Bonus #4: Amicably

The last Chapter of the Bonus will be tomorrow.

**

“I didn’t ask you to protect me! I wasn’t in danger.”

His sneer rises, and I wince, anticipating another slap, but instead, he clicks his tongue.

“You will need to visit a family planning establishment to get your affairs in order; if you are going to start taking in men, then-”

“I will get you the money!”

“By tomorrow? Because your debt just went up by eight hundred thousand.”

“I didn’t ask you to interrupt. Don’t give the refund let me go out there and-.”

Dominic’s hand rises, and I flinch before the sound of his tongue clicking against the roof of his mouth echoes once again.

“I will give you the day off tomorrow, but Maurice will escort you to the family planning centre. I’ll show you an easy way to pay me back if you are in such a rush to escape me. Now, take that coat off. You look stupid wearing it.”

"Will I look more dignified to the men you intend to whore me out to?"

Dominic winces, but his expression does not soften; he doesn’t hold even an ounce of regret.

"Take that coat off your shoulders before I send men to rip it off. Who knows if they will be gentle."

He whispers warningly as he turns to the door.

"Christ, I can't believe I ever loved you.”

Dominic

Dominic made his way back to his office; he’d lost almost an entire million in one night, but all he could focus on were the ruby eyes that now cowered in his presence.

She loved him; once upon a time, they were in love.

He sat at his desk and closed his eyes before she appeared before him again, only a younger version.

"I can't help but see the difference each time I am with you."

The Ruby in his mind uttered with a shy smile as she hid her worn-out sleeves and shoes.

"I will take care of you; I will always take care of you."

His words were simple, but she leapt at it wholeheartedly.

He loved it, loved everything about her, and as the years went by, to his horror, she began to shine.

Their ‘poor girl’ ‘criminal boy’ love story grew into a cheap cliché the moment she got her scholarship to a pretentious school, and suddenly, he was the one who grew ashamed at being by her side.

Soon, the school started paying her for attendance and before long, she became self-sufficient enough not to need him to ‘take care of her’.

He had told himself that he was lucky when he found her junkie mother he knew that would be the only way to keep her dependent on him, he didn't expect that she would overdose and leave Ruby with debts that she did not accumulate from him, but that worked in his favour.

He bought her debt and denied her the right to be free from him.

It would be hard, he acknowledged, but it would be worth it in the end; she would come to need him. She must!

That was why he asked her to work the debt off in his club as a waitress, where he demanded more and more until her school found out and revoked her scholarship to both his joy and detriment, his joy because she would be stuck with him for almost eternity—the two hundred million was nothing to scoff at, and his detriment because she no longer looked at him the same.

But she would change her mind eventually if she grew miserable enough to see him as her light—he convinced himself, she must!

At least, that is what he believed before he walked in on them practically having sex.

But that’s fine; if she were with lesser men, then she would no doubt snap back to her senses!

**

Ruby/ Cinnamon

Fuck.

My cheek stings even more in the night's cold.

 Shudders run up my spine as I dip my hands in my pocket.

I need to leave this town tomorrow after Maurice comes. It's one thing for him to draft up a slave contract., wholly another for it to be peppered in ‘sex’ with strangers, all while he still holds my leash.

My gaze turns to Dominic’s car; I wish I could bash it in, but that’s more debt on my part.

I will not run forever, just until I have enough money to pay him off.

God…I can't breathe.

So much for love conquers all.

My hand stretches out on the street to hail a cab, but the fancy SUV before me begins to reverse so I take a step away.

"Need a lift?”

“What, did the refund bounce?”

I respond to Adrian’s question as I proceed to signal for a cab; any cab since my phone is dead and none of the ladies can call one for me on account of being ‘occupied.’

“Scared your boyfriend will find you in my car."

"Get lost, Adrian, the deal is off; you left the room; if it’s sex you want, I know a good spot for-”

"Is it debt that’s keeping you here?”

Fuck…what is it with these nosy men.

“Get lost.”

“I can help you pay him back.”

“And then I will now owe you?”

I ask as my head shakes from side to side.

There is no such thing as lesser evil or greener grass.

Dominic has less security, so escaping him is easier; Adrian, on the other hand…

“You can take your time paying me back.”

Adrian utters with a smile only the devil can hold.

“No thanks.”

“Hm….I thought we could do this more amicably, but alright. Good night, Ruby.”