BOUND BY HIS NAME

Alejandro stood at the entrance and observed Hector for some moments before he took some gentle and dangerous steps toward him with his eyes fixed on me.

I noticed the insecurity.

The annoyance.

The confusion in his face.

And the jealousy he couldn't explain in his movement.

He felt like Hector was trespassing on his property the moment he saw Hector touching my hands.

He approached the table, saying, "Get your dirty hands off hers." Alejandro's voice sounded in an angry tone. Like a predator protecting his last meal.

When Alejandro reached the table, he forcefully pulled my hand from Hector's hands and dragged Hector by the tip of his suit.

Everyone. Everything fell into silence; the sound of spoons, laughter, and whispering faded immediately, and all eyes, including that of my manager, were fixed on Alejandro and Hector, carefully watching the scene they were about to display.

"Hector, how many times have I warned you to stay away from anything that concerns me?"

Alejandro continued.

"I swear with every little drop of blood running in my veins, the next time you cross paths with her, I will make sure you pay back the debt she's owing me." "Stay away from Isabella; she has a lot to pay me back."

"Pay him back," I mumbled to myself. "Was it the suit that I ruined with coffee that Alejandro is talking about?"

I was stuck in confusion; I didn't know what was really happening. All their conversation was like misery to me.

Hector smirked and snorted, like he expected something like this to happen.

"Ok, but first get your hands off me," Hector murmured while Alejandro released his hands from Hector's suit.

Alejandro turned toward me, with his expression dangerous. Didn't your boss tell you that you will only attend to me?

I nod my head slightly.

"Then you decide to do what you want."

Alejandro continued. "The next time you attend to someone else, you won't just lose your job; you will have your mother's body.

"Whatever you are doing, stay away from Hector," he whispered angrily.

I nodded slightly.

I was still hurt and confused, and out of curiosity I asked Alejandro, "Mr De La Vega, why are doing this to me? Why are you adding to my pain?"

Alejandro paused. No answer. Just silence.

Hector whispered, "You are nothing but his pawn." Someone who is willing to make you pay for ruining his million-dollar suit.

And that's why he has no response to your question.

I noticed Alejandro's jaw tightened. He continued clenching his jaw, like Hector was pushing him hard off his limit. All this while, Alejandro kept silent. Not even a single word came from his mouth.

Hector walked out of the café after he had caused more harm than good.

But he didn't just leave; he took the envelope along with him.

****

Back home.

My phone rang immediately. I got home; it was the doctor that was calling.

"We discovered what happened to your mother, it is her heart and she needs a transplanting, which requires two million dollars deposit.

Within the next 12 hours, or you might lose her.

"What! 2 million what?!"

He answered. "Yes, a 2 million dollar deposit just to cover only the first stage that will be ministered to her."

The doctor ended the call without giving room to talk. Or even give me an opportunity to appeal on my mother's behalf.

"12 hours to decide whether my mother lives or dies."

My world collapsed. I wanted to shout. To scream, as to ask, "Why is life treating me this way?"

I fall on my knees with my hands covering my face, as tears drop down endlessly.

The doctor knew very well that I had no support and nowhere to get such a huge amount of money from. Or the guarantor.

My clothes became wet with my tears and sweat; suddenly I came to a conclusion: I will not and never watch my mother die, never. "Even if I have to sell my womb just for the money, I will do it."

*****

Outside the street of Mexico, I walked past a black SUV parked at the side of the road, not knowing it was Alejandro's SUV.

A voice called me from behind it was a Alejandro voice, he steps out of the SUV in the cold. Confidence. And in an intensive manner.

He said, "Isabella, we need to talk."

I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think. I couldn't talk. The words of the doctor are still echoing continuously in my mind: "2 million dollars deposit for her heart transplant."

I had no idea what he wanted to talk about; to me it was an opportunity to tell him about my mother's situation.

The way his eyes were staring at me felt like a weight passed beneath my shoulder that I couldn't lift up. I felt that he was the only person that could see through the wall I had built around myself.

I entered his SUV, and he drove to a safe location.

I know about your mother's situation. He mumbled, and I was shocked. How? Or did he know, or did the doctor inform him? I asked myself.

And that's why I am offering you this.

Surprisingly, he brought out a huge envelope.

I had no intention of collecting the envelope, but my hands went before me. The envelope was heavier than expected; at first I thought it was a huge amount of money that I could use to pay my mother's hospital bills, but it wasn't anything made of money. I stared at it, hesitant to remove the stamp on it, afraid of what the content might be.

Alejandro's gaze never left me, steady and unyielding, as if he could read every thought racing through my head.

Finally, with a trembling hand, I tore it open. Inside was a lot of paper-crisp, official-looking, and impossible to ignore. My eyes scanned the words, each one sending a jolt and overwhelming feeling through my chest: my eyes and head couldn't and weren't able to comprehend what it was saying.

The only words that struck my brain were.

A Contract Marriage Agreement.