Hi guys, my name is Malik, I'm 30 years old, an Afro-descendant gay man who works as an English teacher in a primary school.

Currently, I am married to the boss of the Russian mafia. How did I get myself into this mess?

Well, let me start from the beginning,

how I ended up in this city and in the middle of all this confusion.

It all started 14 years ago when I was still in school. As you can imagine, it was tough being a poor, black, and gay boy in school. But in my final year, it seemed like luck had begun to smile on me. A boy from the fight club approached me and asked me out.

After that, we started dating, and he stood up for me at school, I made new friends, and was experiencing my first love. David and I were inseparable, always together. When I turned 18, he asked for my hand in marriage, and despite being young, I accepted. We were going to get married and live together during our college years, it was going to be tough but we were willing to go through everything together.

I lived with my older sister Latifah and my brother-in-law Malcom, my sister was never very fond of David, but she put up with him because she knew I loved him.

Everything was ready for our wedding day, I was so happy and nervous at the same time. I dedicated myself wholeheartedly to this marriage, I handpicked every flower, every fabric, every decoration item. Everything was perfect just as I had always dreamed.

One day before the wedding, two of my friends came to my house, accompanied by two of David's friends.

My friends were furious, and his friends were laughing and bragging, and I couldn't understand what was going on.

"Malik, we just left David's house, and he's there with another guy."

"What? What do you mean, Roger?"

"We went there to plan a surprise for you. All the groomsmen were going to dance for you at the party, but when we arrived, we saw a car in the garage. We looked through the window and saw them having sex on the couch." - Mike

"Stop being ridiculous, Malik, he's just enjoying his bachelor party, you two are getting married, right? so let the guy have fun, come on."

I couldn't believe it, David wouldn't do something like that to me, he loved me so much and had always been faithful, there was no reason for me not to trust him.

I decided to go there and clear up any misunderstanding, one of David's friends was filming, thinking it would make a good comedy video. Throughout the recordings, I kept saying how absurd the idea of David cheating on me was. I talked about how much we loved each other and how he had always been faithful and true to me, smiling the whole time.

I loved David so much, I gave myself to him with body, soul, and heart. I gave myself entirely to him, and he reciprocated by loving me and being my best friend and life partner.

I arrived and saw the car that I didn't recognize, but I didn't let that shake me, I climbed the steps of the sidewalk, and tried to open the door, it was locked, I went to the side window to call David when I saw it.

It was my fiance, the man I loved and believed blindly, he was there, completely naked, kissing and penetrating a boy who looked younger, with bleached hair and moaning as if he were being tortured.

There, in front of that window, all my dreams were shattered, the house I had built in my heart came crashing down right before my eyes.

My world ended, the sight of him there having sex with another man in front of me will be seared into my memory for the rest of my life.

I felt all the joy and will to live being sucked out of me, I felt like I had died inside. I stood there, looking at that scene without being able to move.

When David saw me, he just hung his head, covered himself, and covered the guy who was with him, when I saw their movement, it seemed like I had come out of a trance, I gathered what little remained of me and my dignity and left there, in silence, without a scene, without shouting, and without physical aggression.

Before getting into the car, I heard David screaming in desperation, turning me around to look into my eyes. It seemed like he saw all the sadness and pain I was feeling at that moment, unable to say anything but with regret written all over his face. He seemed to realize the extent of his actions and how much it had cost.

I went home, locked myself in, and cried. I cried so much that I thought the tears would never dry up. My sister took care of canceling everything and informing the guests.

I spent days without leaving my room, without eating, and without stopping crying.

David tried calling me, sent multiple messages apologizing and begging me not to cancel everything. But I couldn't even bear to look at him at that moment, so I just ignored him.

A week later, I thought that was enough crying and suffering, and decided to get up and live. In two weeks, I would start college and needed to prepare myself. I went to campus to finalize some details of my enrollment. On my way back, as I walked through the halls, I noticed several people looking at me - some with mockery, some with pity, and some with pure hatred. Not understanding anything, I just went home. As soon as I walked in, my sister threw herself into my arms.

"Darling, are you okay?"

"Well, I don't think I'll ever be okay again, but why all the drama, what's going on?"

"You didn't bring your phone, did you?"

"No, I left it charging."

From her expression, it was something bad. I ran to grab my phone, which was filled with messages like:

"I'm so sorry"

"Don't forgive him when he comes back crying"

"Slap them in the face"

"How are you?"

"Are you okay?"

I didn't understand until I opened the link they sent me. Someone had posted the entire recording of when I found out about David's betrayal, now filled with stickers and idiotic comments about me.

Just when I thought it couldn't get worse, the college dean approached me, offering a place in another school far from that city and that man.

That's how I ended up in New York, completing my college education here and now teaching 4th-grade children.

Oh, before I forget, this is me, Malik.

Dimitri

I'm 35 years old, but I stopped living at 25 when I lost the love of my life, my Alexandra. Since then, I just wait for the day I will see her again in eternity.

For as long as I can remember, my father trained me to be the head of the Romanov Family, the Russian Mafia in this country. I was trained as if I were in Russia, I went through physical and mental torture that most adults wouldn't endure, but I, at 7 years old, had to endure.

I killed for the first time at 10, my first torture at 12, led my first mission at 15. At 18, I met Alexandra; she was promised to me by our parents. Her father was a board member, and my father thought it would be a good deal.

Contrary to what I thought, I fell in love with her, she was incredible, fearless, brave and faced any challenge. She also fell in love with me, and together we won many disputes, besides fighting and shooting like no one else. Alexandra was a great strategist, she was the perfect woman for me.

We got married when I was 20, and by her side I became Leader of the Romanov Mafia after my father retired. Our organization grew a lot in numbers and power, we were feared and respected.

I considered myself a lucky and fulfilled man until it all fell apart.

We were ambushed at the docks, we were outnumbered, but both Alexandra and I wouldn't let our men fight alone, unlike the other bosses we fight alongside our men.

More men from the Italian mafia, our enemy, arrived. We couldn't retreat, so we tried to hide to revise and protect ourselves. But Alexandra didn't make it, the Italians got her.

After that, I only lived in pain and despair. While we were negotiating her release, Alexandra was tortured and abused for 5 long days. While negotiating, I was trying to find out where she was; when we found her location, the Italians stopped making contact. I had no idea what was going on, so I ran like crazy to get to the captivity location.

When we arrived there was no sign of the Italians, I entered the shed and saw some bars around small square spaces as if they were cages, in one of them I found my wife's cold and lifeless body, lying on the floor, naked, full of cuts and bruises.

On that day I died with her, knowing everything she went through only made me feel even more guilty for not protecting her, I shouldn't have let her get involved in such risky things, if I hadn't let her she would still be alive.

All that pain turned into hatred and murderous rage. I went after every man involved in my wife's death, slowly killing each one, leaving a trail of totally disfigured and unrecognizable bodies, but I made a point of leaving Giovani Palermo for last.

He was the son of the head of the Italian mafia, and the author of the whole mission; I wanted him to know I was coming for him.

Giovani's father came to me to intercede for his son, asking for mercy, but they had no mercy for my wife at any time, so I would not have mercy for him either.

When I caught Giovani, I did to him exactly twice what he did to my Alexandra, and after 10 days, I returned the lifeless and skinless body at his father's feet.

Luigi Palermo swore revenge. But there's nothing he can do against me, not directly, since it was his family that broke the agreements first.

I spent these 10 years reliving this pain day after day, suffering in silence, while commanding my organization, and getting rid of the ridiculous attacks of the Palermo Mafia against me, but I'm always one step ahead of them, and I always will be.

My men are afraid of me, the closest ones respect me, but they know I became harder after Alexandra's death. I am known as a man without feelings, cold and aggressive to the extreme. Well, it's not all a lie.

I swore never to love again, I don't think I could, there's no one like her.

I can't risk loving someone like I loved her, and live through all this pain again, I couldn't bear it.

Right now I have more important things to worry about, the board is pressuring me to get married and start a family, they want an heir to replace me in the future, since I'm an only child.

Even knowing my opinion on this, they still insist and even threatened to remove me from the leadership of my own organization.

My father, like them, also pressures me with this talk of marriage, as if he understood anything about marriage, he killed my mother with sadness, cheating and mistreating her all her life. Treating his own son as an object, a weapon to gain money, fame and power for himself. If there's anyone alive I still hate in this life, it's my father for sure.

All the pain, fear, insecurity and loneliness I went through all my life before I met Alexandra, it was he who caused it, he hit me so much and so many times that I can't even remember.

He never gave me affection or showed me affection, he only treated me with indifference all my life.

And now that I am where I am, and have achieved all that I have, he treats me like a trophy, as if it were his merit all my life and my struggle. As if I were just a puppet of his, it makes me hate him even more.

I need to think of something to get rid of these old men who won't get off my back, but getting married is out of the question, there has to be another way out. I will not marry again, there is only room for her in my heart and it will be like this forever, until I leave too.

If they still insist, things are going to get ugly, and I'm going to have to show each and every one of them why I'm the boss!

Dimitri

I was in my home office when Ivan, my right-hand man and security, walked in with a grave expression.

"What is it, Ivan?"

"My informants told me that a meeting of the head council was called today. It seems they're planning to arrange your marriage to Kovanov's daughter."

Anger possessed me. How dare those bastards scheme behind my back?

"Who was there, Ivan?"

"Everyone from the head council."

"Who called the meeting?"

I saw Ivan tense up, and I already had an idea who it might be.

"It was Mr. Romanov, the head."

"That old bastard is always meddling in my life, but I won't bow to his will, not now, not ever."

"I have bad news, boss. According to the organization's rules, they can demand that you marry, or they can demand your resignation. From what I heard, your father was there to propose a marriage agreement and prevent you from having to resign."

So they want me to get married, well, in that case, I can't disappoint, can I?

"Ivan, do the rules say anything about me having to marry a woman?"

"The rules say marriage; they don't mention the gender of the spouse."

"That's very good."

"Sir, may I ask what you intend to do?"

"You'll know soon enough, Ivan. Be patient."

Malik

In college, one of my professors always said we shouldn't get too involved with the students. It could confuse the children and make us emotionally responsible for them.

But in my opinion, that's pure nonsense. If I think it's necessary, I'll get involved, and it's never been a problem for me.

Speaking of which, I've noticed a significant change in the behavior of one of my students, Jordan Cutlher. He's always late, sleeps in class, and seems constantly tired.

He told me he hasn't been sleeping well the last few days and that he's been helping his father at the family's mechanic shop. He also mentioned that his parents have been fighting a lot lately.

I decided to pay the Cutlher family a visit shortly before dinner. As soon as I arrived, I knew something was wrong. There were two black cars parked in the driveway, and the front door was open. I slowly made my way inside and heard voices. It was men arguing, a woman and a child crying. I assumed it was Jordan and his mother.

When I walked in, the scene that greeted me left me paralyzed. Jordan's father was kneeling on the floor, a man in a black suit was pointing a gun at his head while other men dressed in black watched impassively. Jordan's mother was hugging her son, hiding his face so he wouldn't see that scene.

Unpleasant memories flooded my mind at that moment, and without thinking twice, I walked over there, yelling and placing myself in front of the gun.

"Stop this right now! Can't you see there's a child right here watching everything? Don't you have a heart?"

As soon as I shut my mouth, I realized what I had done. There were a bunch of guns pointed at me, wielded by very mean-looking men. One of them, who appeared to be the boss, was staring at me with eyes that emanated pure hatred.

"Who do you think you are to interfere in my business like that?"

"Mr. Akello..."

Little Jordan ran and hugged my waist, looking at me with hopeful eyes.

"Jordan, why don't you go upstairs and take care of your mom? She's scared. Since you're a strong and brave boy, you can take good care of her, right?"

"But what about Mr. Akello and my dad?"

"I'll stay here and help your dad. You go upstairs and stay with your mom, okay?"

"Yes, Mr. Akello."

I turned to Mrs. Cutlher.

"It's okay, ma'am. Go with him, stay with your son. We'll sort this out."

As soon as the two left, the father, who remained in the same position, just looked at me with tears in his eyes, trying somehow to thank me.

Before I could say or do anything, I was thrown against the wall with all his might by that man. I hadn't noticed him until I was face to face with the beast.

Dimitri 👆

"You little worm, how dare you? Break into my house, meddle in my affairs, and then start giving orders?"

One of his hands was pressing against my throat, and the other was pointing a gun at my head.

Despite being one step away from death, I couldn't help but notice how handsome that man was.

Damn abstinence!

"My name is Malik Akello; I'm the fourth-grade English teacher."

The man remained in the same position, and I was terrified. I had no idea things would get to this point. Where did I get myself into?

"Who sent you?"

"Nobody. I just came because I was worried about the boy, and I wanted to talk to his parents."

"Well, professor, today, I'm the one who's going to teach you a lesson."

He released me but grabbed my arm and placed me in front of Mr. Cutlher.

"Lesson number one, don't make promises you can't keep, professor. This man won't be fine; he's going to die. He owes my family a lot of money, and he has no way to pay, which means he's already a dead man."

"You can't do this. He has a son. What will become of that boy and his mother?"

He looked at me again, and I could see that there was no emotion left in his eyes. He was the coldest man I had ever met, which made me even more afraid of him.

"Lesson number two, professor, what doesn't affect me isn't my problem."

That made me even more outraged. How could that man be so evil?

"But you can't; he's just a child!"

"Third and final lesson, professor, there's nothing in this city that I can't do."

The man turned to the thugs who were there and started giving orders.

"Get the professor out of here. He'll owe me 10 grand for the audacity of meddling in my business, but he seems harmless, so let him go."

Two huge men stopped, one on each side of my body.

"As for Mr. Cutlher, that one will never be able to pay his debt, so you can finish him off."

I can't allow this; I can't let Jordan go through what I did.

"No, wait!"

All the thugs looked at me like they couldn't believe I was still trying.

"I'll pay; I'll pay his debt."

"And how is a simple teacher going to come up with 200 thousand dollars so quickly?"

I was shocked by the amount of that debt. Even if I worked forever, I would never be able to pay that money.

"I, I... Look, isn't there any other way to pay you? I can work for you, or you can split it up, and I'll pay you little by little?"

Suddenly, a glint crossed those beautiful, mesmerizing blue eyes, as if he had an idea or remembered something.

"I know how you can pay me."

"How?"

"Simple, marry me."