Complications Chapter 3

Alice's POV

I nodded quickly. My tears ran freely now, and my whole body trembled underneath my feet.

Aunt Sam flashed me a mischievous smile— one thing she always did whenever she was about to make an outrageous demand.

“That was quite easy, Alice. I never knew you could be this soft-spoken.” She placed one hand on my shoulder, placing the other under her jaw, her smile widening. “Anyways, let's get straight into business.”

She went silent for a while, her last words echoing in my ears like a cruel whisper. Her silence only stretched longer, increasing the fear in my heart.

Then she finally cleared her throat, her eyes studying me like a hawk about to feast on its prey.

“I can comfortably handle your brother's bills, without having to wait for anyone else's help.” She started, her voice echoing with pride. “But… you have one condition, Alice.”

My heart skipped a beat, hoping the condition she was about to give me wouldn't involve me doing something stupid.

“Get married to Thomas Brooks, and all your brother's medical expenses will be sorted.”

The words crashed in my ear, hitting me like a slap.

For a moment, I just stood there— stunned, not sure I had heard her clearly. My heart pounded heavily in my chest as I tried to make sense out of what she just said.

Get married to Thomas Brooks? The ruthless billionaire? How could she be so mean?

Everyone knew Thomas wasn't someone to be joked with. He was so cruel even his own family hated him. Why would she even suggest that I get married to him?

But before I could get an answer to the troubling questions in my head, her voice echoed once again, laced with urgency this time.

“So what do you say? Are you ready to do it… or would you rather your brother died that way?” Her voice thundered, leaving no room for me to think.

“No– no, aunty. Please you can't do this to me.” I cried and went down on my knees, grabbing her legs. “You can't possibly want me to get married to him. He— he's old. He's ruthless too, I can't even imagine myself becoming his wife.”

“Oh really?” She breathed, throwing her legs off my grip. “In that case, I don't think I can help you in any way. Be ready to kiss your dear little brother goodbye in five days.”

She was already walking away when I yelled her name from where I was kneeling. By now, my eyes were soaked with tears, my voice weaker— smaller.

Looking at her, I knew she would never go back on her words unless I said yes to her demand. I couldn't afford to watch my brother die… I needed to do something, and this was the only opportunity I had to save him.

My breathing came out in ragged gasps, my throat sore from crying for too long.

I raised my eyes towards her, my chest constricting with pain. “I— I will do it.”

Her eyes widened with excitement, and she nodded quickly. “That's my girrlll! I've always known you to be a smart girl.”

She walked up to where I was, pulling me up from the ground. “Come, let's go get started with the wedding preparations already.”

—

3 Years Later

It's been three years down the line, and my life has been nothing but miserable in Thomas's house.

I had Brandy enrolled in college after his successful surgery, and since then, I've been living alone with this monster I called a husband.

A lot had changed in three years, and now I was pregnant with the child of the same man who took me as nothing but a piece of garbage.

‘I would change him.’ So I thought, not until that fateful event which changed everything.

It was 7pm at night. I was making dinner as usual when I felt a throbbing pain in my lower abdomen.

I crashed to the ground, gritting in pain and yelling my husband's name for help.

But he paid deaf ears to my cries. He was sitting comfortably in the living room, and I knew he could hear me, but only chose to pay deaf ears to me.

When he finally answered, he walked into the kitchen, his eyes flashing at me with such a furious glare.

He didn't pay attention to me… didn't even bother to find out what was wrong. He just walked up to the counter and opened the pot, a look of disappointment creeping up his face as he replaced the pot lid.

His gaze traveled back towards me, his eyes filled with nothing but fury.

“How useless can one person be!” He barked, his cold voice echoing off the walls. “You've been preparing one dish for the past one hour, and yet you haven't even gone halfway.”

I clutched my throbbing stomach, rubbing it gently as I released air from my mouth. “I— I can't feel my legs. I think I'm going into labour.”

“And how is that any of my business?” He quizzed, like what I had said made no sense to him. “You always try to make a fuss, and I'm sick and tired of all that drama. Get up and get back to work. Now!”

“Please, you have to help me. The baby is coming.” I yelled, panting heavily as I grabbed him on one leg.

He shoved my hands away with a kick, circling his hand around my neck. “I won't repeat myself again, Alice. Get back to work, or I might be forced to strangle you with my bare hands.”

He released his grip on me, walking towards the door. He stopped and turned his gaze back on me. “You are worthless, and so is your cursed child. Don't you dare say anything about that miserable pregnancy of yours ever again!”

His voice thundered with rage, and he stormed out before I could even get to process any of it.

My eyes flushed with pain— raw pain, as I kept yelling for help.

Barely minutes after he left, a maid came rushing in.

“Mrs Brooks? Are you okay?” She quizzed in panic as she ran to where I was. She helped me up to my feet— slowly, carefully.

She rolled my hand across her neck, helping me out gently. My weak legs throbbed on the ground as I tried to keep them steady, but it only seemed to get worse each time I tried.

The maid managed to hold me firm, guarding me carefully as we approached the gate.

She held onto me with one hand, while flagging down a taxi with the other.

As soon as one pulled up, she helped me carefully into the back seat, hurrying off to the front.

“Nearest hospital, please.”

That was the last thing I heard her say before everything went blank.

—

My eyes opened to a new environment. The curtains were custom made, the walls looking too different.

I placed my hand on my forehead to ease the throbbing headache, and that's when I saw it— a plaster glued to my arm.

My eyes went wide open, and I groaned as I felt a sharp pain in my stomach.

“You're awake, Mrs Brooks.” A man dressed in a white coat, with a stethoscope hanging around his neck muttered, flashing me a smile— a kind smile.

He looked like he was in his early forties, his features reminding me of that monster— Thomas. And with the way he was dressed, I could tell he was a doctor.

“Why am I here?” I asked in a weak tone, my hand still clutching my aching head.

The doctor moved forward, stretching the back of his hand to examine my temperature.

“You have nothing to worry about, Mrs Brooks. You'll be fine.” He said in a calm, gentle tone, but that wasn't enough to clear my doubts.

I had a strange feeling something wasn't right. But before I could continue, he pulled out a folder from the file he was holding, placing it on the small table before me.

“Before we proceed with your discharge, do you have anyone— probably your husband, who can sign an agreement on your behalf?”

My eyes narrowed, my mind spinning with questions. He continued with the explanation, like he had read my mind.

“You had quite a complication in your pregnancy, and now we need someone to decide whether to save you or the baby.”