An Unhealthy Obsession

"Guys, I am outside the supreme court, waiting for the alleged suspect, Mr Enrique Arthur who had been arrested for sexually assaulting Miss Stella Ross. From our sources, we heard it was a publicity stunt. What is the truth? Why would a woman let herself be disgraced?"

Uncaring about the lives their words could ruin, about the words they use, reporters continued to disgrace one's lives to the extreme until they got their desired TRP.

"It is yet to be found out. Let's see what will happen, stay connected to me, I will keep you updated to let you know that the man you are seeing- Was he truly humiliated for publicity or an animal resides behind this face? This is your reporter Lia James, JNews, California."

They successfully ruined the name of the biggest businessman's son without thinking twice, ravaging the name they built under mere seconds.

The eldest son who was the pride of the family was no longer the same anymore. Enrique Arthur, who never had a controversy before, was stuck in a terrible situation.

"Are you fucking satisfied now!?"

A yell echoed in the empty room, turning off the LED, unable to hear further humiliation of his sons.

"Let me go, please. Please.... I am not lying. I swear, I am not."

A whimper came from the horrified girl, shaking while sitting on the chair, trying to wipe her tears.

Her frightened light blue orbs were scared to meet the dark blue-eyed man before her, staring at her in disappointment and anguish.

"What did my sincerity lack for you to take this step, Stella? On what basis are you calling it true?" His dejected voice came, curling his hand in a fist, barely holding his intense fury for having his name utterly shamed.

"How could you be so shameless? Is that how you returned my love?!" Yelling, Enrique Arthur didn't hesitate before releasing his rage.

The one who was once a calm and charming man was now consumed by resentment and fury. The darkness had taken over him.

"I am not lying, I am not lying." She whispered again, not lifting her head, clutching her dress firmly, shivering from dread.

"Stop lying, Stella." The glare Enrique sent in her direction hitched her breath. Frightened to find the one with an everlasting smile glaring at her, warning her with one glance to stop this.

She could feel her life slipping in these passing moments, breaking whatever used to exist, losing everything.

"Enough, I don't want to hear your further useless whining. Stop this stupidity at once. Take the case back and end this drama." Sir Arthur demanded, glaring at her to stop this drama.

"I won't." She enunciated, wiping her tears, pressing her teeth together to restrict the sound of her sob.

"Stop this nonsense and take back the fucking case, Stella!"

Another man yelled, slamming his hand on the table. His hazel eyes furiously glaring at her but gasping at his rage, she curled her toes out of dismal.

"I said, I won't until you do as I say."

She was terrified but that didn't stop her determination, even if this whole world would be against her, she was unable to stop because the point they had reached was beyond recovery.

"What do you want? Isn't smearing our name- breaking the pride of my beloved son enough?" Mr Arthur scoffed.

The name of his eldest son, the businessman of the year was smeared. Media had ruined the image he spent years building.

One woman broke his respect by one accusation.

"Is that enough for you, dammit?" Enrique snarled, clenching his hand in a fist.

It broke his heart and this won't go unnoticed by the assertive man who would do the worst to her if this talk won't bury here.

Shutting her eyes for a second, she inhaled deeply, gathering all her strength in her next words.

"If you want me to take back the case then you must return to me my lost dignity."

"Hmph, dignity." Sir Arthur scoffed, snickering at her absurd demand.

"Fine. What do you want?" The dark-blue eyed man said seriously, willing to hear her demand in order to stop this.

"What?! Why would we listen to her, Enrique?!" The hazel-eyed guy yelled, refusing to cooperate.

"No, Noah, I want to hear how she intended to recover her lost 'dignity' as well. As far I know, my name was tainted. What have you lost?"

He paused his Brother by putting his hand in the dominantly, not removing his intensely outraged eyes from Stella's frightened ones.

"What do you want, Stella?"

He demanded for her to speak, features curled into direness, jaw clenched but barely controlled his posture.

Swallowing hard, Stella erased her tears, taking a sharp inhale to forge a perfect frontage, staring back dead into his eyes.

Placing her only demand in order to stop the situation from falling deeper into darkness. She proposed her idea to stop this ordeal before it went out of hands.

"I want 'you' to accept me before the whole world."

Their mouths gaped at her demand, bewildered to perceive what she meant by it because accepting her was apparently impossible for any of them.

"Elaborate what do you mean by it?" He asked, jaw clenched in rage to hear that after what happened, she was desiring him.

"Heck, why would we accept someone like 'you', moreover before the world?" The hazel eyed guy, Noah, snarled again.

Startling her by his rage but she was trying her best to maintain her posture which was breaking brick by brick.

"Aren't the stains you have given to our name enough that you are urged to provide us with more?" Mr Arthur scoffed as well, folding his arms.

"What exactly do you mean by accepting you, Stella? I do not wish to continue this useless argument further, speak up." Blue eyed Enrique sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose, eyes coated with disappointment.

She remained silent, hesitant for a second.

"Do not test my patience. Tell me what it is that you want. In fact, where was this desire of acceptance when I gave you the chance for it?" He growled, jaw clenching.

Her soul pricked, reminding how she lost everything in a matter of one night, how her life was ruined in a second.

He was losing his patience, barely able to ignore the media's talk and bear the anguish present in the air. Her lack of response at this point was only testing his endurance.

"Stella... speak." He whispered in growl, the veins clearly showing his fury, tapping his fingers on the table continuously.

Stella looked down, swallowing hard, feeling ashamed to express the solution which could lead them out of this abysmal tunnel.

She couldn't meet her own gaze. Lips parted to speak something but nothing came out.

"For fuck's sake open this damn mouth!"

Losing his patience, the dark blue-eyed man was unable to wait for her reply and ended up yelling, frightening Stella immensely by the display of his anger.

"What the hell do you want?!" He yelled, demanding an answer.

Gasping before his rage, she shut her eyes, placing her intentions into words hurriedly, leaving everyone flabbergasted.

"I want Enrique to end this case by marrying me."

"I want Enrique to end this case by marrying me."

A silence dropped in the room when she declared, flabbergast fell in the room, wondering if they heard her right or not.

"Come again?"

They asked again, blinking to fathom how she could speak this so openly, without a glint of shame.

They firmly believed they heard wrong but inhaling deeply, she held her dress with all her might, lowering her gaze sorrowfully.

"I.. want Enrique... to marry-"

Before she could continue this sentence and enhance the fury she already managed to induce in everyone, Enrique lost his mind at her ridiculously demand.

"DO YOU THINK IT'S A FUCKING JOKE!?"

Growling, he slammed his hand on the table, startling everyone by his anger, glaring dead into her eyes, horrifying her to witness the side she never saw before.

"Where was this before when I was actually ready to give you a damn chance huh? Where were these words before?!"

With a snarl, he leaned close, all of them were silent and stunned when his outrage dispersed in the air, expecting this reaction after facing whatever happened.

"The audacity, Stella, the damn audacity. Don't you feel any shame after disgracing our name before the media?"

Noah added with a dry chuckle, taking a step back, covering his face with his hand.

"Is that why you stained my character?! Humiliated me, ruined me terribly? How could you?" Enrique asked, narrowing his eyes, disheartened. He was becoming crazy from rage and wrath.

And her demands were shattering his patience.

Wiping her tears, she gathered her posture, her strong facade and stared back into his dark blue gaze unwaveringly.

"If you can't do this, I won't back away." She demanded firmly, fingers fidgeting around her dress yet she refused to back away from her words.

"How shameless could you be?" Noah asked in low, disappointed resonance, scanning her body with disgust, clenching her heart by his looks.

The way he looked at her, it shattered her heart.

Impotent to hear these remarks anymore, she also slammed her hand on the table, getting up, exhausted from the resentment she received.

"Because I am not lying! And if you won't bury this matter now, I will let the whole world know what kind of animal you are!"

She yelled, she pointed her finger at the man with dark blue eyes, staggering him at her unforeseen outburst.

"Stop lying!" He yelled back, pointing his finger back in contempt.

"I am not lying!"

Growling, a tear pricked in the corner of her eyes.

Enrique gasped at her enunciation, taking a step back. Dejected and heartbroken when she stayed on her words.

"Just you watch, if this marriage happened, I would make your life hell so you regret taking such a step, Stella." Enrique threatened her openly.

Her heart skipped a beat, knowing he would make her life hell but she had no choice. She reached the point of no return.

Grabbing her bag furiously, she glared at both brothers with tears glistening in her eyes.

"I don't care. Consider it a warning now, if you won't do as I say I would drag all of us to doom." She threatened openly, ignoring the glares she received.

"Don't play the victim card." Sir Arthur called, frowning deeply at her daring action of ruining all of them for her stubbornness.

Pushing her hairs back, she refused to shed a tear and gave them a dead look, certainly not going to back away or accept defeat as she walked away with her final warning.

"Believe me, Sir, I am not. Either you wipe the stains on my name or I will ruin all of us."

After leaving the Arthur family at the point where negligence was no longer an option, Stella left for the court. Her eyes were dried, face held an unreadable expression.

Her soul was submerged into sorrow but she didn't allow her gaze to display it. She bore it all with an unaffected facade.

The moment she stepped into the court, reporters rushed to her. Thrilled to have their breaking news, even if it was ruining one's life.

"Guys, here she comes, Stella Ross! Ma'am! Would you like to make any statements? Do you think you can bring his true face to the world?"

The reporter Lia James rushed, tried to get a talk out of her.

"No comments."

But, refusing to open her mouth, Stella ignored the questions thrown to her and walked away.

"Ma'am! Ma'am!"

They called but ignoring them she took a seat silently, resting her one leg over the other, trying to discard the questions.

"The hearing will start in an hour. You stay here." Her lawyer told her. She nodded and stayed there with a long sigh, staring at her hands.

Her chest clasped into anguish, words at the edge of her tongue but refusing to release themselves. She couldn't take it and to enhance the intensity a shout echoed in the air, gaining her attention.

"Here he comes! The alleged! Sir, Miss Stella had made such a big accusation on you. Do you have anything to say about them?"

The reporter asked when Enrique Arthur came with a stoic expression, darker and harder than how it used to be.

"I have. But, not to you."

His deep dominant tone came, approaching Stella with steady steps which made her breath hitched in dread.

"Sir-"

They opened their mouths to ask, to get his perspective but he simply walked towards Stella, frightening her.

"Guys, he is going to Miss Ross!"

Gaining everyone's attention, he was right before her, staring dead into her eyes.

"Stella."

Swallowing the lump in her throat, she forced herself to rise from her seat and look at him with a strong posture.

"Enrique."

Taking a step closer, he leaned down to her ears, sending a shiver down her spine at their proximity.

"Take back the case. Do not insult me further."

She opened her mouth to stay firm on her demand but exhaling, he looked back at her with dejection, defeated and desperate to save the leftover dignity he had left.

"If that is what you want, just, don't perish the respect I gained in all these years into soil. Don't become this selfish." He whispered, curling his hands in a fist, infuriated but trying not to show it.

"If I could, I would." She whispered back sorrowfully, closing her eyes, powerless to look into his intent orbs.

"Stella." She stiffened when Enrique called her dominantly, sending a shiver down her spine when he held her arm tightly enough to leave a mark.

"What?" Whimpering, she narrowed her eyes, scared of his ferocious expression. Everyone was invested in how he held her. Concealing his fury, making her arm hurt.

"This marriage will become your biggest mistake. I would ensure you suffer hell from this moment onwards." He warned her, ready to break his boundaries and show her hell.

Upholding her frontage, she whispered, "I don't care."

Exhaling, he took a step back as everyone came to keep the alleged away from his victim.

"I see..."

"Sir, you can't-"

The security was about to stop him but he proposed out of nowhere, flabbergasting the whole spectators.

"Marry me, Stella."

Her eyes widened, not expecting him to truly offer his hand.

"I am willing to place all the false allegations you have placed upon me behind and accept you."

Using his deepest, most charming tone, he flashed an irresistible smile, waiting for her to take his hand and unwillingly place it behind.

"Allow me shelter the remaining dignity you had left. Marry me." He whispered, smiling continuously.

Intensity increased to see Stella's reaction and boring the outcome of her actions, her trembling hand took his, followed by a series of astonished gasps.

"It was a false allegation after all! She was doing this to have the most wanted bachelor after all!"

The reporter shouted, disgracing her name in a matter of heartbeat, shattering whatever she used to have into dust, taking his hand with a purely heartbroken soul.

"Control your words." Enrique snarled, glaring at the reporter to watch her words about his future wife.

He came closer, smirking devilishly which went unnoticed by everyone, whispering temptingly in her ears, "Now. You are disgraced as much as I am."

She narrowed her eyes, holding his hand tightly, shaking badly, lips parting to call him hopelessly.

"Enrique-"

But, pulling his hand away, his work was done.

He had sworn to take revenge.

He did what she wanted and no longer felt necessary to stand next to her and ruin his mood and walked away.

Leaving her all alone to bear the taunts of the people around her.

"This court apologizes to Mr. Enrique Arthur for the inconvenience which was caused and fines Miss Stella Ross for her demeaning actions."

Humiliated, she was labeled as the slut who broke all restraints to have the one she wanted, even if it meant insulting both him and her.

Her name was ravaged, she was ravaged.

She lost everything in that court.

"The case is dismissed."

Her eyes lost radiance, she lost hopes, she fell from the peak into the deepest tunnel of misery.

Impotent to react, she walked out of the court.

She couldn't meet anyone's eyes anymore, she couldn't bear further questions on her character anymore, she lost it all.

"Stella..."

Lifting her heavy gaze, she saw her Father before her with tears in his eyes.

Her Father was her life, he was her reason to live and seeing his disappointment, shattered the leftover pieces of her heart as well.

"Papa..."

Before, she could take a step closer and he slapped her hard, astonishing her at the unforeseen action but no one objected-

According to them, she deserved it.

"You have broken my pride."

At his enunciation, her dreams, the grip she kept on herself to remain strong, broke terribly. Releasing silent tears, streaming wet, destructive tears down her cheeks.

Her steps stumble, falling on a nearby chair, clutching her shirt, not opening her eyes as her heart ripped apart after disgracing everyone.

She had no one by her side. And in this loneliness, she continued to shed muted tears.

Later,

After gathering her broken pieces, she went where she was supposed to complete her demand with a hollow heart and intoxicated mind.

Enrique was glaring at her, unable to hide the resentment and fury burning in his gaze as he signed their marriage papers, growling continuously.

"There you go. This is what you wanted, right? Congratulations to this baseless marriage."

She kept her empty features maintained and signed the papers as well, defeat fell over her head. Leading her to despair to find her life being bound to the man who hated her.

"Fucking shackles."

Scoffing, he snatched the papers away and gave them to the lawyer, walking away the instant his life was bound to her, leaving her all alone.

But, left with nowhere to go, she went after him with disquiet features which he noticed and stopped.

"Where do you think you are coming?" He asked with an arched brow, displeased.

Worried she opened her mouth to give the obvious response but he became enraged at her audacity to consider her his life partner.

"Enrique, I-"

Exhaling his frustration, he took a step closer, glaring down at her petite form, warning her in a low but dangerous tone.

"Listen up, woman, I have no intention of keeping you with me. You wanted me to marry you, there you go, I did it. Do not expect further from me."

"Where will I go, Enrique?" She asked in disbelief, mouth gaped to have nowhere to leave apart from him anymore.

"That is not my concern. Did you think twice before putting an allegation on me? You can go to hell for all I care."

Shrugging his shoulder, he discarded her perturbation, rolling his eyes off, turning to leave.

"Enrique, Please."

But, his steps stopped midway, glancing from his shoulder at her heartlessly, "And one more thing, Stella."

She froze when he leaned down to whisper in her ears.

"I am kind to the people I love and you could 'never' be one of them."

Submerging her into misery when all the wrath blended with resentment flashed in his dark blue gaze, pushing her away.

"So, fuck off."

An arrow pierced through her chest, when he began to walk away after pushing her away from his life.

"Enrique-"

Calling him desperately, holding her hand out to him but he ignored her, wearing his shades and walked away, leaving her all alone and rejected.

After being thrown out of his life even after having eternal shackles, Stella had nowhere to go and left with nothing, she returned home.

When she saw her Father, she rushed to him to have his support at least but after ruining her name and image, nobody was willing to accept her.

"Papa-"

"Don't come here again, I don't have any connections with you! Get lost, you disgrace!" He growled, closing her door at her face.

She lost everything in one day.

Her life was ripped apart.

She didn't only lose the case, she lost her life.

After being thrown out of her home, she leaned against the wall, falling on her knees, hiding her face out of shame until mocking resonance called her.

"Tsk, tsk, Look where life has left you, Stella."

Raising her head slowly, her eyes met the hazel eyed man, enhancing her ache to find him looking down at her as if she was inferior.

"I told you, beauty is a curse." He whispered, taking a strand of her hair in his finger, hitching her breath.

"I have nowhere to go... please, Noah."

Whispering hopelessly, she hid her face in her knees again, pressing her teeth together to not break into a sob.

He simply smirked ruthlessly at her condition and walked away, leaving her all alone in her misery.

Stella had nowhere to go, she didn't know what to do so she slept on a park's bench. She fell from the peak, from light into the abyss.

The next day, she had money so she bought something to eat and tried calling her Father. Knowing Enrique would never accept her ever again.

Melted before love, her Father attended her call as she began to tell him on the verge of sobbing, suppressing her tears.

"Papa, do you truly think I would do this? Please don't punish me for something that is not my fault. I beg you, take me back, you are all I have. Please, have faith in your daughter."

"Where are you?" He asked softly after a long silence, trying not to cry. Heartbroken, she told him and her Father came to take her back.

"Papa..."

She couldn't keep the anguish inside her anymore and hugged him instantly and ended up crying in his embrace.

"My love, why are you doing this? What happened?" He asked sadly, hugging her back, tensed about her condition at this point.

"Please, save me..."

Murmuring hopelessly, she couldn't forge a proper sentence, lips quivering, heart dejected.

"At least tell me, I will help you. Did Enrique truly... did this to you?"

Asking desperately, he cupped her cheeks, extremely worried to fathom what truly happened and what she was not telling him.

"I can't tell you,"

Defeated, she released a powerless tear, unable to meet his gaze.

"Please, let me help you." He insisted, wanting to know what happened which led them to this state.

Sniffling, she wiped her tears and was about to plead with him to take her back to her home, away from people's gaze but a voice came furiously.

"Look, everyone! There is that shameless woman who didn't think twice before ruining one's respect. We all know you did this to marry him!"

Someone yelled, gathering attention in a mere second, smearing the leftover dignity she had left into nothingness, coming closer and insulting her openly.

"Are you doing this for the show too? That your husband threw you out? Do you think people will believe in you?!"

They yelled, cracking her soul into nothingness. Growling, her Father hugged her when she no longer held the ability to react properly anymore.

"Stay away from my daughter!"

He shouted, trying to shelter her daughter but failed miserably. She was disgraced before the world but ignoring the world's talk, he protected his daughter, taking her back to her home.

"Let's go, Stella."