Chapter Four
1361 Words
“Derek, you’re meeting her tomorrow,” Mrs. Norman stated firmly, standing by the grand piano in the living room. Her tone left no room for argument.
“Mother, I already told you I’m not interested in any of these setups,” Derek replied, barely looking up from his laptop. His fingers tapped rhythmically on the keyboard as he sat on the sleek leather couch, feigning indifference.
Mrs. Norman’s heels clicked against the marble floor as she moved closer. “Do you think I enjoy forcing you into this? I’m doing this because people are talking, Derek. They’re saying you’re… different.” She hesitated, her lips tightening.
Derek sighed, shutting his laptop. “Let them talk. Their opinions don’t matter to me.”
“They may not matter to you, but they matter to our family name. Do you know what it means when people question you? It affects business, Derek!” She folded her arms, her expression stern.
He leaned back, rubbing his temple. “I’m running the company just fine. Let’s leave my personal life out of this.”
“No, we won’t,” she snapped. “Every week, I see daughters from respectable families waiting for a chance to meet you. They’re elegant, beautiful, and yet you act as if none of them exist.”
Derek groaned, his frustration simmering. “Because they all feel fake, Mother. Like they’re rehearsing lines to impress me.”
“Well, maybe if you gave one of them a chance, you’d see they’re more than their first impressions,” she countered, her voice softening slightly. “Derek, you’re not a boy anymore. You need a wife. Someone to support you, to stand by your side. Someone to help you run the company and improve it”
Derek was silent, he just sat there and said nothing. Little did his mother know what he suffered in the hands of Vanessa.
Meanwhile, on the other side of town, Elena sat across from her Father, Mr. Francisco, in a quaint café.
“Elena, you can’t avoid this forever,” Mr. Francisco said, stirring his tea.
“Father, I’m fine being single,” Elena replied, her voice clipped. She focused on the steam rising from her coffee, avoiding her father’s gaze.
Mr. Francisco sighed. “You’re twenty-six, Elena. Most women your age are already married or starting families.”
Elena frowned. “And most women my age aren’t trying to build something of their own. I have goals, father, and they don’t include rushing into a marriage for the sake of appearances.”
“It’s not about appearances,” Mr. Francisco said, leaning forward. “It’s about finding someone who complements you, who supports you. Don’t you want companionship?”
“I’ll find that on my terms, not yours,” Elena replied.
Their conversation ended in silence, both of them retreating into their thoughts.
The next day, fate intervened. Mr. Francisco and Ms. Norman crossed paths at a charity gala.
“Francisco?” Ms. Norman’s deep voice carried across the room as she approached him with a warm smile.
“Norman! It’s been ages,” Mr. Francisco replied, his face lighting up. “How are you?”
“I’m well, thank you. And you?”
“Busy as ever,” he said with a chuckle. “Running a business and keeping an eye on Elena is no small task.”
Norman nodded knowingly. “Tell me about it. Derek’s been giving me quite the headache lately.”
“Oh?”
“He refuses to settle down. Says none of the women i introduce him to are good enough.” Francisco sighed, shaking her head.
Mr. Francisco laughed softly. “Elena’s the same. Stubborn as ever, always insisting she’s too busy for love.”
An idea sparked in Norman’s mind. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she leaned closer. “Francisco, what if…”
“What if what?” He asked, curious.
“What if we bring them together?” She suggested. “Derek and Elena. They’re both smart, ambitious, and from good families. Plus, a union like this would strengthen both our businesses.”
Mr. Francisco tilted his head, considering the proposal. “That’s… an interesting idea, Norman But you know how headstrong they are. They’ll never agree without some persuasion.”
Norman smirked. “Leave that to us.”
After days of subtle persuasion and carefully laid arguments, Derek and Elena reluctantly agreed to meet.
“This is ridiculous,” Derek muttered, adjusting his cufflinks as he stood by the restaurant entrance.
Ms. Norman, standing beside him, gave him a sharp look. “Remember, Derek, you promised to keep an open mind.”
“I promised to show up,” he corrected. “That’s it.”
Inside, Elena was seated with her father at a corner table. She tapped her fingers against the edge of her glass, her patience running low.
“I still don’t see why this is necessary,” she said under her breath.
“Elena,” Mr. Francisco said, his tone calm but firm. “At least meet him. Who knows? You might be surprised.”
“Doubt it,” she muttered, crossing her arms.
The restaurant door opened, and Derek stepped inside, his tall frame commanding attention. As he scanned the room, his eyes landed on Elena.
Elena froze in shock,her glass slipping from her hand and clattering against the table. “Derek?”
Derek stopped mid-step, his eyes widening in recognition. “Elena?”
“You two know each other?” Francisco and Norman asked in unison, their voices tinged with surprise.
Derek’s lips pressed into a thin line. “You could say that.”
Elena stood, her gaze locked on him. “What is he doing here?”
“That’s exactly what I’d like to know,” Derek replied, his tone cold but still surprised.
Francisco cleared his throat, attempting to diffuse the tension. “It seems we forgot to mention a few details.”
“You think?” Derek said, his voice dripping with sarcasm and deep down he was happy to meet Elena again. And seeing the same old man he had accused her of cheating on him with standing beside her as her father, made him think of himself as stupid and pathetic.
Elena crossed her arms, glaring at her father. “This has to be a joke.”
“It’s not,” Derek’s mother interjected. “We thought—”
Elena’s heart raced, her emotions and everything that happened in the past started to play in her memories again. She hadn’t seen Derek in ages not since… No, she couldn’t let herself think about that. Not here. Not now.
“Can we talk?” Derek asked suddenly, with a calm voice.
Elena hesitated before nodding. “Fine. Outside.”
The two stepped out onto the restaurant’s patio, the crisp evening air enveloping them.
“This is insane,” Derek began, running a hand through his hair.
“Tell me about it,” Elena replied, her voice low. “I didn’t know they were setting me up with you.”
“Same here,” he muttered, leaning against the railing. “If I had known…”
“You wouldn’t have come,” she finished for him.
He looked at her, his eyes unreadable. “Mr Francisco is actually your father? How could I not have known? And besides why did you pretend to be poor?
“No. He’s my “sugar Daddy” or have you forgotten? I pretended to be an average class citizen because I thought that was what was best for me but I thought wrong. And what about you? You did the same thing.” Elena shot back at Derek.
Silence stretched between them, and Derek was speechless. He now realizes that Elena never actually cheated on him.
Finally, Derek sighed. “Let’s get through this dinner. For their sake. And let’s talk later please.”
Elena nodded, though her chest felt tight. “Fine. But don’t expect me to make this easy for you.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” he replied, a ghost of a smirk playing on his lips.
- Writer
