CHASING HIS CONTRACT WIFE

SOPHIA'S POV

"You did what?"

My voice trembled as I stared at the man I called my father. The walls of his office seemed to close in as he refused to look up at me.

"It was a bad business deal. I had no idea it would lead us here. I didn't know it was a scam, " he said, bending his head.

If I had not known him better, I would have believed he was genuinely remorseful, this had been the drill for the longest time.

"Dad, you gambled away a business the whole family has been depending on. This is not even the first time you're doing this. How could you continue even after we almost lost everything the last time?" I said, trying to control my voice out of respect.

"It wasn't supposed to end like this, it seemed a fair deal, and the benefits were mouth-watering –"

"I can't believe you would do this, you even used my shop as collateral, you know how things have been for me, you still want to take everything from me?" I asked, tears rolling down my cheeks.

I had woken up that morning with the intention of resuming work, a little fashion-designing house I had been running since I turned 18. It wasn't doing too well, but it was enough to sort our bills every time my dad gambled and landed us in trouble.

I got to work, and the place was locked; my things were thrown outside, with security officials not letting me go in. I had fought, but my efforts were futile, and they had insisted I go talk to my father.

"Who do we owe this time? How do you come out of this mess?" I asked, my voice crossing the line I had set for it.

"Don't talk to Father like that." My sister Henna shouted from the corner she had been standing the whole time.

I turned to face her, my insides boiling with suppressed anger threatening to burst out, "What did you say?"

"Come on, Sophia, it was just one bad mistake, it's not like those things are not supposed to happen in businesses, it's called risk, and it's unavoidable, don't be a brat." She said and walked off to stand close to my father, who had his head buried between his hands.

I bent my head in frustration, biting my lips to fight back tears "I must be the only sane person in this house, Henna at your age, I was already paying for the family's bills, I was working more than expected to make sure we didn't lack, what have you done with your life so far if not constantly causing trouble?"

She rolled her eyes and flipped her hair.

"I don't know how you guys don't understand that I'm tired, my business is falling, and I haven't taken time to create a good life for myself because I've been sacrificing everything to make this family stable. The only business we have had has been gambled away, how did it even get up to that extent, Dad?"

"If it's not gambling, then a police case or some fight over jewelry, can I please catch a break?" I yelled, my chest rising and falling in anger.

"I'm sorry, Sophia, I honestly didn't mean for things to turn out like this. It was a good game, and I was close to winning. I just kept putting everything down, and I unfortunately ended up losing everything." He said and started hitting his chest.

"Just like that?"

"They were going to arrest me till he came, he helped me out and I had to put the business down, he said he'll give me everything back if I can grant him a favour, I had no choice."

"He? Who? And what has that even got to do with my shop being locked up?" I asked, walking closer to his table.

"I'm sorry, Baby." He said, his voice trembling.

I sank to my knees. He had gotten me that shop on my 16th birthday when we still had things to our name; it was the only way I could assist the family, and he just gave that away too. I was immediately reminded of the knot I felt in my stomach when I realized my helplessness, I felt sick.

I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me.

"So I can't get my shop or the company back if we don't do as "he" says?" I asked.

"Yes, he has everything, and I'm indebted to him. It was the last option, the other guys wouldn't listen, he seemed like a decent rich man, so I agreed, I signed everything to him."

I scoffed.

"Who is he and what does he want?"

"Bran Garner"

I staggered backwards, my breath rising again.

"Which one?" I asked, not believing my ears.

"There's only one Bran Garner Sis, the Multimillionaire." She said and rolled her eyes.

I knew that, I knew him too, but how? Why? I couldn't believe what was happening, it was like the universe was throwing me into the same hole that I had fought hard and long to escape from.

Not this name again, not him again.

"Is there nothing else we can do? Do we have to go through him?" I asked, trying desperately to find a little hope in the situation.

"No, I signed everything to him, we're indebted to him, he was the safest option, and we have to do as he says." He said, avoiding my eyes again.

"We? How convenient," I said.

My head was already running in different directions, This wasn't the kind of situation I wanted myself in; it was like having my life placed in the hands of the devil.

"Just think of something else, is there nothing we can do, no other solution?" I asked, and I was already livid.

"I had no choice, Sophia, neither do you." He said, finally looking up at me, his eyes filled with something I couldn't name, something more than desperation.

"What do you mean?" I asked, walking up to him, there was something in the air that made my eyes water and my heart sink.

His voice came in a whisper, almost inaudible, "You have to marry Bran, Sophia."

The room spun, and the floor felt unsteady beneath me.