Contract marriage: My billionaire’s cure

I slowly opened my eyes and winced, hearing a ringing sound in my ear. I looked around, I was lying on the floor, face down. I kept my elbows on the ground and tried to stand up but the pain in my head was too much.

Blood trickled down my face, blending with the dried tears on my cheeks. My head started spinning again. I kept my hand on the cot’s leg for support and slowly stood up.

As the ringing sound stopped I heard Lucas crying in the bathroom and then water rushing out of a faucet.

I limped towards the bathroom and held the door knob. But it was hard to focus as I felt light headed from the bleeding.

Using all my strength I opened it and saw Lucas on the floor, crying while a man fill the bathtub with water. Adrenaline rushed through me and I ran to get Lucas but the man suddenly turned and pushed me to the wall.

I yelped out in pain as my head hit hard on the wall. He snaked his hand around my neck and squeezed it, suffocating me.

I started coughing, gasping for air. Tears sprung at my eyes, hearing Lucas crying again.

I can’t leave Lucas like this. I have to save him.

I looked at the man in the eyes and kicked him hard on the groin. He stumbled a few steps back and I bent to the floor to pick up Lucas.

From the corner of my eyes I saw him take something out of his belt pouch. My eyes widened seeing a gun. I took Lucas into my arms and ran out the door to the stairs.

“You can’t hide from me woman. You both will die today” The man shouted from the bathroom and I heard his footsteps striding out the door.

But before I could get to the stairs I heard a gun shot. I looked around, searching for something to hide in and saw the short cabinet fixed to the wall stretching from one side to the other.

In fear I quickly dashed to it and closed the door. It was short so I had to bent my head to cramp inside. I kept my hand on Lucas’s mouth to stop him from crying.

Marcus said he would come home late and I haven’t seen lights in our neighbour’s house for over a week so I doubt they were home to hear the gun shot.

I was all alone.

“If you come out you won’t have to die” The man started laughing in a hoarse voice.

“But I can’t say the same to the child. I will kill him just like how your husband killed my daughter’

I heard his footsteps approaching me and a shiver ran up my spine in fear. And it became worse as Lucas began sobbing, his face turning red, ready to cry out aloud.

“Please baby don’t cry” I whispered slowly, tears welling up in my eyes. I didn’t have his pacifier and if he cry we both would get caught.

I quickly unbuttoned my top and started breastfeeding Lucas to silence him. He became quiet so I slumped back my shoulders as relief washed over me.

But it didn’t last long as I heard glass shattering near me. I covered Lucas’s ears with my hands because if not he would start crying again.

“You can’t hide from me. We already played this game before remember? But I found you. Don’t think I can’t find you now”

My breathing was ragged, my heart beating faster than ever. I searched for my phone in my coat pockets but it was nowhere to be found.

“Dammit” I slammed my fist on my knees. It must have fell on the floor when the man hit me on the head.

I heard more glass shatter and things falling down. He was making a mess trying to find me. He opened and closed different cupboards and I knew we would soon be found.

My lips trembled and I bit my them till it bleeds to stop myself from crying.

Why? Why us? Why does this keep happening to us? Who is he?

I cuddled Lucas in my arms and stroked his head to calm him down.

“If you don’t come out, this woman here will die” The man shouted and my blood turned cold realising he was talking about Madeline.

“I’m gonna count to 5. If you don’t come out I will shoot her”

Why is he doing this? Why is he giving me a choice between Lucas and Madeline? Tears pooled down my eyes just thinking about it. I want to save Madeline but at the same time I didn’t want anyone to hurt Lucas.

He would kill Lucas if I go out. And I want to save Lucas no matter what, even if it means sacrificing my own life. But Madeline wasn’t part of this. She was innocent and I felt ashamed. Ashamed of myself for letting this happen to her.

“1 , 2 , 3 …”

I looked down at Lucas and his eyelids were already closing, his small hands curled around my breast as he drank milk. His gaze fell on me and then he released his lips, telling me he was full. I buttoned up my shirt and cuddled him in my arms.

At the moment I felt like a crystal, shaking with grief, tears flowing unchecked, breaking into pieces, slowly but painfully. I was a murderer. I was no better than him.

“4 , 5 …” Suddenly there was a beep sound in the landline. It was a voice mail.

“Camilla”

My body began trembling violently as I heard Marcus’s voice. I wanted to cry out to him and run into his arms like nothing happen. I wanted feel the warmth and protection I felt when I was with him.

“I called you and Madeline but none of you picked up. Are you okay? I’m worried Camilla. Please call me back as soon as you get this” then it ended.

I wailed silently in grief. I wanted everything to go away and wake up from this nightmare.

Suddenly the man smashed the phone on the floor making a loud noise. The baby woke up looking startled and his face began turning red again.

“No baby no. P.. le.. ase”

But he started crying. “No lucas” I tried covering his mouth but it was already too late. The man opened the cabinet door and dragged me out by my hair.

I screamed in pain as he continued to drag me back to the bathroom. He snatched the baby from my arms and I lunged at him but he gripped my hands with his massive strength. He took a piece of cloth and tied my hands to the towel bar

He then walked off to the bathtub and opened the faucet, filling it with water.

I felt my fingers reaching the knot and I slowly tried to untie it. But I needed a few more minutes to get this undone. To buy time I decided to talk to him.

“Please what do you need? If you want money I can give all you want. Please don’t do this” I sobbed choking on my own words but the man began chuckling.

“I need no money woman. I only need justice. Justice for my brother and my daughter”

“You are Marcus’s stepfather. Didn’t you already torture him? Just let us be”

The man laughed again and shook his head. “You are a foolish woman. You know nothing. I’m not his stepfather. Your husband killed him”

I furrowed my eyesbrows and looked at him in confusion. “Marcus isn’t a killer. You are wrong”© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

“Love is blind they say. Your husband drowned my Clara in a bathtub and shot my brother in the head”

Tears welled up in my eyes. Why was he lying? Marcus isn’t such a person. “What? No he would never and- Clara is not dead. His sister is alive”

“THAT’S NOT CLARA!” The man raised his voice and screamed

But before I could reply I heard a car engine. The gates rolled up and a car drove into the garage.

It was Marcus’s car.

The man balled his fingers into a fist and slammed it on the tub.

“Camilla” I heard Marcus’s alarmed voice calling out to me from downstairs.

The man kept his gaze fixed on the door and took the gun out of his pouch.

“MARCUS! HE GOT A GUN” I screamed, warning him. The man snapped his head at me and slammed my head on the wall, surfacing my wounds.

As I heard Marcus’s footsteps speeding up the stairs the man took Lucas into his arms and walked over to the tub.

“No what are you doing? Keep my baby. No please no” I cried seeing what he was about to do.

“NO PLEASE!” I wailed but it was no use.

The man released his hands and the baby fell into the water.

“NOOO!” I screamed, grief welling me up. I tried untying the knot but all my strength had left me.

Suddenly Marcus opened the door and came to a halt, his eyes widening as he recognised the man.

“Kyle?”

Then his gaze fell behind the man on to Lucas who was drowning. “NO!” He ran towards the baby but the man pushed him back and punched him hard.

Marcus tried reaching us but the man wouldn’t let him. They kicked and punched each other but Marcus was the one who was mostly getting hurt because his attention was fixed only on Lucas.

Lucas became silent and my breathing started turning ragged, choking for air as emptiness crawled upon me. I wailed and wailed trying to get my hands free.

No I’m not gonna let Lucas die. I have to save him.

Using all the strength I have left I pulled my hands down and the bar came off it’s hinges, falling down to the ground. Releasing my hands I quickly ran to the tub and picked up the lifeless body of my son.

I laid him on the floor and kept my mouth on his, giving him air. I pressed two fingers on his chest and tried to give him CPR. But he wasn’t waking up.

I sobbed aloud, not knowing how to even properly give a CPR to a baby without beaking his ribs. I was a failure, a fool. I killed my own child.

“Lucas ba.. b.. y. Please wake up. Please come to mommy” I cried in agony, trying to wake him up.

From the corner of my eyes I saw tears falling out of Marcus’s eyes. His gaze was fixed on Lucas who was not breathing anymore.

The man hit him again and he stumbled to the floor bleeding all over not caring about anything, anymore. He sobbed, staring at Lucas through his glistening eyes.

As Marcus stopped struggling the man raised his gun and pointed it at Marcus.

At that moment all the memories I had started flashing before my eyes. Our wedding, the time in Germany, the first time he came to my room, the cruise ship, our first kiss, his confession under the winter sky, the first time I saw my baby, the first time I held him in my arms, the moments we bath him together, the small smile on Lucas’s lips.

I closed my eyes not willing to accept the reality.

All was gone.

I lost.

My heart started shattering and then,