THE SCARY REALITY
Elena's footsteps echoed through the hallway as she walked through the Sinead mansion. Its walls were fully covered with tainted and flowered glasses which allowed little to no reflection in the rooms. Each step through the mansion always felt to her like prison, a place devoid of laughter of love, warmth and emotion. She woke up everyday wishing that her father had stayed out of the fued with Elevation Incorporated. She used to be happy and full of bright dreams that one day she would become a singer. She had dreams of raising her own happy family one day with a man she loved and who loved her too. Her dreams and hopes were shattered as soon as her father Tynad Falcon got into business with Elevation Inc. against all legal advice. Her mother would probably have been the only one able to talk some sense into her father but she had died. Tyler wasn't the kind of man to play with his business or his money. Everyone knew him to be mean, domineering and without human affection. One time, the tabloids even described him as wrath himself. His father John Sinead, before his death,was also often referred to as a tyrant who treated his associates and women like foot rags useful for nothing but to be trodden upon. Tyler was never in the news for anything good. He got away with rape, mistreating his business associates and even battering and domestic violence. The authorities had tried to catch up with him for so many years, since he was a teenager but they couldn't. His parents had enough money to make anything go away. The last woman Tyler was married to filed a complaint against him in court for domestic violence but she never won the case and Elena would always see her on the streets of Lanefield begging for food. Lanefield was a cold place to live as everyone minded their business strictly. What this meant was that even beggars didn't receive sympathy from passersby. Tyler was known to everyone as any woman or man's undoing. The worst part was his home felt to her like hell itself. It was empty. Even though the domestic staff would cross the halls occasionally, they did so in silence and with scary growls and looks on their faces.
Elena's thoughts were interrupted by her father's voice. He was seated across from Tyler whose face darkened with contempt as he set his eyes on her. Her stomach tightened within her and beads of sweat immediately formed on her brow. She could feel her feet tremble and they felt like they would give way if she didn't sit soon enough. All she wanted to do was run.The thick, coarse and scary masculine voice she heard put her into a state of panic. "Don't stand there and watch like an imbecile. Have a seat" Tyler's voice lacked grace, it lacked love and empathy. Elena took a seat beside her father whose face showed no remorse or compassion. She never thought that she would be in this mess at eighteen. She had almost forgotten that it was her eighteenth birthday.
Tyler straightened up in his seat and motioned with his hands to the man that stood at the doorpost. The man was dressed in a black suit with well polished shoes, his eyes were hidden behind thick sun shades. Why would anyone wear sun shades in the house? Elena thought to herself but she knew it didn't matter if she knew the answer or not.. The man in black handed over to Tyler a brown file which contained some documents. Tyler took the file, removed the documents and tossed them over to her father on the table that stood in the midst of the living room. Her father picked up the documents and glanced through them. He then handed it over to her. It was just as if he didn't care about the terms and conditions of the contract marriage to this horrible man. Elena knew at that moment that she was alone. She opened the document and immediately her eyes caught sight of the phrase highlighted in black ink. "Subject is required to produce an heir within a year of nuptials" Elena's throat went dry as she read through that phrase over and over again. Did Tyler know that conception may or may not happen as planned?. What if something went wrong and she couldn't produce an heir within a year, what would happen to her? She dropped the document on the table and slowly lifted her head to look at Tyler. It was then that she noticed his features up close. His hairline was perfectly shaped and his lips were the perfect fit and had a slight pink tan that made them look succulent. His beards were curly and perfectly cut and he had the most beautiful blue eyes. His shoulders were broad and his hands and arms looked so strong that they could cause harm to any face he threw a punch at. Tyler guessed that she had read the highlighted phrase and he proceeded to answer the question he knew she wanted to ask but couldn't. " If you can't produce an heir within a year, your father has to pay my debt in full within a month. If he is unable to pay within one month, then I will make sure that he spends the rest of his life in prison. Mark my words, he will die there if he is unable to repay." Elena felt tears well up in her eyes. She could feel her breathing become shallow and laboured. It was almost like she was choking. She looked at her father hoping to find some sort of compassion and sympathy. A simple look in his eyes that would tell her everything would be alright. But he simply took out a pen, gave it to her and asked her to sign the contract.