BUSINESS MARRIAGE

002

Our fate lives within us, we only have to be brave enough to see it

                                                                                                                    - Merida

HER

I kept replaying what dad said in my mind, he had to be kidding right? There was no way in hell I was going to marry someone I had never met or had a relationship with. I went through the week avoiding my father at work, intentionally missing his calls and staying in a hotel since I was still living in the family house. It was hard being away from him but I wasn’t changing my mind no matter what.

 I was in my hotel room FaceTiming with one of my best friends - Tristan. I related what had happened and he just laughed at my predicament. Frankly, I was getting annoyed. I knew he was trying to take my mind off it but I wasn’t in the mood for laughs. 

He stopped when he caught me glaring at him but then he started laughing again. I ended the call there. When he was ready to listen he’d call back. I stared at the ceiling in deep thinking and then slowly drifted off to sleep. I was woken up by the sound of a fist harassing the door. 

I groaned in frustration, rolling off the bed. I can’t just be left alone, can I? God help me if it’s my dad. I made my way to the hotel door and opened it. My immediate younger brother - Ryder stood there, defiantly as well, like he thought I was gonna throw him out. He pushed past me to let himself in and I exhaled and closed the door going inside to find him on my bed.

“If someone isn’t dying, I’m gonna kill you for interrupting my nap,” I said. I padded back to the bed, the cold floor soothing my aching feet.

Ryder chuckled lightly before turning to face me. His face was covered with an obvious stubble which was strange considering he hates beards and always shaves before it could really show. 

The smile on my face fell and it was clouded over with worry.

"What happened?" Flew out of my mouth before anything else. 

He sighed. "It's dad. He thinks you ran away and he was too shaken to use his common sense to ask anyone if they had seen you in the office or check the security cameras." he said with a roll of his eyes at the end of the sentence then continued, "So for the sake of my sanity, I would like you to come back home before he turns the whole house upside down."

I sighed and laughed a bit, "And here I was thinking you actually cared about me." 

Ryder scoffed but I didn't miss the tiny blush covering his cheeks.

"But before I come home, dad has to see there is no way that I am going to be forced to marry anyone".

He grinned and asked, "Even Justin Timberlake?"

I grinned and replied, "There is always an exception".

*7 DAYS LATER*

The past week had gone past smoothly. My father was yet to mentioned anything about the 'contract that must not be named'. 

Work had been going smoothly and everything went pretty much back to normal. I was in my office going over some files when I received an email. I checked it, saw the heading and sighed. I thought it was 'speak of the devil', not 'think of the devil'. I double-clicked it and it read:

“On the 25th of April, 1987

I, Steven Donovan and I, Felix Pierre agree, and with our free will, that if our first children are of the opposite s*x they will get married once they come of age so as to merge our two companies. If any party refuses to comply the company is to be handed over to the second party, and if the two parties fail to comply half of the shares of the two companies will become government property. If the first children are not of the opposite s*x, then when two children of the opposite s*x are produced the contract MUST be fulfilled. Under these circumstances, when the marriage takes place, the two parties are not allowed to divorce unless there is a case of s****l harassment, assault or any form of physical, mental or emotional abuse and in that case, the offending party loses their company to the second party.

If any party refuses to comply, the other party has the right to sue and the following items are to be seized and handed over to the next party:

1. The company 

2. All houses

3. All cars or vehicles 

4. Money in all accounts leaving a meagre sum of a thousand dollars

This contract must not be tampered with in any way or the offending party WILL be sued to court.

Steven Donovan.                                                                                        Felix Pierre.”   

I finished reading it and pinched the bridge of my nose. They say the older you get, the wiser you become. I knew my dad. He wouldn’t do this to his family so I guessed he must’ve been very dumb when he was younger. But just how dumb could a person be to even think of a deal like this?

If I do not sign this we lose everything and my brothers don't get to finish their education or even have a chance of living good lives.

If I do sign it, I lose my chance of finding true love.

I was beyond frustrated. I told my PA to cancel all my meetings for the day and I left work without informing "the big boss".

Sheila's apartment wasn’t too near but I found myself driving straight there anyways. I needed to vent to someone because not too deep inside, I had already made my choice.

It was times like this that I wished I was a heavy drinker so I could drink my sorrow away but I’d never been able to take more than one glass of wine and that in itself was already too much.

Thirty minutes later, I had told Sheila everything. I finished venting and she gave me ten minutes to cool down before starting. 

“First of all, your dad’s an asshole.” Her comment was funny but if I wanted to laugh, it’d have been at her solemn expression and deadpan tone. “Second, all contracts have loopholes.”

“Not this one.” I countered, disheartened. 

“Oh, trust me. There is. We just have to find it though it will take some time.”

“Forget it, Sheila. Neither of us is a lawyer and I don’t need false hope right now.” It’d be better if I entered this hellish agreement with one mind. Sheila probably saw my feeling of defeat through my expression. 

"I know how you can deal with this. Any time you are with him, just picture him as Justin Timberlake." I stared at her feeling my lip muscles twitch. Sheila smiled at me knowingly and we both erupted into fits of laughter.

After our laughter died down she asked, " So, how’s he like?"

I shook my head in response. 

"You haven't met him?!" She yelled.

“I’m right beside y—”

“What did you say his name was?” Sheila asked, bringing out her phone. 

I searched my memory for a name but when nothing came out I just shrugged and said,  “Pierre.” 

She looked at me, her eyes filled with bewilderment. 

"You don't know his first name?" She said, raising an eyebrow. 

“I told you, I know nothing about the guy.” I scowled irritatedly watching her type away on her phone. “Next you’ll be asking me what color his boxers are—”

“Shutupohmygodhe’shot.” Okay, she had to stop cutting me off. I looked at Sheila waiting for her to speak like a normal human being. “He’s hot. The Pierre guy.” She then added looking at me like I was retarded. “SO. FREAKING. HOT.”

Dad had called his "friend" and they had agreed to meet on Thursday over dinner which turned out to be today and it was already 4 pm. Just freaking great. 

SheiIa said that if I'm going to be forced to marry someone I didn’t love, I shouldn’t let that pull me under and I agreed. I wasn’t going to let this put a shadow over other parts of my life. I was doing this for the future of my brothers and that alone made me willing to accept my fate. I told dad I was leaving work at 3:30 pm today and was on my way to the spa where I had an appointment to get pampered like a newborn.

Three hours later I felt wonderful and ready to face anything. I drove home and got my dress and did my make up. It was very light, just some blush and eyeshadow. I was already late but who cared. I called my driver and told him to take me to Le Restaurant de Fine Cuisine. 

When I got there, I told the staff I was there to join Steven Donovan and Felix Pierre, party of four. I walked to the beginning of the rest of my life.