TRAPPED IN SHACKLES

Somewhere in I city, at 24:00...

"Baby, you gotta phone call from an unregistered number..." Mike called out holding his girlfriend's mobile phone.

He peered at her screen sneakily and ignored the urge to invade her privacy. It's been a year since they were together but he hadn't had gathered the courage to interrogate his girlfriend's origin. He was extremely puzzled by her. She looked so beautiful and according to her she was raised on by her grandparents in the countryside. She left her elders to find a job somewhere and then they meet here in I city. He couldn't help feeling suspicious about it. He assumed that his girlfriend was hiding something from him.

"Answer it, please. Tell whoever that caller that I'm taking a shower..." Athena shouted poking her head in her bathroom door. A playful wink was thrown towards her boyfriend.

"Are you sure about this? What if it's about work or perhaps one of your family members?" Mike huffed with a gentle smile on his face.

Though he was too eager to answer the call, he restrain himself hard and hide his eagerness. He put on a gentle smile on his face as he awaited her affirmation. His finger was now itching to swipe the answer mode.

Athena rolled her greenish eyes. "The same statement, babe..." She commanded and finally slammed the door shut leaving no room for an argument.

Whoever that caller was, she was sure it was less important than anything else. Her warm bath is the most important for her as she felt so sticky all over her body. She felt extremely uncomfortable and disgusted.

Athena made her way towards her half-human-sized mirror and stared at her reddish cheeks. She had just recovered from her high fever and she felt sticky all over from her sweat, thus she insisted to take a warm bath fighting hard against Mike — her boyfriend's firm avoidance as per the physician's instructions. To hell with those instructions? She is well aware of her own body and she swore that she is strong as a horse! She can even kick some hard in the gut if she needs to!

Remembering the days during her first arrival in the City, her inner muscles tightened. Memories of those lingered on her mind. Those fights... And the guy that she happen to save that day! Since then, she began to appear on some hidden gathering to accompany him.

She wasn't supposed to be far away from her family and endure some hardships in life every day but she was pissed off because of her marriage arrangement way back. Helpless, she could only endure their insistence to marry that person. It was a sudden marriage for the sake of two old people who wants to be united as a family and she became their target for that hilarious agreement. After that day, she swore that she would never go back to her homeland unless she was really needed to do so. She flew to I city, hide her real identity as an heiress, and worked her ass day and night to sustain her daily needs. Her accounts were loaded though but she didn't touch any dime of it. She wanted to be free from her families' stupid shits! She wanted to prove herself to them that she had grown to be an independent woman who could simply live her life without having much cash to spend.

Perks of a successor were to consume a lot of fortune wherever and whenever it was needed or rather it was just for a heartbeat. Unlimited shopping spree! Partying like an animal at night! Spent and spent then, in the end, she has to oblige. Follow the families' stupid arrangements. No sovereignty for its own self. This was what she hated about being cornered in such kind of situation. She didn't want it! She just craves to live a simple and joyful life without any heavy burdens being put on her shoulders.

A bitter smile formed on her lips as she remembered the words that completely broke her hopes to love someone. Those words really pierced her heart until now. Though she didn't actually expect that person to pay attention to her, nonetheless she felt a sharp pain in her heart. She wasn't that desperate to get his affection, but the elder's insistence made her have the impression of being one. The guy hated her guts because of that arrangement.

'I would never love her! I only love my girlfriend! Sooner, I would divorce her and marry Hannah! She is the one that I love!'

Those furious words hurt her deeply that day when his elders came to their home with him to discuss their sudden nuptials. She accidentally heard him say it to his parents while walking out of her room. She had turned speechless for that. She never know that starting that day, she would hate him so much. It was unintentional, but still, it left a huge scar in her heart — an irreparable one.

Though by now she had Mike as her boyfriend for almost a year, she didn't entirely feel the word 'LOVE' that could sting and make her heart race towards him. She couldn't feel any emotions aside from enjoying his company. She assumed that perhaps, that little thing called LOVE wasn't as majestic as the others actually said. It was just a pure exaggeration! A momentary complicated emotion that makes someone's life shook with a few twists and turns. Yeah right! That's just it! That's the ironic thought that she describes for that Stupid love.

Athena pushed aside her thoughts and went on ahead bathing herself and scrubbing her sweats off from her body. After a few minutes, she dried herself up and went back to Mike while drying the existing water from her long hair. She strides forward and her jaw dropped at the sight of her boyfriend staring at her in a daze. She eyed him suspiciously as she inched closer to him.

"Babe, what's the matter with you?" She asked raising her perfect brows in confusion.

"Baby, your caller..." Mike trailed off his words and gulped hard. His eyes bore bottomless sadness that he had never shown to her ever since they meet each other. But why is that?

"Oh, who called me?" She huffed, staring at him. Her heart thuds loudly beneath her chest feeling uneasy.

"T—Terrence... He said, his name is Terrence Adams..." Mike muttered intently staring at his girlfriend. His quizzical stare made her heart skip a beat.

"Hmph!" Athena gives out a cold snort hiding her anxiety. "Don't mind that person. Just ignore him." She assured and strode towards her small dresser to apply her skincare products.

"But... Baby, he told me that he will be picking you up after 12 hours at the airport." Mike stood up from Athena's bed and sauntered towards her with a few strides. He stopped behind her and snaked his arms on her waist hugging her from behind.

"Why is that?" Athena whispered askance. Her heart began to hammer furiously inside her rib cage. She felt odd to hear that Terrence Adams would call her. He hated her! Why should he waste his time and money calling her? Was there something wrong with her family? It couldn't be...

"Baby... You need to get back home..." Mike mumbled softly gluing his face on her back. His hold on her waist tightened.

"I'm not going somewhere, Babe... I'm staying here with you. I can't be absent in the office, you know that..." She declined without hesitation. She then rubbed her lotion on her arms slowly trying to conceal her racing heart. What was there waiting for her if she would go back? Hatred? Burdens? Humiliation? There's no way she would allow herself to suffer that way! She was used to living a normal life, why bother to go home?

"By the way... Who is this Terrence Adams to you, hmmm?" Mike asked, his voice turned cold at the mention of his girlfriend's caller. He seemed to be jealous at the mention of the man.

"A childhood friend," Athena muttered curtly.

"Then you must really be needed to go home, Baby... He said that the elders are now in critical condition..." Mike muttered patiently urging the woman in his arms.

Athena widely opened her eyes in astonishment. "What did you just say?" She tilted her body facing her boyfriend. Her body jerked out from his arms as she went to the window. She was feeling a sudden anxiousness. Her grandfather... The person who had the softest part of her heart was now fighting for his life.

"The elders are in critical condition. That's what he said before he dropped the call." Mike released out a long and deep sigh. "Thena, you can't just escape and run away from home like this. You have to go back and face them all..." He urged tenderly and lovingly. His heart sank at the sight of his empty arms.

"Fine... I'll go back!" Athena swallowed hard and finally groaned in defeat. She nodded her head showing her agreement with his words. This time she is indeed needed to go home.

"Then pack your things up and I'll go get the car ready. I'll send you to the airport." Mike urged again and took his heels off from her apartment leaving her with a heavy heart.

Right there and then after Mike's exit, her mobile phone rang furiously snapping her back to her senses.

Careless and shaken from the urgent news, she forgot to peer at her screen and just answered it in a hurry.

"Athena, speaking..?" She asked, striding towards her small wardrobe. Her phone glued on her ear held by her shoulder as she began to pack up her things.

"It's me..." It was a man's voice huskily answering her inquiry.

Athena froze, held her phone, and peered on her screen with inexplicable hatred. 'Unregistered!' She cleared her throat and gritted her teeth. "What's up?" She huffed impatiently.

"They're fighting for their lives now and you are needed here... It's time to come back. I'll pick you up at the airport in 12 hours." The man announced coldly.

"I'll be there. No need to pick me up!"