Chapter 50: My Darling

< Shirley >
I curled my dark brown hair and let them loose over my left shoulder. I smiled, looking at my reflection in the mirror.
I put on light makeup as I didn't like heavy makeup. I wore a sleeveless navy blue flared gown with attached drape and hanging chains, matched with diamond earrings and my new-favorite bracelet.
Ting! Ting! Ting!
I was sure it was Dylan as he had a habit of ringing the bell thrice. Talk about being impatient.
I put on my black heels and went to answer the door. As expected, I was welcomed with a Dylan wearing a white shirt underneath a navy blue suit, matching with me. His hair was slightly damp, indicating he had taken a shower just a while ago. Like always, he looked brilliant.
His eyes were glued to his phone. Without looking up, he asked, "Are you ready?"
"Why don't you check out yourself?"
Dylan put his phone in his pocket and glanced at me, his gaze hovering over me from top to bottom. He didn't say anything but stared at me as if he was mesmerized. His grey eyes held astonishment, making me curious about what he was thinking.
I fake coughed to bring him out of his little fantasy land.
"P—perfect. You look just perfect," he mumbled. My cheeks heated up, making me look away to hide my reddened face.
"S-shall we go?" I tried to change the topic.
"Yes, but I have something for you. Let me in first." I moved away, letting him walk inside.
When we were in the living room, he took out a small velvet box from his suit pocket.
"Wear this." He threw the box at me.
"What is this?" I asked, analyzing the ring box.
"Just what it looks like." He rolled his eyes. I opened the box and it was indeed a ring. Wow, what a surprise! Couldn't have guessed it.
"It has a poisonous needle attached to it. It's for your safety. If someone tries to harass you, just make sure to make contact with his skin. It will knock him out," he explained.
"What should I do with it?" I tilted my head in confusion.
"Donate it to a beggar." Eh? "Of course, wear it." He frowned at my stupidity.
"It won't kill that person, right?" I asked for assurance since I was scared. What if I accidentally killed that person?
"Unfortunately, it won't." He sighed.
"Sure?"
"Yes."
"100% sure?"
"You're so annoying." He huffed and took the velvet box from my hand. "Slowpoke." He took out the ring and held my left hand. "You take too much time." He put it on my ring finger bluntly.
I gasped, covering my mouth with my right palm. "What did you just do?" He looked at my face with confusion. "You just engaged me!"
"Yes, right. You're my fiancee now."
"WHAT?" I shouted.
"Ah, my ears! I was kidding. You don't just get engaged by putting a ring on someone's finger. Besides, engagement rings are put on the right hand," Dylan stated.
"Engagement rings are put on the left hand, you idiot," I scolded.
"Oh."
"That's not the reaction you're supposed to have" I yelled.
"It doesn't matter." He shrugged it off.
"You should know this. Engagement rings are put on the left-hand ring finger because, in ancient Romans, it was believed that the vein from this finger is directly connected to the heart, which symbolizes the heart connection to the person who put it on..." I elaborated.
"You sure do love mythology." He frowned, getting frustrated with my rambling.
"Yes, I love mythology cause they are interesting. I even know the story of Dylan."
"Excuse me? You know my story?"
"No, no. Not you. Don't you know the meaning of your name? The son of seas. There's a story behind it as well."
"I already know that story. Mom used to tell me bedtime stories. Why are you bringing up the history behind my name in the first place? Why the hell are we even talking about engagement and all?" Dylan scowled at me.
"What I was trying to tell was, you don't need to know mythology to know the history behind the engagement ceremony. Everyone knows that, except you," I retorted and he let out a frustrated sigh.
"Goddammit, I don't care. Let's go already."
"What is your name?" Dylan asked while driving the car.
"Katherine Trance," I replied calmly.
"Who am I?" he again asked.
"Dy Daniel Trance, my husband," I stammered a bit in the beginning.
"No, no, I'm not Dylan anymore. It's Daniel," he rebuked and I pouted.
"It's not my fault. Besides, why do you have such a cool name and I have a Victorian age name?" I furrowed my brows.
"Don't complain. These are the names of real people. Besides, Katherine is a classic name," he answered.
"Where are they, anyway?"
"They are on a vacation in Germany. Daniel lent me his entry pass, otherwise, I had to make a fake entry pass or sneak in. He saved me a lot of trouble."
"Who is Daniel?"
"A client. But for now, I'm Daniel Trance, and you're my wife, Katherine. Don't say 'I'm Katherine Hamilton' or something else. Get that in your thick head."
"Aye, aye, Sir." I gave him a mock salute.
"You're complaining so much about the names, but I don't see you complaining about being my wife, I—I mean acting as my wife."
"Because I don't mind that role—" I bit my tongue before I could blurt out anything else. "Nothing, nothing." I averted my eyes at the window.
Dylan's eyes were fixated on the roads, so he couldn't see my flustered face.
Could you ever get a hold of your tongue, Shirley? scolded my subconscious.
I was looking at the scene outside. It was very unfamiliar. The lights were dim as the only source of light was some street lamp. I had never been to these places. It was like the underworld. I knew this was somewhere in the red light district. I never went to such places because Dad had strictly forbidden me.
There weren't many people around as it was almost midnight. Yet, there were expensive cars parked nearby when most of the buildings' painting was dull and rotting away; it looked very unappealing.
If the people here could afford expensive cars, why couldn't they paint the exterior of the houses? The question lingered in my head like a leech.
My eyes fell on an old aged man who was making out with a young girl nearby a Ferrari. The old man looked loaded and the girl seemed like a prostitute. I cringed.
Pedophile and whore making out? Wow, that was what was left for me to see.
"Don't look outside. It won't suit your taste," Dylan said all of a sudden. I looked at him with confusion. "This area is unpleasant. Even after visiting these types of places countless times, it never fails to disgust me."
I nodded, understanding his point. I couldn't help but look outside again. After all, I could never help curiosity. I saw some silhouettes at a corner of a lane. My eyes widened.
"Dylan, stop the car!" I yelled.
Dylan immediately pressed the brake. Before he could ask anything, I opened the door and rushed towards the source of shadows. When I reached the lane, I closed my eyes at the sight. It was what I had expected.
This place was truly disgusting.
Three drunken boys were trying to molest a teenager. They were trying to destroy the life of an innocent girl. The girl had almost no clothes on her, most probably they tore it off.
"Leave her alone," I said firmly, grabbing their attention. The three guys looked up at me with lust, clearly visible, in their eyes. They eyed me from top to bottom and smirked.
"That chick is even hotter," one of them commented. I had the sudden urge to puke at their glances as if they were eye-raping me.
"Let's have fun with her," the other said and laughed maniacally.
The third guy came near me and said, "Are you new here? Do you wanna have some fun? What is your rate?" His fingers were about to brush against my cheek and I was ready to show my newly-learned martial skills, but before that someone else grabbed his hand. His hand was immediately pulled behind his back forcefully. A cracking sound echoed in the silent atmosphere.
"Don't you dare lay your filthy hand on her," Dylan threatened dangerously, breaking the third guy's arm completely. The guy screamed in pain. Dylan's eyes were filled with rage. Anyone would be scared of him at that moment.
"Who the hell are you?" The first guy yelled, stumbling on his own foot. Dylan shot the two of them a cold look.
The second guy started shivering. He tapped the other guy's shoulder and whispered something. Then both of them looked at Dylan with fearful eyes.
"Please, forgive us, Sir!" Both of them screamed in unison, kneeling down in front of Dylan. They looked so frightened as if they were about to piss themselves.
Why were they calling him 'Sir' in that tone like he was royalty?
"Don't ever show me your face." Dylan pushed the third guy towards them and grabbed my wrist. The three of them ran away as fast as they could.
Dylan started walking towards the car with me. I halted and asked harshly, "Are we just gonna leave that girl alone?" I couldn't believe it. "How can you be so cruel?"
"This is where she belongs," he replied coldly. Anger flared inside me. I was going to yell at him when he opened his mouth again. "Didn't it occur to you—what a young girl was doing here at this time, at such a nasty place?"
My lips parted as I realized that he was right. Those bastards didn't bring her here. She was here of her own will.
"Did you see the girl protesting against them?"
I lowered my head in shame.
"Did you see the money scattered around her?"
I shook my head. Tears started welling up in my eyes, thinking about the harsh reality of the world.
Why was this world so cruel and harsh? People sold their bodies and soul for money? Why? Why would they do that when they have got two arms and legs? Anyone could earn money with that. It might be hard but still
Everyone might not be bad, who did those sorts of things, but the persons they sell their bodies to—were nothing but monsters. But then again, no one was born evil. It's the circumstances that made them like that. Why was it so hard to blame someone?
Dylan released a sigh and said softly, "You're kind-hearted, that's why you think the world is kind too. But that's not the case. If everyone was as innocent and kind as you, no one had to suffer. So, don't stress it, okay?"
I tucked my hair behind my ear and nodded, biting my lips to fight back the tears.
He sighed and made me look at him. Noticing my teary eyes, he softly kissed my forehead and said, "Don't shed your tears for something you can't change. They aren't worth it."
I hugged him, resting my head on his chest. He stroked my hair, comforting me, for the first time reciprocating the gesture. I listened to his steady heartbeat, calming myself.
"Let's go. It's getting really late," he murmured after a while and I nodded. He opened the door for me before taking his own seat and started driving.
"Sadness doesn't suit you," he mumbled as I was quiet for a few minutes. "Oh, c'mon, cheer up."
I kept silent and continued staring at my lap while playing with my fingers.
"Smile please, wifey."
"What did you just call me?" I glanced at him in shock.
"Wifey. You're my wife right now, remember, Katherine Trance?" He smiled at me cutely. Every time he called me his wife, I got that weird tingly sensation in the pit of my stomach. Dylan's wife—sounded so weird, yet oddly satisfying.
"Yes, darling," I responded, a smile blooming on my face.
My darling sure did know how to make my heart flutter and make me smile.