Ulterior Motives

Dear steemians, this is my first attempt to write a fiction, hope you like it.

The story begins with a couple named Jim and Bella. Jim is a good-natured, kind and compassionate man who adores his wife and would go through anything to keep his wife happy and satisfied. While Bella is a little different than him and knows how much in love her husband is with her, ends up manipulating him at times for her ulterior motives, getting her way with him. One day out of nowhere Bella sees and ad in a newspaper about a challenge for couples only which has a reward for cash nearing up to a million dollars. Bella shows it to Jim and persuades him to participate in it.

Jim does a little research and warns Bella of all the horrors that this challenge entailed as no one ever came alive of that challenge. But Bella being Bella pushes him and his love for her into trying for this challenge and Jim being a caring man finally gives up to her influence. Once they reach the huge Mention mentioned in the ad, the door opens with one final warning to rethink their decision to which Bella hurriedly moves inside and Jim followes her. Now there is no turning back. They are told they have to go through seven doors in order to win this challenge.

So, they enter the first door and the first challenge awaits them. Inside the room, they are greeted by Gluttony. Gluttony asks them to eat as much food as they can until their bodies start giving up at this Jim looks at Bella who has already started to consume. A reluctant Jim follows the suit. And they eat until their stomachs started aching and they started vomiting, at this point Gluttony asks them to stop and hands them the key to the next room.

They enter the second room and Lust awaits them and ask them to fornicate with him, at this Bella confides in Jim that she will take this one for the team and starts fornicating with Lust. Jim confronts her that how she can be so open about this but she insists that it’s only for a while and is to gain a lot more riches than they could ever imagine. Hours go by while Jim stands disgusted at this sight. Lust finally gives up and give them the key to the next door.

Upon arriving the third door Greed greets them and informs them that they’ll have to give them all their worldly possessions whatever they may be carrying. Bella and Jim hands him their jewelry, their phones, their gold wrist watches. They are about to enter the next door but Greed asks them that they have forgotten about their wedding bands to which Bella complies right away. Jim refuses to do so as his ring holds a great value for him. Greed says you cannot pass until you do as you’re told. Bella gets angry at Jim and Jim finally caves.

Fourth door opens with a bang and an angry Wrath is standing there and points to a dog to kill him as he has made Wrath angry. Dumbstruck Jim looks at Bella but Bella reminds him about her contribution earlier and now it’s time for Jim to man up and take charge. Jim pleads with Wrath to which he responds that he is making him angrier and the time for the challenge will end up soon if he is not killing the dog. Upon hearing this Bella takes the axe and kills the dog and they move on to the next door.

Once they enter the fifth door Sloth lazily waves at them and points to a bundle of sticks that needs to be thrown into the fire and they have to do it all night as he wants to sleep peacefully. They start putting sticks into the pit but after a while Bella feels tired and sleepy tells Jim that she is going to sleep. Jim is tired himself but upon looking at his wife tells her to rest while he does the labor all night long. Next morning when Sloth wakes up and watches Bella sleeping he gets happy and tells them the real challenge was to be lazy and Bella did the right job by sleeping. Bella is happy with herself and Jim a little irritated from lack of sleep tells her that he did it for her to make her happy.

In the sixth room they found Envy. Envy announces that they’ll have to give some of their flesh to him, whatever they find envious in each other. Bella cleverly asks Jim that she has always been envious of his hands and fingers. They argue for a while but as Jim knew she is not going to back off, chops of his finger and gives it to Envy and Envy let them pass.

Now only the last room was left and they knew what was coming, as Pride was the only one left, the worst of all the deadly sins, the most demonic. Pride asked them to give him something that they are proud of to remember them by. They think about it for a while and finally Bella says she is very proud of her beauty and will give him her only photograph that Jim carries in his Wallet of the first time that they have met to which Pride agrees. A dejected Jim hands him that picture as he was very fond of that picture.

Now the time has come to claim their prize as they have cleared all the obstacles that came their way. All Seven Deadly Sins are gathered in the room and announce that only Jim will get the prize as Bella had an Ulterior Motive all along of killing Jim to get all the prize money and marrying his best friend. A very shocked Jim leaves for the door with all the cash money. As for Bella she’ll have to live in this house with all Seven Deadly Sins giving herself to them and satisfying their needs in every way possible for the rest of her life.

Photo Source : Pinterest

I let my imagination run wild with this piece, on a lighter note writer herself sometimes has Ulterior Motives when her husband takes her out for food every weekend and she ends up on a shopping spree ;)