The Professor's Forced Wife

Give Didi to us in marriage, James Fisher, or your family sleeps on the street tonight."

The paper with the red stamp fell from Didi's hand and hit the dirty floor. Mr. Sam Billy and his wife sat on the old sofa like kings. They owned the city. They owned the big bank, the university, and the heavy debt that killed her father's shipping business.

​Now, they wanted her.

​"I am not a toy!" Didi cried out, stepping in front of her shaking father. "You cannot sell me to pay a debt!"

​"Quiet, Didi," her father whispered, hiding his face in his hands. "If I say no, we starve."

​Across town, in a tall glass office, Professor Mosby Billy stared at the marriage paper his parents threw on his desk. At thirty-two, Mosby was cold and cared about nothing.

​"I am not marrying anyone," Mosby said, his eyes like ice. "Throw them out. I have a class to teach."

His mother hit her hand on the desk. "You marry Didi Fisher, or you lose all your money, your bank shares, and your job. Choose a wife or choose to be poor."

​Mosby stared at them. He did not care who the girl was. She was just a signature to keep his wealth safe.

​"Fine," he said coldly. "Just do it. But keep her away from me."

​Two days later, the big lecture hall at the university was loud with whispers. Everyone knew Professor Billy failed half his students on purpose.

​Didi sat in the third row, her fingers gripping her pen. She worked three jobs just to stay in school. This degree was her only way out. She did not care about the cold man waiting to be her husband. She only wanted to pass law class.

The door clicked open. The room went silent.

Didi looked up, expecting an old man. Instead, a tall man in a grey suit walked into the class. He looked handsome and had grey eyes. It was Mosby.

​Didi's heart skipped a beat.

​Mosby did not look at anyone. He took a piece of chalk and wrote on the board.

"Turn to page forty-four," Mosby said, his voice filling the silent room. "Read the case. Five minutes."

​Didi opened her book and frowned. The book was wrong. It missed a new rule that saved small businesses from big companies.

Ten minutes later, Mosby walked down the class with his hands in his pockets. He pointed at a scared student in the front row. "You. What is the answer?"

​The student stammered, his face turning red. "Well, sir..."

​"Wrong," Mosby snapped. "If you cannot think, drop this class."

Didi boiling in anger. She hated bullies. Her hand shot straight up into the air.

​Mosby walked over and stood right above her desk. "You have something to say?"

"Fisher," Didi said, looking right into his cold eyes. "Didi Fisher. Yes, I do."

"Speak," Mosby said, crossing his arms.

​Didi stood up. "You are blaming him, Professor, but the textbook is wrong. The court changed the rule last month. A small business is protected now. Your question uses dead law. The student is right."

​The whole room gasped. No one ever talked back to Professor Billy.

Mosby did not blink. He stared at her. For the first time all semester, someone looked him in the eye and fought back.

He leaned down close to her face, his voice low, barely a whisper.

​"You think you are smart, Miss Fisher," Mosby murmured. "In my class, opinions do not matter. Only facts do. See me after class. Do not be late."

​After class, Didi walked down the faculty hallway and hit her knuckles hard on Professor Mosby Billy's wooden door.

​"Come in," Mosby shouted from inside.

Didi pushed the door open and walked in. She stood straight with her hands tight. Mosby sat behind his big desk, he looked angry.

Mosby raised his head and looked at her. "Miss Fisher. Do you always interrupt my class to show off?"

​Didi did not blink. "I was not showing off, Professor. I was right. The book is old, and the court changed the rule last month. A good student speaks up when the book is wrong."

​Mosby leaned back. He knew inside that Didi was one of the smartest students because he read her papers last week. But her attitude made him furious.

​"You think being smart gives you the right to talk back in front of three hundred people?" Mosby shouted, leaning over his desk. "Let me make it clear. In my class, you follow my rules, or I fail you. Do you understand? You can lose your grade in one second."

Didi caught her breath. She did not care. Her father lost all his money, her home was gone, and her family had traded her life to a stranger. A bad grade meant nothing to her.

"If you want to fail me because I know the law better than the book, go ahead," Didi stood tall. "A bad grade is my smallest problem, Professor."

Mosby stood up,Before he could yell back, his phone rang loudly on the desk. He saw the lawyer's name on the screen, grabbed the phone, and swiped it. "Speak," he shouted.

​"Professor Billy," the lawyer said fast. "We need your signature on the marriage papers tonight. The debt transfer for the Fisher family is done. Miss Didi Fisher is bound to the deal, and the wedding dinner is tonight at the big house."

Mosby gripped his phone. I told you I do not care about this bride!" he yelled into the phone, shaking with rage. "I am signing nothing. Tell the Fishers to take their daughter and leave me alone!"

​Didi froze by the desk. Her breath stopped. Fisher?

Mosby put the phone down and pointed a shaking finger at the door. "Get out of my office. Get out before I throw you out of school right now!"

Hours later, the big dining hall of the Billy family house shone under bright lights. Didi stood near the door in a simple white dress her father bought, her stomach twisted. Her parents stood close, whispering what to do.

​Mr. Sam Billy smiled a wide, ugly smile as heavy footsteps sounded on the stairs.

​"Here is our groom," Rona Billy said, clapping softly.

​Didi looked up.

​Professor Mosby Billy walked down in a dark suit, his face like stone. His eyes locked on Didi standing by the table.

​Mosby stopped dead on the third step. His mouth fell open. The stubborn student who fought him in class today was standing right here in his house wearing a wedding dress.

Didi stared back at him, her breath gone. The mean professor grading her papers by day was the stranger she had to marry by night.

​"No," Didi whispered, shaking her head. "Dad, tell me this is a bad dream. I cannot marry my own professor!"

​Mosby walked down the stairs, his shoes making loud steps on the floor. He looked right at Didi with deep anger. "So this was your plan, Miss Fisher? You act proud in my class, but behind my back, you use your father's debt to sneak into my family home?"

Didi panicked, but she stood her ground. "I did not choose this, Professor. I did not know who you were."

​"Silence!" Mosby shouted, walking close to her. "You are desperate. You wanted an easy way out of poverty. Do not pretend you are innocent. A woman who marries for money is a gold digger."

​Didi put her hands on her hips, her face red with shame and anger. "Take that back! I do not want your money, and I do not want you!"

​"Enough, Mosby!" Sam Billy said loudly.

​Mrs. Rona Billy waved at two maids. "Go to the car and bring Didi's bags up to Mosby's bedroom right now. Put everything inside his room."

​Didi's heart sank. "Wait, no!"

Mosby turned his head . "Her bags in my room? Have you both gone crazy?"

​Sam grabbed Mosby by the arm and pulled him into a small study room, shutting the heavy door while Rona locked it behind them.

​"Are you crazy?" Mosby yelled, walking back and forth. "She is my student! She fights me. I will not share a room with a gold digger!"

​"Listen to me, son," Sam said with his arms crossed. "Rich women in our circle only want power and news attention. Didi comes from a poor family. She has no power to cause trouble. Her family owes us everything, so we control her. And look at her face. Didi is very pretty. It is just business. You will accept it."

​Mosby stared at them. He let out a harsh laugh. "You treat marriage like buying cattle. I told you I do not need a wife!"

​"You will do what we say, or you lose all your shares in Star Bank," Sam said.

​Mosby squeezed his hands into tight fists. He knew his parents held the power. He pulled the study door open and walked back into the dining room.

​Didi stood by her parents, watching the maids carry her small bags up the stairs toward Mosby's room.

Mosby walked past her without stopping, his cold eyes staring at her for a second. "Get your things," Mosby said over his shoulder. "You wanted my family money. Now live with it."

Didi watched him walk up the stairs. A Cold chill run through her.she knew she had to go up to that room with him.

Open this door right now!" Rona yelled.

Mosby stood by the bed. He was furious. He looked down at Didi with cold eyes.

​"Get off my bed," Mosby hissed. "Right now."

​"Make me," Didi snapped back. Her hands shook, but she crossed her arms and refused to look scared. "Your mother locked the door. If you want me to stand on the cold floor all night, buy a better rug."

​Mosby took a step forward. "You think this is a game? You think you can walk into my life and act like a boss?"

​"I did not ask to be here!" Didi yelled, standing up on the mattress. She stared right into his grey eyes. "Your parents bought me like a bag of rice to pay my father's debt! Do you think I want to look at your angry face every day? I would rather sleep on the road!"

Mosby said, pointing at the door. "Go tell my parents you refuse the deal. Watch them throw your family out. Let us see how brave you are then."

Didi froze. He was right. Her father and her family needed her to stay.

​"Exactly," Mosby whispered, stepping close to her face. "So wipe that look off your face, and remember who you belong to now."

Before Didi could hit him, the doorknob shook hard.

​"Mosby! Open this door!" Rona shouted. "I know you are in there! If you are fighting, stop it. The press is coming tomorrow morning to see a happy couple!"

​Mosby backed away from Didi. He gave her one hard look.

​"Not a word," he growled.

He walked across the room and opened the door. Rona stood there with a cold smile.

​"I hope you two are getting along," Rona said. "Tomorrow at eight, reporters will be here. You will stand together, Mosby. You will look happy. If the press finds out this is a forced deal, your father stops school funding, and your family goes on the street, Didi."

​Didi grabbed the edge of the bed. "We understand."

​"Good," Rona said, and walked away.

​The door clicked shut again.

Mosby grabbed a pillow and a heavy blanket from the closet and threw them onto the leather chair.

" Take the bed," Mosby said coldly, his back turned. "I am sleeping in the

chair. Do not touch my things, and do not speak to me unless my parents are here."

​Didi did not say thank you. She kicked off her shoes, pulled the blanket over her, and stared at the dark ceiling.

​Her mind did not rest. Mosby thought she was a gold digger. He had no idea what it cost just to stay alive.

​Three jobs.

​She needed money. The marriage paid her father's debt, but it did not buy her books or food. If she stopped working, she would lose her independence. She refused to let the Billy family control her mind.

​The next morning, at 4:30 AM, Didi's alarm went off.

​She slipped out of bed quietly. Mosby was fast asleep in the chair. Didi changed into her old work clothes and left the room.

​By 5:30 AM, she stood behind a greasy counter at a busy diner, tying her apron.

​Hurry up, Didi, she told herself, wiping tables while the cook yelled orders. You have a shift here, a shift at the campus bookstore after class, and tutoring tonight.

She did not care that she was a billionaire's wife now. The contract did not pay for her life.

By 7:45 AM, Didi ran through the doors of the university, out of breath. Her phone buzzed with a text from an unknown number.

Where are you? The press event starts in ten minutes. Get back to the penthouse or your father's business papers get shredded.

​​

Didi stopped in the crowded hallway. She looked down at her plain work clothes, and then up at the glass windows.

​She was trapped. But she was not going to give up.

Didi ran out the door. She took a fast cab back to the big house. She got inside just in time.

​Rona stood by the stairs with many news people and big cameras.

​There she is, Rona said with a fake smile. The happy bride.

​Rona grabbed Didi's hand fast. She put a heavy diamond ring on her finger. The ring felt very heavy.

Mosby stood next to her in a dark suit. His face gave nothing away. He put his arm hard around Didi's waist so the cameras could see them close together.

Smile, wife, Mosby whispered in her ear. His expression watchful. Smile big, or I ruin your dad right now.

Didi offered a stiff,polite smile. Her pulse raced as anger took over.

​The cameras flashed bright white light. People shouted loud questions.

​Professor Billy! When did you meet?

​Is it a secret wedding?

​Mosby held her tight. We do not talk about our private life, Mosby told the crowd. Thank you. We are done.

​He pulled Didi away from the cameras and back up the stairs fast.

​One hour later, Didi walked into her school room. The whole room went quiet.

​All the students stared at her. They looked at their phones. The phones showed big news on the internet: Cold Rich Professor Mosby Billy Marries Poor Girl Didi Fisher!

​Brenda walked right up to Didi. Brenda was rich and thought she was the best. She hated Didi.

​Look who is here, Brenda said loud. I guess sleeping around got you to the top, Didi. What cheap trick did you use to catch him?

​Didi looked right at Brenda. I worked hard for everything, Brenda. You should try it instead of crying over a man who does not care about you.

​Before Brenda could talk back, the side door opened.

Mosby walked down the aisle in his dark suit. His mood changed instantly.All the students sat down fast and were very quiet.

​Mosby went to the board. He took a piece of white chalk and hit it hard on the wall.

​Open your books to page fifty, Mosby said. His voice was cold. Read for five minutes.

Didi opened her book. Her hands did not shake. She knew everyone was whispering behind their books, asking how the poor girl got the meanest teacher in the school.

Mosby walked slow down the row. He stopped by her desk. He did not look down at her, but he spoke low so only she could hear.

​The ring changes nothing, Miss Fisher, Mosby whispered. In this room, you are just a student. Learn to shut your mouth.

​Didi turned a page. She looked right up at him. And you need to learn that your book is wrong, Professor.

Didi sat alone at a lunch table in the big school hall. She had a simple tray of rice and soup.

​All the students stared at her. They put their hands over their mouths and whispered.

​Brenda and her rich friends sat at a table close by. They laughed out loud and pointed at their own fingers to make fun of Didi.

​Didi felt very sad inside, but she kept her face hard. She ate her food. She did not let them see her cry.

​When her last class ended, Didi ran to the school bathroom. She took off her school clothes and put on her work shirt and pants. She tied her hair back fast.

​She took a bus across town to the NGO kitchen. She spent hours cooking big pots of food for people who had no homes. The heavy work made her tired, but it kept her mind off her bad life.

​Late at night, after work, Didi took a bus to her parents' small house. She pushed the door open and looked at her father.

​Why did you do this? Didi asked, her voice shaking with anger. Why did you force me to marry that cold man? I told you I could work three jobs to pay the debt! Even if it takes ten years, I can do it!

​Her father looked down at the floor. Tears came out of his eyes. He said nothing. He knew he broke her life.

Didi turned around and walked out into the night. She had to go back to the big Billy mansion.

When she walked through the front doors of the mansion, Rona and Sam stood by the big table. Their faces twisted into pure rage. Their phones were in their hands.

Look at this! Rona screamed, shoving her phone screen right into Didi's face.

​Didi looked at the phone. A WhatsApp message from an unknown number sat on the screen.

​Your new daughter-in-law is out scrubbing pots at a cheap NGO kitchen and serving food to poor people. What a shame for the great Billy family.

​You work? Sam yelled, his voice shaking the walls. You are a Billy now, and you work in a public kitchen like a street beggar?

​Didi stood tall. I do what I want. Your money did not buy my soul.

​Stop this right now! Rona shouted. Everything you need is paid for! You will not shame us in this city again!

​Mosby walked down the stairs. He wore a dark shirt with the sleeves rolled up. He looked at his parents, then at Didi. His face was cold like stone.

​Father, Mother, Mosby said, his voice deep and calm. Tell me the truth right now. Why did you force me to marry the Fisher daughter?

​Rona and Sam looked at each other. Sam crossed his arms.

​We had to do it, Sam said. We need a woman we can control in this house.

​Mosby stepped closer. Control?

​Yes, Rona said. We paid their big debt so her family would be weak. They will not chase our money or our assets like the rich girls do. She has no power.

Didi stood very still. The reality of it finally settled in. They did not just buy her; they brought home a prisoner.

Mosby stared at his parents. His eyes darkened. He looked at Didi, and for one second, his expression slipped .

Since Billy family banned her from working normal jobs, Didi needed a way to fight back. She pulled an old laptop from her bag and opened it on the desk. She went online and applied for writing and research jobs as a freelancer. People from far away hired her to write papers and check law facts. They paid her digital money that went straight to a secret online wallet.

​The work kept her very busy. Between her freelance job and her hard law books, Didi did not have time to sit and feel sad. Her mind stayed strong. Every law case she read felt like a weapon she was building inside her head.

​The next morning, Didi woke up early. She looked at herself in the big mirror. She was done looking like a victim of a bad marriage.

​She walked down to the big kitchen and made herself a big plate of eggs and fruit. She ate it all. For the first time in weeks, she did not starve herself out of stress. She brushed her long black hair until it shined. She put on a clean skirt and a white shirt. She put a little bit of gloss on her lips.

​When she walked down the grand wooden stairs, her shoes made a sharp sound.

​Mosby stood in the main hall. He had his coat over his arm, ready to leave for school. He stopped walking.

His cold mind went blank for a second. He was used to seeing Didi wear tired clothes or look mad. Seeing her look so fresh and clean caught him off guard. His heart did a strange, hard jump in his chest. He stared at her face before he could stop himself.

​Didi did not stop. She gave him a cold smile, walked right past him, and opened the front door.

​Mosby stood still for a second. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. He told himself it was nothing. She was just a poor girl trying to look rich.

​At the school, the air felt different.

​Didi sat at a quiet table in the big library. Her law books were open wide. She took notes with a steady hand.

​A shadow fell over her desk.

​She looked up. A tall, handsome boy stood there with a warm smile. His name was Tommy. Tommy was one of the smartest students in their class. He was kind.

​Is this seat free? Tommy asked.

​Yes, Didi said.

Tommy pulled out the chair and sat down. He didn't looked down on her. He treated her like an equal.

​Is that the law case from Professor Billy's class? Tommy asked, pointing at her notebook. That judge makes no sense. I think we can argue it using section four.

Her eyes lit up. For the next two hours, they talked and laughed over their law notes. Tommy made jokes that made Didi smile. They walked out to the sunny yard together, drinking iced tea and sharing ideas.

​Word spread through the school fast. Students whispered, watching the poor student wife laughing and walking side by side with one of the most handsome guys in school.

Brenda and her two friends watched from the hall. They looked at her with pure hatred .Brenda stalked straight toward Didi and Tommy, blocking their path with her arms crossed.

​Are you planning to sleep with Tommy too? Brenda sneered loudly, her voice cutting through the hall so everyone could hear. You are so cheap, Didi. Look at how far you can go to get your law degree.

​Didi did not blink. She looked straight at Brenda. My brain got me here, Brenda. Try using yours instead of living in fear that another woman is better than you.

Brenda turned red with fury, but before she could snap back, Tommy stepped closer to Didi, standing firmly by her side. Brenda glared at them both, she turned on her heel, and walked away.

​From the second-floor window of his private office, Professor Billy looked down.

​

His eyes locked onto the yard bench. He watched Tommy hand Didi a bottle of water. He watched Didi throw her head back and laugh.

A hot wave of anger rushed through his blood. He told himself he only cared because she was a Billy, and a wife from his house could not make a public.

​After classes ended, Didi walked back to the big house.

​She pushed open the bedroom door and stepped inside.

Mosby stood by the window. His dark suit jacket was off, and his tie was loose. He looked angry.

Where were you? Mosby asked. His voice was cold.

​I was at the library, Didi said.

​With that boy, Mosby snapped, turning to face her.

​Didi raised an eyebrow. You mean Tommy? Yes. We study together.

​Mosby took a hard step toward her. His cold eyes looked down over her face. Up close, without his anger blinding him, he saw it clearly. He saw her glowing skin, her pretty eyes, and the way her confidence showed. For the first time, he saw that his wife was not just a poor girl his parents bought. She turned heads. And another man was looking at her the exact way he should have been looking.

​

You are a married woman, Mosby said. He lowered his voice. Do not play games with me, Didi. You are my wife now. Do not make a scandal or give the news people something to use against us.

Didi let out a short, laugh with no joy in it.

​The news? You care about the news? You and your parents bought me like an item. You treat me like a prisoner. But you think I will sit here and hide just because you said so?

​Mosby stepped right into her space. He was much taller than her, and his eyes were dark with fury. Watch your tone. I am warning you.

Didi did not step back. She looked right up into his grey eyes, her eyes burned with anger.

You are my teacher, Didi said. Her voice was cold. You are not my God. You do not own me, Mosby. If I want to talk to a friend, I will talk to a friend. Do something about it if you can.

​Mosby stared down at her. Her bravery hit him hard. No woman had ever spoken to him like that. He could not find words to say.

Instead words, his hand moved fast. He grabbed her wrist before she could turn away. He pulled her against his chest.

​Didi gasped as she hit him. Her heart beat very fast.

​Mosby put his left arm tight around her waist. He held her close.

She looked up at him with hot anger.

​Mosby looked down into her eyes. Their faces were very close. He felt her warm breath.

I am not your God, Mosby muttered. His voice barely a whisper. But I am your husband.

His heart beat fast. He looked at her lips. He had never kissed a woman in his life. He always stayed away because he thought women were bad. But looking at her now, he was lost in thought.

​Before Didi could move, Mosby leaned down and kissed her.

​It was his very first kiss. It was fast and full of shock.

​For one second, Didi froze. Her eyes went wide. She looked down at his chest, held by his strong hands and the heat of his mouth.

​​

Then she came back to her senses.

​She pushed him away with all her might.

Let me go! Didi yelled. Her face with anger as she jumped back. Do not ever touch me!