Chapter 5 DESPERATION

The next morning, she woke up feeling like she had been hit by a truck. Every muscle in her body ached and her head throbbed with an intense headache. She slowly peeled her eyes open, half expecting to find herself in the midst of a nightmare, but instead, she was met with the sight of a strange man sleeping soundly on the bed next to her. Panic set in as she remembered the events of the previous night.

Tara shoved the duvet off her body, her vulva protested against the movement. She groaned, feeling extremely raw and uncomfortable.

Glancing around the room, her gaze landed on his discarded jean draped over a chair. Without thinking, she padded over to it, reached into a pocket and pulled out his wallet. Flipping it open, she saw a wad of cash, a tiny gold necklace and a few credit cards. This wasn't ideal, but it was something.

Taking a deep breath, she pocketed the necklace. She had to get out of here. Stealing was a new low, but right now, her mother's life was all that mattered and she wasn't sure if he would end up paying her the amount she needed. She tightened her robe,grabbed her own things and hurried into the bathroom.

Tara stared at her reflection in the mirror and she realized just how tired she looked. There were dark circles under her eyes and her hair was a tangled mess.

Without hesitating, she turned on the shower and cranked the knob all the way to hot. The scalding water cascaded over her body, sending prickles of heat racing across her skin. She closed her eyes and let the water wash away the fatigue, frustration, and rawness.

She stepped out of the shower with her skin tingling and her mind clear. She dried off and changed into her dress.

When Tara entered the bedroom, she found him sitting on the edge of the bed with his fingers intertwined and his head hanging low. She cleared her throat, trying to mask her unease, and waited for him to uphold his end of the deal.

"Are you a virgin?" he asked calmly, but there was an underlying tension in his voice.

She blinked in surprise, caught off guard by the suddenness of the question. "Um, why do you ask?"

He leaned forward, his gaze piercing into hers. "I asked if you were a virgin, damn it," he replied, his voice now taking on a hard edge.

Why does it matter?" she asked her mood instantly going sour.

"Because it does! Look at this," he retorted, his voice rose as he gestured angrily at the spot on the bed sheet covered in blood.

"It's just a stain, it doesn't matter," she retorted, trying to push the memories away.

"Just answer the damn question" he yelled, brushing his fingers through his hair in frustration.

"I was, but not anymore now can I get the balance?" she replied, her eyes cold and devoid of any emotion.

"Damn it," he yelled, punching the wall hard. She jolted out of surprise and her eyes widened in shock.

"You should have fucking told me, I wouldn't have bedded you if I knew," he stated angrily.

"I didn't think it mattered," she replied harshly. "You wanted a whore and I needed the money. We both were a means to an end."

He let out a bitter laugh. "So that's what you think of yourself? Just a means to an end? Do you even care about anything other than money?"

She looked away, feeling ashamed and exposed. She had never wanted to be in this position, selling herself for money and even stooping so low to stealing. But life had been hard, and she had felt like she had no other choice.

He sighed angrily and he grabbed his phone from the bedside table and pressed on it for a bit.

"I wired you two hundred thousand dollars," he mumbled without looking up.

Internally, she was taken aback by the amount of money he had just wired her. Two hundred thousand dollars was no small sum. Externally, she schooled her expression into one of nonchalance, not wanting to give away her surprise.

"Unfortunately, I can't bring myself to thank you, especially after how I was treated last night," she muttered under her breath as she picked up her purse and made her way to the door. She felt the frustration and anger bubbling up inside of her, and she couldn't bear to stay in the same room as the man anymore. She just wanted to leave and put everything behind.

"What's your name?" the man asked, stopping her movement. She turned to face him, her eyes blazing with anger. "That's none of your business," she responded, her voice full of defiance.

"I believe it's my business seeing as we'll be getting married in the early future," he retorted, with a condescending smirk on his face.

"Marriage?" she echoed incredulously. "Are you freaking kidding me right now?"

He leaned back on the bed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Darling, you see, we have a tradition in our family. We must marry any woman we claim the virginity of. So, dear future wife, it's nice to meet you. I'm Antonio Nikos Vasilios."

She scoffed in response and without another word, stormed out of the hotel.