Under His Protection

Isabella reached for her phone and saw that Audrey was calling.

As promised, Vincent had sent his driver to pick up Isabella’s things from Audrey’s house.

She let out a long, slow breath and considered whether or not to answer. She knew that if she picked up the phone, she would have to deal with whatever Audrey had to say.

And she wasn’t sure she was ready for that. But if she didn’t answer, Audrey would only keep calling, and Isabella knew that she couldn’t avoid her forever.

She took another deep breath and answered the call.

“Hello?” she said, her voice shaking slightly.

“Isabella,” Audrey said. “Where are you?”

“I’m home,” Isabella lied, trying to keep her voice steady.

“That’s strange,” Audrey said, suspicion creeping into her voice. “I’m outside your apartment, and it looks like no one’s home. Your curtains are not here and I can see that there’s nothing inside.”

Isabella’s heart began to race. She knew she had been caught in a lie, and she didn’t know how to get out of it.

“Maybe you’re looking at the wrong apartment,” she said, her voice quivering.

“Isabella, please stop with this charade,” Audrey said, her voice thick with concern. “You’re my best friend, and I can tell when you’re not being honest. Please tell me where you are and what’s going on. Is everything alright with you and my brother’s friend? You’re not in any trouble, are you?”

“I’m okay, really,” Isabella said, trying to sound convincing. “I’m just… I’m at Vincent’s place.” She took a deep breath, knowing that she couldn’t keep lying to the person who cared about her the most. Even if it meant disappointing her, she had to be honest.

“Why are you at Vincent’s place?” Audrey asked, her tone shifting from concern to suspicion. “What’s going on, Isabella? I need to know the truth.”

“It’s a long story,” Isabella said, her voice wavering. “But I’ll send you the address. We can talk when you get here.”

“This is starting to sound suspicious,” Audrey said, her voice rising in alarm. “Are you sure you’re not in any trouble? Do I need to call the police?”

“No, don’t call the police,” Isabella said, her voice cracking. “I promise, I’m not in any danger.”

As Isabella had predicted, Audrey arrived at Vincent’s house in record time, her car pulling up to the gate with a screech of tires. Isabella heard the sound of voices raised in anger and knew that it must be Audrey arguing with the security guards.

Audrey had always been a force to be reckoned with, and Isabella knew that she wouldn’t take no for an answer. When it came to protecting her friends, she was as fierce as a lioness.

Isabella picked up the landline and called the security gate. “Please let her in,” she said, her voice shaking with laughter. “She’s here to see me.”

As she spoke, she saw Audrey make an exaggerated face at the security guards through the window. They looked flustered, and Isabella could only imagine the tirade they had just endured.

As the security gate swung open, Isabella rushed to the front door to greet her best friend. But as soon as she opened the door, she was tackled in a bear hug by a wild-eyed Audrey.

“What the heck is going on?” Audrey demanded, her eyes flashing with anger. “I’ve been so worried!”

Isabella extricated herself from the hug, trying to soothe her friend’s ruffled feathers. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to worry you,” she said, giving Audrey a small smile.

“What on earth are you doing at Vincent’s house?” she asked, her voice full of suspicion. “And you look… well, not like someone who has been held against their will. You look better than usual.”

“Let’s go inside and I’ll tell you everything,” Isabella said, ushering her friend into the living room.

“You don’t have a choice,” Audrey said, taking the lead as if she owned the place. She plopped down on the sofa, her arms crossed over her chest. “Start talking.”

Isabella took a deep breath, preparing herself for the long explanation that was to come.

“Do you recall my mentioning a one-night stand with a man whose identity I couldn’t quite place?” Isabella asked.

“Yes, that’s right,” Audrey replied, her curiosity piqued. “You said it was around the time you were having problems at work with Mr. White. You mentioned you were inebriated, and things got out of hand. Is that correct?”

Isabella nodded. “Yes, that’s all true,” she said, feeling the weight of her confession bearing down on her. “What I didn’t tell you was that the unknown man was Vincent.”

Audrey let out a low whistle, looking at Isabella in disbelief. “So, you had a one-night stand with Vincent, but you didn’t know it was him at the time?” she said, shaking her head. “That’s quite a twist in the tale if you ask me.”

Isabella nodded, unable to meet her friend’s gaze. “I know it’s hard to believe, but it’s the truth,” she said, her voice sounding small and weak.

“I found out I was pregnant,” Isabella continued, her voice faltering as she spoke. “I know it’s a lot to take in, and I’m still trying to process it myself.”

Audrey’s eyes widened in surprise. “You’re pregnant?” she said, her voice rising in disbelief. “But how is that even possible? Your mother and sister will not make things easy for you, and I’m not even sure how you feel about the whole situation.”

“I don’t think my mother and sister will get to see me anytime soon, given that I’m now married to Vincent,” Isabella said, her voice breaking.

Audrey gave a short, incredulous laugh. “Now I know you’re joking,” she said. “Married? Without me there? No way.”

“It’s true,” Isabella said, clearing her throat. “I know it sounds crazy, but it’s the truth.”

“Please, go on,” Audrey said, her curiosity piqued.

Isabella cleared her throat and explained how they had transpired in the past few days.

“Girl, you got married to a man you barely know?” Audrey said, her voice a mix of shock and amusement.Nôvel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.

“I know, it’s a bit crazy, isn’t it?” Isabella said, giving a nervous laugh. “But it’s better than being trapped in a loveless marriage to a man like Timothy.”

“Ain’t that the truth!” Audrey said, shaking her head. “That guy was such a jerk.”

The two friends shared a moment of laughter, and the tension in the room finally started to dissipate.

Audrey’s laughter died down as she turned serious. “But we have a problem,” she said. “Mr. White called this morning to say that if you don’t sign a contract for a role soon, he’ll add more years to your agreement.”

“That despicable man,” Isabella said. “He wouldn’t dare.”

“You know he has no conscience when it comes to money,” Audrey replied. “He’d do anything to keep you under his thumb.”

Isabella clenched her jaw, feeling her anger rise. She had worked so hard to break free from Mr. White’s control, and now he was trying to trap her again.

Under the pressure of her mother’s demands and her desperation, Isabella agreed to sign a contract with Mr. White as an actress. In her naivety, she had not realized how greedy the terms of the contract were, requiring her to work for him for ten years before she would be free. And on top of that, he had taken 80% of her earnings for himself.

It had been a terrible mistake, and now she was paying the price. But she refused to give up, determined to find a way out of this situation. She just had to find the right opportunity.

“Is there any way I can ever be free from this?” Isabella asked, her voice filled with despair.

“Maybe if you can afford to buy out your contract,” Audrey said. “It might cost a lot of money, but it might be your only option.”

“And I can imagine Mr. White won’t be pleased to find out about my pregnancy,” Isabella said, her stomach twisting with anxiety. “The contract specified that we couldn’t get pregnant until it expired so that we wouldn’t damage our looks.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Audrey exclaimed, her face flushing with anger. “How can they treat you like a piece of property, instead of a human being?”

Isabella sighed, knowing that Audrey was right. “It’s the way the industry works, I guess,” she said. “But I’m not going to let it control my life anymore. I want to be free.”

“Good for you!” Audrey said, giving Isabella a fierce hug. “But how are you going to do it? We need to figure out a plan.”

Isabella sat down on the sofa, her head spinning with possibilities. “I don’t know,” she said.

Audrey had been acting as Isabella’s manager, but she had never seen the contract, as it had been signed in her absence. Isabella had never bothered to tell her about the contract’s stipulations, using it as an excuse to avoid spending time with Timothy. But now that she had found herself in this predicament, she wished she had been more open with her friend.

Audrey sat down next to Isabella, her brow furrowed with concern. “We need to get a copy of the contract,” she said. “Then we can see if there’s any way out of it.”

Isabella nodded in agreement. “But how are we going to get a copy?” she asked. “Mr. White is the only one who has it, and he’s not likely to just hand it over.”