12. The Consequences

Okay, so things have started becoming complicated for Sanaya. Don't miss out the fun that is going to be there in next few chapters. Very important part of the story is going on.

The important question is that what Ashar is going to do with Sanaya now? Comment your guesses... and besides, don't forget to give your views about my book :)

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A chill went down to my spine when I saw the caller. Samara was a bad news for me. As soon as I hit the 'accept' button on my phone screen, she exploded, "I'm doomed. Everyone knows now, Sanaya."

"What are you talking about?" I inquired hesitantly.

"My own Dad two-timed me. He told everything to Uncle Matt." She began crying on phone, "Just because he can't cheat his lifelong friend."

My mouth parted. I was completely thunderstruck. I sat back on the same table I shared with Ashar few minutes ago. Cold fear spiraled through me. I understood now about his father's urgent call. Ashar was going to know about the truth of his marriage soon. My end was near.

Samara couldn't get a grip of her own created mayhem. She consoled me with her lies that she would take care of everything. Her father won't reveal the truth. That woman was fooling me since the beginning.

"Sanaya? Are you listening to me?" She yelled.

"What-what's going to happen now?" I stammered.

"They don't know about you yet. But Uncle Matt has asked me to bring that girl to him."

"So what have you decided?" I panicked.

"There's nothing we can do. You need to come here at the Hobsons right now."

"No way. I'm not coming. Solve your problems by yourself. I think I've helped you enough."

It would only get worse if I would go there. All of my efforts of running away from them would go in vain.

"You're fooled to think that you can be safe." She said, "They are going to find out about you, sooner or later. Just come here right now. You've no idea what mess you've started by signing those papers."

"What?" I knitted my brows together.

"Just come here, fast, or I'm going to tell them your location." The line went blank from the other side of the phone.

"Hey, you....Hello?"

Dammit! Why she have to be so rude every time? I looked at my phone screen and thought.

What did she mean by those papers? God, my mind was going to explode with all the stress. Now I had to go to the mansion because I was curious to know what she meant. If she mentioned that document then surely there was more I was unaware about. She had hidden something from me. But I was too scared to face Hobsons. I didn't know how I was going to defend my crime.

I felt so impotent and powerless. I could not hide from them. Eventually they would find out because I'd left my damn signature in those mysterious papers. I wanted to kill myself. I was scared out of my wits.

I called Jess who was Carol's friend and asked her to come over and stay at hospital with Carol. I was not sure if Carol would have wanted to tell her family about the incident or not so I decided to call her friend for now. I had to go to the mansion right now before they would send their men or police at my house to drag me to them. I wanted to discuss the problem face to face with them and pay whatever compensation they would ask from me and then leave for good. I was just tired of living in fright every day.

I was not a bad person or criminal for goodness's sake.

💙

I thought better days of my life had started when I was accepted as a home cook for Hobsons, but soon my happy bubble of joy was bursted. Since I had involved myself with that billionaire family, I was facing problems after problems and my once simple life became pretty complicated.

I was already frazzled with whole Noah's sexual assault situation and now this trouble. It's like fate had decided to show no mercy when it comes to my case. It was my first time seeing Matt Hobsons and I had never imagined I would meet with him like this – as a fraud, as a scammer.

He was very furious on Samara and her family and had already threatened that he would cut all his business connections with them. The temperature of the living room was very much tensed because everyone's blood was boiling up. There was Matt Hobsons, his wife, Samara and Ashar right now in the living room of the mansion.

All of them knew about me because Samara already unmasked the girl who was at the Church at her place and signed the papers as well before my arrival. I had assumed she would not drag me in that matter and would solve the whole problem by herself because it wasn't like we had some sort of secretive deal against the family. She was the main offender of this mishap. She was so mean.

Ashar's balled fists and unreadable face was giving me heebie-jeebies. I felt humiliated and guilty to the extent that I wanted to go invisible or dig a hole in the ground and bury myself there so that I wouldn't have to face inculpated stares.

"Do you have any idea Samara what have you done? Is marriage a joke for you? You and your father were the one who asked for this marriage. That's what you were planning the whole time?" Matt roared with uncontrollable fury. I winced.

"I'm so sorry for what I've done." She whimpered. Tears were seeping down her cheeks, "Please give me one chance I'll sort out everything."

Katherine's eyes seethed with exasperation. The woman, who was polite and sweet to me was now looking scary, "Chance? Can't you see if the truth comes out about your and Ashar's marriage, our family would be ravaged. You knew the wedding was important to improve our reputation. But, you brought some random, strange girl and made her even sign the documents of your marriage. There's no chance."

What? What did she say? Marriage document?

Katherine walked to her husband, snatched the file folder from his hand and threw at Samara's face, "These papers are related to marriage license. She has signed them so she's directly involved in this marriage. This is a crime. We can go to prison for playing a scam."

I was taken aback, became motionless in horror. My lips parted. I covered my mouth with my palms in absolute astonishment. If I had signed them then it means I became Ashar's somewhat...wife? Goose pimples appeared all over my body. Was I trapped into this marriage for real?

These are the legal documents of your marriage that you need to sign them right now. The words of that woman crossed my mind who came to the room with a file on a wedding day. At that time I didn't think about it that this could be the marriage contract or something related to it. I was so scared that day and since Samara's father continuous enforcement was like a final straw for my fear level that I just signed them eventually.

"I didn't ask her to sign them." Samara hollered with teary eyes, "I only asked her to be at my place. She herself signed them."

I looked at Samara in utter incredulity. She was not telling the whole truth. She first put me in the dark and now blaming me. I didn't sign them on purpose. Her behavior was surprising me.

Katherine slapped Samara that pushed her face to the right. I lurched back, going pale. "I trusted you. I thought you're a right woman for my son. But you messed up everything."

I glimpsed at Ashar who was silently watching the show with a blank face. It's hard to anticipate the level of anger that would be rising in him. His gaze met with mine. A blaze of indignation was burning in his eyes – inculpated eyes.

I gulped down the lump in my throat, shivering a little. The look on his face was confirming my doubts that he was taking me as a cheat. He was accusing me as well.

Katherine appeared before me, breaking my eye contact with Ashar. I took a step back, feeling vulnerable, "I didn't know a fraud was disguising behind that innocent face. What are your intentions? How much money you got for that?"

I was at loss of words, "It's not like that. I didn't want to do this. She forced me."

I didn't know what to say because I was also shocked like them. I just found out that maybe I was really married to Ashar. It was not a religious issue anymore. It was now a legal issue as well.

She rolled her eyes, "So both of you will now play the blame-game? Are you both taking us fools or what?"

Invisible tears burned at the back of my eyes when I saw her enraged expressions. "It's not true. I'm sorry. I'm not lying."

I knew my mere words were not going to calm down their anger. I knew no one would believe me that I was also a victim of this entire scenario. It was all over now. I was the perpetrator for them.

My vision became blurry as my eyes got moistened with tears. I dared to look at Ashar who was frowning at me. He then stormed out of the room. Samara followed him and went out too, leaving me all alone. I wanted to chase him too to tell him that I never intended to deceive him, to explain him everything from the beginning.

Matt faced me, "Who you really are? Tell me who sent you?"

My eyes flew up in utter shock. His assumptions about me were going in totally different direction and that was like a warning for me that things could become more aggravated now.

"No one has sent me. I was just a mere employee here. Samara forced me to wear her wedding dress and I didn't know about the legal papers. I signed them without reading." I defended myself restlessly.

He arched a brow at me, showing me that he didn't believe a word I said, "You're not going to tell me the truth? Just tell me the exact amount you've received from the person who has sent you."

My face contorted in disbelief. What was he talking about? "I didn't receive any money. Stop saying that. Help me get rid of this marriage. For God's sake, I'm quite young for the marriage."

His eyes widened, "What? Don't tell me you're underage." Katherine also became flabbergasted.

I shook my head and clarified promptly, "No, no. I'm eighteen years old. I'm not under age."

His face relaxed, but then, he scowled, "Do you have any idea if this news will go out from this house what consequences my family and business have to face?"

"Relax, honey. We'll figure out something." Katherine came forward and caressed her husband's shoulder.

"How?" He pushed his wife away, "We don't know her family background. The court will find out that the signature is different on the documents. And you're saying we would figure something out?"

Katherine glowered at me, "Leave right now from my house."

With tear-filled eyes, I listened to her and began walking towards the exit of the house. The circumstances were only getting worse and I was not sure how much my life and other's lives would be damaged until all would resolve.

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Next morning, I revisited Carol at the hospital to stay with her. Jess had to go to her job so she asked me to come over.

"How are you doing know?"

"I'm feeling devastated." She whispered.

"You're scaring me, Carol." I sat down beside her bed side. The bandage was wrapped around her head. She was looking weak and sad.

"I feel so broken. My feelings were sincere for him. I can't believe he was thinking to molest me the whole time." She choked in grief, "He was so drunk and then all of sudden, he became wild and forced me to...to..."

Tears began streaming down her face. I held her hand, "Carol, relax. Please. Over-thinking will worsen your health. Forget about him."

It was difficult for me to console her at such a moment when I also needed some encouragement to solve my own problem. I was also going through a rough phase of my life.

"You were right about him. I should've listened to you." She sniffled, drying her tears with her hand.

"You need to calm down. Just be grateful that nothing bad happened and you're safe." I said. I patted her back twice and gave her a weak smile. She gave me slow nod.

I stood up on my feet after calming her down, "I'm going out to get an update about your health from the doctor."

I couldn't sleep a wink last night because whole night my mind was only picturing those accusing eyes of Hobsons family and Samara's betrayal. Yesterday Ashar said he would visit the hospital in the morning, but he was not here and I knew his reason. I couldn't imagine how much he would've been despising me.

"Sanaya?"

I was lost in my thoughts while ambling towards the door when Carol called my name.

I turned around, "Yeah?"

"Is everything okay?"

"Yes, why?" I pretended to act oblivious.

"Your eyes look puffy." She observed.