Bleeding Love

Chapter 1

"you have to do this marriage, Layla." my mother gripped my upper arm in a bone-crushing grip avoiding my tear-painted face.

"Mom, I can't do that, I don't know him, how he is what he is." before I could complete the sentence, suddenly I felt my right ear couldn't listen to things around me, due to the slap being delivered to my face.

"I don't care, Layla, we want the money, just marry him, please him, make him happy because if he is upset you have nowhere else to go than coming back here, and I will make sure you will resent it every breath of it," she screamed in my face.

"Relax honey, I have a much easier way than you making your vocal cords blast." my stepfather's voice boomed in the dining room as he ascended the stairs.

His steps came forward to me, as my steps went backward, finally, my back walk stopped as my back hit the wall.

"Hey, sweet pea," he said in a low disgustingly vomit voice.

I did raise my head to see his face, he scares me, to death and I can't look at him, makes me remember the horrors he drew on me with my so-called mother.

His hands came to my face making me flinch, holding my chin he pulled my face towards him, "Sweat pea you have to get married to him unless you want to keep Emma here with us because I don't think we will be able to pay for her college anymore."

I knew what he was initiating, I can't let Emma be the victim of their atrocity, she doesn't deserve this, I can't be selfish now.

I have protected her for the last 20 years I can do it a little more.

"I will marry, please don't hurt her." I submissively said.

"there you go, was it that hard honey," he said to my mother who was beaming with joy, learning about her new rising bank account.

"Tomorrow, you have to go to his office sharp at 10 in the morning, he wants to meet you there, and don't you be late." my mother said while handing me a card, with her sharp eyes, that could pass holes in my body.

I have always been afraid of those eyes, but more disgusted with her, she didn't do a motherly thing to me and Emma in her lifetime.

I can guarantee that this new money will vanish by next year from their gambling and my mother's addiction to buying designer purses.

And then, they will pursue Emma for some other man, but I will make sure that she won't be able to catch in their ugly paws, she will fly away and live her life for herself, happily, the way she wants.

All I know about this man is that he is a very rich businessman, who is gonna invest 2 million dollars in my parent's company.

Well, let's say my dad's company, my mom left my dad when I was three, and took all his wealth, he was left stranded but he rose back and built a million-dollar company again with his new family.

He deserves happiness a lot of it, but his wife asked for a divorce when she came to know that he is suffering from liver cancer.

Everyone is so greedy for money, it's just a piece of paper.

And after 22 years he called me, from the hospital, I was so happy that I finally got my dad back, we still make plans on how when he will get better we will travel, and how he will always stay with me.

Seeing my mother and stepdad licking and kissing each other in joy, I took my handbag and went to work.

More like sitting in a coffeehouse the whole day and working on my laptop, I am an editor in a publishing firm. It allows me to work online and pays well better than most online jobs.

Helping me pay the hospital bills and sometimes pocket money for Emma.

But more like it's the job that I love, get to read lots of books, and add my ideas to them, it's an ideal job for a person who did an English major and did a master's in Romantic literature.

but now I have to marry him I don't know, he can be anything rude, playboy or abusive. Maybe it could also be the key to freeing me from my prison.

I walked to the cafe house, to save money for tomorrow's cab sitting there, I ordered a cup of simple chocolate shake and opened my laptop to start today's work.

Suddenly I noticed the card, on the table with its backside on the upper side, I took the card and turned it to see the black and silver combination of it.

'Morello Industries' it said. The address was Billionaire's Row, 244 A 5th Avenue, that road is the richest, I can't even think of how I will go there and talk with him.

My thoughts were interrupted by my phone ring, it was Emma, my baby.

"hey, big sissy." Emma nearly yelled on the phone.

"I am good, how is college going on." Emma studies at Penn state university doing a business major.

"It's the senior year, you know how it works, "Emma said making me roll my eyes, although her carefree attitude about her academics makes me scared.

I have never seen her study, with my own eyes, but still, she manages to score well in Every exam. According to her, she has a deal with Satan.

"ya, Satan's favorite." I mocked her as I began sipping my chocolate shake.

"By the way, Mom called me, and told me that you are getting married," Emma announced, I was about to tell her but not that soon.

"Yeah, it's this... guy-" Before I could complete my sentence Emma jumped on.

"that you don't know about, and marrying the love of your life to pay some sickos bills."

"They are your parents Emma."

"blood relation doesn't mean anything to me anymore, she was your mother too."

I grew a little uncomfortable talking about this situation but I have to talk about it eventually.

"I have to protect you, Emma, so be it, how bad it can be."

"why can't we go to the police, I will testify for you." Emma retorted.

I took a heavy sigh, closing my eyes," Let it be Emm."

"I am gonna come to your wedding, booking a flight ASAP," Emma told me as I could hear her typing on the laptop.

"no, you won't it's the beginning of the semester come back during Thanksgiving." I strictly said.

"Layla, I am coming, it's you, I wanna be there for you."

"Emma, it's a little weak time right now, I don't want you here, I don't want you in sight of Mom if she decides to marry you off to have a double bank account."I reasoned.

Suddenly I heard a little sniffling, on the phone, "Don't tell me, Emma Martin is crying." I mocked her.

"yo- you were not supposed to be like this, to protect m- me, you were supposed to be happy, you went through all those things and still asking more Layla, God knows how this man will be, please back out." Emma pleaded to me.

At this time, my eyes were getting glossy too, my nose was running and I was not able to control my tears without letting the whole cafe know about it. I could get out of it and run away, but leaving Emma I can't be that selfish.

"don't worry about me, just concentrate on your semester, then move to L.A. as you planned and never come back to these filthy people."

"you are not filthy Layla, you saved me multiple times, I wish I could have anyhow saved you from what you have been through," Emma said while sobbing.

"stop crying, I love you and I have no regret about what I did, I would do it million times, now get lost, I have work to do," I said while wiping my tears and slightly chuckling.

"ya ya, I love you too, bye sissy."

The only thing that is left for me now, is to prepare for the future that my mother sold to someone.

Hope you liked it.