Chapter 1: The Ultimatum
1193 Words
"Brenda, sit down."
My father headed to the couch opposite his desk, his face unfathomable and his speech abnormally rough. I could hardly see the metropolitan skyline beyond his office's floor-to-ceiling windows. My stomach growled. Only when something went wrong, he called me in this manner.
I crossed my legs to avoid them from shaking when I lay in the chair. "What's going on?"
He turned to me after a quick sigh and a stroke to his temples. "We're having problems, Brendan.”
"The company—it's not just struggling. It's collapsing."
His remarks didn't register for a second. "Collapsing? What do you mean? We just landed that international contract last quarter—"
His voice was tight and controlled as he said, "Gone. They pulled out last night.” "The banks won't give us any more loans since we're drowning in debt. The Williams Empire will fall apart if we don't get money in the coming weeks."
My breath caught. For my family, this firm was everything. My father extended it, my grandpa built it from the ground up, and I had spent years getting ready to follow in his footsteps. This was our legacy, not just our business.
"What's the plan?" I inquired after straightening up. "This must be fixed. We can restructure or find investors—"
He interrupted me. "There is a plan. But you might not like it."
His hesitancy chilled me to the bone. My dad wasn't the kind to put things off. "Just say it."
"You need to marry Eric Walter."
I blinked. Even laughed. "I apologize for that?"
"It's only possible that way," he stated strangely calmly.
Eric Walter’s company is thriving. He's looking for an advantageous merger, and I've spoken to him. He's willing to invest—but only under one condition. A marriage alliance."
My body became cold as I glanced at him. Eric Walter. Billionaire. Ruthless businessman. I'd only met him twice, both times with sneering smirks and hidden comments. I never think of being married to him.
"Are you joking with me?"
"Pay attention, Brenda," my father leaned forward and said.
There was a desperation in his black eyes that I didn't usually see in him. “It’s not only about us. Thousands of employees rely on this company. If we go under, so do their jobs. Their families. This is bigger than your personal feelings."
My ears throbbed with my heartbeat. "You're asking me to sell myself for a business deal."
He clenched his jaw. "I'm asking you to secure your future. And ours."
The chair scraped the gleaming floorboards as I jerked to my feet. "No. I refuse. There has to be another way."
His tone tightened as he said, "There isn't." "Eric Walter is our only chance. He has power, resources, and the ability to save this company. If you don't do this, Brenda, we lose everything."
I backed away toward the door and shook my head. "I can't. I won't."
"Then prepare yourself," he added in a steely voice. "Because by the end of the month, Williams Enterprises will no longer exist."
On the doorknob, my hand froze. My entire world, everything my family had established and everything I had worked for, was falling apart. And the sole means of preserving it?
Marrying a man who thought of love as a business deal.
My throat was as dry as dust when I swallowed hard. "What if I say yes? What guarantees do I have that Eric won't use this marriage to control me? To take everything for himself?"
My father said, "You'll have to negotiate that yourself." He crossed the room cautiously to stand in front of me, saying, "He's expecting your answer tomorrow."
Tomorrow. I've got less than twenty-four hours to decide what will change my life.
I walked out of my Father's office without a word, my father's words still ringing in my ears.
And for the very first time in my life, I was at a loss for what to do.
For the rest of the day, I roamed my apartment, ignoring the scores of messages on my phone. All I had was a raging mental storm that threatened to overtake me; I needed clarity.
Eric Walter's marriage was unimaginable, but seeing my family's legacy fall apart was equally impossible.
I took out my laptop and started reading Eric Walter-related stuff. He was portrayed in the news as a shark in the corporate sector and a financial genius. He made quick and brutal purchases. In every boardroom, his name was a powerful one. However, there wasn't much information regarding his private life. No relationships in the spotlight, no scandals. An individual who held his cards in his chest.
A knock was heard on my door. After much contemplation, I went and opened it.
And there he was. Eric Walter.
Wearing a sharply fitted black suit, his unfathomable eyes were fixed on mine. Understandingly, a slow smile tugged at his lips.
With a voice as smooth as silk and as cruel as a sword, he answered, "I assume you've read the terms."
I felt my gut tighten. "Why do you come here?"
His smile spread wider.
"Making sure you understand exactly what's at stake."
I folded my arms. "I understand perfectly. What I don't understand is why you think I would agree to this."
Eric stepped forward, and the stress in our relationship grew. "Because you have no other option. And neither do I."
I sneered. "Oh, please. You're a billionaire. You could fund my father's company without this ridiculous condition."
The glee left his face, and his countenance clouded. "I don't make deals without guarantees, Brenda. A marriage alliance ensures loyalty. Stability. Even though you may not like the ideas, it's necessary for us to both achieve our goals.”
I felt as if my throat had become dry as I swallowed. "And what precisely do you need from me?"
Eric produced an unfolded piece of paper from his pocket.
"A contract. Everything you're worried about—terms, protections, financial arrangements—it's all outlined here. If you sign, you save your company. If you refuse… well, you already know what happens then."
I refused to accept the documents when he held them out to me. My nails were pressing into my palms as my hands were clenched into fists at my sides.
"You expect me just to agree?"
Eric's head c****d. "I expect you to read the contract and make an informed decision. But I also expect you to recognize the reality of the situation. This isn't about love, Brenda. This is about power. Survival."
My heart was racing. I wanted to shout that I wouldn't be made to do this and slam the door in his face. But there was no denying the reality.
My alternatives were dwindling.
His eyes never left me as he set the contract on the table beside the door. "You have until tomorrow to decide."
He turned and left without saying anything more, leaving me to make a decision that may alter everything.
And I realized for the first time that I might not have any options.
- Writer
