It was a lively night at the night club, two friends, Ron and James were sitting at the bar talking excitedly, when Ron brought up the subject of his wedding which was planned for next month.

James got excited and asked how the preparations were going, but noticed that Ron looked a little haggard. He asked if everything was okay and Ron looked at him worriedly.

“I don't know James, I'm starting to think my fiance's dad is trying to cheat on me.” Ron said.

James was surprised and asked what he meant by that. Ron said he felt something bad and he trusted his instincts. Ron trusted his fiancée's father, although the marriage was by contract, which would generate benefits for both, he knew he had to be smart, he couldn't trust anyone, he had to stay on guard.

“Mr. Smith is unreliable, he was accused of trying to defraud some companies a few years ago, sure he was cleared, but that's enough to not completely trust him. Besides the fact that he's starting to behave strangely, Mr. Smith, the father of Nancy, ​​my fiancée, came to talk to me about having the wedding ahead of schedule. He even suggested I get married in two weeks, and when I said I wasn't going to do it, he looked annoyed and left without saying anything. I have to be careful with this guy.”

James frowned as he listened to the story. He tried to make light of the matter and asked if there was a possibility that it was just a misunderstanding, but of course he told his friend not to let his guard down.

“Of course, misunderstandings can arise, he could have personal problems.” - Said Ron. - “But I think it's more than that. He was evasive when I asked him why he wanted to rush the wedding, he always makes an excuse or says that he just wants his daughter to get married. He doesn't strike me as the type of father who wants his daughter to get married, unless he wants to get something out of it, he's greedy, he only thinks about himself.:

James agreed that it seemed suspicious, but argued that Ron may have just been suffering from pre-wedding anxiety.

“Maybe you're looking for trouble where there isn't any.” - he said. -” It can be difficult to trust others when you are responsible for a large amount of money, but it may be best to try to let go of this distrust”.

Ron seemed relieved to talk about his fears with James. He thanked his friend and decided to take his advice and try not to worry too much.

“You're right, maybe I'm paranoid.” - he said.: I'll try not to worry too much, and if something goes wrong, I'll know in time.”

James smiled and took his drink.

“That's it, buddy. Let's drink to the success of your marriage and the benefits you have received from it, and may everything go according to plan.” - he declared.

The two friends then made a toast and enjoyed themselves for the rest of the night at the club, putting their worries aside and enjoying each other's company.

It was dawn when Ron drove his car down the deserted road, heading home after leaving the nightclub he was at with his friend James, where they had drunk too much. He was so drunk he could barely keep his eyes open. He stumbled over his words when he tried to sing a song on the radio, barely noticing as the road began to take a turn.

Suddenly, Ron's car crossed into the oncoming lane and violently collided with another oncoming vehicle. The impact was so violent that Ron's car's tires flew off and the vehicle began to roll over several times until it finally came to rest upside down on the side of the road.

The sound of the collision reverberated around the area and the driver of the other car got out of the vehicle, still dazed from the accident. He approached Ron's car, which was completely destroyed, and noticed that the driver was unconscious. His eyes were closed and his body was bound by his seatbelt.

The driver of the other car immediately called emergency services and within minutes a team of paramedics arrived at the scene. They managed to get Ron out of the car, immediately taking him to the nearest hospital.

Luckily, Ron survived the accident, but was seriously injured and required several surgeries. His situation was complicated, he had to have spinal surgery, maybe that would have consequences, maybe he could become paraplegic, that was one of the consequences. But, in addition, he was in a coma, he ended up hitting his head and so he had to have several x-rays to see if these blows had caused any problems. Luckily nothing happened, however, it left him in a coma.

Ron's family found out about the incident and went to the hospital, the news of the accident spread throughout the city, all the news channels and websites were talking about the accident. He received a lot of criticism for drunk driving and was always putting people's lives in danger. This could be the end of his reputation as a good guy, and even his own career as a businessman.

Ron's family knew about it, so his mother came up with the idea of ​​getting her son married off as soon as possible. Perhaps the news of the marriage and merger of the two companies was enough to cover it up, or at least to make people focus their attention on other news and make the news of the accident cease to have repercussions.

However, Ron's mother Ruby's plans fell through when Ron's fiancée Nancy said she would never marry again, she learned that perhaps her fiancé could become a paraplegic, and according to her, she didn't want to be with a disabled man, she didn't want to spend her whole life pushing a wheelchair, or appearing on camera and at fancy parties with a man who couldn't walk.

Ruby was furious, Nancy's father, knowing what his daughter had done, apologised and said that Ron could marry his youngest daughter, Ariya. He also said that she is a well-behaved girl and will be an obedient wife. Ruby, even angry at Nancy's words, agreed to the deal, but said that Ariya should get married as soon as possible, even with Ron still in a coma.

Young Ariya sat in the living room on the couch, silently watching her father talk with Mr. Stone, a man she had never seen before. The words her father spoke were difficult to hear, but Ariya noticed the serious expression on Mr. Stone 's face and wondered what was going on.

Suddenly, Ariya's father looked up and looked at her. “My daughter, I have excellent news for you,” he said. - “You are about to get married.”

Ariya was shocked and in disbelief.

His father explained that Mr. Stone was the father of Ron Stone , Nancy's fiancé. However, due to the accident, Nancy no longer wanted to get married, Ron needed a wife, so he had proposed to Ariya to become the wife of replacing his sister and marrying Ron.

Ariya was outraged. How could his father be so callous, forcing her to marry a man she didn't know.

She protested and tried to reason with her father, however, he was not open to negotiations, he had already decided everything.

She refused to be "sold" in this way and began to argue with her father.

“Why does Nancy get to choose and not me?” - asks Ariya indignantly.

“Because Nancy is already an adult, now you are a minor, I am responsible for you, so I order you.” - he said in a serious tone, approaching Ariya. - “and if I say that you are going to get married, that's it. Conversation over.”

So Mr. Smith leaves his daughter there, still processing what had been said by her father.

Ariya runs into her room and throws herself on the bed, she starts crying.

“I see you already know your fate.” - said Nancy, ​​entering the room and staring at her sister who was lying on her stomach sobbing.

Go away. - said Ariya without looking at her sister.

Nancy laughs and sits on the bed.

“Accept your fate, dear little sister, you will forever be at the side of an invalid man.” she said, laughing. - “While I travel the world, spend money and buy what I want. You will spend the rest of your life pushing your disabled husband in a wheelchair.”

Ariya could no longer bear to hear her sister's words, she suddenly got up from the bed and slapped her, the impact was so strong that it knocked Nancy off the bed, over her arm.

Mr. Smith appeared in the room and his gaze went straight to Nancy, ​​who was writhing in pain on the floor, holding his arm. He ran to his daughter and helped her up, Nancy was crying saying her arm hurt really bad.

The two directed their contemptuous looks at Ariya, but they didn't say anything, they just left, but Ariya eventually heard Nancy say that she would get revenge.

Ariya knew her sister was capable of anything, so she was a little scared. But now she had bigger problems, this damn marriage.

She had just turned seventeen and was already due to get married, if it wasn't worse, she didn't know her fiancé. Maybe he didn't even know it existed.

Heartbroken by all these thoughts, Ariya continued to cry wondering what would become of her life.

The sun was almost down, Ariya crossed the garden slowly, her feet sliding gently on the stones of the path. She looked around, noticing the flowers lush and the cool breeze blowing on her face. She wondered how she could feel so much sadness in such a nice place. For a moment, Ariya stopped and looked around, admiring the vibrant flowers and tall, majestic trees that surrounded her. It was such a beautiful place, she thought, and yet she felt so trapped there.

It was difficult for Ariya to think about her life without feeling a wave of despair. She was a teenager, but her life was ruled by other people. Her father especially seemed determined to control her in every way.

Ariya sighed as she thought about the problem that troubled her the most. The marriage, in which she was subjected to being a surrogate wife.

She never saw the man in question, but learned that he was a very rich man that her father had chosen for her sister, however, as a result, it would now be hers. Ariya didn't have much say in the matter; her father was very clear that she should marry him.

“It's like I have no choice.” - Ariya muttered, looking up at the sky. I feel so helpless.

Ariya's father always did everything to make her feel powerless, rejected, humiliated. Her mother died in childbirth, and since then, her father has mistreated her, because according to him, she is responsible for the death of Stella, the great love of his life. So since then, Mr. Smith can't stand his daughter anymore, because Ariya is a lot like Stella, and that makes him even angrier with her.

But, as Ariya knew all too well, there was nothing she could do. She just had to accept her fate, and try to make it at least bearable, so that she wouldn't suffer more than she already did.

Ariya had no idea what the future held for her, but for now, she focused on the present. The beauty of the garden and the feeling of the sun on her face helped her feel a little better.

So she stood there for a while, until she saw her father's car stop in front of the house. Ariya sighed tiredly and began to walk towards her house. She knew that the torment would begin, but while she lived there she would have to endure it.

This is why, in the midst of so much misfortune, she saw in this marriage a chance for her to escape this mediocre life she was leading. But also, she was very afraid, afraid of leaving a bad place for a worse one.

Ariya was terrified. She was in the hospital room, dressed in white, ready to marry a complete stranger.

A man she has never seen. It was her father who arranged everything, giving her no choice or opportunity to refuse. She felt trapped in a situation that wasn't her choice, but there was nothing she could do to change it.

The man she was about to marry was in a coma after being in a car accident. She felt a little relieved not to have to deal with the physical act of marrying a complete stranger, but she was still apprehensive about the situation.

The priest began the ceremony and Ariya stood next to the unconscious groom, staring into his pale, still face. She wondered who he was, what he did for a living when he wasn't working, what his interests and dreams were. Would he have loved her if he had been conscious?

Ariya's thoughts were interrupted when the priest called her to the oath. She hesitated for a moment, but ended up reading his pledges of love and fidelity. She didn't know why she was doing this, she wasn't in love with him, but she knew she had to move on.

At the end of the ceremony, Ariya kissed the unconscious groom's forehead, imagining what life would be like from that moment on. A life without love, without choices, but with the weight of a wedding ceremony like a chain around your wrist.

And so, Ariya left the hospital as a wife, but not as a happy wife. She wondered if she would ever be able to fall in love, if she would ever have the chance to choose the man who was right for her. But for now, she had to deal with her new reality and take care of a comatose and possibly paraplegic husband.

“You will stay in this room." said Ruby, Ron's mother. - “but only until tomorrow, your house needs some maintenance work before you move in permanently.”

“All good.” Ariya said as she pulled her suitcase into the bedroom. - “Is the house very far from here?”

Ariya was very curious, but she was also relieved to know that she wasn't going to stay in this house, with these people she didn't know.

“Your house is five kilometres from here.” Rebecca said. - “Now go take a shower and improve that appearance. I don't want people to say that my daughter-in-law looks like a beggar.”

So she leaves, leaving Ariya alone in this room, speechless.

“What do you mean by beggar?”

Ariya moved to the large mirror and took a close look at herself. Her casual clothes were normal. Of course, her hair needed a trim and good conditioning, but it wasn't too bad.

“But on one thing, that witch mother-in-law was right.” She really needed a shower and a good rest.

So, Ariya headed to the bathroom where she took a relaxing shower, did a quick moisturiser on her hair and made a mental note to cut it later.

After getting out of the shower, Ariya opens her suitcase and takes out a lace nightgown. She wanted to be comfortable to get some sleep.

When she had finished dressing and tied her hair into a bun, she heard a knock at the door. Ariya, thinking it was her mother-in-law, walked over and opened it.

But who was at the door was not Ruby, but a man completely unknown to her. The man in front of her must have 1.90 m tall, with honey brown hair and blue eyes. He was dressed in business attire and the look in his eyes made Ariya uncomfortable.

“Who are you?” - asked Ariya, trying to hide behind the door so that the man would stop looking at her body.

“Excuse me, I'm Max, Ron's brother”- he says, holding out his hand, but then drops it when Ariya makes no move to take it.

“I am Ariya. Hey! What are you doing?”said Ariya when Max entered her room without any invitation.

“I just want to meet my sister-in-law.” He said, looking at Ariya's body. At that moment, she felt like she was naked and tried to cover her body with her arms.

“Can you leave my room?”said Ariya, pointing to the door. - “I didn't invite you in. “

“I was really curious when my father told me that Ron was going to marry Smith's youngest daughter.” said the man, sizing Ariya up and practically devouring her with his gaze.

“ I've never seen you before, but now I see you're even better than your slutty sister, and even sexier.”

“Get out of my room!” - exclaims Ariya, already very angry.

“Keep your voice down, my mother told me that you would make a good wife, calm and obedient.” said the same thing with a debauched smile. - “I don't see any of that, I see that it's very angry, you know, I like angry women.”

Max started walking towards Ariya, while she walked backwards. The space between them diminishes when Ariya hits her back against the wall and finds herself with no way out, Max smiles, taking his hand to Ariya's chin, however, a voice is heard by them and makes Max move away from Ariya.

“Max?”- It was a male voice calling from the hallway.

“It was nice meeting you, Ariya.”

The man said walking away from her with a smile on his face. -” I hope to see you again.”

So, he leaves, leaving Ariya still with her back against the wall and her breathing ragged. She knew she would have to be careful around Max, although she didn't know him, she already knew he could bring her trouble, and trouble was the last thing she wanted at that moment, after all, his life was already full of them.

She takes a deep breath and walks towards the door, locking it, after that Ariya walks over to her bed and throws herself on it, feeling all her muscles relax at the softness of this mattress.

Today, she would be moving out of this house, and she was quite relieved, however, she knew that the problems would continue to accompany her, and she was afraid of all this, because she knew that maybe she could have problems. even greater problems in the future.