Episode 3
1195 Words
If only Mr. Wilfred had a g*n at this moment.
He stands up tall and walks up to the rich man in his overpriced suit.
“Who the hell are you?” Mr. Wilfred asks. But he simply reaches into his pocket and brings out his card. The whole congregation watches in amazement.
“George Vintage Junior. At your service,” he said. Everyone gasps in horror. They’ve all heard of him.
George Vintage Junior, is the heir of the Vintage Empire, a billion-dollar company that owns half of Manhattan real estate. Christina cannot believe her eyes. This man could have thrown her in prison for even moving close to her. He could have had fun with her for a night and called it a day.
Why is he here? What does he want?
“I’m sorry, Mr. Vintage,” Mr. Wilfred’s voice softens. “I think you may have been mistaken. We are just a modest family on this side of the world celebrating our children’s love. What could a man like you possibly want with us?”
“Your daughter,” another loud gasps from the audience. “We spent some times together in the past few weeks, and I can’t get it out of my head.”
“Me too,” Christina thinks.
“If you will allow me, I will very much like for her to be mine,”
“Absolutely not,” Simmons blurts out. “That is my wife you are talking to,”
“Technically not,” Junior announces. “According to the Marriage Act, she belongs to whoever she consents to marry. If she chooses to be mine, we can proceed with the party but with me as the groom instead. So, Christina, what do you say? Wanna give it a try?”
This is the first time anyone is giving her a choice in anything concerning her life. It is exciting.
“Enough,” Mr. Wilfred announces. “She is my daughter and I decide who she marries. I have made my decision, so…”
“No,” Christina’s voice shocks the audience.
“What?” Mr. Wilfred can’t believe is eyes.
“This is my decision to make. I choose who I marry,”
“How dare you…?” Mr. Wilfred tries to strike her across the face, in his usual manner, but Junior holds his hand in a firm grip.
“Now, Mr. Wilfred,” he announces. “That is not a way to treat a grown adult,” he releases his hand and Mr. Wilfred composes himself when he sees several of Junior’s guards standing outside the door.
“Christina, what have you decided?” Junior asks again, his hand stretched forward.
Christina looks at the audience. They all have the horrific look on their faces that informs her that accepting Junior’s invite won’t be a great decision. Her mother shakes her head, begging her not to leave.
For the first time in her miserable life, she feels like she might actually be free. She still doesn’t know Junior’s intention though. What if he has a sinister motive behind this?
“Think well,” Mr. Wilfred warns. “If you go with him, you will never be welcomed in my home again.”
That does it.
Whatever doubt she has is buried deep. In an effort to make her father angrier, she takes Junior’s hand. Everything else move fast.
Junior helps her out and into the car. The audience hurl abuses at them and throws stone at the car as they zoom off. Christina’s family estate is vast. It is a large farmland with different crops and animal sheds.
She has gone used to this life and even though she had willingly thrown it all away she can’t help but feel some deep pain as the realization sets in that she may never see it all again.
Junior sits with her but they do not share a word on the journey to the hotel. His men lead her to a room where she rests for the rest of the day.
By evening, she has no breathing space. There are top tier fashion designers in her room, industry level makeup artists, camera men, and so on. She has no idea what is going on. She suddenly feels like she has been thrown from one life of submission into another.
They all spend hours and hours tidying her up and when they show her to the mirror, she is amazed.
“This can’t be me!” she thought. Her new hairstyle highlights the silver in her eyes, her skin has never been whiter and her necklace must be worth an estate.
Why is he spending this much on me?
The men still don’t say anything. They just lead her to the car and take her to the luxurious restaurant. Junior is waiting. He is stunned to see how much she has transformed. He is wearing a grey suit and he doesn’t seem so formal this time.
He clears his throat and motions for her to take a seat.
“Thank you,” she says. She sits before him. They both sit there in silence for a minute.
“So…” Junior is about to start but Christina cuts her off immediately.
“Why are you doing all these?” she asks. Junior seems surprised.
“You don’t remember?” he asks.
“Remember what?” she asks.
“You asked me to,” Christina is shocked.
“What?”
“The whole night, you were talking about how your father was forcing you into a marriage you hate. You said you wished someone was going to come and save you. You don’t remember saying that to me?”
“s**t!” She thought. She must be crazy drunk and spilling family secret that night. The poor billionaire is taking pity on her.
Still, it doesn’t make any sense. Even if he heard her say all that, why will he actually do it?
“So, you just came to save me because I asked you to?” She inquires.
“Not really,” he declares. Then, he slides a document over to her. The document has been laying bare on the table the whole time but it is her first time noticing it. She picks it up and opens it. It’s just old, boring legal words.
“What does it say?” she finally asks.
“That you are to marry me. For twelve months,” he declares. “In the meantime, you will do whatever I ask. Every event, every function. We will have to put a public face together.”
“And what do I get from this arrangement?”
“A check!”
Christina finally sees the money. Her eyes widen in surprise.
“Ten million dollars, for all your grief,” he announces proudly. “With that, you will never have to return to your parent’s farm or be oppressed by anyone ever again. You can be free as a bird,”
He takes a sip of his wine and studies her for a second.
“So, what do you say?”
- Writer
