*You are getting married*

~NINE YEARS AGO~ COOPER'S RESIDENCE~

Pondering over what his father told him, Milo had a hard time sleeping.

Why is he suddenly getting a wife at the age of seventeen?

Where did the girl originated from?

Why does she have to be his wife? Many thoughts wouldn't stop battling in his mind. Sighing deeply, he sat up on the bed then take the puzzle just on his bed stand and started arranging it. As his father had told him.

 'Whenever you have a problem or something troubling you...instead of thinking hard. Solve the puzzle...it'll surely direct you to many ways to solve whatever you're going through'

He did this for hours until he finally drove off to Dreamland.

***

The morning light shone brightly into the room through the curtain. Milo squinted his eyes rubbing it slowly. He face the other side of the bed to avoid the ray of light penetrating into his eyes and disturbing his beauty sleep but that was short lived when something struck his mind.

"F**K SH*T!!!" He sprang up from the bed immediately rushing out of the room like one being chased by a predator. He almost stumbled as he ran fast to the guest room. He opens the door breathing heavily and as he as suspected, he was met with emptiness. The little girl is no where to be found. He ruffled his hair in exasperation and walked out of the room jamming the door behind him. He had known there's no way his Dad would babysit a little girl so he'd probably give her to some goddamn people to take care of her. He was meaning to wake up really early so he could at least have a word with this girl before his Dad take her away but f**k him, he overslept.

Now he's never gonna know why his Dad called her his wife and what really happened. His Dad has always keep him off anything that involved his job and he finds that annoying. Being an inquisitive young lad, he had always wanna know everything going on with his Dad after all he's the only one he has. But seems his Dad doesn't want that.

He walked downstairs and met his Dad already setting the table.

"Good morning Dad" He greeted solemnly taking his seat.

"Don't give me that face. You'll know when the time is right. Good morning son" He replied taking a seat also.

Milo took a sliced bread and stuff it in his mouth.

"I applied for Newton College as you wanted"

"Good"

"I'm gonna study really hard and make you proud Dad" 

"Don't push yourself too hard. I'm always rooting for you just know that" He stood and ruffled his hair.

"When I come back we can play the game together" He said making Milo smile widely.

"I won't go easy on you just because you're my Dad"

"You think I will" He replied. Milo giggles.

"Aright...eat and go to school. I'll see you when I come back"

"Yes Dad" He saluted then they hit knuckles together as they always did and Mr Harris began walking out.

"Dad!" Milo called. He looks back at him.

"Your arm...how is it?"

 "Better" He smiles then finally went out.

Milo face his meal back with a satisfactory smile plastered on his lips. After eating a little more he went to his room and got ready for school. 

After coming back from school, he studied for some while before his father came back. They had dinner and as he promised they played the game together with their shouts and laughter filling the whole house. 

Just like that, they continued living their lives. Even though he never talked about it, he always wondered where his supposed wife could be. Whether she's okay...wherever she is.

~ N̾I̾N̾E̾ Y̾E̾A̾R̾S̾ L̾A̾T̾E̾R̾~ PRESENT~ 

"OH! MY!!" The taxi man pressed on the brakes abrubtly when a girl suddenly jumped in front of the car. Milo who had his eyes closed with his head resting back on the seat snap his eyes open.

"What happened?" He asked, his voice flat.

"Ohh...I think I just...I just hit something" The taxi man replied panicky. He quickly unfasten his seatbelt and went out of the car.

"Ugh!!" Milo groaned and opens the car door also going out. 

 "Miss are you okay?" The taxi driver asked Hailey who was busy kissing the puppy in her arms. 

"Lou...I found you" Hailey breathes out in relief and stood up but on doing that, she collided unto Milo who arrived at her side just at that moment.

"Ohh..." She lost her balance and the puppy was the first thing to fall from her hand. She tries to grab unto him as she also reaches for the ground but Milo dodge her and that led her to hitting her butt on the ground.

"Oww!!" She groans twisting her face in pains.

"That hurts..." She winced touching her elbow where she got another scratch.

She looks up at Milo looking extremely angry.

"You could have just held me back!" She yelled at him who just stared down blankly at her.

"I got hurt because of you..." She whimpered slowly returning her gaze to her hurting elbow. Milo signs and bent down in front of her. He grab her hand making her release a painful gasp.

"It's hurts!!" She yelped but he ignored her and took a look at the injured elbow. Hailey stared at him intently as he focuses on her injured arm.

 Thick eyebrows, alluring hazel eyes, the perfect sculpted pointed nose, his sharp jawline screaming sexy and finally to his pink dishy lips which suddenly calls out to her. He was wearing a uniform which shows he's clearly a military man also.

Damn! This man is tempting! Was the first thing that came to her mind as she drooled.

"You got a scratch" His masculine enchanting voice boomed out. For a while, just for a little while, she lost her sense of reasoning.

Finally! Has she met her Arnold Schwarzenegger? 

She grins widely like a Cheshire Cat but that was until he let go of her arm roughly.

"Your brain could have been splattered all over the ground with your blood spilling everywhere...it's such a pity you avoided that just to get this minor scratch" He added, his deep voice holding no emotion.

"Wha...what?!!"

"What grade are you?" He asked.

"Why are you asking for my grade after hurting me!" She rasped getting annoyed by his rude utterance.

"What grade...are you?" He repeated, his hazel eyes peering into hers intimidatingly no doubt, she became timorous.

"Twe...twelve" She replied slowly lowering her gaze.

"I'll ask you some questions and I want you to reply me without any hesitation okay?" He said more like a command and she nodded.

"Traffic lights are meant to be?"

"Obeyed?" She answered more like asking a question bringing her gaze back to him. But as soon as it met his icy gaze she looked back down.

"The red in the traffic lights signifies?"

"Stop" She answered again. 

"Yellow?" He asked again.

"Ready"

"And the green?"

"Go"

"Look over there" He pointed to the traffic lights and she turned to look at it.

"The lights says what now?"

"Yellow...the ready" She replied, he nodded.

"When you jumped in front of the car the light was green. Cars were driving madly just like it is now. Had the driver not been alerted and meticulous you would have been half dead right now. Like I said earlier, your brain would have been splattered out with your blood spilling everywhere..not only that, your bones would probably broken beyond control you'll be in immense pain and judging by how fragile you are looking...I bet you would have given up by now" He lectured.

"What? I was just_" He raised his finger up shutting her.

"Call 911" He said to the driver watching the drama I'm confusion rather.

"Sir?"

"Should I repeat myself?" He asked dangerously.

"Ye..yes Sir" The driver brought out his phone and made a report to the police as per his order.

"Have you ever been in prison before?" He returns his gaze to her.

"Uh? No" She shook her head negatively.

"You know in the police station you're gonna meet a lot of different people. People you don't wanna associate with...people harmful to you and dangerous to you"

"Why are you telling me this?"

"You have to be informed earlier so it wouldn't come as a shock. I'm gonna more questions and you have to answer. When you break rules what happens?"

"You...get punished" She answered slowly.

"Why do you get punished?"

"So as to learn your lesson and probably not repeat the same thing again"

"You know right" 

"What are you...gonna do to me?" She raised a brow at him.

"Not me...but them" He signal to the police car blaring with loud sirens which was approaching them. She looked over to it and became alarmed.

"You're arresting me?" She asked obviously surprised.

"I'm getting you punished" He replied simply and stood up.

"What?"

The police arrived and Milo walked over to them. Hailey watched as they salute themselves, exchanges some words then they turned to look at her. 

"The heck!" Hailey grab her puppy and hugged it fearfully. One of the cops walked towards her and smiles down at her.

"Young lady what's your name?" He asked.

"Why do you wanna know?"

"Would you mind coming with us for a bit?"

"No...no Lou let's get out of here" She stood up and tries to leave but was held back.

"Just little for a while" The cop said and pulled her towards the car.

"Let me go! Let me goo!! I don't wanna go with you!!" She struggles, yelling at the same time.

"Then we'll get going now Sir!" The cops saluted while Milo did the same also.

"Hey! How could you do this to me! Tell them to let me go! Life is not like this. You can't just do this to people. Are you allowed to treat the citizens like this? Isn't it your job to protect us? I got hurt because of you now you're throwing me in jail!! HEY! YOU MEAN AGAMA LOOKING SOLDIER!!!" She ranted as the police squeezed her into the car.

"Mommy!!!" She began crying.

POLICE STATION. ~ HOURS LATER~

Hailey Sat up in a corner holding Lou tightly in her arms. She watches with disdain the various activities going on. Mean looking huge guys with rotten teeth arguing with themselves at one place. 

Boys of her age looking rough and bruised at another.

The place was bustling with noises and unpleasant smell. 

"Excuse me me cop" She called attention of one of the cops passing by.

"Yeah. You need anything?"

"My parents...when are they coming?" She asked.

"Your parents? What is your name?"

"Hallelujah...Hallelujah Hamilton" She quickly replied.

"Ahh...your parents aren't coming. They told us to keep you here overnight"

"What? They...they did what?" She asked, beyond baffled.

"Later...got to go" The cop left and she sank back where she was seated.

"Mom...abandoned me here" She muttered not believing it. Her eyes brimming with tears already. 

"How can she...in this scary place..." She looks to her side but took her eyes away immediately her eyes came in contact with some girls like touts staring back at her as if they're ready to eat her whole. 

"I hate you....you're all mean" She whimpered sniffing in her tears.

~NEXT DAY~

"Thank you officer" Mrs Hamilton shook hands with the cop with a smile after exchanging some words with him. Hailey walks out of the station with no expression on. She was looking messed up and unkempt. She held her puppy in her arms as she walks towards the already parked car waiting outside the station. 

"Hey..devil angel!" Matthew stuck his head out of the car window waving and grinning at her. Hailey whereas ignored him and just got into the car instead.

"Oh! My you look messed up...are you okay?" He asked with a note of sarcasm. Hailey turns to him and gave him a really scary look.

"Don't talk to me" She warns her eyes omitting anger, fury and danger.

Matthew getting it isn't the right time for taunting backed off. Minutes later, Mrs Hamilton joined them in the car and the driver ignite the engine.

Throughout the ride, none of them uttered a word to each other, the got home and Hailey was the first to get out of the car heading inside.

"Go wash up. Let's talk after that I'll prepare something light for you to eat" Mrs Hamilton said behind her as she heads upstairs. Hailey stops and turned back at her with a blank expression on, she says.

"Don't talk to me...cause I'm gonna do that also" After saying this, she swivels on a heel and made to proceed but Mrs Hamilton's next words couldn't help but stop her on her tracks.

"You're getting married" She announces abruptly. Shocking everyone present to the bone.

"Aunt what are you talking about?" Matthew intervene.

"It is as you heard. Her betrothed has been out of the country for a while now but recently he came back. It is something that has been agreed on for a long time now" She replied. 

"Aunt are you being serious right now?" Matthew asked probably shocked.

"Do I suddenly look like a clown to you?" She asked.

"Shocking!" Matthew gasped covering his mouth with his palms.

"Since we can't handle you properly we decided to send you to someone who could do the job better. Tomorrow you're getting yourself a husband so get a grip on yourself already and stop being a nuisance" She finalized strictly then walked away from them. Hailey on her spot couldn't help but snickers.

"I...am getting married??" She uttered as if it's the stupidest thing she has ever heard in her whole nineteen years of living.

"Matthew I?" She said to Matthew who just watch her in agape.

"My thoughts exactly...you think Aunt is on drugs?" He asked in return. Hailey scoffs.

*

*

*

Mr Hamilton keep banging the door outside for Hailey to open her locked door but instead, Crashing sounds of things and grunts could be heard from within.

"Here Uncle" Matthew rushed over to Mr Hamilton giving him the spare key to the room. With immediate effect, he unlock the door and both trot inside briskly but their mouths went hanging on what beheld them. 

"Hailey!!" Both screamed in horror.