The Marriage Arrangement

Prudence- 10 years ago People are always telling me how lucky I am to have Evalyn and Forest Sands as parents. They are loved by everyone, but me. I might be only 12, but I see them for the horrible people they truly are. They used to take me out at parties to show off their pretty little girl to all of their friends, but that all changed when my “baby fat” stopped being cute. My mother has had me on a diet since I was 10, but I am still too fat for her. My father is no better. When he isn’t ignoring me he just tells me how stupid, fat, and ugly I am. I pray every day that I will somehow become good enough to be their daughter. It is the 4th of July. My mother and father are having their annual Independence Day Celebration. I am hiding out in the greenhouse when I overhear something that will change my life forever. I make myself as small as possible when five men storm in dragging a sixth man. The man they are dragging is covered in blood and begging for his life. The situation becomes even scarier when my mother and father come in. Mother kicks him in the head while Father grabs a pair of pliers from a table. I begin to cry, my mother hears and drags me from my hiding place. She throws me on the ground and tells me to watch. The next 15 minutes are the scariest I have ever experienced. In the end, the man is dead and Mother is dragging me across the yard. It will be another 6 years before I am allowed to leave the estate. Chapter 1- Prudence I walk into the colorless living room of my parents' latest home. My mother rises from the white couch, looking me up and down, trying to hide the look of disgust of the couple sitting on chairs across from her. The woman smiles curtly at me and the man looks me up and down, his face not showing any emotion. Mother introduces them as Mr. and Mrs. Fracier and I know why they are here, the time to auction me off as a bride to the highest, or most powerful bidder has come. I knew this day would come, but I am still not ready. I want to use my public relations degree to become independent from my parents, but I know that is a fantasy. The only thing I will be expected to do is be a quiet wife who looks the other way when her husband sleeps with everyone but me. I will have children that I will not raise, become an active member of the country club, and throw parties for the “right” people. If I was not the daughter of the most powerful family in New York, I would not be considered as a bride for the men that my father will choose from. I could not look any different from my beautiful mother. She is tall and thin, her chin-length blonde hairstyle accentuates her facial features, and she is wearing a dress that costs more than the average American makes in a month. I am at least a half foot shorter than her, my thighs rub together, and I haven’t had a flat stomach since I was 8. With my dirty blonde hair that is always a curly mess, and no sense of style, people often ask if I was adopted. The only thing I inherited from her was my hazel eyes, everything else came from my paternal grandmother, whom I never met. My father saunters into the room, and mother excuses the two of us to the kitchen. We have barely crossed the threshold when she starts to berate me. “What ARE you wearing?” she whispers as she drags me over to the counter. She proceeds to tear my long, flowery dress from my body so I am only in my bra and panties. She pokes at the fat around my belly and slaps my thighs with a wooden spoon she grabs from a drawer. “You disgust me!” she sneers, as my tears start to fall. “Go upstairs and find something that hides all of your fat rolls, and come back down. Your father is bringing over potential husbands for you today.” I run up the backstairs to my room, trying to stifle my tears. I don’t know why I let her affect me, she has spoken to me like this for most of my life. I enter my empty room, mother doesn’t approve of clutter, and head to my closet. I look at all the beautiful dresses my personal shopper has found for me and choose a black, knee-length dress and 4 inch heels. I put on shapewear that makes it difficult to breathe, but conceals my “flaws”. There is a knock on my door and Isabella comes in. She fixes my unruly hair into an updo my mother will approve of, and applies makeup to my pale face. I look at myself in the mirror and I know it will not be good enough for my parents, but it is the best we can do. “You look beautiful!” Isabella tells me as she ushers me out the door and into a life I know I will hate. Chapter 2- Prudence I walk back into the sitting room where my parents are talking to the Fracier’s about the best places to spend the Winter Holidays. The conversation stops as soon as I walk in. “Prudence, have a seat,” my father orders, motioning to an empty chair. I sit down in the chair, careful to sit up straight and cross my ankles. I am very aware of the fact that I am being scrutinized by everyone in the room. “What are your plans for the future, Prudence?” Mrs. Fracier asks me. “I hope to use my degree in media relations to help local charities, until I am married and become a mother.” This is the response my mother has instructed me to use and she actually has a slight smile on her face. “How wonderful!” Mrs. Fracier gives me a huge smile. I like her, maybe marrying into her family wouldn’t be too bad. “What a waste of time and money, sending a woman to college.” Mr. Frasier grumbles at my father. He shoots a glare at his wife, and she cowers. I feel sorry for her, and worry that this will be my future. “I agree,” my father laughs, “Prudence was so determined to go, and I just couldn’t say no to her!” This is a lie. I went to university because Father hoped I would find a powerful husband. I was not successful. No one was good enough for him. He thought they were too good for me, but not good enough to join his family. During the 4 years I attended, I stayed in my parents' home, and a bodyguard accompanied me to every class. I was never left alone. The meeting continued with the men talking about me like I wasn’t there and their wives nodding in agreement when appropriate. I just sat, trying to keep my emotions under control. After what seemed like hours, the Frasiers go to leave and Father says he will be in touch. “Can you believe that w*********h really thinks I would allow their son to marry into my family?” Mother laughs and says,”They own a majority of the shopping malls in New York state!” “Shopping malls are a dying industry,” my father snaps back. Mother knows when to be quiet and turns her anger towards me. “Like they would have accepted HER anyway, she looks like all she does is eat and sleep.” “You are such a slob, no man would ever want you, except to get close to your Father!” She continues to rant while my father just smirks. Chapter 3- Keegan Father is berating me again about getting married. I am only 38, and in my prime. “Why would I want to give up my single life?” I sneer in response. “No one says you have to give up your girls, you just need to get married.” I don’t say anything in response. I know he was never faithful to my mother when she was alive, and I have always resented him for that. I will not get married and ruin a woman in the way my father had. He is remarried to a woman younger than me who drinks and takes pills to tolerate him. She spends his money and he has a young wife that looks good on his arm. Their relationship is transactional and that seems to suit them both. “Barbie and I are going to the home of Forrest Sands for brunch today. I will be meeting his daughter. Unfortunately, she is far from beautiful, but her father is very powerful and we need his connections. It will be a great union between our two families. We will rule the east coast!” “Father, I don’t need a wife!” I have had this conversation for years, but this one feels different. “Look Keegan, when I die, you will take over the family. You will need to produce a legitimate heir.” “Barbie is pregnant, I have another heir. If you want to inherit our empire, you will marry!” I gulp, I have a great life. I have never had to worry about money, I am a very powerful man. All of that would change if my father disowned me. I groan and accept my fate. Chapter 4- Prudence It’s been 6 months since I met the Frasiers. Mother and Father have introduced me to dozens of possible families, but either Father has found them wanting, or I was told I was not beautiful enough for them. I was standing in front of my mirror. I know I need to head down to the dining room, but I am stalling. I am not ready to meet yet another husband and wife who want their son to marry me. I slowly walk down the stairs, prepared for another disappointment. I walk into the dining room and see a man my father’s age with a woman not much older than my 22 years. I assume this is his second wife, or my father is now planning to marry me to a child. I giggle at that thought and my mother shoots me a glare that quickly shuts me up. “Prudence, I would like to introduce you to Hunter and Barbie Sparks. Their son, Keegan, would be an excellent match for you!” This is a definite change of tone from my father's previous introductions. In the past, I was just introduced and asked questions. This time it feels like a deal has already been struck. I knew I was looking at my future in-laws.