My Ideal Marriage

"Ms. Gilbert. I have bad news." A woman dressed in a pink tailored suit stood before a large polished desk, her posture stiff with hesitation. "Go on." The woman behind the desk didn't look up as her pencil glided across a sketch, a new design meant to redefine the fashion world. "Ms. Britney disappeared this morning. Her phone's off, and security says she left with a man." The woman's voice dropped. "That isn't my problem." She finally looked up at her assistant, Emily. "Are you here to waste my time?" she said while standing up and adjusting the throw draped over her shoulders. Emily looked at the floor nervously. "No, ma'am. Your father said you would take her place." "What?" Ms. Gilbert, or rather Charisma, walked out of her office, fuming, her heels clicking against the polished floor. Charisma walked through the hall, her fists clenched and no one bothered to stop her. When she entered the staff room, her father was halfway through a shareholders meeting. "This month's profits just increased by fifteen percent..." Before he could finish, his eyes met Charisma's. The shareholders turned as well, their curiosity piqued. Charisma stood there, uninvited yet impossible to ignore. "We need to talk," she said, her voice cutting through the room. "Unless the building's on fire, it waits." He turned back to the shareholders without looking at her. "It's important. About five billion dollars went missing," Charisma said. "What?" He froze, color draining from his face, and then he turned to the shareholders. "Meeting adjourned." They began to leave, murmuring among themselves as tension rippled through the room. He ran his hand through his hair. "Are we going bankrupt? But how?" "I lied," she said casually. "Why am I taking Britney's place? You have three more daughters." He sighed. "From the shoulders up, you and Britney could pass for twins and an alliance with Delano Tech is very crucial for us. We can't lose it." He walked up to the window and looked at the city below as though it would offer him answers. "I borrowed eight billion dollars from Dawnafore Delano and we will really go bankrupt if he doesn't get one of my daughters." "Where did you take the money?" Charisma's face darkened. The room went quiet. Charisma stepped back, her fingers digging into her palms. "You expect me to give up my life because you gambled it away and spent it on your mistresses? I would rather go bankrupt and start my own firm." With that, she turned and walked out. Charisma got into her car, a sleek black Rolls-Royce, and drove back home. When she arrived, she locked herself in her room. She leaned against the door and scanned her room, holding back tears. Before the tears could reach her cheeks, she wiped them away but her breath remained uneven. "Relax, you're a successful designer. Even brands are begging to work with you." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Then she went straight to her closet and started packing her clothes and sketchbooks. While she was packing, the door unlocked from the outside. She turned her head and stared blankly. It was her eldest sister, Rachael. She was the firstborn. She looked concerned. "Charisma," she said while closing the door behind her. "If you're here to convince me, it's not going to work," Charisma said while sliding her sunglasses on. Rachael stared at the suitcases that Charisma had ready. "Where are you going?" "Hawaii," Charisma said while scrolling through her phone. "Just like Brit, I've decided to elope with my butler, François." "What?" Rachael said, clearly puzzled. "You mean your personal butler?" Charisma nodded. "He is appealing." Rachael took Charisma's hand and sat with her on the bed. "I actually came here to help you escape." Rachael paused. "I helped Brit too. I'm sorry. I didn't know it would land on you too." The glasses fell from Charisma's face. "What?" Her voice cracked. "You have any idea of what you've done?" "I know..." Rachael stared at the floor. "I won't be the chief designer anymore!" Charisma stood up. "I thought you were supposed to be my big sister." Rachael stood and placed her hands on Charisma's shoulders. "I'm sorry..." "If you leave..." Rachael looked Charisma in the eye. "Everything will be destroyed. The company, not only father's name but yours too. You won't be able to start over." The room fell silent. "Please, just marry Camilo while I track down Brit." Rachael held Charisma's hands. "Camilo knows he's marrying Britney. Besides, they've never met. He's only seen pictures of her." Charisma shook her head. "Rachael, Britney is fat. He will definitely notice." "She is not fat. She is just thicker than you." Rachael flicked her forehead. "Ow..." Charisma held her forehead. "If he asks, you'll just say you lost weight." Rachael stood up and put her hand on her waist. "Are you in or not?" "I don't know." Charisma looked down, her cheeks turning pink. "What if Camilo wants a kid?" "Gosh, Charisma... I didn't think of that." Rachael paced around the room, then stopped like a light bulb went off. "Tell him you're allergic to men." Charisma sat back down and stuffed her face into a pillow. "This will never work." Her voice came out muffled. Rachael sat next to her and wrapped her arms around her. "I'm really sorry." Charisma hugged Rachael back, quietly. She wasn't crying, just too quiet. "If you can find Brit before I get pregnant or kill Camilo, I'm in."