CEO's REDEMPTION

White ceiling, blue themed room. I blink a couple of times.

"I am alive." I murmur to myself.

The last thing I remember is falling at the middle of the road after a car hit me. I thought that was the end of me and my miserable life, but it seems my time is not up yet. I don't know whether to be happy about that or not, though.

Wait...where am I?

This sure is not a hospital bed. This heavy duty mattress, how many inches is it anyway? And this expensive white bed, I think it's what they call king or queen size? Did I wake up in paradise or am I in the after life? My head hurts, but I pull myself up and sit up, leaning backwards to support my bandaged head. I am glad I don't have fractured bones, but a side of my hip hurts, alongside my bandaged head and arm.

The door opens, which is quite a distance from the bed because this room is enough to accommodate five more beds of the same size. A man walks in. Adorable height, medium size body with finest jaws. This is a bit confusing now. If I got into an accident, wasn't I supposed to wake up in a hospital or in my house? Who is this, cold rich-stinking guy? His eyes are cold enough to command anybody to submit to whatever sin he may summon, and I bet his voice would hold such demeanor too. His stand and composure speaks confidence and authority. Where am I again?

"Who are you?" I ask as he walks to stand beside me, giving me the honor of breathing in his richly sweet seductive scent. I have never smelled something as sweet as this, that is why the butterflies in my stomach are aroused.

"Your husband!" His voice is as I expected - icy, cold, but sweet.

I swallow hard!

First, I have never had a boyfriend, let a lone a husband. Second, even if I was to be married, it would definitely not be to this fine rich god here. I can not fit in his world, and he can't stoop so low to my own. We are like water and paraffin, or two parallel roads, better yet, heaven and earth. Thanks to that expensive joke he just pulled there, I am smiling bitterly. My husband my left foot!

"How long have I been dead?" I ask, looking into his dark brown eyes.

"What?"

"Yeah! If I am married, that means I am in the after life. I did not have a boyfriend, not to talk of being married before I got into that accident." I say, looking to this beautiful but confusing stranger.

How can he say I am his wife?

"I am not a bad person. I just did what I had to do. What I felt was right." He speaks, his cold tone of voice as calm and soft as it can ever be, presumably.

"What do you mean?" I ask as he pulls out an envelope from the drawer beside the bed and hands it to me. "What's in it?" I ask, without showing any interest of accepting it. This rich people are annoyingly weird.

"Check it."

I kick the blue duvet aside and get out of bed, grabbing the envelope from him and slightly limping to the table near the window. I empty the contents of the envelope on the table, and the first thing that catches my attention made my heart skip several beats.

My mother's ID? What is happening here? Did something bad happen to my mother?

"Why do you have my mother's ID? Where is she? Is she alright?" I rant nonstop to the stranger. My heart feels so heavy all of a sudden. "Tell me she is okay."

"Relax. Your mother is perfectly fine. I just kept that as part of the agreement until you wake up so that I can confirm that she really is your mother." A calming explanation, but more confusing.

"She is my mother." The shock on his face, huh! I smell a rat here. What just happened in the few hours I was unconscious? I am starting to tremble. Man! I hope she didn't screw you too! Yack! "Why? What did she do? And why am I here? Who are you and what is this place? What about the agreement you are talking about?" If rantung eas a person... Tessa Angeline would be that person.

"Everything is well explained in that contract."

"Cont... what?" I query.

What does me getting hit by a car and waking up in a strange house with a strange person got to do with a freaking contract? It would have been self explanatory if I woke up in a police cell, for mistakenly being accused of intentionally getting myself hit by a car so that I can demand for some compensation. I would also have understood it if I woke up in a mental hospital, because I am sure I looked like a crazy on the road yesterday. But here? What can explain all these?

"Please, read it and understand every clause in it. It is important. Your.. mother signed her part. But it's entirely your decision to agree to sign yours."

Whoa! I have a very bad feeling. What did you do mother? Why do I feel hurt already even without knowing what this damn contract is all about?

"You know what Mr? My head is aching so much and my vision is a bit blurry due to the pain. I may not be able to see well." I lie. The pain is not even severe in my head. It is in my heart where the real pain is. I am so scared of what is in this contract. My mother has always had bad intentions for me, and I don't know the intensity of her hatred. I know she can't sign me off for anything good. "I suppose you know the contents in this contract. Tell me what it says. Explain it bit by bit and in the most simplest way possible. What did you and my mother sign me up for?" I look straight into his ice eyes, and he does not even blink as he does me the honor of giving me the shock of my life. No, actually, the heartbreak of my life!

"It's a contract stating that you will be officially my wife for five months. I am paying you a hundred million for the five months you will stay with me." Period.

The sky must be turning red for the very first time, that is why even the air I am breathing right now is not the the normal oxygen. This one is suffocating. It's choking me.

Someone bring me back to earth, because I doubt it's where all these nonsense is happening. Since when did people's lives had a price tag on them? Who at this era has such a huge amount of money to just give it away like that? And who at this age and era buys a wife?

What? Doesn't he know how to court a woman? From his looks and the amount he is to cough, he must be freaking stinking rich. So why can't he find a woman to marry? Is he a shape shifting serprnt that no woman can stand? Wait, who brought about this absurd idea to begin with?

"Who between you two came up with this fucking idea?" I ask, my eyes maintaining their stare at him, and him being as icy as he looks, he doesn't blink still.

"I did."

Well, at least it wasn't my mother. Now I feel relieved, and the air is fresh again. But did she have to agree? That alone hurts, but it's less painful than...

"Your mother proposed a different kind of deal first." Shit! Wait, double that shit!

"What did she propose?" I shoot at him.

"Are you sure you want...."

"Yes." I cut him off. "What kind of deal did my mother propose to you?"

"Just a million for your life. She wanted me to take you as whatever I wanted, for just a million!" Everything stands still, and I forget how to breathe for a minute. What..the..hell?

One drop. Two drops. Three drops. I have two streams of rivers flowing with tears down my two chubby cheeks.

What?

I had a feeling this was going to hurt, but I didn't know it would be this much. I have gone through so much pain - the pain of her hatred, the pain of her insults, the pain of her slaps, the pain of always being on loosing end. Everything has been painful for me in general. But this pain surpasses every other pain I have felt before. Even all of my pains mixed together can not equal this one.

My mother sold me off to a stranger? And just for a mere one million? She was busy trading me like some filthy object while I lay unconscious on the hospital bed? I am sure she didn't even care to find out who this man is. I was lying unconscious on the hospital bed and all she was thinking about was how to get rid of me? What did I ever do to this woman?

Trading me like mare garbage is the last straw. She doesn't want me? She wants me out of her life? I am also tired of her. I am done hoping and wishing she will change. I am freaking done trying to be a good daughter that I will never be to her. This is the highlight of all your hatred towards me mother! I am so done crying for you. I am done caring for you. Today, you have given me enough reason to do what's best for you and me.

I wipe away the tears, and look at this stranger. I don't think I have words for him right now. What my mother has done is the only thing ringing in my head right now. I take the pen from his shirt, and he is shocked at that, but I don't care. I open the contract, but he grabs my hand.

"Hey! If you don't want go through with it, I won't force you. You still have the chance to back down. I will pay your mother what she asked so she won't cause trouble."

"Don't they say that parents, especially mothers, always know what is best for their children? This is what my mother thinks is best for me. I am an adult, and I have no objections whatsoever. I am righting her decision. I want this!"

"You are angry."

"I am sober. I want this, so let me." He let go of my hand unwillingly, and I sign on the spaces left for me. I close the contract and put it back in the envelope, returning the pen where I took it from. I hand him the envelope. "When can I get the first half?"

"By today evening." He says.

"Good. I will go see my mother the day after tomorrow. Is that alright?"

"Sure. No problem." He says.

"I need some rest."

"Go ahead. The doctor will be coming to check on your wounds later on in the day."

I nod my head, and walk to bed, while he makes his way to the door.

"Wait, my husband." I call before he can walk out, and he turns around. "What should I call you?"

"Jerol O'Brian McCall. Call me Jerol from now on, Mrs. McCall." I nod my head, and he walks out, closing the door behind him.

"Mrs. McCall." I murmur to myself as I get under the blue duvet again.

Mrs. McCall, it is. For five months.

It reaches a certain point in life when you are too exhausted from everything. That point when you can't even recognize who or what you are anymore. That point where everything and everyone sucks. That time when you can't even decipher when or how things got this far. That point where you are certain that things will never be like before again. That is where I am right now. I don't know what anyone in my shoes would choose to do in such a situation, but I have chosen to end this toxic relationship between me and this woman who I call mother. She doesn't want me, and I don't need her.

Call me bitchy. Call me stupid. Call me childish or ungrateful as she calls me, anything, but I am so done with her. I endured all her insults, I made peace with all her yelling, castigating and outrageous beatings all my life. I understood all her shortcomings as a mother because I knew nobody is perfect, but she never cared from the beginning. I wasn't looking for perfection in her, no. I just wanted her to treat me like her own child. But for eighteen years and two weeks now, I am far from earning her affection as my mother.

I have miserably failed to be the daughter she probably wanted. Not only doesn't she care about me, but she loathes me. I am like a she-devil to her. Why that is, I don't know and I don't care anymore. I am done. I'm after nothing now but my peace, and my peace is being as far away from her as possible. I am shutting down this chapter with her and starting another one as Jerol's wife, thanks to my so thoughtful mother. This thing she did to me just now surpasses every other crazy thing she has ever done, and I can't forgive her for this. I will always remember her for this last act of hers. After these five months, I will start another chapter all alone. At least, I will not need to be a hawker anymore. I will be filthy rich then, and I will have a comfortable and happy life.

"Shall we?" My husband inquires, coming from the bathroom dazzling like a diamond in his expensive three-piece navy blue suit.

If there is something I have divulged for these past two days I have been with him, it is that he is a troubled soul. He is doing his best at concealing it, but it's evident anyways. If not so, then he must be a temperamental nuisance devil. I don't know which is which, but I am a temporary wife after all, and I shouldn't overstep the boundaries. I should mind my own business and not meddle in his. I will deal with my problems, and him, his demons.

"Do you really have to come?" I query, just to make sure because I don't see the point of him escorting me to my mother's house. That place is not for rich tycoons like him.

"I need to. You are my wife, remember? I have to accompany you everywhere, and vice versa applies too."

"Why such charades? Trying to make someone jealous?" I rant out, but I regret opening my mouth because of the outburst I receive as a response.

"Can you quit asking silly questions? We are wasting time unnecessarily. Let's go."

Whoa!

What a temper! I said it. Maybe this is why women can't stay by his side, and he has to result in buying himself a hopeless one like me. Dah!

I grab the envelope on the bed and walk past him without saying a word, but he catches up with me just two stairs down. He wraps his hand around my waist, and I don't dare say a thing.

We walk past the gigantic sitting room which equals a hall, with servants doing one or two things here and there. I haven't had my time to explore this castle. One, because I was on bed rest, but I am glad since I can now walk slowly with ease. In two or three days, I will have my bandages removed, and I will be perfectly okay. The second reason is that I know this is temporary. I don't want to make memories here or get attached to things around here. I am taking precautions.

Sauntering out of the door, Jerol leads me and we walk to the black limousine waiting for us near the gate. He holds the door still for me to get in, and after slamming it shut after making sure I have settled in, he walks to the other side and settles in beside me. Why the trouble? He should have told to me to make some space for him instead of going through all that unnecessary trouble. All the same, the black tilted glass separating us from the driver goes up, meaning it is just me and my husband at the back of this comfortable limousine. The rich have a different lifestyle, I tell ya. Even the air they breathe is incompatible with what people like us breathe.

The drive is quiet. We are both lost in our own thoughts, me glaring at the envelope I am holding and reflecting on how my mother is going to react, and this husband of mine here staring at space. I steal a glance at him through the corner of my eyes. Aside from his cold demeanour and not-so-bearable temper, he is an epitome of beauty. These icy bottomless semi-almond orbs, I wonder what they would look like brimming with joy. They sure must be the most beautiful ones.

"We are here, I suppose." He says, snapping me out of my short exploration of his eyes. I look at how he opens the door on his side, and I do the same to mine.

Stepping out, he walks to my side, locking my hand in his again, and we walk side by side towards the house.

As always, there are people indoors every single time of the day around here. Catching a glimpse of such an expensive car must have demonically called the attention of everyone, because now everybody is out, peering at us in bewilderment like we are aliens, or better still, wolves in the territory of humans. I can see some murmuring to each other, and others' jaws are rolling on the sandy ground, their mouths will probably never be able to close again. I can understand their shock because personally feel like this is a dream. A dream that I wouldn't want to wake up from.

I lost my shop and everything that kept me sane just two days ago. I was left with nothing. I almost lost my life too. But today, I am a lady of high pedigree. Apart from having this rich tycoon as my husband, I have a whole fifty million lying in my bank. I have been checking through my phone almost every hour since Jerol transferred the cash to my account, just to make sure the money hasn't disappeared. The anxiety it's giving me though, lol! I still can't believe it. Life is undoubtedly a total turn of events. Today you are poor, tomorrow you might wake up rich. Don't criticize people because of who they are today.

I knock lightly on what used to be my house and wait for the owner to open. This isn't my house anymore. This is the last time I am setting my feet in it. This house and everything in it, we are partying ways today. Funny how I don't sentimental about this. It's like I never belonged here, presumably because my existence was never valued at all. I don't know if I will ever miss this misery of a home.

I nudge the door slowly since no one seems to bother to get it. I hope she was decent enough not to keep a man in this house up to this hour because Jerol notified her that we will be coming today. The embarrassment will be too much.

I open the door, and since Jerol does not show any indication of waiting for me outside, we walk in together, to the suffocating panorama of my mother chewing a man's lips on the pathetic loose and torn couch. It's even eliciting some screeching sounds as her butt is grinding the man's thighs or hell knows what. Oh well, I guess I was too late to make a wish. Isn't this one of the uses of a bedroom which is just two strides away from where they are fornicating? Jeez!

She stops, acknowledging our presence, and she annoyingly smiles at Jerol as she hovers off the old dog, straightening her dress. The term shame has never been in her vocals, really.

I should bow down with chagrin because of what greeted Jerol the first time I bring him to my house, but I keep my head high, and a straight face. If there is one thing I am ashamed of, it is being associated with this outrageous immoral woman and since I can't change that, I will not beat myself over it. It doesn't matter where one comes from, but what matters is what we become without having to be defined by the people we grew up with or the places we grew up in. This despicable woman here is not going to determine who I am or who I will become, and whoever wants to judge me based on her can go to hell for all I care. It's said that you should not judge a book by its cover, and I believe in that saying. Fuck the one that says that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. I have nothing in common with this woman. I am nothing like her, and I will never be.

"Hi, son-in-law! I hope you brought good news. Have a seat please." She opens her dirty stinky mouth. See her hatred? She doesn't care about me. She does not even care to hide it. No greetings, no welcome, no how have you been. No nothing! Sometimes I tend to think she didn't give birth to me. LMAO!

"Nobody is sitting down." I burst out because I can sense Jerol's discomfort, and because I don't intend to stay here for more than ten minutes. "I just came down here to give you your hard-earned share of the deal and ask you just one thing." She moves her gaze to me, and I look her in the eyes. I have never confronted her before. Never have I ever questioned her. Never did I dare talk back at her nor raise my voice at her. Despite all the wrongs she did to me, I was always a respectful child. Honour thy mother and father, right? I followed that to the latter, but it all ends today because life has taught me that respect is earned, and if you can not respect yourself, then no one will ever respect you. And this woman here has never even tried to earn that respect. How can she, if she doesn't even respect herself?

"I hope you were not greedy enough to take out even a single cent from it, Angeline. I hope you brought the full amount that we agreed upon."

"First tell me, mother. What do you deserve? What do you think you deserve for being a parent, a mother to be precise, huh? An award?"

"Watch your tongue, young lady! Just because your husband is here with you does not give you the right to disrespect me. I am still your mother, and thanks to me, you now have a rich husband.!

Mother my foot! If only she knows the meaning of being just a parent not talk of a mother! For goodness sake!

"And that gave you the right to trade me off to a stranger like I am mare garbage? Selling me off like trash? You could have asked me to leave your house if you did not want me here anymore. That would have been perfectly understandable. I mean, it's not like you ever wanted me from the start. But this, mother? What gave you that right? What gave you the audacity to do this despicable act, huh? Tell me. Is it money? Wasn't I the one who has been feeding you ever since..."

"Shut your trump, you who're!" She shouts, cutting me off. Whore? She must be referring to herself, not me. Her face is burning with anger. Truth hurts, huh? That is just great to know because I intend to spill all that she has made me feel throughout the years. Nothing will be left unsaid. We are lying it all here. She points a finger to my face. If it was before now, I would be cowering in, trembling with fear, but not today. Today my guards are all on. "What am I to you, little witch? A child that you can talk to however you want? Better shut up before I do it for you. You are right, I don't want you. I never did. Now hand me my money and get out of my sight."

"Is that why you tried so hard to starve me to death when I was just a baby until I had to learn the means of survival when I was barely four years? Is that what mothers do? And you ask me what you are? Do you want to know what you are? You are everything they say you are, Gracia! Every single name they call you outside, you are exactly that, even worse than that. Thank God I respect myself, else I would have called you all those names right now. You know what, there is something else very important that nobody has dared to tell you, but I will do the honours. I want you to hear it straight from me because I believe I am the right person to tell you this. You don't deserve the title of a mother. You are a disgrace to both parenthood and motherhood." I close my eyes, waiting for her well-launched slap to land on my cheek, but her hand must have been hooked somewhere in the air by some kind of magic because her palm has not come into contact with my cheek. I open my eyes, only to see Jerol holding my mother's hand.

Oh, wow! Husband defending the wife? Saviour of the oppressed? I don't know which is which.

"You don't get to hurt my wife in my presence. It's unacceptable." His voice is calm, but cold and commanding. It holds such authority that nobody would want to dare defy or question, well, except this woman.

"Then tell your wife to show some respect to her mother! Don't tell me you like how she is talking to me. Or worse, do you believe what she is saying?" She finishes fuming, and Jerol lets go of her hand, his eyes on her. He might be thinking this is a live soap opera, little does he know, this has been my life.

"What I believe doesn't matter. As she said, I am a total stranger to both of you. Maybe you can clarify if there is any truth in what she is saying."

"I have nothing to clarify. This girl is a snake. A dog that bites the hand that feeds her. Don't say I didn't warn you. You better be strict with her if you don't want her disrespecting you like this." She never lacks something to bark about. Is making me look so bad her hobby?

"Until you can confidently prove that all she is saying are nothing but lies, then don't waste your time telling me how to handle my wife."

"It's your call." She murmurs.

"You and I know that you don't deserve even a single cent from me because you have done absolutely nothing for me aside from bringing me to this world. For that reason alone, I have tried to be as much generous as possible. Here," I hand her the envelope which she grabs roughly, "five hundred thousand, as compensation for giving birth to me and torturing me all my life."

"I knew it." She laughs sarcastically, then she turns cold at once. "Your greediness couldn't let you give me my full amount. You are such an ungrateful bitch. And you," she turns to Jerol who sneaked his hand around my waist without my knowledge until now. "Didn't you make a promise to me that I will get the full amount? What is this? What happened to your promise? All you wanted was for the deal to go through, huh? You fooled me!"

"Don't blame this on my husband. He made sure to give me your full amount, but it's only me who knows your worth. Thank God I didn't bring that envelope with nothing inside but your pathetic ID because that is what you deserved - absolutely nothing!"

She rolls her eyes, glancing at the nincompoop relaxing comfortably on the sofa. If she thought she will automatically become rich by trading my life, she better think and thinks again. I can be such a fucking bitchy when I am pushed to the wall, which is exactly what this woman did.

"What exactly do you expect me to do with this change?"

The audacity of this arrogant ungrateful woman! Forgive me if I go overboard with words for this woman today. Did she say, change? She opens her mouth and regard a whopping five hundred thousand as mare change! May thunder fire her mouth! May she break her tongue if she ever repeats that? LMAO! Has selling her body earned her even a quarter of this "change" all her entire life?

"I don't care whether it does something or nothing for you. Make a life out of it or waste it in alcohol as you have always done. Better still, buy yourself a sex toy and stop disgracing yourself being fucked up by penniless street dogs like the one behind you. All the same, whatever you choose to do with that change is none of your freaking business. It does not matter to me anymore. What I want is for us to part ways. I am giving you what you have always wanted - to get rid of me. You never wanted me, you still don't want me. I also don't need you, Gracia Motero. There is no need for me to stick around anymore. There is no need for us to continue hurting each other anymore. I am done forcing myself on you. This is where things end between us. I don't ever want to see you in my life again. Thank you for nothing, and goodbye forever."

I look at her, and for the first time in my entire life, I think I saw her eyes soften, but I can not fall for deceit. She knows I have money now. I am stinking rich. She might try to deceive me with a few crocodile tears. Before that happens, I pull my husband, and we walk out, his hand holding me by the waist. I don't know what he makes out of all this insanity, but someday, if I will get a chance, I will explain.

"But he is your temporary husband, Angeline! Why do you need to explain anything?" My mind screams at me, and I mentally smirk at myself.

We pass by the people again. They haven't retreated to their houses, and I know some even eavesdropped on us, but I don't care. I rummage through them as we pass by. For those that treated me like a street dog, I don't look at them twice. For the ones that helped me once or twice or countless times, I can still manage to spare them a smile despite my heavy heart for what happened back inside. I said I don't care, that is why I haven't shed even a single drop of tear despite all that. And this lamp stuck on my throat, I will keep pushing it until it goes down my syndrome.

We get back to the car, and the car turns around, speeding off, leaving this cursed place and all its memories behind.

Goodbye the old, and hello, the New!