Secret Affair

Proposal

SOFIA

I always loved business and wanted to go for Business Administration in college, but Veronica insisted I study Media Art because it was her dream to be a media person. She made it sound like it was the best course there is and once I went for it, we wouldn't have to struggle so much. I am aware she was only trying to live her dreams through me. She was convinced that once I became popular, if I ever became popular, that is, she could utilize the opportunity for her gain. I tried to argue about why business was a better option, but she wouldn't listen and reminded me of how much I owed her. In her words, I had been munching off of her since she met and married my father. She explained that my dad was always borrowing money from her, and he was already bankrupt before they met. She insisted that she was the one sustaining everyone and became teary-eyed that I didn't trust her judgment. She said she didn't have to take me with her when the house got sold, but she loved me too much to leave me behind. She said if she hadn't done that, no one would want to take me in. I don't know how it happened, but since we moved to the suburbs, Veronica has always had one medical reason or another for why she couldn't work or provide for the family, which leaves me to step up. To make it up to her, I worked two waitressing jobs to help ease our financial burden. Veronica couldn't do anything because she had weak knees and couldn't stand for too long. I had always worked two separate jobs since we moved, one in the afternoon beginning at five p.m. and ending a little past eight and the other beginning at nine and closing at one a.m., both for five hours each. I couldn't put in more hours than that because I needed to create the time for school and have a little rest in between. I will never forget the time I had planned on running away for good. Once my wages came in, I gave it all to her, leaving a little cash for necessities like transportation fare and toiletries. Sometimes, I ended up having to buy food from the little I saved because she somehow managed to spend the money on god knows what, and forgot to buy food for us to eat. She was always complaining that I gave her so little and advised that I start a third job. I should have left and stayed on my own, but I didn't. I felt like I needed her to survive. I had even saved enough money when Veronica suddenly developed a condition known as Synovial Chondromatosis. She needed surgery as soon as possible and even though the money I had saved up couldn't pay for it, it had also somehow managed to disappear. When I asked, she claimed I was accusing her of theft and became all emotional about it. I stayed to take care of her and repay all her kindness after that.

Although I was not too fond of the Media Arts course at first, I began to enjoy it after some time. There was pretty interesting stuff to learn in the program. I don't let whatever Veronica does with her free time bother me, but I especially disliked it when different men kept visiting the house. One Saturday afternoon, I was just about to leave the house for my first job, and someone visited the house. I had thought it was one of those things and didn't think too much about it because it had nothing to do with me. They are Veronica's guests, and she would never do anything to harm me. She made sure I stayed around while they discussed whatever they had to say, occasionally looking at me and then nodding. Whatever Veronica was telling the man, I didn't like the way he kept looking at me, or why I had to sit through it all. Once the man left, she was all excited and told me what they had discussed. He is Tim Jacobson, an aspiring politician who just moved into the community, hoping to become the mayor in the coming election. He had done so much for the community and was soliciting the votes of the people. All of these had nothing to do with me, and I was already running late, but with Veronica, it was better to hear her out. I wish she would hurry up whatever she had to say.

"That young man is here for you," she said after singing his praises, but my brain was taking too long to process what she just said to understand, and I stared at her blankly while listening to her explain. "You know what this means? He came to propose and wanted to get married as soon as possible," she laughed like a maniac, "He said if we didn't accept he would choose someone else, can you believe it?" she asked excitedly, as if she was the one about to be forced into an unplanned married. I couldn't believe my ears. I hadn't thought about getting married yet, but here my stepmother had already found me a husband.

"I don't know what to say," I said as I tried to remember his appearance. He should be in his thirties, with a receding hairline, a little good-looking, but that was all I saw. I don't know him enough to want to marry him. Where in the world is that even done?

"Don't be modest, he will take good care of you, and we can stop living from hand to mouth," she said, trying to sugarcoat the bullshit she was trying to sell.

"I don't have any feeling for him to make me want to marry him, Mother," I said, as the situation's absurdity sank in.

"Don't worry about that, he probably only wanted to get married to you for a few years. You should consider yourself lucky to score this big, with your looks and all, " she said, walking close to holding my hand. I felt suffocated, unsure of what to do. Why was she trying to push me into marrying someone I barely knew? "I know what is best for you, okay, I know that you would be happy with him, trust me," she said, and although I wanted to refute this, I couldn't, my tongue wouldn't even move or argue.

"Excuse me?" was all I managed to say.

"You owe me, young lady," she said in a stern voice now. "It is in your best interest that I am doing this. If it weren't for me, you would have been long forgotten. That man just offered to pay for my knee surgery, something you couldn't even do all these years, isn't that a blessing?"

"I can get you the money. I just need a little more time, I don't need to get married for that," I protested feebly, there was no getting out of this.

"How? Are you going to rob a bank to get it? You are already working two jobs and the pay doesn't amount to much. Do you think you will be able to make enough money in five years? Are you trying to kill me or watch me die of pain?" she screamed, making me shiver. It sounded like everything was my fault. I have saved some money in the past year, but she found where I stashed it and squandered everything by gambling online. I am sick of it, but I can't even say no. "Think of it this way," she said in a much softer voice "Once you are married, you will become so popular, that a lot of girls will envy you, and when you graduate, you won't have to do so much because people like Tim would have a good job waiting for you. You wouldn't even have to suffer a day. Your future husband is already an important person, you will live in luxury all your life. What else could you possibly ask for?" she said. "The possibility of you getting a good husband like that with a face like yours is close to zero, most girls are dying to be in your position." She kept talking and nothing was making sense as I sat there listening to her. All I felt was anger beyond words and I couldn't even show it, she would get me married to that man no matter what I said. My only regret was not running away when I had the chance. "Remember, he is a politician, he would find you if you try to run, so don't even think about it," Veronica said promptly, as if she knew what I was thinking.

"He looks like he is already married," I said in an attempt to get her to understand.

"He just got divorced, you will be his wife when he becomes the mayor, so get ready, your wedding is this evening," she said with a note of finality.