The Contracted Stripper

The man smiled, his blue eyes twinkling. “I’m the one who brought you to the hospital. You seemed like you needed help.

“Iris blinked, trying to focus with her bleary eyes “Why did you help me?”

“Because you looked like you needed it. I’m Jason, by the way,” he said, extending his hand.

“Iris,” she mumbled, shaking his hand weakly.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Jason asked, his tone gentle.

Iris sighed. “My life is a mess. I’m pregnant, and the father doesn’t care about me. He’s having a baby with another woman.”Jason’s eyes softened with empathy.

“You… what are you doing here? You almost killed me earlier today, and now you’re here to finish the job?” she blabbed, her words slurred.

“Did anyone send you to kill me? I know they all want me dead. I want myself dead too, so I understand,” she chuckled bitterly.

“Stop saying rubbish, Iris,” he replied sternly.

“So you know my name. Wow, they must have given you a lot of information about me,” Iris said, laughing dramatically.

“That’s enough for tonight. Let’s get you home,” he said firmly.

“But the fun just started. The party just begun. I want to stay,” she protested weakly.

He didn’t respond as he grabbed her arm and lifted her onto his shoulder. He reached into his pocket, pulled out some money, and placed it on her table before carrying her out of the bar. As they walked, Iris continued to mumble incoherently.

“Ryan… why don’t you love me? I’m pregnant with your child… Bella is nothing… They all hate me… I’m so alone…” she muttered.

He opened his car and placed her gently in the backseat before getting into the driver’s seat and driving off. He took her to a nearby hotel, carrying her to his room. Once inside, he laid her on the bed. She continued to mumble nonsensical words, her eyes half-closed.

“How do I tell the world I’m pregnant for a man who doesn’t care about me or love me? Our marriage is a contract… so do I expect him to love me? Of course not,” she said, laughing again.

The man looked at her with a mix of curiosity and something darker. He sat on the couch, watching her, his thoughts interrupted by his phone ringing.

“Hello,” he said, listening to the person on the other end. “Understood,” he said, ending the call.

He dropped his phone, climbed onto the bed, and undressed Iris, who lay there helplessly. She kept mumbling, unaware of what was happening. The man smirked as he had his way with her.

The next morning, Iris woke up with a pounding headache. Her eyes flickered open to an unfamiliar room. She sat up, looking around. This was not her house, her mother’s house, or even the hospital.

Panic set in as she realized she was stark naked under the duvet.

“Oh my God,” she muttered in shock. She pulled off the bedsheets and tried to get out of bed, but her legs were weak, and she sat back down. She felt sore in her lower body and knew someone had taken advantage of her.Còntens bel0ngs to Nô(v)elDr/a/ma.Org

She tried to piece together the events of the previous night. She remembered almost getting hit by a car, fainting, landing in the hospital, and being discharged with the news of her pregnancy. She also remembered going to the bar and drinking heavily. The last clear memory she had was of the man who had taken her to the hospital sitting down with her at the bar.

She wasn’t sure if it was the same man who had brought her to the hotel, but everything was still blurry, making her head ache more. She picked up her phone to check the time and saw dozens of missed calls.

Thirty missed calls from Ryan. Twenty-five missed calls from Skylar. Fifteen missed calls from an unknown number.

Panic surged through her as she quickly got up and dragged herself to the bathroom. She showered and put on her clothes, then left the hotel immediately. She stopped by a store to buy some hangover pills before heading to the hospital.

As she walked to the hospital, her mind raced. How was she going to face Ryan? What would she tell him? She was pregnant, and he had no idea. She felt a wave of nausea, not from the hangover but from the overwhelming situation she found herself in.

*********************************

Ryan rushed out of the hospital after receiving an urgent call from his mother.

He knew Iris wasn’t happy about it; he saw it in her eyes. As he drove straight to the office, he kept trying to call Iris, but she didn’t pick up.

Immersed in paperwork, he lost track of time, and it was already late when he decided to head home, planning to see his mother the next day.

The next morning, Ryan woke up, freshened up, and checked his phone. Still no call or message from Iris.

Worry gnawed at him, but he decided to visit his mother first. On his way to her house, he continued trying to reach Iris.

Upon arriving at his mother’s house, he found Mrs. Rose looking sophisticated as ever, but not worried or sad as he had expected. He greeted her with a mix of relief and concern.

“Hi Mom, you sounded urgent.”

“Yes, son, it is urgent. Are you aware Bella is pregnant with your child?” she asked, her voice sharp.

Ryan sighed, running his hands through his thick black hair. “Yes, Mom, I know she’s pregnant, but it was a mistake. I didn’t plan for this to happen. I have a wife, and I don’t want to complicate things with Bella’s pregnancy.”

Mrs. Rose’s face hardened. “What you just said is nonsense. You didn’t think about complications before you got Bella pregnant? You didn’t remember you had a wife then? Your father warned you about this lifestyle, but you never listened. What do you plan to do now?”

“Mum, I can’t marry Bella,” Ryan said firmly.”And why not? You got her pregnant, you must take responsibility. You’re marrying her, and that’s final. You know who her parents are. I’m sure you don’t want them to know about this mess,” Mrs. Rose said sternly.

“I’ll take responsibility for the child, but I can’t marry Bella. She forced herself on me. I didn’t want this,” Ryan replied, his voice strained.”You have no option. Either you marry her and let Iris go, or you face me,” Mrs. Rose declared.”But, Mom…”

“Don’t ‘but Mom’ me, Ryan. This is final. I’m off to do some shopping for my grandchild. Join me if you’re interested,” she said, leaving him standing there, confused and frustrated.

Ryan’s phone rang, snapping him back to reality. It was an unknown number. He picked up, hoping it was Iris, only to hear a panicking voice.

“Hello, can you calm down? What did you say?” he asked urgently. The person on the other end mumbled some words.”What? Hold on, I’m on my way right now,” Ryan exclaimed, rushing out.

************************************

Meanwhile, Bella was lounging in her sitting room, dressed in a transparent dress, sipping wine with a broad smile on her face.

She had just received exciting news over a call. Downing her wine, she got up and called the guards to take her luggage to the car.

Her driver drove her to Ryan’s house.

Sarah, with a natural face, opened the door as the guards carried Bella’s luggage inside Ryan’s room.

Bella settled in, feeling triumphant.

In the kitchen, Sarah was on the phone. Bella, feeling thirsty, called out to Sarah for water, but there was no response.

Irritated, Bella decided to check downstairs and found Sarah engrossed in her call.

“And who are you talking about?” Bella demanded, her voice dripping with disdain.

Sarah, startled, quickly ended her call. “Sorry, Miss Bella. I was just… talking to a friend.”Bella glared at her.

“Well, you work for me now. Next time, you better be available when I call. Now, get me some water.”Sarah nodded, rushing to get the water.

Bella’s eyes narrowed as she watched her. Something about Sarah’s behavior seemed off, but she brushed it aside, focusing on her plans.