Her Marriage for convenience

¨what!?¨ I screamed, making my mother wince. ¨I can't marry him, mom. I don't know him, I don't even love him. ¨Isn't there any other way besides marriage? ¨Natalie, I know this must be so difficult for you. I'm sorry sweetie, but it can not be done. You have been crying over that good-for-nothing boy for years now. ¨It's about time you move on and forget about Mark. I stared at my mom, thinking she had lost her mind. What wedding? As if reading my mind, my mother spoke up ¨It's time for new beginnings dear. My mom pleads while taking my hands into hers. ¨You know how much I love and adore you. It's my main wish in life to see my only child happy' ¨I know this marriage is out of the blue and I shouldn't be meddling with your love life, but I just want to help you move on. I want you to have the best of the best, and I think Gray would make a good husband. I stared at my mom, examining her. She means well, I know she does, but I just can't. ¨Mom, I know you're doing this for me, but I don't need to marry someone to be happy!¨ ¨I don't even know who the man is for crying out loud.¨ I removed my hands from my mother, staring at her with terror in my eyes. ¨What if he's a criminal? Or a pedophile? What if he has committed murder or r**e before?¨ Mom laughs at my accusations. ¨I assure you, dear, he's nothing like that. In fact…¨ she trails off, pulling out her phone to find a photo. ¨He is a well-mannered gentleman from one of the most respected families in the country. " Your father and his father go way back. " He is a nice young man,' she concluded and pulls back her phone. ¨Hardworking, too.¨ ¨He might look well-mannered on the outside, but that doesn't make him good on the inside.¨ I crossed my arms over my chest. ¨I still don't like this.¨ ¨It's for your good, sweetheart.¨ My own good, my foot! My chest fills with dread, as I realize the seriousness of things. My mother is fully determined to marry me off to a man I don't know. I do not care how much of a saint this ¨Gray¨ will be. I would only recognize him as the person I'm forced to be with for the rest of my life. Mom lifts herself from my bed. ¨It's late. Get some rest. We will talk about this later.¨ ¨Think about it, dear.¨ She mumbles on her way out of my room. I crawl into my bed and take in a deep breath. Sleep escapes me as I weigh down all my options. Since when has my life taken a turn for the worst? Ever since he left. I reached down to my cabinet and opened its drawer. I pulled out my old phone. That same text message that left my heart in shambles is still on the phone undeleted. I began reading it for the umpteenth time. I still remember the first time I read it. I kept staring at the text message, hoping to summon its sender. A week after my fourth-year anniversary with my boyfriend, he just left a measly text message with a bunch of hurtful words. Hey Nat, You are probably wondering why I haven't been responding to your texts and calls, right? Well, I've left the country. I'm sorry that I'm telling you this way. I just don't want you to find out from someone else. I'm getting married. Truth be told, I wasn't happy with you and where I was in life and I want to achieve more for myself. Thank you for loving me, understanding me and giving me your all. I read out loud, switching off the phone and placing it back into the cabinet. Tears filled my eyes as memories of our past came flooding back. We were so happy, I was content. He was content. Or so I thought. He just left. Left like that. He left me.