CONTRACTED:FOREVER YOURS MY SOULMATE

Camelia's POV

"Rain is pouring mercilessly over here, Alex!" I said to Alex, my fiancé, on the phone, who responded with a cool smile at the end.

"It's a blessing on your birthday already, sweetie." We both giggled, then he continued. "Just find a way to come over to my place, and we'll figure out a way to stop the cold." He mused thoughtfully; his voice was laced with so much excitement, just as mine was above his.

"Alright, I'm in a cab already; I'll be there very soon. Do you have the chocolate cake ready?" I questioned since I wouldn't be able to get one myself due to the heavy downpour.

"I've got you covered, darling; just come over." He asserted firmly. "Wait, are you coming with your friends?" He had asked and just smiled.

"I'm not sure; Sarah is in New York City, and I'm not very sure Diana would leave her warm bed to celebrate my day!" I said, and he sensed an unpleasant tone in my voice.

"We have ourselves; we don't need anyone else. I'll be waiting for you." He uttered, his voice sounding like a person whose face is plastered with love and affection, which got my curiosity heightened.

Alex and I, a duo made naturally from above, share something beyond the ordinary peeling of a mango skin. "It's a deep shit if I'm razz, and it's a deep, deep, serious relationship." Going on 3 years now, even with the death of my parents.

But right now I'm filled with hope and surprises I intend to give him today on my special day.

I remained calm in the back seat of the cab, dressed in my favorite sapphire dress, the one that brought out the color in my eyes, believing tonight would be my moment of happiness, perhaps even a proposal from Alex.

After a few minutes, the screeching of the car tires pierced my ears and jolted me back to reality. "Home sweet home!" I couldn't hide my excitement, even as the rain continued to splash on me.

As soon as I paid the cab driver, I raced to the main entrance door of Alex's house. A silent fortress, an elegant blend of modern architecture and old-money charm. Talk about iron gates opening to a long driveway lined with trimmed hedges and glowing path lights. The mansion itself was grand; it speaks of his father's wealth as a rich billionaire, Charles.

"I can't wait to receive my gift from him tonight." I muttered inwardly to myself as I approached the door, with my shoes clinging to the marbled tiled floor.

I got there, grabbed the door handle, and then stopped. "That voice is strong and familiar. Is there a surprise birthday for me?" I asked, as my ears continued to hear voices murmuring below the silence of the corridor.

"Uhn, uhn, you are so good, Alex!" The moaning sent a shiver down my spine.

At first I hesitated to hear more of what they were saying. "She's a fool!" A female voice uttered behind the door.

My eyes widened in shock; I thought Alex was watching a movie or something, but when I heard him speak, my heart skipped. "She was never the one I love."

Then I opened the door, and sprawled like a scene out of a nightmare was Diana, my best friend, naked, moaning atop Alex, the man I had planned to marry.

"Alex!!!" I screamed on top of my soft voice. "What are you doing with Diana?"

My breath caught, my knees gave way, yet what broke me more than the sight was the cold, unbothered look they gave me.

"You're early," Diana had smirked, pushing damp hair from his sweaty brow.

"How dare you speak to me, with how I caught you with my fiancé!" I charged at her.

Alex merely lit a cigarette, his free hand tracing circles on Diana's bare thigh. "You weren't supposed to be here until nine."

I stumbled back in disbelief. "What the hell is this?" My question hung in the air of the room. "How could you do this to me, on my birthday!"

Alex stood, unbothered, and walked over to her. "It's business, darling, just business."

"What business could give you the effrontery to sleep with my best friend?" I shouted at him. "You must be out of your goddamn mind, Alex."

Before I could react, Diana emerged from behind and shoved me into the velvet chair. Strong zip ties tightened around my wrists before I could scream. My voice choked on fear and betrayal.

"You're going to sign these papers." Diana whispered into her ear, waving a crisp stack of documents in her face. "You're worth a fortune now, Camelia. But you're too stupid to handle it alone."

"Like hell I will!" I spat, fury burning in my chest. "After you both betrayed me, you still want my inheritance!"

Alex retrieved a sleek black pistol from the drawer and pointed it at me. "You'll or you won't leave this room alive."

But even with the barrel aimed at my heart, I refused to sign. "Kill me then. I won't give you anything more than what I've given you, and you shattered it." Well, tears began to stream down my face.

The moment he lowered the gun slightly to confer with Diana, I acted. I kicked the table, sending the gun clattering to the floor, and lunged toward the window, crashing through it and landing on the wet pavement outside.

With adrenaline coursing through my veins, I ran barefoot into the night, my dress torn, hands bloodied, and heart racing. I didn't know where I would turn to; I just needed to escape their nest. Away from the lies, the betrayal, and the trap I had once called love.

"Get her!" Diana barked from behind. I heard footsteps pounding against the wet concrete. Diana cursed, her heels clicking furiously as she followed. But I didn't stop. My feet ached, and my vision blurred from tears and rain. I turned down an alley and burst out onto the main road, arms waving desperately.

The world spun around me, the lights blurred, and bright headlights flashed just as she crossed the street. Tires screeched, and a black Maserati skidded to a stop just inches from her body.

"What the hell?" A deep voice growled from within.

I collapsed to the ground, shaking. The driver, a sharply dressed man with steel blue eyes and perfectly tousled hair, as far as I could see, rushed out.

"Are you alright?" He asked, crouching beside me; his tone was firm and frustrated, but there was concern in his eyes.

"P- please... Help me," I gasped, my voice trembling.

Then Alex slowed his pace when he saw the stranger. His expression shifted to cautious calculation from afar. Then rage. "Smashed!" He hit a waste bin.

But the man didn't budge. He lifted me gently, noticing my trembling frame and bruises on my arms. "I'll take you to the hospital." He said my ears, and my mind calmed.

With my eyes closed, allowing darkness to envelop me from within, I felt like I died. Even if I did, I died without signing the inheritance transfer documents. I died in peace, not in pieces.