I’ll Marry Your Son
1508 Words
The silence that followed was deafening as if the weight of my stepmother's words had sucked the air out of the room. I felt like a bird in a gilded cage, trapped and helpless.
My mind was a jumble of emotions, anger, fear, and desperation all vying for dominance. But I knew I had to keep my wits about me, to think strategically, if I was going to find a way out of this impossible situation.
I took a deep breath and forced myself to speak, my voice barely above a whisper.
"I need time to think about this," I said, trying to sound calm, trying to sound rational. But inside, I was screaming.
“Erika there’s no time left..your father is dying,” She said
My eyes shone angrily, why should I be the one to get married, what happened to their lovely daughter, Emma
“I don’t think I can do this...Emma is old enough too, she can get married to him” I said
My stepmother's expression turned cold and calculating, her eyes narrowing as she spat out her response.
"Emma is too valuable to us, she has a future ahead of her, a future that doesn't involve sacrificing herself for this family's legacy. You, on the other hand, are a struggling artist, with no prospects, no future. You are the perfect sacrifice." Her words cut deep, like a knife to the heart. I felt like I was nothing more than a pawn in their game of power and wealth. But I refused to back down, refused to be used like this. I stood my ground, my voice firm,
"I won't do it. I won't marry him. Find another way."
“Your perfect daughter with a future should marry him,” I said
A woman entered and I recognized her immediately, she was the one talking with Felix's mother at the engagement party
“Do this for your father..or you’ll lose him?” The woman said
The woman's words felt like a threat, a manipulation. I knew she was trying to guilt trip me into agreeing to the marriage. But I refused to back down. I looked her straight in the eye and said,
"I won't be blackmailed into a loveless marriage. If my father's life is at stake, then find another way to save him. I'm not going to sacrifice my own life and happiness for this family's legacy." The woman's expression turned cold, and I could see the calculation in her eyes. She was thinking of another way to manipulate me, to get what she wanted. But I stood firm, my resolve unshaken.
“What have you ever done in your life, you’re so useless and the only favour you can do for your father in your useless life. you’re still rejecting” My stepmother shouted angrily
Her words stung like a whip, cutting deep into my soul. I felt a surge of anger and hurt, but I refused to let her see me break. I stood tall, my eyes flashing with determination, and replied,
"I may not have lived up to your expectations, but I am still your husband's daughter, and I deserve respect. And I will not be bullied into a marriage that will destroy my life. I will find another way to save my father, a way that doesn't involve selling myself to a stranger." My voice was firm, steady, and resolute, a declaration of independence and defiance in the face of their manipulation and control.
“Isn’t it your fault..your so-called boyfriend betrayed you and even let you get married to a rich girl..you’re just jinxed” She shouted
The words felt like a slap in the face, a painful reminder of my past heartbreak. I felt a stinging sensation in my eyes as tears pricked at the corners, but I refused to let them fall. I took a deep breath and stood up straight, my voice steady and calm.
"That may be true," I said, "but it doesn't change the fact that I deserve better than to be sold off like a commodity. I deserve love, respect, and happiness, not a loveless marriage to a stranger." I looked her straight in the eye, my gaze unwavering.
"And I will not be blamed for the mistakes of others. I am not a jinx, I am a strong and capable person who deserves a chance to live my own life."
The woman couldn’t talk..she was just watching us exchange words
We started hearing the fast beeping of the machine, and Dad was breathing heavily
My heart raced as I turned to my father, seeing the machines beeping rapidly, his chest rising and falling with labored breaths. My stepmother's eyes widened in alarm, and for a moment, our argument was forgotten.
We both rushed to his side, my stepmother grabbing his hand, and I grasping his other one, my eyes pleading with him to stay with us.
The woman who had been watching our exchange earlier quickly stepped forward, her face stern.
"We need to get him stable, now," she said, her voice firm and commanding.
"We can't waste any more time. Erika, you need to make a decision, and you need to make it now." The machines beeped faster, my father's breathing becoming more shallow, and I knew I had to act.
I felt like I was being torn apart, my heart racing with the weight of the decision before me. I looked at my father, his eyes sunken, his face pale, and I knew I couldn't lose him. I took a deep breath, and with a heavy heart, I nodded.
"Okay," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
"I'll do it. I'll marry him." The machines beeped slower, my father's breathing stabilizing, and I felt a wave of relief wash over me. But as I looked at my stepmother and the woman, I knew I had just made a deal with the devil. And I had no idea what lay ahead.
“Start the treatment,” The woman said to the doctors
The doctor took my father out of the ward and I couldn’t stop crying
Tears streamed down my face as I watched my father being wheeled away, feeling a sense of loss and despair wash over me.
I had just sacrificed my happiness, and my future, to save his life. I felt like I was walking into a nightmare, a prison of my own making.
My stepmother's eyes gleamed with triumph, and the woman's expression was cold and calculating.
I knew I was in grave danger, trapped in a web of their making. I couldn't stop crying, my body shaking with sobs, as I realized the true extent of my sacrifice. I was losing myself, my freedom, my everything. And I didn't know if I would ever find my way back.
*
One of the nurses was taking me to my so-called husband to be..and I was so nervous
“You don’t have to be nervous..he’s nice”
I appreciated the nurse's attempt to reassure me, but my anxiety only intensified as we approached the room where my betrothed awaited.
My mind raced with dreadful scenarios and uncertainties. What would he be like? Would we have anything in common? Would he even care about my well-being? The nurse's words echoed in my mind -"he's nice" - but I couldn't shake off the feeling of dread that had taken hold of me. I felt like a lamb being led to the slaughter, unable to escape the fate that had been thrust upon me.
As we entered the room, my heart sank, and my eyes met those of a stranger, a man who was about to become my husband.
He was the same person I met him the other day at the engagement party
“What’s going on” she asked herself
“My son had an accident three months ago, and he has been in a coma since then, I wouldn’t want to disclose anything to you yet until you’re sure ready to marry him” His mother stepped in and I turned to her
My eyes widened in shock as I turned to his mother, my mind reeling with the implications of what she was saying.
"Your son has been in a coma for three months?" I repeated my voice barely above a whisper.
"And you want me to marry him, without even knowing if he'll ever wake up?" I felt a wave of horror wash over me, my heart racing with the thought of being tied to a man who may never regain consciousness. I looked at the woman, her face stern and resolute, and I knew that I had to make a decision. But what choice did I give birth to? My father's life was on the line, and I was the only one who could save him. I took a deep breath, steeling myself for what was to come.
"I understand," I said, my voice firm. "I'll do it. I'll marry your son."
- Writer
