred to me as a 'pig' is my stepmother, but hearing it from a stranger for the first time hurts so much. If anyone ever told me that an innocent-looking man would be so mean, I would never have believed the person. 

Trying to get myself distracted with the novel I bought recently, the sound of the knock on my door pulls my attention, and I groan angrily. Not that I need anyone to tell me that it's my annoying stepmother. What does she want now? 

"Lilian..." Her voice sounds from outside, confirming my curiosity. 

"Yes, ma'am Felicia," Standing up from the bed, I stride to the door and pull it open, revealing her ugly-looking face. 

"Good morning, ma'am," 

"This is why you're not losing weight. What time is it, and you're still sleeping?" She scoffs as she rolls her eyes. The last thing on my mind now is to argue with her. I have no strength for that now. 

"Do you need me to do anything for you, ma'am?" I ask her politely. 

"Come with me," She turns and walks away afterward. 

Dragging my feet sluggishly along the hallway, I arrive at the living room, but the sight that welcomes me makes me freeze on the spot. It's the CEO from the company. The one that insulted and called me names the last three days. What the heck is he doing here? 

"What are you doing here?" He tilts his head to look at me, and his face dilates in shock as soon as our eyes meet. 

"Is she the one you're talking about?" He ignores me and turns to ask my stepmother instead. I'm getting confused at this point. What's going on? 

"Yes, Mr. Ren. I'm sorry for her manners," I have never seen this hypocritical woman smile this genuinely. 

"Behave yourself, Lilian,"She turns to scold me before turning her attention to the man again. 

"Mr. Ren, this is Lilian, the one I was telling you about," She smiles at him politely. I have heard so much about Ren Bradford. He's said to be the heir to the Bradford empire, and the successor of the empire after his father passed away some years ago. I didn't expect less from an only child anyway. 

"You're expecting me to consider this thing? What makes you think that I will accept her?" He scoffs after he scrutinizes me carefully with his eyes while having a dissatisfied expression on his face. As much as I want to insult this man and throw him out of our house, I can't help but get more curious about what he's doing here and what he and my stepmother must've talked about. 

"Hey, Mr., my name is Lilian, and not..."

"Oh, shut up. You don't talk when I'm talking..."

"I don't know you, and I don't care to ever know you, but you have no right whatsoever to come to our house and insult me like you did back at your company. I won't take that ill manner from you," I fire at him. 

"Shut your dirty stinky fat mouth, you shameless pig," My stepmother finally cuts me off as she glares hard at me. 

"Your daughter is not just fat and ugly, but also mannerless. How can you expect me to take her in exchange for the money you're owing me? Do you think two hundred thousand dollars is a joke?" His words ring in my head, and for some minutes, it feels as though my ears are deceiving me. Wait, don't tell me it's what I'm thinking. 

"I know she's not worth it, but she's all I have... I don't have anything I can sell to..."

"Wait, let me get this straight. What is going on here?" Unable to keep quiet anymore, I finally ask curiously. 

"What does it look like to you? Your mom borrowed money from me and couldn't pay up at the allotted time, so she's using you as collateral," He replies to me sarcastically as if what he just said is not even a big deal. 

"You're joking, right? What's going on here? Can you just speak up already?" My lips tremble as I turn to my stepmother questioningly. 

"Where do you think we got the money to pay for your dad's surgery months ago? You thought I sold my kidney to raise the money, huh?" She snaps at me, and I shake my head, still confused. Some months ago, my dad was diagnosed with stage two lung cancer of which he needed surgery, and she paid for it. She told me not to worry when I asked where she got the money from. 

"But..."

"Since there's no one else, I'll take her with me," He cuts me off before I even started talking, and my heart sinks into my stomach. Staring at the woman, my heart wrenches in pain as the tears I have been fighting back finally find their way down my cheeks. Would she have done this to me if I was her child? 

One hour later... 

My stepmother has successfully sold me out to a stranger and she didn't even care about what happens to me there. Is this how heartless she is? Glancing at the man sitting next to me in the backseat of the expensive car, I find him staring down at his phone keenly while having all of his attention on it. I wonder what fate has in store for me, or rather, what this man has in store for me. I wonder why our fate has to be entangled in this manner. Just three days ago, this man bullied me for nothing and I didn't want to ever see him again, but now it seems like that can't be dodged. I'm going to be spending maybe the rest of my life with him, depending on what he wants. 

"We're here, Sir," The driver's voice pulls my attention, and I quickly look out through the window to find us in the compound of a magnificent building. 

"Are you not going to get down from the car?" His cold voice pulls me out of my dreamland, and I push the door open, stepping out of the car afterward. I must confess that this house is extremely big and beautiful, just like the ones I do see in magazines and on TV. 

I trail behind him as he strides to the building. My mouth almost drops open as soon as we step into the large living room. The couches are sparkling neat and beautiful. The house is extremely beautiful but too bad that I don't even have the energy to admire it now. I have so many things going through my mind, and the last thing I want to do is to admire the house.

"Lisa... Lisa..." He calls out, and a young lady of same age as me, came running into the living room. 

"Sir..."

"Take her to the room next to mine," He says to her before he walks away. 

"Hi, my name is Lisa, one of the maids. It's nice to meet you," She says to me while having a smile on her lips. 

"I'm Lilian," I reply to her, and she nods her head. I thought she was also going to look at me the way other people do, but it seems like she's not even thinking about that. 

Hours later

I have spent just a few hours here, and it already feels like hell. I wish there's a way I can escape from here, but it's like being in a pit of hell that one can't escape from. I miss my poor dad. How will he feel when he wakes up from coma and finds out that his wife sold out his only child? How wicked of her. 

Crying my eyes out the whole day, I finally drag myself into the bathroom and have a long relaxing bath. The house is filled with luxurious things, but I don't find them attractive enough. I just want to go back home and be with my dad. 

Walking back into my room after I have my bath, I stop on my track as I spot Ren, sitting on the edge of my bed with his white robe on. What's he doing here? 

"Wha...what are you doing here?" Scared, I step back as I hold my towel tightly around my chest, causing him to raise his gaze to look at me. 

"I have been waiting for you, Lilian. It's time to do what you're here for," With a smirk dancing at the corner of his lips, he stands up to his feet and loses the rope, connecting his robe. 

"What are you doing?" My heart beats rapidly against my chest as I feel my back pressed hard against the wall. Don't tell me it's what I'm thinking...