I Married The Devil's Advocates

The night remained calm at Antonio's mansion in the heart of Los Angeles, California, USA.

Hilton and his girlfriend, Chloe, were making out in the room when he heard a scream coming from the living area.

"What sound is that? "I want to go check it out," Hilton said, as Chloe clutched his shirt to stop him.

"What the hell are you doing?

This may be a setup. I can not believe you want to ruin this wonderful moment!"

"Gosh! I should have known you never loved me." She frowned.

"Ruin? You are so ridiculous. Please do not stop me as I am going outside to see who is at the door." After shoving Chloe onto the bed, he hurried to the living room.

He is the managing director of TG Inc. operations, his father's business, and the heir apparent to a billionaire conglomerate.

Even though Hilton was the oldest son, his father had always loved Romeo, his second son, more because of his incapacity, mischievousness, and unconventional way of living.

Antonio often questions whether Hilton is his biological son. Compared to everyone else, his behaviourism is unique.

"Hey, who the hell are you and what do you want?" Hilton asked.

He reached for a bottle of wine and longed to protect himself from an approaching threat.

"It is Alejandro, myself. Principal security officer for the company.

I have to meet your father right away."

Alejandro, panting heavily, shouted from outside as though he had encountered a ghost.

Imagining what Alejandro was doing outside at that strange hour, Hilton felt uneasy.

When Hilton last checked, it was assumed that Alejandro was protecting the company's property from criminals.

After a few minutes, he finally decided to let Alejandro in.

Alejandro gulped for air and fell pitifully to the ground.

He has been running for more than half an hour.

Even with the air conditioner turned on, an ocean of sweat still poured off his body, soaking his clothes.

"Give yourself a rest, Old Man. You can discuss it with me still, right,"

Hilton demanded.

"Not at all. Instead, I insist on seeing your father. Go and get him, please. It is crucial," he pleaded.

Alejandro believes Hilton lacks the courage to manage the situation on the ground.

Following a protracted period of silence, Hilton eventually gave in and hurried inside to fetch his father.

"Dad, Alejandro is here to see you," he said. As he met his father's door open, he hurried into his room unexpectedly.

"I detest having to untangle myself from my sleep, as you are aware. What is so crucial that it could not wait until tomorrow?" Antonio raged.

"Alejandro is here to see you.

If I were you, I'd come with me immediately," Hilton disclosed.

"Next time, this should not happen.

I am not going to take it," Antonio growled.

Upon putting on his pajamas and entering the living room, he was already enraged to discover Alejandro sitting on the floor, sobbing like a pitiful widow.

Alejandro grabbed Antonio's shirt as soon as he saw him, scuttling like a snake and saying, "I have wronged you. Please forgive me."

Antonio could not understand what was happening. Inquiring about the drama unfolding before him, he glanced at his son, Hilton.

"That look is familiar to me, Dad.

Until he sees you, he will not say anything," Hilton defended himself and folded his arms.

"Now you are going to say something before I throw you out of this house right now.

Did you know that you just woke me up from my charming sleep?

Now tell Alejandro whatever nonsense you have before I lose my cool." Antonio became enraged and scared.

Even though he has not revealed anything yet, Antonio already wants his heart to be torn out.

"Hours ago, the company was robbed. I just cannot explain what happened," Alejandro finally said, turning to the ground in shame.

Both Hilton and his father were shocked and incredulous at what they heard.

Sadly, it was not a dream or a simple hallucination, as they had assumed.

It is just a fact that they have to deal with.

"Will you be more detailed? Attempting to comprehend you caused me to lose some brain cells.

I am having a hard time understanding it. Now is the time for you to start talking." Antonio shoved Alejandro to the ground and used a baritone voice to question him.

He desired to kill Alejandro and dispose of his body in the ocean. He had a hard time accepting.

Where should he begin? His business was about to become the biggest cosmetics conglomerate

company in Los Angeles, California, one minute, and then he was about to lose millions of dollars the next.

Failure to take immediate action could result in the family going bankrupt.

"This evening, I arrived at work and abruptly fell asleep, though I am not entirely sure how that happened.

When I awoke the following minute, I saw armed men with their faces

All are wearing masks.

They threatened to take the warehouse keys away from me while pointing a gun at my head.

Because I was so scared, I obeyed."

Alejandro confessed.

With both knees on the floor, he explained, "They emptied the warehouse and carted away all the raw materials and equipment meant for production right in front of me."

He feels so ashamed of Antonio for what he did that he cannot even look him in the eyes.

"You are aware that I cannot get my losses back with an apology?

Tell me, then, how you would like your jail sentence.

Ten years in prison, life in prison, or hanging?" Antonio threatened to call the police and have Alejandro arrested

"Please, sir. My only daughter, Mary, comes to mind.

If she ever learns of this, she might commit suicide," Alejandro begged, scrubbing the floor with his body while sobbing resentfully.

Even though Alejandro had caused the company a lot of harm, Antonio still felt sorry for him.

"Son, wait a minute." He stopped his son, who was about to call the police, and said, "I have a plan."

"Dad, I am still not understanding. Let us get this man into jail right away.

Why the sudden sensitivity!" Hilton was enraged with his father for the stop. He is eager to watch Alejandro rot in prison.

After making his way to the bar and adding a small amount of tequila to his glass, Antonio came back to Alejandro and said, "I want my son to marry your daughter, Mary, in a contract marriage that will last for three years."

"But why my daughter? Has she done anything? She is blameless." Alejandro begged him not to make her pay for his crime, but it was ignored.

"Nothing can be done to change my decision, which is final. Go now." He chased Alejandro away like a housefly.

During all of this, Hilton stood and observed.

He assumed it was his younger brother Romeo marrying Mary, but then he felt compelled to clarify, "Dad, are you certain Romeo would like her? I mean, their poverty is a stench!

"You are the one getting married to Mary and not Romeo.

You do not even have anyone in your life, do you?

And I hope Chloe is not someone you would want as a wife." Antonio reiterated, leaving Hilton in ruins.

To him, it all seemed like a movie. He did not know how to express his feelings at the moment.

"I am not inclined to get married. I do not even adore this so-called Mary, to boot.

We are not in the 1990s, for crying out loud, Dad.

What could I possibly say to Chloe about this?" Hilton screamed at his father as the two nearly engaged in combat.

"If you do not marry Mary within the next few days, you will not be able to inherit anything from the family. I will give Romeo, your younger brother, your entire inheritance.

Should you choose to disregard my directives, you would no longer be the managing director of TG Inc. operations.

Simply gaze at yourself. To the family, you are nothing more than an absolute letdown.

You are still living under my roof at the age of 28, even though your brother has already secured a flat. If only your mother were."

Antonia became agitated as he yelled at Hilton. He didn't hesitate to utter derogatory remarks.

"Would you dare criticize my mother? Pull her name from your lips."

Hilton got a thunderous slap for his anger toward his father.

He rubbed his cheeks angrily and went back to his room, only to discover Chloe packing and getting ready to leave.

"Why are you doing this?" he inquired.

"You must not be blind, am I right? I heard the whole thing.

I would prefer to spend tonight sleeping in my flat.

She cried out, "I cannot handle the heat," as she tried to carry her bags out of the room.

The outside environment is unsafe. You could be injured or something. Kindly spend the night here. This can still be discussed," He seized her box and begged.

"We have nothing to talk about. Did you not hear the terms?

They would take away your inheritance.

You are not that foolish to put me ahead of luck, are you?

Why your dad continues to treat you like a child and control you is beyond me.

This is more than I can handle."

She left after sobbing like a little kid. Every attempt to keep her stayed failed.

_________

A frog was singing its night song by the pond.

It felt like a dream come true, and she shivered uncontrollably as the night air felt cold against her bare arms.

She had always envisioned herself as a multi-award-winning musician, and now she has the chance to fulfil her dream.

"I am so grateful that you have faith in me. I swear not to let you down," Mary assured Storm Records CEO Kelly Page.

After seeing how well she performed at the nightclub where she works, he could not resist signing her to his label.

"The team is eager to learn more about your prospects.

Your melodic voice is worthy of being heard by everyone.

Tomorrow morning, stop by the office and let us finalize the agreement. Have a wonderful day, please." He quickly left after placing his complimentary card on her sensitive hand.

"I am amazed that it is finally happening! Bravo!" She exclaimed in excitement.

Even though she could walk to her house, her legs became heavy, and she was unable to reverse positions.

She will become a superstar at the age of 24, and her father will thank her for being her biggest inspiration after her mother passed away.

Although she has not yet signed the contract, she already sees herself performing on stage with her idols, Shakira and Beyoncé.

"I possess the skills necessary to push boundaries. I am intelligent, beautiful, and have a voice."She chanted.

She made her way to her father's house in the slums of Los Angeles, California, to break the news.

She blushes and says, "I am pretty sure he would be over the moon."

"Hi, Papa. What do you think? I just signed a record contract with a well-known company.

I am sure you are pleased with me.

This is an opportunity that will eradicate poverty from our lives," she announced immediately after she entered the house.

Her father was sitting on the wooden chair in the living room, his hands under his jaw, when she cheerfully gave him the news.

He seems displeased with his daughter's most recent achievement.

This two-bedroom semi-detached cottage was in Old Heavens, a neighbourhood in California known as the trenches.

Even with the low cost of living, Alejandro and his daughter still have to make ends meet.

They have been successfully held captive by poverty, which has also disposed of the locks in the deepest ocean.

It was difficult for Mary and her father to buy a healthy meal.

They would be unable to escape the bonds of poverty with even the meagre money she makes from the nightclub.

"Hey, Papa," She gave her father, who was lost in thought, a shoulder pat and said, "I am talking to you."

"Oh, Mary, you have already arrived home. I didn't see you enter." Alejandro was taken aback by his daughter's arrival and was unaware of it until she entered.

He has always been disturbed by the bizarre "contract marriage" between his daughter and Hilton.

"Dad, you are not here. Why are you acting this way?

I just revealed the process by which I signed a record deal.

For the first time, we are escaping the grip of extreme poverty.

This has always been your dream, and Mum would have agreed." She scowled at her father's casual attitude and folded her arms, expecting him to embrace her with excitement.

"I am thrilled, of course, and you know it. For us, I have always wished for the best.

Unfortunately, a new development has occurred." He sighed in fatigue and stood up.

"What a mess! How unfortunate that the truth is now. I can no longer hide it from you. What can I even say to explain this?" He paced around with his eyes bright again and tears still trickling down his cheeks.

"Dad, what are you talking about? What is true? Has your job been lost? I am going crazy over you.

Say something, please; I cannot wait any longer." As it approached the battlefield, Mary's heartbeat turned into a war drum.

It seems to her that the worst is on the horizon.

"You will forfeit that deal. I am aware that it is difficult, but you must." Alejandro finally lets it all out.

"What? Is this a joke? You know that will not happen." Mary screamed.

"My boss, Antonio, has a first son named Hilton, and has ordered you to marry his son in a contract marriage that will last for three years." Antonio further revealed.

Mary hesitated for an instant to make sure it was not a hallucination.

A raging downpour causes her body to tremble like a hen. Some sort of meltdown was evident in her heart.

One minute her life was beginning, and the next it was falling apart in her face. It is funny how life passes by so quickly.

"How did you allow this to happen to me, Dad?

Before accepting such a ridiculous deal, you did not even consider me.

For your selfish gain, how could you sell me into eternal agony?" She erupted,"

"Are you willing to watch your father rot in prison?

They have a lot of money and power. You would grow to love him soon enough. He is a cool guy." Alejandro explained. He gave Mary a thousand reasons she should accept the proposal.

"Has it reached this stage? Are you selling me out of self-interest?

The fact that I am speaking with you is unbelievable. I am gone, so do not waste your time trying to find me.

I do not give a damn if you rot in prison. " She yelled at her father and walked out of the living room, into the lonely streets.

"How can I marry somebody I barely know or love?" Those words reverberate in her head as she wanders.

Alejandro did not try to stop her because he was aware of the situation.

He would rather not complicate the situation, knowing that she will return.

The freezing, arid air pierced Mary's delicate skin as she looked down the deserted street.

She was the only person on the dreaded, lonely street. The howling of the wind opened her eyes.

She arrived at her boyfriend's doorstep in the dead of night, her face flushed with confusion. She needed someone to talk to and share her anguish.

"I only hope he is home." Mary, draw a deep breath.

"You are capable of doing this." She gathered her courage and knocked softly on Daniel's metal door.

Unfortunately, no one answered. She got nervous and dialled his number.

"Thank God he is home. Perhaps he is asleep." She sighed as his phone rang from inside.

She knocked again, this time harder, until he appeared at the door, shirtless and sweating profusely. "Hey. Why are you here?

I did not expect to see you.

You should have called."

"Why are you surprised to see me at your house? Is this my first visit with you?

Look at your face; you are not even happy to see me. No hugs or kisses?" Mary asked.

"I could be busy with something, and I do not want any distractions," Daniel frowned.

"Distraction? Are you finding me to be a distraction right now?

Do you miss me, or do I need permission before I come? It is a difficult day.

I will tell you about it when I get here." She was stunned by his reaction and tried to walk inside but was stopped.

"This is a bad idea. Can we please have a private conversation?" He dragged her to the left corner.

"Hey, you harmed me. What is wrong with you?" She cried and caressed her arm.

"I apologize, but you are unable to attend. This is not the appropriate time. You just have to leave." He begged her.

"It is so late. Can I spend the night at your house?" She begged.

"I cannot walk that lonely path alone."

Suddenly, a strange lady emerged from the inside, wearing the shirt Mary had bought for Daniel.

"Who was that, and why is she wearing the shirt I paid for?" Mary questioned.

"Go inside. What the hell are you doing here?" He ignored Mary and ordered the lady back inside.

Mary no longer knows whom to turn to.

Her father forced her into a contract marriage, and now she has discovered her boyfriend cheating on her with another woman.

"Is that the reason you would not let me in? I could not even get you to answer my calls.

You have not texted or called for days." She wailed.

Daniel retreated and expressed regret for what he had done when she screamed and struck him so forcefully in the chest.

"I had planned to tell you.

You now understand why I have been avoiding you. I realize that my silence is unfair to you; I am unsure of how I feel about you, and I am trying to work it out.

I might require a little time to process everything. When I will be prepared to discuss it is unknown to me. So do not worry, I will call you. You cannot spend the night here," Daniel kicked her out.

"You can't be serious, Danny.

How do I proceed from here?" Mary protested. It didn't seem like she'd give up soon.

"You have a roof over your head, as far as I can tell." He reminded her.

Before she could elaborate, he kicked her back to the desolate streets and closed the door. "Please leave immediately."

"Why is life treating me so harshly? Why am I being treated unfairly? For what offence have I been guilty?

It feels so empty to me now. I can no longer handle the pain." Her question reverberated in her ear as she asked it rhetorically.

Her father kept phoning while she complained, but she did not answer his calls.

"Now is not the ideal moment to go back home. I find his presence unbearable.

I must get some fresh air." She declared and went to the nightclub where she works to have a few drinks to help her decompress.

On her way to the bar, her eyes were filled with tears. She tried, but was unable, to hide the desperation on her face.

"Please have a glass of tequila."

She requested.

The barman refused to comply with her order because he knew she was not a drunk.

"Take extreme care in how you handle your employees. Are you aware that I could get you fired?" Mary scared the bartender.

He anxiously gave in to her request. She started with the first shot and kept going until she had finished a bottle of tequila.

"You are so stinking drunk, ma'am. I will not let you make a fool of yourself. That is enough now." Mary resisted the bartender's attempt to take her bottle of tequila and asked for more.

She had no idea that a strange man sitting in the VIP lounge had been watching her.

The odd man intervened as the fight became intense.

"What the barman has to say is important." As everyone made fun of her for the mess she had made, he told Mary that alcohol did not look good on her and towed her outside.

Since they thought he was her boyfriend, they never asked any questions about this man.

"Please, let me leave. It hurts my head! How unpleasant!" Mary pressed her head against his wide chest and begged.

She was unable to maintain her balance on the ground. Her blurred vision was slowly causing her to lose her sight.

Unwillingly, he took Mary to his flat and showed her the guest room.

"You will be alright when you awaken. Please let me know if you need anything." He put her on the bed and tried to get out, but she resisted and dragged him sensuously to the bed.

"This should not be what we are doing. It is disgusting.

I cannot exploit you," he said, turning his head away from Mary's advances.

She persisted and was uncompromising. She was not prepared to quit just yet.

"Stop acting like this already. I am aware that you require this more than I do." Mary taunted him.

He was unable to resist her grip as their lips met with such passion.

As they made love, he unfortunately overreacted and fell for her seduction.

______

With the dawn of another day came fresh hopes and dreams

Mary woke up in a comfortable bed, naked, and rubbed her bleary eyes as the light of the new dawn crept into the room.

"Where am I located? How did I find myself here?" She rubbed her head and dressed as he entered with a cup of coffee.

"Ouch, my head's spinning right now," she said.

"At last, you are awake. You drank too much the night before. Thus, I took you in.

"You pitiful liar from hell, you. You took advantage of me even though you knew I was intoxicated.

Just how cruel can you get?" She swore at him and drove off before he could say anything.

She got into a taxi there and went home to try to patch things up with her father.

She only dated a stranger for one night, and her boyfriend no longer wanted her around.

Currently, home seems like the ideal location.

"I only hope Father will accept me again."

Like a nine-year-old, she bit her fingernails and muttered, "I ruined my life more."

She sobbed like a little girl and wished she had never left home.

She eventually arrived at her house. Her face was washed with anxiety, and her confidence was stolen.

She was full of emptiness and confusion.

As she walked in, unsure of what to do with her life any longer, she noticed her father dozing off on the couch. Her biggest scare in life was that one.

At this critical moment, she would rather not see him. " I am aware that you are currently furious with me, the reality is..." She pushed forward to explain, but her father interrupted, excited to see her again.

" I am glad you have returned. I worried a lot about you.

I briefly believed that you must have experienced some sort of negative event." Alejandro embraced his daughter tightly and spared her the reprimand for abandoning him the night before.