Welcome To My Life
Chapter 1 How Much Do You Want

Isobel Lewis stood in the middle of a crowded plaza as she stared at the man and the woman displayed on the big LCD screen. The man was handsome, and the woman was beautiful, they were a match made in heaven.

She could be like the two girls next to her if only the man on the screen wasn't Hamish Francis. They were filled with envy, but they were also wishing sincerely for his happiness.

But the man was Hamish, a man who she was together with for 3 years.

It was mid-November, the weather was cold and wintry in City N. Even then, Isobel thought that the weather wasn't as cold as her heart.

Her phone in her bag suddenly rang. Isobel was slightly startled, she took out her phone and realized that Hamish was calling her.

She didn't pick up the call immediately. She waited until the other person was about to hang up and then only she pressed the answer button. "Hello?"

"We should meet tonight."

"Okay."

Isobel looked up and stared at the screen again after hanging up the call. Hamish wasn't being shown in the screen anymore.

She lowered her head and stared at her phone display. Isobel didn't know how to feel. Was she happy or was she sad about the call?

He did call her even though he should be very busy.

She put away her phone and hailed a cab. She went back to her apartment.

As expected, it was pitch black in the apartment when she opened the door.

She turned on the light and went to the kitchen to get a cup of warm water. She then sat down on the sofa and waited for Hamish.

It was 10.22 pm when the tightly shut door was pushed open.

Isobel looked up and saw Hamish in his engagement suit. She smiled and walked over to him, "You're here."

Hamish looked at her and frowned, "Yeah."

He answered ever so simply. He then walked to where she was sitting and took the cup of water that she set aside. He drank the water out of the cup.

"Cold..."

He already put down the cup before Isobel could finish her sentence. "Have you showered?"

They had been together for 3 years. Isobel knew immediately what he meant by the question.

"No."

"Go take one."

Hamish touched her slightly, he then took off his tie as he sat down next to her on the sofa.

Isobel stared at him for a while. She didn't say anything in the end and went into the bathroom.

Hamish went into the bathroom as she was showering. Isobel subconsciously pulled a towel from the overhead cupboard, wanting to cover herself up. Though Hamish was one step ahead and he had already thrown the towel onto the floor.

The next thing she knew, he lowered his head and started to kiss her.

His kisses were a bit aggressive. Isobel felt pain and she grunted, only then he let go of her.

Isobel frowned at the smell of alcohol from his kisses, "You drank?"

"Yeah, what of it?"

He already took off all his clothes as he answered her. He turned her around and pressed himself against her back.

Isobel moaned as Hamish screwed her over and over again throughout the night like a madman. The sound of the water from the shower was mixing with the panting sound from them.

It was bright out by the time she woke up.

Isobel twitched her nose when she smelled smoke. Just when she was about to ask him why he was smoking inside, Hamish said, "Did you see the news?"

She was baffled, she didn't think that he would be so blunt. Though she recovered quickly and answered, "Yeah, I saw it."

"Say it, how much do you want?" He took a puff from his cigarette and his mouth was filled with smog. The way he was talking had a sensual feeling to it. Isobel looked at him for a bit, she then raised her right hand, "Five..."

"5 million?"

He clicked his tongue, stood up and smiled at her, "You have quite the appetite."

He then wrote a cheque and threw it at her, "You are a smart person. You should know what to do from now on."

She wanted to say fifty thousand, but Hamish never let her finish her sentence and what he was saying to her right now was stabbing her brutally, tearing her to pieces.

Isobel wanted to explain, but she didn't feel like it anymore. She took the cheque and smiled at him, "Don't worry, I'll play my part."

He gazed at her for the last time. The expression in his eyes was baffling and ambiguous, she never understood the meaning behind his gaze.

Hamish left after writing her the cheque. The smell from his cigarette lingered in the empty room.

Isobel stared at the cheque, she thought about the time from long ago, about what Hamish first said to her when he found her, "Are you interested in being my lover?"

She thought he was kidding, but then she was the only one next to him for the last 3 years. She met all of his close friends and they told them that they were a good match. She believed in their words and thought that she and Hamish would get married.

Only now she realized, that when he meant lover, he really just meant lover.

It was a business deal and none of them owed each other anything after taking the money.[]