Merged As One

CHAPTER 3

“c***k, c***k, crack.” the door opens. “Emily!"

“Dad! You sounded so worried over the phone. Are you alright?” She asked, moving hurriedly towards her father.

“Welcome home" he replied, as he moved towards his wife for a hug. “Come, sit." He said to both of them. “How is my sister Kimberly?"

“She’s good. She sends her regards. You sounded troubled over the phone; talk to me,” Mrs Kate said calmly, sitting down next to her husband and placing her hands on his right lap. She looked straight into his eyes, sensing something was off; she asked again, “What is the matter?"

"I'm sorry,” he said, fixing his gaze on Emily.

“What are you sorry about, Dad?” Emily responded with a questioning look.

"Emily has to get married to Joe. That's the only way to save us out of this mess.”

“What! Who the hell is Joe? And why should I get married to him?" She replied as she tilted her head questioningly, and a look of puzzlement crossed her face. She stopped and looked intently at her father as she paused and thought for a moment, with her mouth slightly open.

“Joe Holland, the son of Greg Holland, a multi-billionaire?” she asked her father.

“Yes! That very Joe," he responded.

“Why would our daughter get married to a stranger? We didn't discuss this. Where's all this coming from? Just two days we were at Kimberly’s and you're already insane?” Mrs Kate said, talking at a fast pace without pausing to catch her breath.

“Am I now an object to be used in settling debts? A property to be sold? Dad! This is unbelievable,” Emily said unclear, as she raked her hands through her hair.

“Have you seen that guy? He inhales and exhales pride every single minute. Why would I or anyone in her right sense want to be with Joe or even spend the rest of their life with him? Someone who has no regard for the least of his employees. Is that who you want me to spend the rest of my life with? Is all this drama a plan to sell me off to them?” she said, breathing heavily.

"Emily, sit and hear me out.” her father commanded. "I have no idea who implicated me by setting me up. I sold our small farm to make a deposit but, unfortunately, I was robbed.”

"Robbed?" Emily and her mother chorused as their eyes widened. “Were you hurt?” his wife asked, looking passionately at her husband, Mr. Johnson.

“I wasn't hurt.” A sigh of relief came through his wife's mouth as he said that. “Thank goodness," she said.

“And now, the only way to exonerate our family out of this is by getting married to Joe Holland. He may not be everything you want, but you will have the power to change him once you become his wife. Try to understand Emily. You are the only one who can save our family from this mess,” her father said as he moved towards her. He placed his right hand on her shoulder, looking at her with his eyes almost filled with tears and the corners of his lower lip slightly bent.

Emily stood still as tears rolled out of her eyes. “ I'm sorry, Dad, you can't solely decide how the rest of my life will be. I… I … I can't,” Emily stammered as she looked at her father with her heavy eyes and trembling chin. She walked into her room and slammed the door, crying silently.

“Emily!" Her mother followed her, gently knocking at the door.

“Emily, please open up, let's talk about this. You don't need to cry over this.”

" Let her be, she will get over this in no time.” Mr. Johnson said to his wife.

“But why? Our daughter of all options? I'm not getting this straight.” Mrs Kate asked her husband with a quizzical look on her face as she stepped into the living room.

Mr. Johnson explained further to his wife, trying to convince her about his decision.

A few minutes later, Emily steps out of her room with a saggy eye and traces of tears on her face to get a glass of water. She ignored her parents' presence as she went over to the water dispenser for a drink.

“Emily, have a seat." Her mother called. Emily paused and thought for a second. “No Mom, I don't want to talk about this. This is not the right time."

“There's no right time here," her mom said, almost yelling. "Now sit. You are a grown woman, and you should behave as one."

"I guess I have no choice then,” Emily said to herself as she sat down.

"Emily dear,” her father said, as he looked at her intently. "None of this is my intention. You are my daughter, and I loved you before you were born, and ever since then, I haven't stopped loving you. You mean the world to your mother and me. But you have to understand things now.”

" I'd take it from here now, hunnie.” His wife, Kate, said to him.

"My angel, our life is at risk if you don't agree to do this. This is our only chance. You are our only hope. Mr Greg Holland is a very powerful billionaire, and with a snap of his fingers, your dad would spend the rest of his life in jail for nothing he knows about.” She said, looking at her daughter closely.

“We make sacrifices for the ones we love," her mother said while Emily repeated after her as she flashed back to times when her mother would tell her that as a child.

“But Mom, I thought you were on my side? My life would be miserable with him in it. Getting married to an arrogant, hypersexual playboy was never on my bucket list as a kid,” Emily said angrily.

Her mom frowned and shook her head. “Hypersexual playboy?" Oh dear, where is all this nonsense coming from? You don't even know him yet; you already have so much to say about him. Have you been cyberstalking him?"

"No Mom!” Emily said in defense. “He's a public figure, and his news is all over the Internet. I just happen to bump into them once in a while.

“Emily, you are a smart girl. How could you believe such lies? Most of the things they write online are just to boost engagement and nothing more. At least don't judge him yet when you haven't met him in person.”

"I doubt that mom. No matter how old the news on the Internet is about him, I believe he's a Casanova.”

Her mom looked sullen and shook her head. “All this news is old news, and it doesn't matter anymore. What matters now is our family, you, your dad, and me, our lives. Can't you think it through? Please”

“I don't know mom. You don't expect me to think about this in two hours. I would need time. This is my whole life we are talking about.”

"There is no more time. Our lives are at risk here. You can have that luxury life you dreamt of as a kid. This is our only option, and you have to get married to Joe.”

“There's always a way out in any situation, remember?” She said, facing her father, trying to remind him of the exact words he says to assure her every time.

Her father sighed deeply in frustration. “Yes, dear, I remember. But I'm at my wit's end and the only way out of this situation is for you to get married to Joe Holland. You don't have to be this difficult.”

Emily paused and took a moment to think. She thought of the worst that could happen to her dad if she didn't agree to this. Lost in her thoughts, she said out loud, “I will, I will get married to Joe Holland.”

She looked at her parents with a one-sided smile. “We make sacrifices for the ones we love. Besides, we have no other option.”

"Thank you, thank you, my angel." Mr. Johnson said as he hugged her tightly.

“It's going to be alright, everything will be fine," her mother said, assuring her.