Surrogate for Hire

to never show your fears; doin

s in as he desc

ut unless he threatens my life, he

calm my racing nerves, but I should have k

the stairs and gave

are no longe

, he pivoted and

e had not said, but given my father's tendency to follow ins

ognized heir. He would no

hroat and head

t they made no attempt to stop me, giving me permission to proceed; not

led my legs to stop shaking as I

ng?" It came from the voice of

ine, with her naive daughter, Vivian, who is a p

upstairs after hearing your father just now. Ella, I will tell you to leave right away if you do n

tarted when Dad set up my marriage with

, scolding her mother w

hocked-her mother or me-but

n her mother when t

me, looking as

she was dressed in a white crop top and a matching pink mid-thigh flare skirt, her lips tinte

and the opposite of how I dress. If only she had not looked

etting dressed up when I should be overseeing the family's business and marrying a powerful man who is app

people like us, I must marry a m

continues to believe in arranged marriages. His was succ

ave his house for a man's house to live the same way,

stubborn in

ed some of your black clothing; you can get some upstairs, as well as any o

wore a long-sleeved black leather jacket with three gold and four silver buttons, bl

now has the smug look on her face with

ser to me and wh

I will make sure you never get

d dusts her palms, as if she

not take what does not belong to her," she summoned the errand boy s

t" regretted not carryin

he is. I traced my hand down the helm of my trouser to my side poc

eive a gift from me if

out and ga

o it as "

n the side of her head, keeping

her startled expression

out to pee her pants, whic

squinting back out of

alking; our weapon does, and it is a fact they ca

d shoot them and bury their

, and it gave me the strength and d

ct, and all I could s

e," The words came out m