Four years later...
The sterile smell of the hospital room clung to the air, and the steady beep of the machines was a constant reminder that time was slipping away. My best friend, Emily, lay in the bed before me, frail and pale, her breath shallow. The doctor had said there was nothing more they could do. Her organs were failing rapidly due to perforated ulcers, and she needed surgery as soon as possible.
"Lia?" Em called out to me weakly.
"Hey, Em, I'm here." I smiled at her, blinking my tears away before she noticed the fragile state I was in. "I'm here, darling."
"Where are the kids?"
"Home." I swallowed, unable to bring the words out through he tears that choked me. "William's watching them for me."
"Hmm," She closed her eyes, and I watched a stray tear fall down the sides of her face. "That's good... I feel tired, Lia."
"I know." I couldn't help it. Hearing these walls broke whatever restraints were holding me back. "It's going to be fine, I promise you." I squeezed her hands gently and watched as she sighed in defeat, staring at the ceiling in a daze.
I clenched my hands together, the cool hospital air biting at my skin. Emily had always been there for me, through everything. When I'd dropped out of college, when I'd found out I was pregnant, when my world had crumbled- she was the one who stayed. The one who gave me a place to stay, the one who helped me regain my life.
Now, I had to save her. I had to do something, anything.
But what could I do? She needed surgery as soon as possible... where was I supposed to get that amount of money? We barely had enough to eat for Christ's sake!
I swallowed thickly, my mind racing. Grabbing my phone, I scrolled through my contacts and messages, searching for a way out when I saw it. The message from a contact I never thought I'd see again stared back at me. It was a reminder of a deal I had refused weeks ago.
I had turned it down then. Thinking it was a scam. But now? I was willing to throw coins into the fountain and make a wish.
With a shaky breath, I dialed the number. I didn't know what I was going to say or how I was going to explain it. I didn't even know if the offer was still up, but I had no other choice.
"About that job you had for me?" I said, my voice trembling slightly, even though I tried to keep it steady.
A few hours later, I found myself standing outside one of the most luxurious hotels in the city, a place that felt too distant from my current reality. It was a cold reminder of just how different I lived from the other half. I should have been in my cozy apartment, taking care of Emily, laughing with my kids, yet here I was, about to sell my soul to the devil.
But this was where my life had brought me. The decision I had made was final. The only thing that mattered now was getting the money to save her, even if it meant selling a part of myself I couldn't ever get back.
The doors opened to the hotel lobby, and I stepped inside, my heels clicking sharply against the marble floor. The air was heavy with the scent of expensive perfume, and the luxury surrounding me was suffocating. My head spun, but I pushed it down. I had a job to do. I had to be strong.
The room was just as massive. Gold trim along the walls, the dim lighting casting long shadows, and a bed so large I could lose myself in it.
I walked to the bed and found the contract waiting for me. It looked simple enough, a one-year marriage contract. My eyes skimmed the terms: marriage for a year, an absurdly large sum of money for the agreement, and a few other stipulations that I would have to abide by.
I laughed out loud. "What a joke my life is." For all I know, drug dealers could burst in through that door any moment from now, or worse, organ sellers. It was a high risk I was taking just being in that room. But I had to do it. When you're out of options, even a dance with the devil is enticing.
My heart raced. This was it. This was the decision I had made. But it didn't make it easier.
I sighed and picked up the glass of wine sitting by the bedside. Taking a sip, I let the liquid burn down my throat, trying to calm my nerves. I needed to be strong. I needed to do this for Emily.
The door creaked open, and my heart dropped to my stomach.
I jumped from the bed, my breath catching in my throat. There, standing in the doorway, was the last person I ever expected to see. The man from that night.
His sharp gaze locked onto mine, and my feet gave way. His presence was magnetic, like gravity pulling me in, and for a moment, I couldn't breathe.
It was him.
The same man who had been a stranger just four years ago. I hadn't seen him in years, but those eyes... they hadn't changed. Cold. Piercing. The same eyes that haunted my dreams.
He stepped inside, and the door clicked shut behind him. His eyes scanned the room, and for a second, I thought he was going to walk back out the door. But then, his gaze flicked back to mine, his expression hardening.
I didn't know what to say. What could I say? The past four years had been a blur, but that night... that one night had stayed with me. The feelings, the connection, everything.
I tried to swallow the lump in my throat, but it didn't help. The memories of that night - the passion, the secrecy, the names we never shared- came rushing back.
His lips curled into a small smirk, the shock on his face fading into excitement. "I never thought I'd see you again."
My stomach churned in panic.
I might have just made the greatest mistake of my life.