Fragments of the Past

The Proposal

Chapter 3

The Proposal and Wedding

One morning, Ruth was in father's housing pacing up and down, looking at the portraits of her father as a business mogul, winning awards in different areas in the business world. But now, she was surprised that her father's company which happened to be on top was now on the verge of collapse. Her father's health, getting deteriorated, was a major concern.

Ruth had no option than to continue with the arrangement without considering the misdeeds of Joseph in the past. She was poised to save the life of her father. She was poised to save her father's company from folding up.

But little did she know that the arranged marriage went beyond saving her father's life and taking out his father's company from bankruptcy.

On the other hand, Joseph was confused. He was confused about why his grandfather was interested in this arranged marriage. In the first place, Ruth was a stranger. He did not know her. To him, this was nothing more than a transaction. But Joseph’s loyalty to his grandfather outweighed his distaste for the arrangement.

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The second meeting between Ruth and Joseph was far from something to be described as an existence of love between them. The relationship was just too odd.

They met at Sharaton Hotel, Ghana. Ruth, dressed in a white wedding gown that showed her elegance and confidence, extended her hand for a handshake. But Joseph barely acknowledged it.

“This is not the time to begin to exchange handshakes but a time to sign the terms and conditions for the arranged marriage. This is the document outlining the terms and conditions for the arrangement; financial support for your father’s company and access to the Max medical fund for his treatment. In return, we remain married as husband and wife,” Joseph said.

Ruth, who had already prepared for the consequence of the arrangement, did not bother to scan through the document. Straight away, she signed it.

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The wedding started with soft music going in the background. It was a wedding party occasioned by extravagance and illusion of love. The demeanors exhibited by the couple were strange. Everyone was wondering whether something was missing.

After the wedding ended, Ruth's phone vibrated with an encrypted message from an anonymous person:

“Be careful who you trust. There’s more to this arrangement than you know.”

One morning, she overheard a conversation between two workers carrying out orders for her at home.

“I can’t believe he’s going through with it,” one man said. “Marrying her just to secure the merger? Risky move.”

Ruth froze. A merger? Joseph had never mentioned that their marriage was tied to a business deal.

Resolute to uncover the truth, Ruth began to investigate. With the help of Lizzy, an old friend residing abroad who was an ICT expert, she hacked into Joseph’s private account. What she found left her frozen.

Joseph’s grandfather had orchestrated the marriage not out of sentiment but as part of a calculated plan to merge the Max and Okoro Business Enterprises.

Also, while reviewing old financial records in her father's company, Ruth discovered some fraudulent practices in her father’s company accounts. Large sums of money had been fraudulently transferred from the account bearing her father's signature months before their financial troubles began. But she noticed a discrepancy between her father's signature and the signature used in authorizing the transfer. She knew that her father could not do such a thing.

At Max's family house, Joseph's activities were becoming suspicious. He had been having a series of conversations with some individuals which often stopped abruptly each time Ruth entered the room.

One evening, Ruth confronted Joseph leading to a chaotic argument.

“You used me!” Ruth shouted, her voice echoing through the sitting room. “This wasn’t about footing the medical bills of my ailing father or revamping my father's company. This was about merger and control!”

Before Joseph could explain the rationale, the estate’s power cut out, throwing them into total darkness. Then, a man burgled into their room with a dagger threatening to kill both of them

“I warned you both,” the intruder said, his voice chillingly calm.

It was the man who sent an anonymous message to Ruth at the wedding at Sheraton Hotel, Abuja.

In this situation, Ruth and Joseph were forced to work together to survive the night and uncover the conspiracy threatening their lives.