On Maria's 20th Birthday her father 'George Henshaw an Accountant in a small company in Hallmond told his daughter about his transfer to London, where they can start all over again without the familiar feelings she's been having ever since her Mother died of an illness. Their painted beautiful image of success became ugly as Maria had to sign a Contract Marriage with the arrogant Billionaire son 'Marvin. Now, Maria must find a way to free herself from the contract with her new found love for Peter Kelvin, and her dog Max, she became a very strong and powerful in the city. Torn between making her new found love for Peter blossom and also cancel the contract with Marvin to save her life and her father.
Maria's eyes were widened in terror as she walked into her living room to sit and watch the television while she waited for her father's return, she found two masked figures rummaging through the house. Her heart racing, she tried to understand what was happening.
One of them noticed her and pointed a gun in her direction.
"Don't move," he growled.
Maria was frozen, her hands shaking as she raised them in surrender. The other intruder continued to search the house, tossing valuables into their big brown leather bag.
The first intruder in front of her approached where she was standing, his eyes scanning her body.
"Where's the money?" he demanded.
Maria swallowed hard, trying to think so fast. She didn't want to give them what they wanted, but she didn't want to get hurt either.
"I don't know what you're talking about," she lied.
The intruder sneered, and accused her of lying to them. He wanted to hit her, but the second one told him in his deep voice coming from under the mask, they were here for the money.
"Don't play dumb," he snarled.
Then the second intruder advanced towards her, pointing the gun directly at her.
"We know you have a safe. Tell us where it is." he said angrily.
Maria's cheek stung, but she refused to give in.
"I don't know," she repeated, trying to sound pitied and convincing.
Just then, the other intruder shouted from the next room.
"I found it!"
She didn't know there were three of them until then. The fear rises in her head that she finds it difficult to breathe.
The first intruder turned to leave, but not before giving Maria a menacing look.
"You're lucky we're not hurting anyone today," he said. "But this isn't over."
Just as the intruders were about to escape, Maria's dog, a fierce and loyal German Shepherd named Max, burst into the room, barking loudly. He had been sleeping in the bedroom and had been alerted by the commotion.
They were caught off guard as Max charged at them, teeth bared. One of them tried to kick him away, but Max was too quick. He sank his teeth into the intruder's leg, causing him to cry out in pain.
The other intruder tried to run, but Max was hot on his heels. He chased him out of the house and into the front yard, where the intruder tripped and fell.
As the intruder struggled to get up, Max stood over him, growling menacingly. The intruder cowered in fear, realizing he was outmatched by the fierce canine.
Meanwhile, Maria took advantage of the distraction to call the police. She ran to the phone and dialed 911, her heart still racing from the ordeal.
"Please hurry," she begged the dispatcher. "My dog has attacked the intruders, but I need help here."
The dispatcher on the phone assured her that help was on the way, and Maria waited anxiously for the police to arrive. When they finally did, they found the intruders pinned down by Max, who refused to let them go.
Maria took a deep breath and laughed nervously. "It's just my imagination," she told herself.
"There was no robbery, no intruders, no mysterious message. I'm just spooking myself out because I'm alone and bored."
The sky was crystal clear before the sun went down to hide itself for the next day, my eyes itching like I had dirt stuck in them. I find it difficult to let it be without using my right hand to rub its soft skin gently, avoiding unwanted injury.
I am trying to ignore the calls to the four walls of my bedroom, but I find it so difficult to be the first human that cheats nature, my eyelids closing their upper and lower parts gradually, but I continued forcing my eyesight on the flat screen television attached to the wall in front of me.
The movie was a very interesting one, and I don't want to miss out any chapter of it especially the end of it where the actor and actress live happily ever after.
However, my father hasn't come back from work. It is unusual for him to come home this late and that's why it got me so worried and restless.
I have been calling his number continuously now, but he seems not to see my calls or he's trying to ignore the calls to finish up his work because he has said to me once that he needs to concentrate whenever he's trying to balance an account.
I know my father is a hardworking man. He's an Accountant for the biggest manufacturing company 'Hamtex' here in London, owned by billionaire Patrick John. My father isn't a drunkard, he doesn't womanize even after the death of my dear mother when I thought he would get married again, but instead he said to me one day.
"Maria, I will invest all my entire energy in keeping the promises I made to your mother while she was dying. I made a promise to ensure you attend the best school to have a sound education, and she also made me promise to guide you in choosing the right man to marry."
I was so excited to hear that from him. It was a dream come true because I have been wishing the same thing, and now it has been fully endorsed.
The greatest news after my mother had passed away was the beautiful morning. My dear father checked his mail to find a new appointment letter sent to him directly from 'Hamtex' through their official E-mail, he was asked to resume work in London with good pay.
"Maria, my day is painted with a good image this morning dear." Mr George said.
"Dad, what's the great news?" Maria was curious.
"My transfer has been approved. We are going to London next month," Mr George said.
The air of the room was filled with joyous and happy momentum.
She watched as every second, every minute and every hour passed by in front of her gorgeous eyes, and she couldn't hold on to any of it. Her father was still not back from work.
After an hour of waiting, Maria fell asleep in front of the television while the character in the movie was the one now staring at her as she had slept on the long four-sitters couch, she was deeply asleep that she didn't know when she mistakenly dropped the television remote that was in her hand.
After an hour of sleep, there was a complete silence, enough to hear language the wind throughout the whole building. The wall clock sounded aloud when it stepped on at 12 at midnight, along with the heavy horn of her father's car.
She quickly woke up and put on her size 38 rubber slippers, she walked straight to the entrance door very fast like her opportunity of a lifetime had just arrived.
She opened the gate widely to allow every part of the car inside the compound, then she closed it back quickly to go and meet her father.
"Welcome dad." Maria said.
"Maria, how are you today?" Mr George said.
"I'm fine dad."
He smiled at her as she approached his brown leather bag, which he handed over to her. Immediately she stretched out her hand to collect it.
They walked side by side inside the house together, smiling together until they went separate ways. When they entered fully, Maria dropped his bag on the couch and went straight to the kitchen to Microwave the food she had prepared for him, which was now cold and ice.
Her father went to his room, he off the suit and shirt, he also removed his black shoes and went to his bathroom for his night bath. He turned the bath tube water on and so many thoughts kept on running inside his head.
"How am I going to tell her who will help me out here?" Mr George asked himself several questions without an answer.
He turned off the flowing water in the bath tube for a while and closed his eyes for a few minutes, thinking about what he had done to save his daughter from death and embarrassment. He set his eyes on the transparent glass of his bathroom which was sending a sad message to him, as he could see himself through the glass like a mirror.
Maria had finished microwaving the food on time, and she took the food to the dining table, making sure it was well covered. The steamy saint of the delicious food filled the entire room so that one could sit down and imagine eating it without seeing it physically.
One of her hobbies is cooking. She learned to cook from the loneliness and responsibility of taking the position of her mother after she passed away in front of her when she was still 10 years old. The trauma reduced her self-esteem, which molded her into another person. She didn't have any friends, and she didn't even try to make any friends either in school or at home in Hallmond.
This was what motivated her father to apply for a transfer from Hallmond to London in order to start all over again and maybe if she enrolled in another school and met new people she might snapped out of it.
"Dad, your food is getting cold again," Maria said.
"I'm coming right away, darling." Mr George responded.
He rushed out of the bath tube, dried his skin with the towel he picked up on the tiny steel wall placed to hold the towel after the bath, he quickly wore a very comfortable pair of soft, fleecy pajamas in a warm, dark color.
As he was getting ready to go out of his bedroom for dinner, his mind never stopped thinking seriously about the long-term contract he had signed with his boss in the office and the thoughts of how he was going to inform his daughter about it.
And what would he say is the reason for the contract?
Chapter 1 Lost In Thoughts
11/09/2024
Chapter 2 First Encounter
11/09/2024
Chapter 3 The Unexpected Message
11/09/2024
Chapter 4 Am in the Wrong Basket
11/09/2024
Chapter 5 The Emotional Affairs
11/09/2024
Chapter 6 My Happy Day
11/09/2024
Chapter 7 Hidden Agenda
11/09/2024
Chapter 8 The First Breathe of Freedom
11/09/2024
Chapter 9 Christmas Day
11/09/2024
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