Saving Elise Carter

"You're going to marry Patrick Williams" My mother stated sternly. "What mom? No!" I extremely shouted, vibrating my voice around the hall. "Why should I marry that arrogant man?" I asked with confusion. "Isn't he the son of your enemy?" I've been raised to hate their kind. James William is my father's nemesis. They hate each other to death. As far as I remember, my mother always told me about that family's wrongdoings to our company. But now, what's happening? "Elise, listen." my mom said, staring intently at me. "You should marry him". "But why mom? I don't get it." "Your father..." she said. Her voice broke.."asked your father." and then she cried heavily. I was so confused. My conversation with my mother doesn't help me understand a thing. What is the role of my father in this sudden engagement with the man I don't love? Why did my mother cry? What's the reason behind it all? I was in agony. I didn't know what to do. Should I confront my father right away? or should I interrupt my mother from crying and question her to tell me anything? I've been so fond of this family. My father is a successful businessman and my mother is a former beauty queen. Our family is well known to the Philippines because we're one of those who belong to the alta sociedad- the circle of wealthy and aristocrat family- and this scenario doesn't even cross my mind and even worst marrying someone I classified as enemy. "Mom, can you just tell me the reason?" I pleaded. "I have the right to know. I am your only child. I don't get why you and 'Pa, decided to marry me off to that proud man." Another reason why she was against this marriage is because Patrick Williams is an arrogant, and proud creature who always boast himself to the public. She meet him in an occasion once and she can't handle the proudness he have in himself. He always boast about how good he is, how smart he was and how handsome he is. Well, to be honest, he is handsome but he's not her type. She doesn't like talkative man who talks and praise himself in every topic he said. He was so egoistic who thinks that he can buy everything with the money he has. And she doesn't want the way he stare at her! It gives her goosebumps. "My dear.... your father made a big mistakes." my mother answered between sobs. "He gamble the our company to James Williams, that shrewd old man!" "What? Gamble our company? But why?" I asked multiple questions."What happened between the two of them?" "James Williams sabotage your father's business deals, he holds grudges from the past." Mother uttered in lonely and suffering voice. James Williams was Mom's boyfriend before she met my father. She and James are only brought together by an arrange marriage, but when my mother meet my father in a certain occasion, they fell in love and the rest is history. That's the root of all the hatred James Williams have to our family. "Your father made a deal that he won the gamble, James will stopped causing chaos to our business but if James won, he can have the company." Mother continues talking "but, he suddenly change his mind, that he wants you to marry his son, in exchange of getting the company." "What?! I said in high pitched. This was so cliche. "So, father decided to marry me off just to keep the company, huh?" I said sarcastically. I can't believed that my father will do that to his only child. "I am her only child, for Pete's sake!" "No, no. It wasn't like that, Elise." Mother explained. "Your father will ready to give up everything. He was willing to let James have the company, but that man didn't agree and blackmailed your father that he will reveal his last card." "Last card? I don't understand." The story makes my head hurts. It doesn't going anywhere.