Prologue

AVA

Three Years Ago 

"Can I come in?" I begged as the rain pounded against both the pavement and my skin, making me shiver from the brisk cold feeling that spread throughout my body. My teeth chattered while I stood outside begging him to open the door and at least listen to me. 

Ignoring the after effect the rain had on me, I called out to him again. Through the window I could see him sitting on the couch, he was still in the blue three piece suit he had worn to the event we had both attended.

"Please, Ryan just listen to me! You're getting it all wrong!" I said, practically yelling at the top of my lungs just so I could be heard over the sound of the rain and thunderstorm. I knew I was nowhere near as loud, but I was sure he heard me 

, "Can, you ah-t lee-east o-open the do-or. P-p-l-leease," I said through gritted teeth, as a result of the shiver surging through me. Hot tears fell freely from my eye, contrasting perfectly to the freezing rain.

"No!!!" His voice boomed round the entire house, giving me a front seat show of his emotions. I jumped in fear from the sound of his voice, his voice held hatred and detest, something I would never in my life attribute to the sweet, loving and soft Ryan that I know. He had just said one word and that word was able to rip my world apart, utterly and completely. 

It was like I didn't even deserve his words nor his ears to hear what I had to say.

Slowly, I sat down on the ground letting my tears escape my eyes and roll down my pink cheeks, not caring how wet and irritating it was, not caring if the white satin dress I was wearing was going to get terribly stained, the worst part is that I also didn't care how harmful the cold outside, and my non stop crying was to my health.

After sitting like that on the puddled ground, for God knows how long, I stood up. Looking through the window, I noticed Ryan was no longer sitting on the couch, I hurriedly went to the front door to check if he had opened it. To the crumpling of all my high up hopes, he didn't. 

I took one last look at the house I had shared with him for the past two years after we got married. I couldn't stop myself from shedding more tears as I walked down the lonely dark road of the streets barefooted, alone, and with nothing but the shoes in my hand.

How easy was it to throw two beautiful years out the window or flush it down the toilet without a second thought? I asked myself while rubbing my free hand over my arm to generate a little bit of heat.

Even though we didn't get along during the first phase of our marriage, we were currently living like we had known each other and had dated like normal teenagers.

I found a bench on one corner of the dark street and sat on it. My feet were hurting badly, it was so painful that it felt like they couldn't continue the journey to an unknown destination with me. I gazed at my surroundings, I sat near a locked store. I couldn't see much else though, for it was far to dimly lit.

I placed my head in my hands. I was shivering from the cold, so much that you could hear my shivering through my shaky breath. I thought about the beautiful life I had just been shut out of and reminisced about the memories.

My eyelids were becoming heavy, so heavy that I was having trouble keeping them open. So I laid down on the bench, tucking my arm under my head, and slept. I dreamt of the day my father had told me I was to be married, but not wholly

I had just returned from college after acquiring my masters degree in business management. I can still remember how happy I was to see my dad and introduce my boyfriend to him, Nathan whom I had met a month back and was madly in love with. 

Excitedly, I had pressed the doorbell and waited. My hand was by my side, intertwined with Nathan, who was beyond fidgety. The door was thrown open by my dad, a beaming smile was plastered on his face which surprisingly fell when he noticed our linked hands.

"Young man, you may leave while you still have the chance." My dad said in a firm voice, glaring at the Nathan who stood beside me.

Shocked by his sudden hostility, my eyes were wide so wide that I felt they might pop out. 

"Dad!" I exclaimed in disbelief while he stood there staring daggers at Nathan who had already removed his hand from mine, intimidated by dad he walked, no ran away from where we stood. 

"Ava, doll." My dad called smiling at me. 

Is there any chance my dad could be bipolar? I had asked myself.

Stepping into the house, "Dad, why do you always scare away my boyfriends?" I asked him in a calm tone, trying to keep my cool.

"You'll know when the time is right. " He had always said each time I asked this question.

I haven't had a decent relationship because of his behaviour, and I'm 21. He was about to walk to the kitchen when I yelled. 

"I deserve to know now! " My dad turned around, surprised at my tone. He gave me the look. 

When he noticed it wouldn't phase me, he sighed and gestured for me to sit.. 

"You're married, Ava." Was all he said

Confused and shocked at the same time, I let out a humorous laugh. I expected him to join me in laughing at his joke but composed myself when I noticed the serious look that was attached to his face. 

"How is that even possible?" I demanded in a shaky voice.

"Your mum had you betrothed to the son of her best friend. Her friend was a great friend of the family when your mother was told she wouldn't be able to live up to your one year birthday because her leukemia had gotten worse." He was doing his best to keep calm but I could see the tears welling in the corners of his eyes.

"She wanted the best for you Ava, she had to sign you up for marriage with the son of her best friend. This man is now a billionaire so he will be able to care for you, and give you what you need. She had said that if she couldn't be here to protect you, she was sure he would take care of you. And so, her friend made me promise to make this marriage happen." I watched his shoulder shake in a manner that told me that he was crying, that was when I noticed the tears falling freely from my eyes.

I felt myself being shook by rough hands, immediately the smell of alcohol hit me. My eyes shot open to see a huge man covered with tattoos in such a way that there was no need for the black shirt that he wore without doing the buttons. His teeth were an apology to white and alcohol oozed from his breath.

"Can I help you with something, sweetheart?" He asked me,

I think my mind was playing tricks with me because I noticed his expression soften, I sat up immediately and was about to take to the hills when he gripped my arms. It wasn't the painful type of grip, but a firm one, firm enough to hold me still while his blue eyes were still staring down at me. 

"Don't run, you look sick." Was all he said before sitting on the bench beside my shivering body. 

I don't know this man, what if he's a serial killer, or a thief, or worse... a rapist? I asked myself. 

I stood and turned around to walk away, but my legs were wobbly from the effect of the rain, which I didn't notice had stopped until now. 

I tried to take strong steps away but failed miserably. I slipped and fell to the ground. The second I hit the ground the stranger rushed to where I was and lifted me up onto my feet. The feeling of his calloused hands on my arm made fear course though my veins. I was too freaked out to fight, and I was too weak to scream for help. My heart was beating rapidly in my chest, and then... I blacked out.

-

Beep! Beep!! Beep!!!. 

The continuous beeping, and the scent of the combination of different drugs, gave me a massive headache. It was intoxicating. 

Slowly, I opened my eyes but shot it due to the blinding effect of sunlight that hit me directly from the window that had been left open.

Taking my time to regain my strength, I tried opening my eyes once again. It took time for my eyes to get used to the blinding light.

Once my eyes had adjusted, I sat up to study the room. I was on a bed that I didn't know how or when I got on it. The walls of the room were painted white, so white that any colored spot on it wouldn't go unnoticed. The bed cover was sea green, the same color with the clothing was in.

Beep! 

The beeping sound caught my attention again. I was still trying to adjust into the environment when the door was opened by a man. His hazel green eyes looked like he could see directly through my soul and his smile was so professional like it appears like it had been rehearsed for years. 

I assumed he was a doctor, telling from the white lab coat and stethoscope he had come in with. 

"How are you doing, miss?" He asked me. I gave him a quizzed look 

"Good, how did I get here?" I asked, confused.

"Oh! A very kind young man brought you in two nights ago, he left you this note." The doctor said handing me a note.

"I've been here for two days?!" I asked in disbelief. The doctor nodded at me with a sad smile. 

"Can you please send a nurse to this address for my belongings?" I asked. I was about to tear some part of the note but the doctor spoke again.

"That wouldn't be necessary, a young man brought them here yesterday, he said he was your ex-husband." my eyes widened, shocked at the words the doctor had just vomited

Ex-what? He didn't even want to hear my side of the story, Was it really that easy to dump me? How did he even know I was here? I asked myself these questions as tears began to run down my face.

"Don't cry, pull yourself together. It's not good for your condition." I nodded my head at the doctor's words, ignoring the word 'condition' that he had said.

I opened the note and read the words It was simple and understandable

"You shouldn't always judge a book by the cover" 

-Luke.

"You're very lucky he brought you here when he did. Otherwise you'd have lost the baby."

"THE WHAT!!! " I shouted a mixture of surprise and disbelief.