DELPHINE

I was lying in the hospital bed when Alfred walked into the ward. The way he looked at me, calm and kind, made me feel safe. He smiled and said softly, “You’ll be going home with me today.”

I blinked in surprise. “Really?”

He nodded. “Yes. You’ll stay with me now.”

I felt a deep sense of relief and gratitude. “Thank you... really, thank you so much. Honestly, I can’t thank you enough…”

“It’s okay,” he replied. “I just want you to be fine.”

“Thank you…” I cooed, feeling no amount of those words would do.

Not long after, we left the hospital. I sat beside him in his car while he drove. It was quiet for a while, then he asked me gently, “Do you now remember your name now?”

I shook my head. “No... I still don’t remember anything. I woke up not knowing who I am, not even my name.”

“Okay, it’s fine…” he said, not pressing further. But he kept checking on me every few minutes. “Are you okay?” he would ask.

“Yes, I’m fine,” I kept saying, even though everything inside me was spinning with confusion.

All of a sudden, he pulled the car to the side of the road. The engine stopped, and he sat still for a few seconds before turning to me.

“I want to tell you something,” he said seriously.

“I’ve been expecting it,” I replied. “You’ve looked worried... even since the hospital. Like something has been bothering you.”

He sighed. “Yes. Something has been troubling me. And... you’re the only one who can help me.”

I blinked. “Me? How?”

“I want you to be my woman. No…it’s not what you think. My father is ill, and only you can save him. I’ll tell him we are a couple. As soon as he gets back on his feet, I’ll pay you off, I promise…”

I stared at him, confused. What kind of request was this?

“I don’t understand,” I said softly.

“It’s just for a while,” he added quickly. “I’ll give you a huge sum of money when the contract is over. You can start your life properly. I just need you to do this one thing.”

I didn’t answer immediately. I looked away and let out a quiet sigh. Everything felt strange, but then again... this man had saved my life. He didn’t even know me, yet here he was, offering me a place to stay, a chance to survive.

“Okay,” I finally said. “I’ll help you.”

His face lit up with relief. ”You will?”

“Yeah”

“Oh, thank you so much!” He held my hands like my response had saved him from a big mess.

“You don’t have to thank me,” I said. “You did the most. You saved me. You’re giving me a roof over my head... I owe you.”

“That’s fine… Can I call you Delphine?” Our eyes met. “I mean… since you don’t uhm…”

“It’s okay” I responded with a smile to save him the explanation. “I’ll go with it. It’s a beautiful name after all. Delphine is fine, Thank you.”

When we arrived at his house, it was beautiful. His mother was waiting at the entrance. She looked surprised at first but quickly smiled brightly.

“Oh my! So you finally brought a woman home?” she said with excitement.

She looked at me warmly. “What’s your name, dear? You’re so beautiful!”

I smiled nervously. “Delphine, ma. Thank you... and you look so beautiful too. Good afternoon ma’am. Pardon my manners, I was…”

“Oh, that’s okay, dearie! Welcome.” She laughed happily and held my hand gently. For the first time in days, I felt a bit at ease.

But inside me, I felt this was just the beginning of something I didn’t fully

Alfred’s mum kept smiling at me, “Take her upstairs, I’ll send a maid with the dresses and bags you ordered earlier.”

Alfred nodded and told me to follow him. I walked behind him, still nervous, still trying to believe all of this was happening. When we got to the room, he grinned “Feel comfortable, okay?”

I responded with a nod and a broad smile even though I was confused about how everything happened so fast.

Not long after, a maid came in carrying two big boxes. Alfred took them from her and turned to me. “Unbox them,” he said, “they’re all yours.”

I was surprised. As I opened the boxes, I saw beautiful dresses, shoes, and bags — all elegant. But there was something I noticed. Most of the clothes had purple designs. Even the shoes and bags too.

I smiled and thanked him, then asked lightly, “Do you love purple that much?”

He chuckled. “Purple means strength. It’s my favorite color.”

“Oh, no wonder you have a purple pendant on your necklace.” I said, spotting the piece of jewelry on his neck.

“That’s nice.”

Alfred walked toward the door, then turned back to me. “Pick something nice for dinner. You’ll be eating with my parents and I this evening.”

“Alright, thank you.” I nodded.

Just then, a maid walked in holding a comb and a small bottle of hair oil. Alfred looked at her, it was obvious he sent for her “Style her hair in a bun.”

I blinked. A bun? Why was he specific about the hairstyle? Well… Maybe he just liked the bun style.

Later, at the dining table, I felt nervous. Mr. Gonzalo, Alfred’s father, kept giving me this cold, stern look. My hands were shaky, and I found it hard to eat.

Then suddenly, he spoke. “What do you do for a living?”

I almost dropped my spoon. I looked at him, then at Alfred. I wasn’t prepared for this. “Uhm… I… I do some things… here and there,” I stammered.

“Here and there? You can’t mention any?”

I coughed and asked to drink water.

He didn’t smile. He just asked again, another question when the first wasn’t really answered.

“Where do you live?”

I coughed a little again and reached for my glass of water. My throat had gone dry, literally.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Alfred’s jaw tighten. He looked tense too. I thought this man just wanted a woman for his son — why all the questions?

But then it hit me. These were important questions. I had no answers ready.

“Young lady,” Mr. Gonzalo said again, his voice firmer. “Won’t you answer me?”

I froze. I was quiet. Lost in thought. Then I stuttered again. My hands were shaking under the table.