The peeling paint on the small wooden house was the first sign that life inside wasn't easy. Shani stood by the cracked window, staring at the streetlights flickering on one by one. At twenty-one, she should have been dreaming of freedom, of exploring the world. Instead, her dreams were heavy with hospital bills and medicine receipts.
Behind her, in the dimly lit bedroom, her mother's shallow breathing echoed. Elena had once been a strong woman with laughter that filled a room, but sickness had stolen that from her. Every cough shook Shani's heart like glass about to break.
"Shani," her mother whispered, her voice raspy. "Don't forget the pills before bed."
"I won't, Mama. I'll bring them for you as long as i'm done with the dishes ," Shani replied softly, forcing a smile she didn't feel. She tucked the blanket tighter around her mother's frail body before stepping back into the tiny living room.
Waiting for her there was Victor — her stepfather. His sharp eyes followed her every move, and the faint smell of whiskey hung in the air.
"You know," he began, tapping his cigarette on the edge of an ashtray, "we can't keep living like this. The hospital won't wait forever for their money, you better come with something to help out your mother ."
Shani's jaw tightened. She hated how he said we, as if he carried even half of the burden she did. "I'm doing everything I can to help her, you're the one here who is sitting al day long smoking," she muttered. She worked two jobs already, cleaning houses in the day and waiting tables at night. Still, the bills outgrew her paychecks like weeds choking a flower.
Victor leaned forward, a sly smile spreading across his face. "Actually… I might have found a way out, it is op to you if you want to follow my lead."
Shani didn't like the glint in his eyes. It was the look of a man who never offered kindness without a hidden price. "What are you talking about, if it's something good then why not?"
He stubbed out the cigarette, lowering his voice like he was sharing a forbidden secret. "A friend of mine works for Kingston Enterprises. You've heard of them, right? Billionaires. Untouchable, the most powerful family in this city."
Shani nodded warily. Everyone in the city knew the Kingstons.
"Well," Victor continued, "their only son, Jay, needs a wife . His father is desperate.
Shani frowned. "What does that have to do with us?"
Victor's grin widened. " It has everything to do with us. Mr. Kingston is offering a deal — five million dollars. Five. If someone takes care of his son around the clock, pretends to be his wife… and marries him for two years."
"Let me show you a picture of him, a handsome young man, he said again. "
The room fell silent. Shani thought she had misheard him. "You can't be serious. You want me to marry a man I don't even know? Who isn't even awake?"
"Well," Victor continued, "their only son, Jay, has been in a coma for months. Car accident. His father is desperate. He doesn't trust nurses anymore—says his boy needs… someone special."
"You must be crazy, do you think I'll do this. I'm not crazy to marry someone who i have never met . "
Victor's eyes hardened. "Do you want your mother to die because you're too proud, do you have any other idea? Think, girl. Five million dollars. Enough for all the treatments she'll ever need. Enough to change your life forever, I'm leaving it for you to decide ."
Shani's heart pounded in her chest. She looked toward her mother's door, where the sound of coughing reminded her of the choice waiting to be made.
She had always believed love should be free, real, and chosen. But now, faced with her mother's failing health, love seemed like a luxury she couldn't afford.
The morning light filtered weakly through the thin curtains of the Williams' small home. Shani sat at the kitchen table, staring at the chipped cup of tea in her hands. The steam had already faded, leaving the liquid cold. She hadn't taken a sip.
Her mother's coughing fit from the other room had kept her awake all night. Each sound tore at her chest, a cruel reminder of how little time they had left if treatment didn't start soon.
"Still thinking about it, aren't you. You better think fast before it is too late ."
Victor's voice broke her thoughts. He strolled into the kitchen, already dressed in a pressed shirt that looked far too expensive for a man who never contributed a cent to the house. He poured himself coffee as if he owned not only the kitchen, but her fate as well.
"I told you, Shani. This is the only way, where the hell, will you work to find five hundred thousand dollars."
Shani glared at him. "You want me to marry a man I've never met. A man who doesn't even know I exist, and beside that, he's in a coma. You want me to word as a slave for those persons, I've heard how cruel Jay is."
Victor smirked over the rim of his cup. "He doesn't need to know you. He just needs someone by his side. And Mr. Kingston doesn't hand out five million to just anyone. Do you realize what that money could do for us?"
Her hand trembled against the cup. "For us? Or for you, do you think I'm some dumb ass girl?"
His smile faded, his voice turning sharp. "Don't be ungrateful, girl. Everything I do is for this family and your stupid ass."
Shani laughed bitterly. "Family? You've never acted like family to me. You only see dollar signs, you were only here for money. What have you done since my mom is sick, i've been working my ass out."
Before Victor could snap back, Elena shuffled weakly into the kitchen, wrapped in a thin blanket. Her face was pale, her body trembling with exhaustion.
"Stop fighting," Elena whispered, her voice almost breaking. "Please… no more stress."
Shani rushed to her side, guiding her gently to a chair. "Mama, you shouldn't be out of bed."
"I heard everything," Elena said, coughing lightly into her sleeve. "This arrangement, this… marriage. It's madness, let me be ."
"Mama—" Shani began.
"No." Elena's tired eyes turned to Victor, sharp despite her weakness. "You will not push her into this."
Victor scoffed. "And what's your plan then? Wait around until the hospital throws you out, or to be dead? Until your daughter collapses from working two jobs? You think she'll survive that?"
Shani clenched her jaw. His words burned, not because they were cruel, but because they were true.
Elena's hand found hers. "Shani… listen to me. Don't sacrifice your happiness for me. I can endure this."
Shani looked at her mother's fragile frame, the way every breath seemed like a battle. Could she really gamble with her mother's life when salvation—no matter how twisted—was within reach?
The front door creaked open and heavy footsteps echoed. A tall man in a dark suit entered the small kitchen without invitation. His presence filled the room with authority.
"Miss Williams," he said in a low, commanding tone. "I am Marcus Hale, legal representative of Mr. Richard Kingston. I believe you've been informed of the proposal."
Shani froze. She hadn't expected the billionaire's world to step into her cramped little home so soon.
Marcus placed a sleek black folder on the table. "This contract outlines the terms. You will be married to Mr. Jay Kingston for two years. You will live at the Kingston estate as his wife and caretaker. In return, five million dollars will be transferred to your account—half now, half at completion. If you fail to fulfill the agreement, the money will be reclaimed."
Her mother's lips trembled. "This is wrong. You can't ask my daughter to sell her life."
Marcus didn't flinch. "I am not asking. I am offering. Miss Williams may decline. But if she accepts, your medical bills will be covered immediately."
Victor leaned forward, his eyes gleaming. "Sign it, Shani. Do it for your mother."
Shani's heart pounded in her ears. She wanted to scream, to run, to break free—but her mother's shallow breathing anchored her to reality.
Slowly, she pushed the folder back toward Marcus. "I'll sign on one condition."
Victor snapped his head toward her, startled. "Condition? What condition?"
Shani kept her eyes on Marcus, ignoring Victor's sharp tone. "If I agree, the first payment doesn't go to me. It goes directly to the Medical Center. My mother's hospital bills, her treatment, her transportation—everything must be handled by the Kingston family immediately. She'll be moved to their private hospital and given the care she needs."
Victor slammed his cup down, furious. "That money belongs to us! We should be deciding how it's spent—"
"No," Shani cut him off firmly, her voice steady for the first time. "I am the one signing this contract, I'll be married to Jay, not this family. It's my life. And my price is my mother's safety. If the Kingstons want me, they'll protect her first."
Marcus studied her, impressed by her resolve. Then he gave a single nod. "Done. Mr. Kingston will have no issue with that arrangement."
Elena's eyes filled with tears. "Shani… no, please…"
Shani squeezed her mother's hand gently. "Mama, this isn't for me. It's for you. Let me do this, it might work for good ."
Victor's fists clenched, his face red with suppressed rage. He didn't argue further—perhaps because he didn't want Marcus to see the greed burning in his eyes.
Marcus slid the pen toward Shani. Her hand trembled as she picked it up.
For a moment, she stared at the blank line, her entire future balanced on the edge of ink and paper.
Then, with a deep breath, Shani signed her name.
And with that signature, she wasn't just tied to a stranger—she had made sure her mother would live.
Victor didn't need to know the money would never touch his hands.