Marie Jones is standing in front of a large door. The hallway is filled with large-sized mirrors designed like those you can see at the dance studios. It was meant there for brides to see how beautiful they are on their special day. She looked at her reflection in on of the mirrors on her side. She could she her beautiful dress as she smiled pleasantly at her own reflection. She felt her heart beating so fast and on her smile you could see how glad she was. Her wedding dress shines brightly as if thousands of diamonds celebrated along with her. This is a happy day… it’s her wedding day. She is going to tie the know with the man she truly love… Liam Smith.

She continues to admire her wedding dress in front of the mirror while waiting for the queue for her to enter the reception and start walking down the aisle… walking towards her future husband. Just then she reminisced the day she met Liam.

Two months ago…

“Dad, won’t you just stay with me today? It’s my birthday after all.”, Marie childishly hugged her father’s arm.

“You’re 20 years old already and yet you still act like a kid.”, Marie’s father smiled at her daughter.

“Dad… we’re already rich. You don’t have to try so hard to earn more money. I would love to spend my birthday with you. After all, ever since mom died… you’re all I have.”, Marie pouted her lips like a child. Marie’s father looked at her meaningfully.

“Okay, okay… this will be the last time. I’ll try my best to finish the business today so we could spend your birthday together.”, Marie’s father assured her.

It was just few hours since she last talked with her father when she suddenly received a call. It was from an unknown number… telling her that her father met a car accident and is currently on a critical condition. Marie thought it was just a prank but the caller gave her exact details… it was so detailed for it to be a prank and her mind went into panic.

“Dad! Dad!”, Marie cried as she went to the hospital. Everything happened so fast. She couldn’t even remember how she got inside the hospital or how she met her father’s doctors… everything was like a dream… a vivid dream. She could clearly remember how she felt but some details she couldn’t make out or because she was just too focused on her desire to see her father.

“Doctor… please! Please save my dad! Save him!!!”, Marie begged the doctors. Marie is so shocked to see a glimpse of her father inside the operating room… looking lifeless.

“We did our best… for now his vital signs are stable but he is still in coma. He needs to undergo an operation… and you need a big sum of money for that.”

“I’ll do my best to provide that amount… please doctor, please make my father open his eyes again!”, Marie continued to cry and beg.

After knowing that Marie’s father is in a coma… the board of directors from the company that her father owned showed their true colors. They were greedy and had taken over the company almost immediately. To make the matters worse, they put the blame on Marie’s father for every single problem of the company even though it’s clearly not his fault but what could a man in a coma do?

Marie is the only daughter and now, in a blink of an eye she has become like an orphan. She had become the breadwinner but is also now penniless because the evil people in her father’s company took over their possessions because her father was framed… but Marie is aware that these board of directors are just taking advantage and has long been desiring to get all their money. Just one snap of a finger, everything changed.

A doted and beloved daughter, who always depends on her father… knew nothing about the cruel world had now become a waitress in a nightclub. It is only job willing to hire her and her only way to survive and earn easy money for her father.

“That’s what you get for depending your future too much on you father. You hadn’t taken your studies seriously because you thought that you would inherit your father’s company and wealth? Look at you now, you’ve become a servant.”, one of her classmates saw her serving their food at the nightclub where she is working.

Marie wanted to prove them wrong. She studied well and earned her degree, she is already a professional but… her father’s enemies are too powerful and influential. No company are willing to hire her. These are the only ones who would accept her. It’s because it felt like this is enough insult for her father… her beautiful and smart daughter had now become other people’s attendant. But for Marie, there is nothing wrong with this, as long as it’s not illegal or dirty, she could proudly held her head up high.

“What’s wrong with working in here?”, Marie asked.

“Well… the virgin hard-to-get and picky classmate we knew is now serving many men at night already. Where’s your pride had gone now?”, her classmate looked at her mockingly.

“Well, I am just serving food and drinks here like what you’re seeing now. I am not sleeping with men. Sorry to disappoint you but I am still a virgin. Is that enough to suffice your crave for gossips? At least I am working hard to earn my own money... and to help my dad get well again.”, Marie answered back. Her classmates looked at her.

“Ow snap! Look, girl… she’s challenging you.”, one of her classmates trying to coax the one Marie is talking to.

“Oh really? So, you’re proud of this kind of job huh? Let’s see if you’ll be able to answer back once I talk to your manager!”, Marie’s classmate angrily said.

“Look? What did I ever do to you for you to be this petty?”, Marie answered back angrily.

“What did you do? I just hate you for being such a diva when your father weren’t still in coma. You act all too glamorous---”

“So, you’re jealous? You’re being petty despite my low situation now just because you were jealous of me before?”, Marie laughed but her classmate hated to see her reaction and went to slap her immediately.

“How dare you say I’m jealous of you!”, her classmate angrily said as Marie held her cheek. She wanted to fight back but she is at work… it would cost her primary source of income and her father’s operation fee if she stoop down on her level.

“Virgin huh! Well let’s see.”, her classmate commented and threw a sharp glance at Marie before signaling everyone that they should leave now.

Marie still holding her cheek where her classmate, felt her tears fell but immediately wiped it out and faced her other customers with a smile.

“What happened to your cheek?”, a male with a husky voice asked as she served her his drinks. The nightclub is dark but she could see that this man is handsome and is overflowing with charm. It was dark and his husky voice seems to add a seductive attribute to it… a natural flirt.

“Oh, nothing Sir.”, Marie answered and went to avoid striking a conversation with him. For her, these types of men would only cause her trouble.

“If you would excuse me Sir---”

“Liam. My name’s Liam. Nice to meet you…”, the man smiled as he extended his hand, implying he would want to shake hands with her.

“Marie. I am sorry, Sir—”

“Liam.”, he corrected.

“Liam. I’m sorry Liam but I’m unallowed to socialize while at work.”, Marie tried to be polite.

“Really? Isn’t that how you got that red on your cheek?”, the man smiled. He looked charming but Marie’s prideful ego was hurt.

“So, you already knew how I got it? Yet you still asked?”, Marie sound irritated. Liam just smiled.

“I just witnessed a scene… I was curious.”, he added after he smiled. Marie felt annoyed, it’s like this man is adding fuel to the fire.

Marie tried her best to avoid Liam but he was stubborn and had been tailing her, trying to get her attention but Marie refused. People like Liam who goes to nightclubs for fun are the types of man who would jump on one woman to another.

“Marie will you help me take out the trash?”, a female co-worker from the kitchen asked her. It was the right timing to get away from Liam and immediately went to assist from throwing the garbage out.

“Hey, additional orders on table 7.”, the head chef to Marie’s co-worker.

“I can do it from here. Go.”, Marie smiled as she dragged the trash outside.

While outside she struggles to carry the garbage bags in one go especially when her waitress uniform’s skirt is too short and tight, so she picked it up one by one… when she heard someone catcall whistled behind her.

“So Ms. Virgin… you’re tempting someone so hard now.”, a bulky man said as Marie turned to face him.

“Vi-virgin? H-how… Wait a minute! So, this is what she meant when she glared at me!?”, Marie realized as she remembered her classmate mocked at her virginity before they part ways.

Marie felt the man’s arms on her arms. She struggled to free herself from his grasp and the man is too strong for her.

“Well, you won’t be proudly bragging your virginity anymore, miss.”, the man laughed as he licked Marie’s neck. It terrified Marie as she struggle to get away more.

“That’s it, Miss. I want women who put up a fight first… they tend to scream a lot louder!”, the man mocked Marie as he slowly drags her towards an open van nearby. Marie looked at him in horror and before she could shout, the man had put a handkerchief over her face, covering her nose and mouth. She smelled something off and had slowly loses all her strength. She was getting weaker but suddenly she felt someone grabbed her away from the terrifying man. Drowsily, she slowly opened her eyes and clearly saw a well-built man punching her assaulter.

“I’ve already called the police. Are you okay?”, It was Liam. She looked at him in awe as she realizes how beautiful this man is… but this is not the time to be starstruck to this man’s beauty. She then looked at her assaulter who is now lying unconsciously on the ground… the van had vanished already too. They had escaped and left her assaulter behind.

“I’ve taken their plate number too.”, Liam said as if he had read her mind while following her gaze. Slowly he stroked her hair like a small child. She looked at him, stared directly into his eyes… she felt like he looks really familiar.

“You’re safe now, Marie.”, he smiled as he continued to calm her down. It was like a dream… he was her knight in shining armor… her prince. His smile was the most beautiful smile she ever saw… and now she could see his face in the brightness of the streetlight, she could tell that he is the most handsome man she ever saw too.

“T-Thank you.”, Marie stuttered as she talked.

“I heard your story earlier that you are working here to earn money to help your dad get better. Don’t get me wrong… I didn’t mean to eavesdrop.”, Liam smiled… which only calmed her even more.

“You know, I am not bragging but I could help you in solving your problems… and actually, that’s why I’ve been following you earlier.”, Liam added but Marie is still unresponsive due to the traumatic experience she had just encounter. She felt everything is too overwhelming.

“I know this will be too sudden but I could only help you if… you would marry me.”, Liam said. Marie thought she might actually be dreaming, there is no man as handsome as this on his right mind who would propose marriage to a woman he just met… while working in a nightclub.

Marie just stared at him in disbelief. Liam looked around the surrounding and went to pick up a can ring near the trash bin.

“Will you marry me… Marie?”, Liam said kneeling one of his foot… not sure because it was an action to propose or just because Marie is sitting on the ground and had approached her earlier like this.

Marie still couldn’t answer and looked at the man still lying unconsciously. She wondered if all of these are real.

“Don’t worry… he would be sleeping for a while.”, Liam smiled as he followed her gaze when they suddenly heard the police sirens nearby.

“If it’s too sudden, I’ll give you a week to answer.”, Liam said as he stood up as he looked at the police cars arriving the scene nearby. Slowly, Liam assisted Marie to stand up.

“Keep this for now. Come to me when you’re ready. Remember, just a week for you to decide.”, Liam reminded her before facing the police who had now arrived to ask them.

Marie, still in shock looked at Liam with admiration… she felt her heart beating so fast and she knew that she… fell in love with her savior.

Today…

“Marie, do you take Liam to be his wife?”, the minister asked.

“Yes, I do.”, Marie smiled happily as she looked at her husband.