MARRY ME

6 MONTHS BEFORE CLAIRE CARTER Always be a good girl. I grew up listening to my parents tell me this phrase, and today I try to remain a good girl, but part of me wants to be who I want to be. I'm only 19, and all my life I've grown up to be a good daughter to my parents. Furthermore, I'm the only daughter they've ever had, and I think I need to be the best for them. But I think I'm living the way they want me to and not the way I want to; sometimes I feel very empty. My parents also taught me never to listen to other people's conversations, but sometimes I don't obey my parents. I grew up hearing that I needed to inherit and run my father's companies when he got too old. I was the future of my family, and I grew up knowing that I had to do everything to save my family. Likewise, I was in my room when I heard the sound of a car approaching our house, and I knew that inside that car was my father's best friend. John Lannister. He's been my father's best friend since forever. My father told me that they studied at the same university when they were young and both became successful men in this country, but things aren't good in our family at the moment. I've known John forever, too; he's seen me grow up, and I have a great emotional bond with him, but I can't understand why he's here tonight. I've always been a curious girl, and that's why I'm standing behind my father's office door, listening to them talk. Our family's financial situation is not good, and I wonder how our family got involved in so many large debts. My father was once the richest man in this country; he was the billionaire CEO of a multinational company, but today it's not like before. I heard people talking in college; everyone was saying that we were losing all our money, and it would be a matter of months before we lost everything completely. I don't want to believe the things people say, but I've seen my father fire almost all of his employees, and that makes me even more confused. He was never a man who needed to save on anything, but these days everything is different, and I know there's something wrong with our assets. I'm studying business administration to run my father's company when the time is right, but I think I'll be prevented from doing so. The debts seem to grow every day, and I don't know what my father will do. But his best friend is here tonight, and by coincidence, John is the second-richest man. If my father gives up the company, his friend will become the richest man of all. I find it strange that he's here so late because I know he's a very guilty man. Maybe he's here to talk to my father about his company or ask for help. "I don't know what I'm going to do anymore; I can't sell this house; this is all I have left, John.", I hear my father saying it with a sigh. He's sitting by his desk, and I can see his friend sitting in one of the chairs available in my father's office. "You have a beautiful house; surely you could sell it for a good price and buy a smaller apartment.", I hear the hoarse voice of my father's friend. "This is my house, and I can't do that! I earned and bought this place with a lot of effort. Here are the best memories of my life. Claire grew up in this house." "If you don't want to sell your house, maybe you should consider my proposal; this is the best opportunity you'll ever have, and it'll be good for everyone.", John says, and I hear my father sigh again. "She won't accept it; she's a good daughter, but asking her to do this is too much.", I frown when I hear my father mention me in their conversation. "She's grown up to be your only heir; she's studying to manage everything you have today, and that will only be possible if you don't lose your company, Joseph." I keep listening to my father's conversation with his friend, wishing that my mother or some employee of the house would see me doing this. "John..." "Claire is your only option; talk to her; I know she'll understand, and she'll do it to save your family legacy. This is just a phase, and your daughter is your only salvation at the moment. "You've seen her grow up, and she likes you, but I don't know if my daughter will accept marrying you." I snap my eyes away from the door, and seconds later, the sound of something breaking is heard. I look down at the floor, seeing that I've knocked over one of my mother's plant pots. Furthermore, I raise my head, seeing that my father and John are looking at me now. I wish that what I heard my father say was something wrong in my head, but it can't be possible. I have a thousand questions running through my head when I hear my father's voice calling me: "Claire, come here, darling!", I rush into the office, still in shock at what I've heard. I approach my father, and my eyes fix on John sitting in the chair, and I realize that he is also looking at me at that moment. My father and I are the same age; John is 41, and he has no family members. I remember my father telling me that his parents died in a car accident when he was a child, and he was the only survivor. He's a man who's old enough to be my father, but he doesn't look very old; he has black hair that's a bit gray and green eyes. He's a handsome man, but I didn't understand when my father told me that I wouldn't agree to marry him. That's crazy; he's like an uncle to me, and I can't do that. "Dad...", I called out, asking him to explain it to me better. "Claire, this isn't the way I wanted to tell you, but we're out of options at the moment; we're close to losing the company, darling.", he says, and I see the sad expression on his face. My mother told me that my father struggled a lot to manage and become a successful CEO of a large company, and now it could all be over. "I'm sorry about that, Dad. I know how hard you've worked not to let this happen." "Yes, but we only have one option at the moment, and that's up to you, Claire." I frown at the two men, and I know he's going to say something I'm not going to like. "We're going to lose everything, but you can save the company and save our family from debt, Claire." "Dad, I don't understand. You can set up another company in the future, or you can take out a loan at the bank to pay for everything, and we'll be able to sort it all out.", I say, and he nods, looking at me. "Claire...", he whispers, holding my hand. "You haven't told her yet?", John asks my father, and I get more confused. "Tell me what?" "Your father has taken out a lot of loans with very dangerous people, and now they want the money they lent your father.", John says this with his eyes fixed on me. "What? Dad, why did you do this?", I ask, looking at the man I love most in the world in front of me. "I'm sorry, but I didn't want you and your mother to know about this. I tried to fight bankruptcy on my own, but there's no other way.", he says, squeezing my hand, and at that moment I see tears in his eyes. "There's only one option.", John says, and I remember what I heard a few minutes ago. "What is that option?", I ask nervously. "You'll have to sign a marriage contract with John.", I widen my eyes again, looking at my father. "What? I can't understand how this is going to help the company, Dad." "John can afford to help with our estate, and he needs a wife to carry on his legacy." I still can't believe that my father got involved with dangerous people for the sake of money, and I still can't believe that they want me to get married to save our family. My father started to explain why I should do this: John is a very rich man, and he could help our financial situation if I became his wife. This is too ridiculous, and I can't believe my father is proposing this to me. The situation gets worse when he says that it will be a contract marriage and that everything will end when he gets an heir. John has no living family members, and he needs someone to continue inheriting and managing everything he has today. And that means that I would marry him to save my family from great financial destruction, and I would need to give him a son. I've known this man forever, and to let him get pregnant because of that is crazy. "You've grown up and are studying to run your father's company. You've always known that the time would come when he would need you, Claire.", John says he is looking at me, and I see my father with his head down, looking at his desk. "He's involved with very dangerous people, and we don't know what he might try to do to your father. It's your choice, Claire. If you become my wife, I want you to know that I would never hurt you; it's just a contract.", he says, and I blink my eyes, still trying to believe it all. I'm still in the first years of business school, and I'd never thought of having children at such a young age and marrying a man who is old enough to be my father. "We are two very powerful families, and our marriage would be good for everyone." He continues talking while I stare in silence at my father who has a guilty expression on his face, I didn't know he had taken out loans with dangerous people, all this time he was hiding it from our family. Now I'm sitting next to my father listening to him say that the men are threatening him, and the threats started a few days ago, and we can't afford to pay the full amount of money. "Claire, I can't ask you to do something like this; I'd be being a very selfish father, and I'll understand perfectly if you don't accept this agreement between our families.", my father says, and I raise my head, feeling like crying. "I've always known that I'd have to manage this family somehow, and if this is the only way to save everything, I'll accept it.", I say, looking at my father's friend, who is looking at me right now. I've known him all my life and I know he's a good man, but I still can't understand why he's still single at 41 today. I've always wanted to date or be with someone I felt very much in love with, but I see that I'm going to marry a man and our relationship doesn't involve that kind of love. I'm doing this to save our family, I don't want my father to die because of these dangerous people, I need to do this for our family. "Are you sure about this, Claire?", my father asks me, completely surprised, and I nod. "I agree to marry John." I look at the green-eyed man in front of me as he hands my father some papers. "I always knew you were a clever girl, Claire. This is the contract, and you can read it carefully before signing." My father starts to read the sheets, but I quickly take the pen and sign my name at the bottom of every sheet. I feel very hurt right now, and I just want to get out of this room. "Claire...", My father touches my arm, but I nod. "Don't worry, Dad, nothing will happen to our family.", I say, feeling like crying. I lift my head and quickly leave my father's office.