Indebted To A Billionaire

"Please complete your homework. We'll meet again tomorrow." Our homeroom teacher recites before leaving the class to dispersing and loud students, preparing to leave back to their homes.I am a junior student at St. Pharrell High School. Although, I am older than most of my classmates. I joined the educational system a little late than them. My parents couldn't afford a very luxurious life for me.I made my way towards the lockers to collect my books, someone taps my shoulder to get my attention. I close my eyes in annoyance, and a little fright as well. Her perfume was so strong that I can smell their perfume from a mile away, and eventually guess who it was before I could see her face."M-Miley," before words come out of my mouth, the tall girl named Miley pushes me down by my neck. Her new shoes come in contact with my eyes. I gasp."You stepped on my shoe, wh*r*. Clean it. Clean it now!" She teems with anger. Indeed, I felt like j stepped on someone's shoe earlier.Driven with fear, I shake my head and free myself from her grip on my neck. Leaving my locker open— which was definitely a bad idea, I sprint towards my home like it was the last day of my life.I wished to wail like a child.I wanted a shoulder to cry tears of anger and demise.But, there was no one to shoulder my tears.I couldn't rely on my dying mother nor on my impeccably young baby brother Jonas.Belonging to the unfortunates showed me a realistic picture of how the world marks a division between the have's and the have-not's. I reach my house, only to discover I dropped a couple of things on my way while running because my bag's zip was open. Cursing myself, I enter through the door, forcing my legs to work after the dash to save myself from Miley's bullying.My baby brother Jonas opens the door as he clasps his arms around my legs. He was barely to my waist. He is 6 years old, and I will be turning 19 soon.I hear my mom coughing violently in her little, gloomy room. Walking towards her, I hold her hand until she was feeling alright. She wipes the little blotch of blood from her lips, gathering her energy to curve the corner of her lips at me."Mother, are you alright?" I help her up, she nods meekly.Ignoring me, she asks, "What are you upto these days?""Learning a few dishes to feed us." I reply with a smile as well, remembering the only thing we can afford was bread on sale of the bakery and some sugar from our neighbors. Other than that, I couldn't make more money to save ourselves. I look at the clock and quickly realise it was time for my part time job at the patisserie nearby. I kiss my mother and brother on their foreheads, begining to leave the house after changing my dress.Coming back home at seven in the evening with a bag of baguette and left over jam, I press on my left shoulder which bothers me with numbing pain.My duties include washing dishes and occasionally cover someone else's shift. I wasn't allowed to complain about my job, it's the one I could afford at a walkable distance. I should be safe as well, at night.However at the curve of our block, I see a set of rich black cars in front of my house. Concerned, I walk faster and discover the lights to our small porch were on. They have indeed come to our house.I barge inside, seeing a few men sat on the couch while Jonas and mother were on the plastic chairs."W-who are you?" I held my half-functioning flip phone in my hand, just in case. They were all dressed in black. Black was registered in my mind as death.When my brother was born, our father was said to have tragically died in an accident. I was at his funeral, unable to cry, unable to accept such a sweet man's death. I see the middleman removing his goggles, he clears his throat to speak."We're debt collectors, sweetcake. Is she your daughter, Mrs. Blackwell?" My eyes widen when I see mother sitting on the chairs with Jonas trembling beside her."She isn't supposed to move—" I argue with them."We don'tcare about anyone's health, young lady. Well, Mrs. Blackwell is aware of the deal. And we are here to collect...the debt." The man says. He must be the boss, he was speaking as though our lives depended on him flipping a coin to decide if we get to live or not."What debt do you possibly have against us?" I ask them sternly. I look at mother, wondering.A wave of realization washes over me. I realise about my earnings that I submit to her. Where does she hide them? In the wardrobe under her clothes?Were there even any notes left?My head slowly turns towards my mother. She refuses to make eye contact with me.The silence breaks when he speaks again."I take it that you haven't told your daughter anything about her father." Said the male."My father? What does he have to do with our current situation? He's been dead for 7 years." I say strictly."Death in an accident?" The man turns to my mother next, "Or death by encounter?"My mouth falls ajar.My father was encountered?By whom?"By the police. He was killed by the police." He adds as though he can read my train of thoughts.By the police? What nonsense is he talking on my face? I'm not here to listen to their tittle-tattles. I am really exhausted today, I don't need another reason to feel more of it."I don't know who you are, but I should ask you to leave. Please. You cannot invade our house." I say, trying to sound tough when I was sure he could hear my heart beating so loudly."Your house?" The man laughs at my face."Sweetness, this house was offered to your family by us. Your father was someone needed by the police. And your sweet mother here, took a load of money from us, years ago." The man says.Mother took money from these kind of men? For what purpose? There were countless other people to take money from. Why them?"Your father was a criminal, one who started to steal money from us as an employee, our files of confidentiality, and he outdid himself by transferring our company secrets. He shouldn't have gone that far, sweetie. Not that far."I know that my father was never the one to make such foolish acts of treason.I am aware that father was a working individual, he quit his job a few months prior to Jonas' birth, 7 years ago.I try to connect the dots, slowly but surely.As I realise, my legs give up on me.Father didn't quit his job. He was fired for betraying these people.And he was branded a criminal for exposing the company's secrets?But, what had he done to gain the attention of police though?"Well, Mrs. Blackwell," The man gets up."We will be taking your daughter now. Please say your last goodbyes." Only, and only then, my mother looks up at me."Wait! What!?" I scream in disbelief. My mother tries to stand up in a meek attempt. Should I even address her as my mother from now on?"Honey, listen. You were a part of the deal that I made. If we weren't able to give them back the money we took from them, we shall give you away for the CEO to marry you. And the current CEO is Nicholas Graces." My mother says.Tears stirred by many emotions begin to fall down my eyes."I can't believe you're doing this to me, mother. You're selling me off?" I could hear the guards shuffle on the wooden floor, probably walking towards me to pry me away from my family. As if to collect the 'debt'."We had no choice, my love. I'm sorry, but I know you will survive—" She tries to lift her hand up to my face. In any other occasion, I would allow hee to pamper me. But not now."SURVIVE!?" I yank her hand away from my face.Dad was branded as a criminal. Mom set me up as a giveaway to a rich, seemingly cunning guy because father put us into irreducible debts. What about Jonas?How would she look after Jonas with the terminal illness she has on herself? I don't want Jonas to become a victim to my mother's unforgivable decisions. "No! I don't want to—" as I plan to run away, there was already a bodyguard stationed at the door to capture me. I was breathing with ruggedness."My love, you will be alright. I promise. You're fortunately the perfect age for marriage!" She says. Is she really out of her mind now?I can't believe I'm shoved away to marry a complete stranger before I could even complete my education. This is my life from now. For the powerless me......Indebted to a Billionaire.

I was at a beautiful venue. It was the golden hour. I haven't seen my future husband yet. Not even in the pictures because I was kept locked away in a room for an entire day.I had my phone with me, but no internet connection and jammers all around the building. So basically my mobile was useless.Dressed in the most beautiful, simple clothing foe a laced gown, I bellow at my own beauty. I shouldn't be looking this good when my life was being snatched away from me. Who is this stranger? Is he a good person?Is he a bad person?No one was even close to coming to answer my thousand and one questions.I stop glaring at the setting sun. The poor object so many miles away from earth had nothing to do with my resentment to this world. I scoff at my own fate, crossing fingers wasn't working for me anymore.The bodyguards announce that the groom was arriving. I knew my cue. What to do and how to walk down the aisle by myse