The Betrothed Bride

Maria's perspective

It's been seven whole months seen I heard from my father, he still haven't summon the courage to call me, it's been seven whole months after my arranged marriage, I still can't forgive him for this. So crazy that if I file a divorce, he losses all his access and support from the hell born business empire, and I still care for his business, so could I be trapped in this hell of a marriage for the rest of my life? I don't want to disappoint father, but I also want to be happy.

I sat on a golden cushion stool in front of the large mirror to wear my make up, my little toes landed softly on the red fluffy cotton carpet, "I'd rather marry a honest janitor than this psycho of an husband, Bruce!" I thought to myself.

Bruce is a focused entrepreneur as he calls himself, but people know he to be a young mafia boss with no heart. You know, you don't judge yourself, people judge you, and they are often correct cause they judge by what actions they see, I stood up to pick a shoe from the eight feet shoe rack to match my one sleeve cherry red short gown. In addition to his mercilessness, his greatest flaw is his love for money and power, he'd rather own the sun than to have his own kids, he'd rather manipulate millions of staffs than to build a peaceful home, oh! How can I put myself out of this misery? All I've always wanted was a peaceful life; a loving husband, two kids and a nice house with a garden of pretty flowers, is that so much to ask? Bruce takes great care of me, infact I barely lift a finger, but I don't see any passion or love in him. I am more like a possession to him.

"Maria! Aren't you done? We're late for heaven sake!" Bruce yelled from the first floor.

Looks like I was almost lost in my thoughts.

"I'm almost done!" I responded.

I wore a black stiletto heels matching my black bag, and my Long shiny dark hair, the colour of my eyes have always been Hazel and my beautiful shape tells how much the name rare pearl fits me, oh! I almost forget the amulet he made me wear always, the pendant is green in colour so I'll hide it in between my breast. Okay I guess I look good enough.

The car of choice for tonight's venue is the Ford Explorer SUV Platinum, Bruce was already in the car, I walked majestically but timorously towards the vehicle, Sanchez our driver for the night opened the passenger's door for me as I carefully entered the car, Bruce took a look at me and smiled a little, his handsomeness is in his smile, which he doesn't give freely, only if he is impressed before he breaks one.

"Wow! Wow! You look amazing my rare pearl." He adjusted towards me, "can't wait to show those fat heads of business men what an angel look like." Bruce said to me, stroking the back of his index finger on a side of my face. Bruce doesn't look bad himself, his blonde shoulder length hair suits his little goatee, his muscular body is every ladies dream, his patterned black and white suit looks young and a bit flashy, three golden rings on his pinky, index and thumb fingers of his right hand, and his shoes were black loafers.

"Thank you" that's the best I could actually say, I know he is not the speaking type so I'll rather talk to myself like so, till our arrive. Deep down, I know I am afraid of him, and somehow, I don't know if he is worth the shot.

Sanchez played us some blues by Celine Dion, was he trying to set a romance mood? Haa! Haa! haa! Bruce is has hard as a rock, he'll never fall to romantic emotion, I don't know if this is stoicism or he doesn't know a shit! about romance.

We arrived at the venue by 9:37, thirty seven minutes late. The Winchester Royal hotel is a fine, exquisite place to be, Bruce loves this place as a meeting point with all his clients, subordinates, allies, shareholders and stakeholders. Sanchez alighted hastily, he opens the door for Bruce first, then he strode over to my side of the car, I thought culture has it to be Ladies first, but not in this case. I really hope father won't be at this meeting today, his appearance is enough to vex me.

As we walked four to five metres away from our vehicle, this young man with whom I'm not familiar with dashed in to our presence, "Boss!" he called Bruce in a sharp tone.

"Edgar! How are you? I hope you are well?" Bruce asked. Wow! So this is the Edgar debt collector, quite handsome for such a job, no! This is a model, his height is 6 feet 2, makes you want to look up to him, his body shape speaks Leviathan, dark short hair, light skin, deep blue eyes, in one word he is beautiful. Still, he is a debt collector.

"I'm very well, I can see you are fine as well boss." Edgar replied.

"Haa! I'm fantastic, thank you so much for coming, I needed someone to have my back throughout this meeting, Robert can't work alone, so you occured to me, and also, I'd like to see you privately after the meeting." Bruce told Edgar.

The conference hall was looking splendid than usual, the chandelier were arranged in twos on three rows. The table was in form of a huge letter U, in the center of the U was a little stool on which a projector was placed, big business men and their spouses. were sitted around the table, they had their bodyguards standing by their sides, we spotted our seats on the left side of the U table, next to Clinton Edmond and his wife Patricia, Robert had his seat two seats after ours, as we walked towards our seats eyes were fixed on us, as we were about to sit, Bruce decided to speak:

"Thank you all very much for your patience, please let the meeting continue."

He never apologizes, the best he could do is to show gratitude.

"Mr. Bruce, you are welcome, your presence has been well anticipated, we were just scaling the possibility of purchasing the abandoned factory down the Stardust alley, we intended to establish this factory into a #vehicle dealing company, it will be owned by shares from each and everyone of us, so what do you think?" Mr. Clinton asked, Mr. Clinton respects Bruce a lot, well they've been friends since college.

"I think it's a nice idea, but I must ask, how does this give us respect from the government? I thought that was the point of this meeting, isn't it?" Bruce asked.

"Well, we were getting there, Desmond, show Bruce your presentation and answer the question please" Mr. Clinton said rubbing the tip of his moustache.

Desmond reluctantly turns on the projector, he did it like it was the 100th time tonight.

"The demand for classic vehicle are high in the south, and with my calculations, this demand is going to be so till the next four years." He said showing graphs to prove his points.

"We have deviced a new kind vehicle battery, made from Auburn's Lithium batteries, which could last a car #10 whole years before changing, thanks to Mr. Auburn for his contribution, I greet him for the seventh time today." Desmond said as the people laughed and muttered, the number of people in the room were from of six organisations, the Auburn batteries—Mr. And Mrs. Auburn, Clinton law firms—Mr. And Mrs. Edmond, Geoffrey and Sons — Mr. Geoffrey and his whole family— five of them, ourselves Hell born lands and properties, and two other companies I am not familiar with.

"By dealing with this cars and supplying strong batteries to various vehicle companies, we are sure to amount to a total revenue of about £77,000,000 per year. This is excluding expenditures." Desmond explained,

"If this amount of money is utilised well, we can be able to create a party for ourselves were out candidates can run for positions in the government. Once again, suggestions and contribution will be highly appreciated, thank you." Desmond concluded.

Bruce started jamming his hands together applauding Desmond, I supported him and so did everyone, why did I support him? Well, I know clapping could be contagious, but I'm sure everyone here must have applauded Desmond before now, I guess this is what respect means or should I say fear? Does everyone in this room fear Bruce?

"It's a good but slow idea, looking at how long it will take, I'll say five years which is a while if you ask me, so how shall we speed things up?" Bruce asked. Everybody's eyes were on Bruce, it looked like they had all agreed on that concept untill we came around.

"There is no speeding up! Speeding things up might ruining the process Mr. Bruce, I implore that we go steady." Replied Mr. Auburn.

"Mr Auburn, I understand that the slow process is to your favour, isn't it? If you want it slow, then you can count me out, the regime of Boris is almost over and our chance to influence the government is now before another mafia group or coalition do so, can't you all see." Bruce opined in a tone.

"Well, I… think Bruce is right, uhhuhm! Here is an idea to speed things up, I know the person most likely to run for prime minister coming election, we just need to use our revenue to sponsor his campaign, and we make sure he wins, after he swears loyalty to us, once he is on sit, out coalition will be free of the rule of law. The sooner the better, I'm damn tired of paying bribes to the pigs" Geoffrey said, Geoffrey was the oldest of everyone in the room, and clearly the wisest, this suggestions sounds possible and achievable to me, but who am I to say something. I thought with a finger on my chin.

"You gat something to say?" Edgar hunched down and whispered to me.

"No, I'm, I gat nothing," I replied, hmmmm! that was very observant of him, looks like he knows there are so many things I have to say.

"A sharp idea, Mr. Geoffrey, I concur with you." Bruce agreed.

"Mr. Geoffrey has said well, I feel the need for us to be quick with our notion. So I agree." Mr. Clinton said.

"Well… since it's… all against against one, I say we go with Geoffrey's idea, but I just think it's best we are a party ourselves so no one can betray us."

Auburn said with a forced smile on his face.

"Uhm! It's Mr. Geoffrey or Sir Geoffrey, Mr. Auburn, I feel he deserves your respect, " Bruce corrected Mr. Auburn. This was unnecessary if you'd ask me,

"and our revenue from this project is enough to sponsor the next candidate, and our motive of building a political party." Bruce continued. I could see Mrs. Auburn looking at me and Bruce in disgust, they were opposite us. I was unsettled till the end of the meeting, well, congratulatins to us, looks like we just won ourselves an enemy in our own gang, the Auburns.

The meeting ended around 10:50, I was already tired of their business talk, greetings, exchanges of pleasantries, introductions to other members and their parties. I wonder if this is all I get to do, follow Bruce to meetings, swallow his money on shopping, and appear any night he needs me too. I'm only grateful for Rhoda, our chief housekeeper, she is my only company, I hope her mum gets better soon, she's off to go take care of her mum whom is sick of a partial stroke. It's been eight days now, and I miss her. I think I should call her.

"Maria! Hello, can I speak to you please?" It was Sophie—Mrs. Auburn.

"Of course Mrs. Sophia, how are you doing tonight?"

"I'm very well, me and the ladies were thinking of hosting a pool party, it's at my house, so we were hoping you could make it, maybe we could bond and get to know one another." She announced. Wasn't she giving me the hateful eyes some moments ago? Or was she just trying to get my attention then.

"Oh! I don't know, but I'll try, when is this party?" I asked.

"On Friday night, by 8pm, don't be late again, see you soon love." She added.

I'm not sure the time is convenient for Bruce, but I'd like to be there, well, to understand the ladies and their ways, maybe I could learn from them the classic ways of the ladies.

"Edgar!" Bruce called, then he grabs my left hand,

"Come with us please" he added. I can feel a little bit of fright in Edgar's look, could he be in trouble?

We were outside, slowly approaching our vehicle,

"Edgar, I've noticed your loyalty to your job, and how much money you have made me ever since you assumed the post of my debt collector… its very outstanding of you, I must say I'm impressed… I want to promote you to a new level… I need you by my left hand. I'll give you a car of your choice, assemble for you a nice house and increase your income by 40%, but… you'll still collect my debt from those debtors… what do you say?" Bruce said to Edgar, who's face was already looking so thrilled.

"Boss, I I don't know what to say, thank you so much, I'd love that, and I promise to continue to do an outstanding job boss." Edgar looks really elated.

"Good, I know you would. Come by my place tomorrow, I'll give you your keys. Oh! And Meet my wife Maria, isn't she a beauty." Bruce said to Edgar, showing me off again for the fifth time today.

"She is, boss, she sure is, hello Maria, I am Edgar, your love's left hand man." Edgar said stretching forth his hands to receive a hand shake.

"Pleasure to meet you Edgar, and congratulations on your promotion." I replied shaking his hand, only if he knew how Thomas, Bruce former left hand man died a sorrowful death, he died with bullets all over his body, he was shot to stupor by Bruce's rival the Dens, just for not revealing Bruce's location, Bruce kept this a secret from everyone except from me and Rhoda, who buried Thomas at the back of the mansion, if was horrific. Welcome to the Hell in Hell born, Edgar. Welcome indeed.