Chapter 3

3 Days later.

Priscilla's POV

I squinted my eyes against the bright sun streaming through the window, then opened them fully. As I stretched and got out of bed, I couldn't believe my eyes. The room was enormous and exuded luxury. The walls were painted a pristine white, and a plush white cream carpet lay near the bed. A large basket filled with beautiful flowers sat in front of a white nightstand, and a small mirror and hairdresser adorned the wall. I noticed two doors, one leading to a bathroom and the other to a closet. It was all so grand; I had never been in a room like this before.

Recalling the kind-hearted man who had offered me a job and a place to stay, I let out a sigh. I couldn't quite remember what had happened after we left the parlor where I changed my clothes.

Stepping onto the soft carpet, I savored the warmth beneath my feet. Slipping on the slippers thoughtfully provided, I was about to make my way to the bathroom when my eyes fell upon the bottle holding my mother's ashes. The realization that she was truly gone hit me hard. With a heavy heart, I gathered my thoughts and proceeded to the bathroom.

Entering the white-painted bathroom, I was further taken aback by its elegance. A transparent glass enclosure revealed a shower on one side, while a pristine white tub adorned the other. In between stood a sleek white toilet. Adorning the walls were shelves holding essentials like toothbrushes, towels, and an array of soaps and gels I wasn't familiar with.

As I entered the shower, I swiftly slid open the door, relieved to find it easily manageable. Positioning myself in the center, I was perplexed by the unfamiliar knobs before me. Two taps, each facing different directions, left me pondering how to proceed. Acting instinctively, I reached out and adjusted the one that appeared to be pointing in the correct orientation. Suddenly, scalding hot water forcefully cascaded down upon me, causing a piercing cry to erupt from my throat. Panic washed over me as I realized I had no idea how to halt this scorching deluge. Frantically attempting to pry open the shower door, my efforts yielded no results.

"Help!! I'm being burned alive!" I desperately wailed, my voice filled with anguish.

Max's POV

I entered Priscilla's room and was surprised to find it empty. The surrogacy process had gone well, indicating that she was pregnant with my child. However, due to the complications that could arise, I was advised to take good care of her. As it was her first child and she was a surrogate, it was not safe for her. Suddenly, I heard her scream from the bathroom and rushed inside to find her naked in the shower screaming.

Without a second thought, I dashed to the bathroom and flung open the shower door. I reached out and grasped her hand, pulling her out of the shower. She instinctively wrapped her arms around me, her body shaking with sobs. I couldn't help but notice how her naked body felt against mine, but I tried to push those thoughts aside.

"It's okay, I'll fix the shower," I reassured her. Priscilla quickly pulled away from me, her hand moving to cover her body. I couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt for making her feel uncomfortable.

"Don't worry, I've seen better," I said, trying to lighten the mood. I stepped into the shower, the warm water cascading over my body. I couldn't help but steal a glance at her through the steamy glass. She was undeniably attractive, and I struggled to keep my thoughts in check.

After adjusting the water temperature, I stepped out of the shower. "Go ahead and take a bath," I said, gesturing toward the tub. I quickly left the bathroom, trying to clear my head of any impure thoughts.

I waited patiently for Priscilla to come out of the bathroom, tapping my foot against the floor. I had expected her to take at least an hour to get ready, but to my surprise, she emerged from the bathroom fully dressed after only five minutes. I blinked in disbelief. I had always heard that women took forever to get ready, but Priscilla seemed to be an exception.

"Sir, please tell me what work I have to do," she said with a small smile, her hair still wet from the shower she had just taken.

I took a deep breath before responding. "Your work here is to pretend to be my girlfriend in front of my soon-to-be ex-wife," I told her, trying to keep my voice steady.

Priscilla burst out laughing, thinking that I was joking. But when she saw the serious expression on my face, her laughter died down and she glared at me. I could feel the anger radiating from her, but I was prepared for it.

"You are joking, right?" she asked venomously, her face turning red with anger.

I shook my head. "Unfortunately, I'm not. And there's no way you're going to back down now because you've already signed a contract with me," I said as I rose from the bed, my heart pounding in my chest.

As she approached me, her eyes were like ice, piercing through me with a cold stare. Without warning, she grabbed my collar and pulled me towards her with unexpected strength. I was taken aback by her sudden aggression.

"How dare you trick me into this nonsense?" she exclaimed, her voice filled with anger. "Who do you think you are to do such a thing to me? Are you crazy? Why didn't you ask for my permission before involving me in this nonsense of yours?" Her words were like daggers, cutting deep into my conscience.

I could feel her frustration and anger, and I knew that she would react in this way. "You rich people think you can do as you want without caring about other people's emotions," she continued, her voice rising with each word. "You all are the same, cruel and inconsiderate."

She let go of my collar and ran her hand through her hair, trying to calm herself down. I could see the anger in her eyes slowly dissipating, replaced by a look of resignation.

I let out a deep sigh, knowing that I had to face the consequences of my actions. "Whether you like it or not, you are doing it," I said my voice firm. "You've signed a contract that states that you will do everything I want for the rest of your life. And I'm doing you a big favor because I will give you everything you want, anything. So don't act as if I'm being unfair or selfish. All you have to do is to act as my girlfriend."

"Do you know what I'm thinking right now?" she asked, her eyes glaring at me with a fierce intensity. I nodded my head, curious to know what was on her mind.

"I'm thinking of punching you until you're black and blue, banging your head against the wall to knock some sense into your brain, and kicking you in the balls until you scream in pain," she said, clenching her tiny hands into tight fists. "You should thank your forefathers that I'm not in the mood to hit anyone right now."

I swallowed hard, feeling a lump form in my throat. This girl was so aggressive, and I couldn't help but wonder what she would do if she found out about the baby. "Well, it's a good thing you're still in your senses," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "Let's go downstairs."

She let out a deep sigh, her shoulders slumping in defeat. "I don't know how to behave like a rich Miss," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Remember, you took me from the street."

"Don't worry about that," I reassured her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I'll take care of everything."

Together, we walked out of the room and headed downstairs. As we descended the staircase, I couldn't help but wonder what the future held for us.

Everyone was already gathered for breakfast: my grandmother, my soon-to-be ex-wife, my uncle, my cousin, my sister, and Nicholas. Well, that was my whole family. My mom and father died in a car accident when I was young. All eyes were on us as we walked to the dining table. I pulled out a chair for Priscilla, and she sat down beside me.

"Max, who is she?" my chubby cousin Larry asked. She had short black hair, black eyes, and rounded cheeks.

"She is my girlfriend," I said calmly as I started dishing food onto my plate.

"What? So you were cheating on me all along?" Nelly asked shamelessly. Just because I haven't told anyone about her cheating with my uncle, she thinks she can exaggerate things.

"Max, what is going on here?" my grandmother asked.

"What is going on here is Nelly and I are getting a divorce because the two of us have been cheating on each other," I said coldly, my voice devoid of any emotion. The room fell silent as everyone gasped in shock. Nelly's face turned red, and I could see the fear in her eyes. Did she really think that I was not going to expose her?

"What? Nelly, have you been cheating on my grandson?" My grandmother fumed, her eyes blazing with anger. "How could you do such a disgusting thing, and you, Dave, how could you?"

I could feel the tension in the room as everyone waited for an explanation. Nelly tried to speak, but her words were cut off by her new boyfriend.

"Mom, Nelly, and I loved each other, and we decided to be together. It's not anyone's problem that Max couldn't satisfy his wife," my Uncle Dave spoke up, his black eyes shining with sarcasm.

I could feel my blood boiling as he spoke those words. How dare he talk about my marriage like that? But before I could say anything, Nelly spoke up.

"He's right, grandma. I love him, and he loves me, so Max and I are getting a divorce," Nelly said, her voice shaking slightly.

I could feel the weight of her words crushing me. My marriage was over, and there was nothing I could do about it.

"You're such a sneaky person, Nelly. How could you open your mouth and say such nonsense? You cheated with your husband's uncle. How disgusting. I'm so disappointed in you," my sister Liz said. She was blonde.

"I'm so disappointed in you, Nelly. I didn't expect this from you and Dave. I don't know when you will grow up," my grandmother said as she got up from her chair. Liz quickly helped her to her room.

"I've always told you that this woman is not good for my brother, but you all didn't listen to me. Where are my lies now? She cheated," Larry said as she chewed her food.

"Larry, how dare you?" Nelly fumed. "You are calling me a whore, but what about your brother who brought a girl home? Isn't she a whore for cheating on a married man?"

"My brother cheated with an outsider, not a family member," Larry retorted.

"Shut up, you chubby. You only know how to eat and insult people," Uncle Dave yelled.

"You two are shameless, that's why I'm insulting you two," Larry said.

"I'm sorry, but Nelly and I are getting a divorce next month, so she can be with the man she wants. Priscilla and I are also expecting a child," I explained, as Nelly gave me a cold stare. I hoped Priscilla wouldn't figure out what was going on.

"So, you've been cheating on me for a while now?" Nelly asked, her voice dripping with venom.

"You think you're the only one who can cheat? I can cheat too," I retorted.

"Come on, let's go shopping and calm down," my uncle interrupted, leading Nelly away from the room. I couldn't help feeling disgusted by their behavior.

Larry suddenly lost her appetite and left to avoid the drama. I tried to change the subject and welcome Priscilla to the house, but her anger was palpable.

"Do you know what I'm thinking about right now?" she asked, clenching her jaw.

"Please don't tell me, I don't want to know," I said, hoping to avoid further conflict.

Nicolas burst out laughing, making the situation even worse. Priscilla then poured a jug of water over my head, shocking me to my core.

"What the fuck?!" I exclaimed.

"This is for making me look like a homewrecker and lying about the pregnancy," she said, seething with anger. "If I did what I wanted to do, you'd have broken bones right now. You will pay every day I am here."

I couldn't lose my temper, knowing it could harm the baby. Instead, I took her upstairs, ignoring her protests.

"Leave me alone. Where are you taking me?" she shouted, struggling against my grip.

I couldn't change the situation, but I had to deal with it as soon as possible.