Chris's gaze went from his daughter to the doctors. He could not speak and he had no words for her at that moment. It seemed like they were villains.
He thanked the doctors and promised to be there for Roman, regardless but he was too weak to say more. “Whatever you need for his health, experts, doctors, physiotherapy, I will be willing to pay for it.” The doctors nodded and promised to reach out to him if the need arose. Chris dragged his daughter and they left the hospital. Amanda could not say anything to him and he was silent till they got home. Days went by without him saying a word to her still and it was beginning to get her worried. So, she spoke with her mother, Daphne who promised to talk to her father but the conversation did not go as planned. “Chris, I feel you are being too hard on her. She feels sorry already and I think at this point, we all have to move on.” She was calm but stern. Chris lifted his head to her and shook it in disgust. “I think you are the reason we have insensitivity embedded in our daughters and there is a fine line between that and cruelty.” “Why would you say such disrespectful words to me?” Daphne queried with a shock stricken gaze at him. “Because, you deserve them, Daphne. Your daughter knocks down a man, costs him his legs and power of mobility, brings limitations to him and she abandoned him and disappeared and I am supposed to laugh out loud with her and pat her back?” “But you already paid his bills and she already apologized to him!” Daphne retorted, her patience gradually wearing off. “No, she was forced to apologize when I reacted the way I did. Even till now, she does not seem to understand the damage she has done to him. As a result, I have devised the perfect way to make her see it clearly.” “Ignoring her?” Daphne asked and Chris shook his head, a dampened smile fluttering his lips. “After a long hard thought, I have decided that Amanda will settle down with Roman as his wife.” Color flushed from Daphne's face as her lips widened with shock. “Do you realize that you are about to push our daughter into a pit of depression? How can you even suggest such a crazy thing?” “Daphne, Amanda will marry him whether or not she likes it. This is my final decision!” He was yelling now because he was furious. “You cannot force our daughter to marry someone she barely knows, a crippled man! Get a hold of yourself, Chris.” Chris laughed hysterically at his wife, shaking his head in disgust. “A crippled? How low of you, Daphne and who made him that way?” Daphne's gaze flustered as she tried to gather her words. “Look, I understand that you have pity for him and you probably feel guilty that your daughter did this, but I beg you Chris, this is not the way to go about this. Please…” She lowered her voice now, seeing that her husband was bent doing it his way. Amanda had been outside their bedroom door, eavesdropping on her parents' conversation and her heart tore apart with frustration as she heard her father's words. “I cannot marry that peasant,” she whispered to herself, fighting back the urge to push their door open and confront her father. “Listen Daphne, the only justice that makes sense to me for Roman is that he gets Amanda as a bride. She did this, she has to fix this. They will stay married while she cares for him and tends to his wounds.” Those words caused Amanda to feel rage burn through her. “Care for his wounds?” She whispered to herself and this time, she could not hold back the urge to push open the door. The door flung wide open and she was standing in her parents room. “Oh …good thing you heard me,” Chris said casually, facing his laptop. Daphne's gaze darted to her daughter who appeared broken. “I cannot marry that man, Dad. I cannot be his wife!” She cried out, her voice husky and dry. “Well, my mind is made up. It does not look to me like you have a choice to do otherwise.” “I will not marry him, Dad! You don't have a right to force me into a marriage!” She yelled, her voice escaping into a sob. “You need to stop this madness,” Daphne warned her husband subtly, “please.” Chris turned to Amanda. “Well, since you are so Adamant about doing what I have ordered you to do, here is my final take. It is either you marry Roman or risk losing your inheritance.” He ended his words with an hiss and turned away from her. Amanda's eyes darted from her mother to her father, sadness threatening to overwhelm her. “Please Daddy…” she pleaded, crumbling to the floor with tears rushing down uncontrollably from her eyes, “you cannot do this. I still want to own my life for sometime.” Chris completely ignored her. He was not listening to her pleas and his mind was made up. A few weeks later, Roman and Amanda tied the knot as her father had ordered. They were to live as man and wife and Chris made sure that they lived under his roof to enable him watch over Roman and ensure that Amanda plays her role well. Amanda only tended to Roman in her father's presence and treated him like trash in his absence. Whenever they were alone, she would taunt him. “You piece of shit. Do you think you would ever be that son-in-law to my rich family? If you do, then you must be sick!” Roman never said much to her. He would only gaze at her with hurt in his eyes and wonder why he even accepted the decision her father made about their marriage. His turmoil was much but not so much in Chris' presence. He employed the services of a physiotherapist who would show up three times a week. “I just need you to have all the comfort you need,” Chris would occasionally mention. Everytime he was home, he would sit beside Roman and read the papers to him and they would have conversations while Daphne, Amanda and Jemma would gaze at them with excessive contempt in their heart. “I don't like how close Papa is getting to that filth,” Jemma complained, “have you ever imagined father's benevolence getting to that point where he even includes Roman in his will?” The thought of it was horrible for Daphne and she couldn't wait for Roman to be evicted from their home. “That can never happen! Father would not be that foolish,” Amanda scolded Jemma. “It does seem as though he has fallen so deeply for Roman, caring for him like the son he never had.” Jemma’s words struck a chord of deepened jealousy within Daphne and all she could think about was a plot to eliminate Roman for good. However, two years after Roman's accident, tragedy struck.Sirens wailed tirelessly outside the Campbells' residence. The ambulance and the police, doing all they could to save the patriarch, Chris Campbell.The family was torn apart by the untimely death of their father who reportedly slept and never woke up.It was like a mystery and medical reports showed that he died of a heart attack.Daphne was sad that her husband was dead but a part of her seemed relieved by the fact that Roman would not get a penny from his wealth as she had feared.From them, Roman began to experience the viciousness embedded in the Campbells.“Now, father is dead. I bet you, you will regret ever accepting this marriage proposal,” Amanda threatened him over breakfast one morning.“As a matter of fact, you should start getting ready for a divorce because my sister will not keep up with your ill luck. She has given her beautiful youthful years to you,” Jemma added , gloating over his misfortune.Daphne smiled at her daughter's cruel words. She appeared satisfied with
“Where do you think you are wheeling your unfortunate self to?” She asked with a demeaning laughter, “the day is still young, Roman. You are a man! Your mates are in their offices making money but here you are feeding off our sweat.”Roman wheeled his chair back.“Is there something you would need me to do for you, Mrs Campbell?” His voice was gentle.Daphne smiled wryly, like she was about to make him do the impossible.She dropped her purse to the floor and with a glint of mischief in her eyes she ordered; “pick it up!” Roman looked at her with confusion, expecting she should understand how difficult that would be for him.“Please…my back hurts,” he pleaded, “I cannot bend that low to get your purse.”“But you can pour a plate of my food away?”Roman could see the venom in her eyes that was threatening to blow up.He simply set his mind to it and stretched out to get the purse.He felt his bones cracking as he did it but he had no choice.Daphne gazed at him with disdain.“Here Mrs
The guests were murmuring about his clumsiness while the Campbells were furious, especially Amanda.She walked towards him with aggression and pulled him up from the ground.“Why are you embarrassing me in his form?” She snapped at him.“It was not me. Jemma pushed me down the stairs,” Roman replied sharply, holding himself still in the wheelchair.Jemma raced down the stairs, acting as though she was a victim.“That's a lie!” She sneered at him, “he is lying! He was forcing me out of the way and fell off instead.”Amanda turned to Roman whose lips were agape and slapped him across his face in front of the guests.“You scoundrel! How dare you? I have swallowed your shit for so long and I am done!”The guests murmured about the scene. Everyone was shocked at how badly Amanda treated Roman but no one dared to say a word.Daphne saw that the situation was about to escalate and she rushed to their side, pulling Roman's wheelchair away.“Get yourself to your room and stay locked in!”Roman
“Isn't that a joke?” Amanda's eyes were filled with excitement and yet she had contempt.“Roman wants a divorce? How? What gave him the mind to ask for that?”“I have no idea and I do not think I care, mom. What I want the most is to sign those papers and get on with my life.”“Hmm, this does not seem like Roman.”Daphne seemed concerned and worried.“What do you mean, mother?”“Amanda, you and I have known Roman for at least four years, do you think he would survive without this family?”Amanda became thoughtful. She had to think about it.“But mummy, I have wanted this divorce from the day I even agreed to this marriage. Maybe this is my opportunity.”“I agree, Amanda. However, you need to speak with him and hear it from his own lips.”Amanda grudgingly accepted and then, she pulled out her phone to send Roman a text.I want to see you.***Roman was seated at the dining table, having dinner with his father and a few of his relatives when that message popped on his phone.His face f
The Campbells received the invitation from the JB corporation; as they were planning to announce the new CEO of the company.Amanda was excited to be at the party and could not wait to show up there.The JBs were known to be the wealthiest family in California and the Campbells always wanted to be a part of that wealth.“Is Colton coming along too?” Daphne asked, as they stepped out in grand style to their expensive cars that were waiting for them outside.“Of course mother. He is a big name now, why not?”Daphne smiled proudly.“I will be so glad when everyone sees you two together. This is your first public appearance together.”Amanda smiled heartily as they got into the car.Once they got to the party, they were overtaken by the expensive air that emanated from the hall. The guests were all rich and most elite members of the society.“I wonder why we hardly invite these people to our events,” Amanda whispered.“We are big names but we aren't in their League, Amanda. Maybe, after y
The glowing lights that filled Campbell's residence shone through the incoming dusk with so much glory, causing the building to stand out.It was July the 8th; a day they specially dedicated to celebrate their family history and origin and this had become a historical event for the Campbells that they did annually.It is often characterized by beautiful decorations, lighting and tasty meals. It was almost as large as a ball only that they hosted it right in their home. Countless guests would troop in to take in the affluence the family willingly exposed and they would interact with the upper class individuals, flexing their wealth in every way they knew how to.Today was just like every other day and the dinner party had come to an end and the Campbells had just bid the last set of guests goodnight, before shutting the world out.The matriarch of the family, Daphne walked across the living area where the party had happened and cast a loathsome gaze at Roman who was busy wiping the gla
Roman woke up with a banging in his head and a stiffness around his legs. He could feel a sharp pain in his spine and groaned loudly, wondering what sort of pain that was.“Where am I?” He said but his voice was a mere whisper because he could barely speak out loudly.The banging was severe and the pain increased. Roman tried to adjust himself and ended up worsening it. This time, his screams rang through the halls of the hospital and the nurses came rushing in to his aid. “It's okay, sir. Just calm down, you're going to be alright.”The nurses tried to help him lie correctly but he could not stop staring at them with confusion.“Where am I?” He asked, his anxiety ripping off his heart, “what happened to me? Why do I feel so much pain and I cannot feel my legs.”He panicked and his body was soaked in perspiration.The nurses exchanged glances before telling him his fate.“You were in an accident, run over by some lady. She dumped you here and disappeared. We have not seen her for a w
“Speak now!” Chris yelled at her raising her head with his finger, “did you inform your mother or anyone about this?” Amanda shook her head and tears gathered in her eyes. She hated to see her father reacting that way. “I was scared, Dad. But I took him to the hospital immediately…” “And dumped him there only to disappear? Is that in my character?” Amanda shook her head. “I am so sorry Dad. I really am. I was worried that something bad could have happened to him and it would be linked to me.” She was sobbing now and shaking vigorously. “Look how foolish you are. Well, for your information, someone caught it all on camera and your face is all over the clip. Amanda, do you know how much your foolishness has cost me today?” Amanda's eyes widened with shock. She thought the streets were lonely that day but she had no idea that she was caught on camera. “How were you driving when you did not see a human being walking across from you?” Chris asked, groaning so loudly. “I was hear