I am Josephine

Josephine's POV.

"Wait! What?... You can't expect me to leave my career and marry that man."

My voice is tremulous. I still couldn't believe what my dad just told me.

"Mom, you know Dad is asking for an impossible thing... I just can't give up my dreams just like that... and what will I tell Max?"

"Sweetheart, you know your dad loves you so much... he is asking you for something hard... but if you think of it, if you don't help him out, he will be going to jail for a pretty long time." My mom says, her voice tremulous, she has been crying all night.

I run my hands into my hair, this is too much for me to take in.

Tears welled down my eyes as I looked up at the high ceiling, the Hermitage Chandelier hanging above my head really did add colour to the luxury sitting room where we were all seated.

"Sweetheart!" My dad called, his voice very quaky. From the look on his face, he really needed this arranged marriage to work out and really fast.

"I received a call from my lawyer at the international criminal court in the Netherlands... turns out my investors have gone ahead to press charges against me at the international level, even after I had asked them to be patient just a little while... you just have to help me out! Please!" My dad is now on his knees, tears well down his eyes.

Looking around I could see my mom crying by the dining table. Our nanny is handing her a piece of towel to wipe her tears.

The nanny really could use that towel, as she too was weeping uncontrollably.

I plopped myself into the Modshop Eden Rock Sofa behind me, I held my head with my hands as I watched everything play out right in front of me like a video of some sort.

My dad had called me earlier to come back home, that he had something to discuss with me.

Ever since Metaplex was hacked by an unknown hacker, investors from my dad's company had been on his neck.

Some even threaten to kill him if he doesn't return their money.

It has really been a battle, I used to work with my dad at his Tech. Company, but after the crash I decided to go back to MIT to further my studies.

"Dad the last time I called you... you told me Mr Thwane Clark has agreed to help you out and pay up your investors...why then has he suddenly changed the terms of the agreement?" I ask, with my eyes furrowed up in bewilderment.

"My daughter, I am as surprised as you are." He is now trying to dap his tears with the towel the nanny had given him.

"It really baffles me... I mean who would even reject such an offer." His brows still furrowed in surprise.

I shake my head in disbelief, looking at my dad and mom one last time, with tears welling down my eyes uncontrollably, I stand up abruptly.

I can't give up on my dreams, vision and true love Max Berkeley.

I can't marry Thwane Clark, it's impossible.

I ran towards the door, yanking the door open, I made my way out of the 8- bedroom duplex, my heel hitting the Michigan grass very harshly, entering my car, and I zoomed off.

The faint voice of my mom and dad screaming my name was all I heard playing in my head as I drove through the street at a very high speed.

My life is ruined after all my efforts.

" No you can't leave me here... Immean we are lovers and I love you and want

to get married to you... see I have even bought the ring...am just waiting for

the right time to propose to you." Max Berkeley says his voice laced with fear.

I could bear hear him due the loud Dj playing at the club downstairs.

I gazed into his eye, as I whisked my yoghurt with a straw, I found myself lost

in a verdant oasis of true love, where every glance is a journey to a world only

'we can explore together.

His chocolate brown had a superb finish, his hair stands as a masterpiece of

precision. One could really say of a truth his hair had been styled by a master.

Looking at his biceps I couldn't help but wonder if he had been chiselled by

the great Phidias.

"It doesn't matter, Max" my voice sounded cold and laced with trepidation.

"What doesn't matter?... I have loved you since the day I walked into your

dad's office and saw you... your charming blue eyes sucked me in like the

endless depths of the ocean, pulling me into a world of love and wonder that I

never want to escape from...Please don't leave me... I can't survive without

you." His voice is mellifluous and tears well down his eyes as he holds my

hand.

I couldn't help but join him in crying. I love him, but I have to get married to

Thwane Clark, a multi-billionaire who has a track record of being mean.

"Max! I love you... and nothing can change that...not an arranged marriage...

not Jupiter or anything... but I have to do this, otherwise my dad will be jailed

for life."

My voice tremulous, as I sniff up my tears.

"Lreally love you... and I don't want you to go... please is there no other way...

I mean he can have a share in the company in exchange for the funds he

releases to your dad." His voice is quaky, I could see trepidation reeking all

over him.

" We tried but it didn't work." Tears flowed down my eyes as I held his hand

tightly.

What he doesn't know is that I am more afraid than he is. Thwane Clark has a

track record of being mean to women, some people even say he is a

misogynist.

'Max, I am very sorry." My voice quaky as I stood up from the table, looking at

him one more time. kissed him for the last time and without looking back at

him I made my way out of the Golden Diner, a restaurant in New York City

known for its mouth-watering Korean fried chicken wings.

Closing the door of my car, I picked up my phone and tested my dad.

"AM READY TO DO IT"

Josephine's POV.

The sun came up quite early today, as I turned to the left side of my bed stretching every part of my body.

Last night I had cried myself to bed. Waking up this morning something is troubling me, my heart is so heavy as though a storm of emotions is raging within, tearing at the seams of my soul.

Ah! Now I remember, Last night I broke up with my true love Max Berkeley. It's as if a part of me is missing, leaving an emptiness that only time can heal.

I got up from my bed, stretched my back, and my eyes met the luxury wedding gown on my dressing table, it was exactly the wedding gown worn by Serena Williams worth $3.5 million.

"This is not happening," I say as I plopped right back into my bed.

"I wished he could stop ringing that loud bell." My dad said as he held my hand, while I made my way out of the car.

We just arrived at the cathedral, the venue for the wedding.

A wedding that makes me wanna puke.

I looked back and my bridesmaids were behind me holding the long train of the gown.

"Dad! This wasn't necessary." My voice is hoarse.

"Oh you mean the gown, it wasn't me... it's Mr Thwane Clark." He said as his fist clenched as he mentioned his name.

"Dad! Why didn't you refer to him as my husband... I mean after today that is who he is going to be." My voice quaked as I still couldn't believe I was giving up everything at this point.

I still couldn't believe I wouldn't get to complete my studies at MIT, this is just weird.

My life is so messed up right now.

I was jolted out of my thoughts as my father held out a handkerchief towards my face, turns out tears had been dropping from my eyes without my notice.

"Josephine! Listen to me, I will never consider Thwane Clark to be your husband...even after today... I don't know why he decided to change the terms of our agreement... but if anything should happen to you... I will never forgive myself." His head drops down, tears try to well down his eyes but he controls it and daps his eyes dry with the handkerchief.

"And remember, I know this was hard for you to do... but... you did it away... even if you didn't have to do it...Thanks a million."

His voice is feathery, as he touches my cheeks.

"It's nothing, Dad!" I said looking away.

Inside the big cathedral, I could see the faces of many people, many of whom I know and many that I really couldn't tell where I met them.

"Why is she getting married to this mysgnostic?"

"Ah! I pity this young lady...and she really is beautiful and has her life ahead of her."

"She isn't gonna make it out alive."

The voices coming from the background wouldn't help but just make this day worse.

I thought of the lovely moments I could picture to get this noise off my head but nothing came through. I was blank.

"Miss Josephine Oniels, I ask for the 5th time, Do you accept Thwane Clark to be your lawfully wedded husband, till death do you part?"

All of a sudden I realized I was standing at the altar, standing before Mr. Thwane Clark, I had blacked out on the priest.

"Miss Josephine Oniels, are you alright?"

His voice is shaky, he is an old man and I recognize him as the priest who wedded my parents.

"Am alright, can you please come again."

My eyes were dizzy, as I looked into the crowd I could see Max Berkeley.

Could this day get any worse?

"Do you Miss Josephine Oniels take Mr.Thwane Alex to be your lawfully wedded husband, till death do you part."

"I do"

"Do you Thwane Clark take Josephine Oniels to be your lawfully wedded wife, till death do you part."

"I do," his voice Ortund.

Looking at his face, I only saw a monster who goes about exploiting young innocent girls all because he is wealthy.

Mr. Thwane Clark and my dad used to be very good friends, I can still vividly remember a day he came to our house and I was the one who served him bottled water as a little girl.

He and my dad had parted ways as friends the day my dad confronted him about his evil schemes especially towards business and young girls, since that day he never allowed my father anywhere near him.

It was almost 4.30 pm the wedding had ended, and my true love Max Berkeley had tried to approach me to wish me happiness in my new home and to drop his gift.

Then the worst happened, Thwane Clark on recognizing him to be my boyfriend ordered his henchman to throw him out, and when he refused to leave the venue, he was beaten up.

I couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

As I made my way to the bathroom, I overheard two people talking in a room beside the bathroom, I recognised the shadow of the second person to be my dad but the voice of the second person was too silent.

I strained my eyes to see who the second was, just then my hand hit a ceramic vase and it broke giving out a loud noise that alerted my dad and whoever he was talking to.

I ran off immediately to the car park.

It turns out Mr Thwane Clark has been looking for me, his new wife.

The car was an Escalade ESV, getting into the car, I received the greatest shock of my life.

"Where have you been.?

"I went to the bat...."

I couldn't finish those words as I received a headboot alongside a hot slap at

once.

My cheeks seethed as though they were burning coals, the heat creeping up my face until it felt like I could fry an egg on my skin.

My hand moved up my face feeling the red lump that had grown on my head, I couldn't help but weep soberly.

Looking up at him with tears in my eyes I couldn't help but ask myself if he was a person or a beast.

He pulls out his Gurkha Royal Courtesan Cigar, his hand moves back to the back seat, suddenly the light of the back seat turns on, revealing two teen girls, one was holding a shotgun, while the other one lights Mr Thwane Clark's cigar.

"Welcome to hell."

Mr Thwane Clark's leg hit his accelerator, as we sped off to wherever his mansion might be.

Max POV.

It's been 3 weeks since I last heard from Josephine, my love. I have tried calling her line but I keep getting this stupid message.

'The number you are trying to call doesn't exist.'

Her number was working perfectly well until she got married to that dweebish fellow.

The office has been boring without her; all I see are shadows of the vibrant moments we used to share.

The worst part is Mr Jerry O'Neil and his wife refused to say anything about it.

"Max!!!"

I finally heard my name vehemently.

Raising my head from the counter, I looked up and it was Luke the bartender.

"Sup Max, I have been calling your name forever... look, your phone has been ringing." His voice was hoarse.

I looked down at my phone only to see 87 missed calls. My brother had been calling me.

"Hello"

"Hi Max, I have been trying to reach you, some weird dude left a package at the house... they said it was a gift from a friend." His voice is feathery.

"A gift," I asked as my eyes furrowed in bewilderment.

"Are the dudes still there?" I asked, still feeling a bit dizzy from the hangover.

"No, they left almost immediately... aren't you coming back, dad is really worried about you." I could feel his voice quake over the phone.

"I will... by the way don't touch that box... just move it close to the left side of the balcony away from the main building."

As I heaved my drowsy body up from the stool, I slipped off only for my hand to be caught by the hand of a strange man.

"Thank you, good sir."

Before I could readjust myself he was gone.

"You forgot your pa..."

My eyes twitched, I looked closely, holding up the paper, it read..." Meet me under the bridge tonight"

I don't understand, the voice had never contacted me in person ever, why the sudden change.

This is just great, first, you ruined my life, and now you are playing pranks on

me.

"Luke, get me another round of Margarita."

As I gulped my drink, I turned the paper and to my greatest shock, it read from..."The voice.'

Paying off the bartender I immediately glanced at my watch.

"Dang it! Am already late.

I zoomed off to meet a mystery person who had been the reason my life was such a mess.

A voice I wished I had never obeyed from the very start.

"Dang it! Am stuck in traffic."

"Max Berkeley! You are late.

I stopped in my tracks, bent down trying to catch my breath. My heart is throbbing loudly.

"Am so sorry... I was caught in traffic... had to pack my car by the roadside." "Enough! I don't have time for your flimsy excuses."

Looking up I could see a figure, am not sure if it was a man or a woman, the hood he or she had on, flowed to the ground.

The cold breeze added to the moment as it flicked the hood to the back making the person in front of me look like a superhero, except I was standing before a villain.

"Max, well done on completing your mission, I must say I am impressed." The robotic distorted voice piecing through my ears.

"You promised she would be safe... but now she is in the worst place any lady can be." I knelt, tears welling down my eyes.

"I wanted her to be safe... I mean that was our agreement... you ruined everything...you ruined my life and hers."

I couldn't hold it back anymore, as I broke down in front of the person I had come to tag... The voice or mystery man.

Josephine Oniels will be going through hell because I failed her.

My life is messed up.

Looking up, I noticed that I now had two more companions.

'Boss, it's done." Said the more muscular guy that just come in.

"Excellent."

I overheard them saying things silently, I couldn't help but wonder what was actually going on.

I stood to my feet, I could feel a sudden sense of trepidation reeking all over

me.

"You see Max, I like you... by the way here is a new rule... you are not allowed to see Josephine Oniels ever again." The robotic voice sounded more glitched.

"Wait! What?" My eyes furrowed in bewilderment as I stared at the person behind the mask.

I couldn't believe my ears.

"You can't be serious... I accept all this just to keep her safe and make her mine...you can't just boss me around."

My voice tremulous, as I clenched my fist.

"Failure to obey will result in the death of your love, Josephine Oniels and all your family members."

I shuddered in trepidation, the voice was this time laced with hatred and

venom.

This can't be happening to me.

"By the way I left your family a present."

The mystery fellow turned and said as the triad made its way away from me towards a vehicle that had all of its plate numbers removed.

I still couldn't understand what the mystery was talking about.

As their car zoomed past me, I turned, my gaze fixed on whoever was behind the mask.

"You have exactly 3 mins to save your family."

Just then it dawned on me that the two guys that joined in on our

conversation were actually the dudes that visited my house earlier when my brother called me.

Oh my God! That package is a bomb.

Oh my God!!!