4

NARA

My phone rang in the afternoon while I was folding clothes.

I froze when I saw his name.

For a second, my heart lifted before fear could catch up. I wiped my hands on my skirt and answered.

“Mike?”

His voice came through low and strained. “Nara. Can you come over?”

Something about his tone made my chest tighten. “What’s wrong?”

“I need to talk to you,” he said. “In person. Please.”

My fingers curled around the phone. “Is it about my parents?”

There was a pause. “Yes. And something else.”

Hope rushed in before I could stop it. “Did you speak to them? Did it go okay?”

Another pause. Longer this time. “Just come, okay?”

“I’ll come,” I said quickly. “I’ll be there soon.”

I ended the call with my heart racing.

He had done it. He had stood his ground. Maybe this was him telling me everything would be fine.

I changed my clothes fast and thought through my excuse. Camille barely looked at me when I told her I needed to get something from the market. She waved me off like I was nothing.

I didn’t wait around.

The cab ride felt endless. My knee bounced the whole way. I kept replaying his voice in my head, trying to read what he hadn’t said.

When I got to his place, I didn’t knock. I rang the bell twice.

The door opened, and I forgot how to breathe.

Mike stood there, but he didn’t look like himself.

Bandages wrapped his head. His arm was strapped to his chest. There were dark marks on his neck. His left eye was already swelling shut, skin darkening beneath it. His lip was split, dried blood crusted at the corner of his mouth.

“Oh my God,” I whispered. “Mike.”

He stepped back slowly. “Come in.”

I rushed inside, my bag slipping off my shoulder. “What happened to you?”

He lowered himself onto the couch with a sharp breath. “Be careful,” he said. “It hurts when I move.”

My chest felt tight. “Who did this to you?”

He looked at me for a long moment. “Your husband to be.”

My heart dropped. “What?”

“I came to your house yesterday,” he said softly. “You weren’t there.”

My head shook on its own. “No one told me. I was sent out on an errand.”

“They didn’t want you to know,” he said. “They embarrassed me. Humiliated me. Asked me questions like I was dirt.”

My hands trembled.

He breathed slowly. “Camille told me he was stopping by and ordered I leave else she would have me thrown out. I left and I met him on the way. Your suitor.”

My breath caught.

“I blocked his path, I thought I could reason with him, make him see that you belong to me. I told him I was your man. I pleaded with him to let you be for me. But he had his security beat me up.”

My vision blurred. “No.”

“They beat me,” he continued. “Right there. In front of the house.”

Tears rushed to my eyes, I couldn’t even say anything.

“He warned me,” Mike said. “He told me to stay away from you. Or next time it wouldn’t stop with bruises.”

I broke.

I dropped to my knees in front of him and cried hard, my hands clutching his jacket. “This is my fault. I swear it is.”

He hissed softly. “Nara, careful.”

“I hate them,” I sobbed. “I hate him. I’ll never marry him. To hell with him and my parents!”

I tried to stand, but his hand held mine.

“No,” he said sharply. “You can’t.”

“Yes, I can,” I cried. “I won’t let him hurt you again.”

He pulled me closer, his voice urgent. “Listen to me.”

I shook my head. “I don’t care. I’ll confront them. I’ll leave that house.”

“If you do that, he’ll come for me.”

My breath hitched. “What?”

“He’s wealthy, he can bend the laws and walk scot free,” Mike said. “He’s dangerous. If you refuse him now, he’ll think I pushed you.”

Fear slid into my chest. “He wouldn’t.”

“He already did this,” Mike said, pointing weakly to his bandages. “Next time, he won’t stop.”

I cried harder. “What do you want me to do?”

He swallowed. “Marry him.”

The word hit me like a slap. “What?”

“Just for a while,” he said quickly.

I stared at him. “You want me to marry another man.”

“To protect me,” he said. “To protect us.”

My chest felt hollow. “I can’t.”

“You can,” he insisted. “You’re strong.”

I shook my head, crying so deeply. “I’ll die please.”

“You won’t,” he said. “You could divorce him later on and leave with some security.”

My hands covered my mouth. “You’re asking me to marry him, share a bed and my body with him and then divorce him to get assets.”

He looked away. “I know it’s hard. But you benefit at the long run. This is the best choice we’ve got.”

“Mike please,” I whispered.

He reached for my hand. “I’m scared, Nara.”

That broke something in me.

“They beat me,” he said. “And he threatened to do worse…”

He squeezed my hand weakly. “I don’t want to die.”

Silence filled the room.

My heart pounded as fear took root. Images of him hurt worse than this flooded my mind.

“I don’t want you hurt,” I whispered.

“Then do this,” he said gently. “Just for now.”

Tears slid down my face and he pulled me into a careful hug.

I clung to him, my body shaking.

I closed my eyes.

Fear won.

“I’ll do it,” I whispered. “I’ll marry him.”

He let out a slow breath. “Thank you.”

I pulled back, wiping my face. “But after. You won’t leave me.”

He touched my hair gently. “I won’t.”

I nodded even though my chest hurt.