MARRIED TO HELL AT FIRST

Chapter 1: “I cannot accept this arrangement! You cannot just marry me off like that, Dad. "I am not an item!” She paused, holding her gaze firmly at her dad. “This is the 21st century, Dad. An arranged marriage??” Bianca managed to utter, her voice unsteady. Her mind raced as a whirlwind of emotions swept through her… she just couldn’t believe her ears. Her parents were attempting to trade her to settle a debt! This must be a nightmare, she thought silently to herself… Her father, Mr. Williams finally spoke, “Bianca, this isn’t about you. It isn’t easy for us to accept either; it is the only way out. We have lost virtually everything, and soon we could lose this house too. I believe you wouldn’t want us ending up in the streets or jail. Every decision and move I made was to better our lives in the end, especially yours, child.” Bianca felt a wave of anger and sadness wash over her. “No, you didn’t!” she yelled, now amidst tears. “All you did was for your selfish interest only." Everyone knows you would do anything to belong to the uppermost class. "I won’t let you use me as a pawn for your goal,” she added. “Bianca, please do not make this harder than it already is,” Mr Williams said, regulating his emotions. “As you well know, we have currently lost the company and most of our assets. I could end up in prison; Fredrick isn’t one to be owed a debt as huge as this,” Williams added. Bianca’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Marry someone just to pay off your debts? "How can you be so cruel to even consider that?” she said scornfully, gazing at her parents. Her mother’s face softened, tears welling up. “We are desperate, dear. It’s not what we want for you, but it’s the only way out,” Mrs. Williams managed to utter. “Bianca, we believe it’s time you consider marriage and accept this proposal,” Williams said again. This so infuriated Bianca that a shiver went through her. She was beyond reasoning at this point; she had always been a dutiful daughter, but she was drawing the line this time. She couldn't sacrifice her happiness for the sake of family duty. “I won't do it. I won't be a part of this rubbish arrangement,” she yelled, sobbing. Mr. Williams sat there on the sofa, impassive and resolute, as he listened to Bianca’s outburst. One could easily tell he wasn’t going to budge. After a deep sigh, he finally spoke. “I’m sorry, young lady, you would have to marry Liam Smith. You really do not have a say here. The wedding is already set in motion.” “You would do no such thing, Dad… You have no f*****g right!” she yelled. Williams, already agitated and having lost all calmness, sprang up on his feet almost immediately, his index finger pointed straight at Bianca. “You silly and ungrateful thwart!” he yelled. “You dare speak to me in that manner?” he asked. Immediately, Mrs. Williams hastily intervened, lest the situation got out of hand. “Will, dear, please calm down. We shouldn’t fight over this,” she said tenderly, tapping his shoulder. “Bianca,” she muttered, now facing her daughter, “I know this is a little too much to take in. We have got to work it out together as a family; fighting won’t help,” she said, pleading for some serenity. This was one of the many things Williams loved about his wife; she always had a way of calming him down. If only Bianca could be as reasonable as her mother, he thought silently… He then heaved a low sigh and dashed back to the sofa calmly. “Mom, you can’t possibly be a part of this!” Bianca said, refusing to believe her mother could be a party to this arrangement. “Please do not let Dad do this to me,” she added. Poor Mrs. Williams, who had also started sobbing at this point, could do nothing to help her helpless daughter. She knew there was no other way out, nor could she dare oppose her husband's decision. Williams, now calmer, tried speaking to his daughter again. “Child, you are being selfish. This isn't just about you. It’s about our family as a whole and our future. And remember, I risk going to jail should you refuse this offer. Fredrick has promised to cater to our needs as long as this marriage stands. As you already know, we have been stripped of our means of income. We are desperate, Bianca.” “I won't do it. I can’t believe you’d want me to sacrifice my happiness for money. I’m not a bargaining chip!” Bianca yelled, this time reflecting a sense of intense resolve. Mr. Williams yet again lost all patience and sprang up to his feet almost immediately, finger-pointing at Bianca. He raised his voice sharply, “You, Bianca, must marry Liam Smith! It is an order!” he yelled. “No, you can't do this to me, Daddy. I am your child,” Bianca moaned while looking straight at her father with eyes pleading earnestly for compassion. Williams quickly turned and almost immediately walked away, leaving Bianca confused and shattered. “Dad…! Dad…!” Bianca yelled after him and immediately dropped to the floor, screaming and in tears. Mrs. Williams quickly rushed over to her daughter, comforting her and quickly pulling her to herself. “It's okay, baby. Do not cry. You know your dad always wants and does what is best for you and us all as a family.” Bianca felt the weight of her mother's words pressing down on her, a mix of anger and despair swirling within. “But I don’t love him, Mom! I don’t even know him,” she cried, pulling away from her mother’s embrace. The thought of marrying Liam Smith, a man chosen for her without her consent, was suffocating. “Why did you let this happen, Mommy?” Bianca, who had stopped sobbing at this point, managed to ask. Mrs. Williams looked at her daughter with a mixture of sympathy and helplessness. “I know, sweetheart, but sometimes we have to make sacrifices for the greater good. This is the right and only path for our family.” The words felt hollow, and Bianca could see the fear in her mother’s eyes. It felt like they were both trapped in a web of expectations, unable to break free… “Bianca, your father loves you very much, and you know it. Whatever decision he makes is for your best benefit, my dear. I want you to agree and not fight with your father. The wedding is in a few weeks already; you are going to be married into an extremely influential family and to a very handsome and promising—what more could a girl ask for?” But just as her mother finished speaking, a sudden gust of wind rattled the windows, sending shivers down Bianca’s spine. The air was charged with uncertainty, leaving Bianca to wonder what awaited her next…