An Impossible Choice
1473 Words
James's mother stepped forward and casually brushed an invisible speck of dust from his shoulder before turning her full attention to me.
There wasn't an ounce of warmth in her eyes.
"Your marriage to my son," she said with quiet confidence, "is the only thing that will keep your father's company alive."
The room fell silent.
Before I could respond, James's father spoke.
"Your father understood that better than anyone, Serah."
His voice was calm, measured, and carried the kind of authority that made people instinctively listen.
"That's precisely why he insisted you marry James."
A disbelieving scoff escaped my lips.
My gaze shifted from James to his parents.
One arrogant son. Two equally arrogant parents. It suddenly made perfect sense.
"Mr. Benson," I said at last, forcing myself to remain composed, "I've never forgotten a single word of my father's will."
I took a slow step forward.
"But there's one thing I simply can't wrap my head around."
My eyes locked onto his.
"Why would my father's company be ruined if I refuse to marry your son?"
My mother stepped in front of me almost instinctively, as though shielding me from the weight of their words.
"My husband built that company with his own hands," she said, her voice shaking with restrained anger. "He poured his blood, sweat, and years into making it the biggest and most respected company in the country."
She lifted her chin.
"I won't stand here and let anyone threaten to destroy his legacy."
A soft, mocking laugh escaped James's mother's lips.
"Oh, Margaret..."
She slowly adjusted the pearl bracelet around her wrist before looking at my mother with undisguised disdain.
"There's something your late husband never told you."
The confidence in her voice sent a chill through the room.
"Our family isn't just one of the company's business partners."
She paused deliberately, letting every word sink in.
"We're its largest shareholder."
Silence swallowed the room.
"If your daughter refuses to marry my son," she continued, a satisfied smile spreading across her face, "our family will pull every investment, every partnership, and every ounce of support from that company."
Her gaze shifted to me.
"And when that happens..." She shrugged with unsettling indifference. "Your father's empire will begin to crumble."
"What are you talking about?" I demanded, unable to keep the confusion out of my voice. "None of this makes any sense."
Mr. Benson clasped his hands behind his back and regarded me with the patience of a man explaining something to a stubborn child.
"Years ago, your father and I built that company together from the ground up."
His voice was calm, almost nostalgic.
"As the business grew, your father became its public face and the one who made the final decisions. I had no objection to that. We trusted each other."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"Although our family owns a substantial percentage of the company's shares, we deliberately signed a shareholders' agreement to prevent either family from taking complete control. It ensured that every major decision required both families to stand together."
A knot tightened in my stomach.
"What does that have to do with my marriage?"
"Everything."
His answer came without hesitation.
"Your father believed James would protect you after he was gone." That's why he insisted you marry him. The marriage wasn't merely about love or tradition. It was meant to keep both families united and preserve the stability of the company."
James's mother stepped forward, the satisfaction on her face impossible to miss.
"If you refuse to marry my son," she said, "that agreement becomes meaningless."
Mr. Benson nodded.
"Our family will have every legal right to withdraw our investment, our voting support, and every partnership we've built with your father's company."
He held my gaze.
"And once word spreads that the Benson family has walked away..."
He didn't need to finish.
Investors would panic. The company's value would plummet. Employees would lose confidence.
My father's life's work would begin to collapse before my eyes.
I realized this marriage wasn't just about me.
It was about an empire hanging by a thread.
"How...?" My mother barely whispered the word. "Why did Derek never tell me any of this?"
She looked completely shaken, as though the foundation beneath her feet had just crumbled.
I stole a quick glance at her.
The last thing I wanted was for the Bensons to see her falling apart in front of them.
James, however, looked thoroughly pleased.
A smug smile spread across his face as he watched the realization settle over mine.
He thought he'd won.
He actually believed I'd run straight into his arms now that I knew what was at stake.
"I'll give you until tomorrow," he said, adjusting the cuff of his suit with infuriating composure. "Apologize to me..."
His gaze locked onto mine.
"...and make things right." A satisfied smile tugged at his lips. "If you do, I don't believe there'll be any reason for conflict between our families."
With that, the Bensons turned and walked out as confidently as they'd entered, leaving behind a silence heavy enough to suffocate.
I stayed in my room for hours.
The walls seemed to close in around me as I replayed every word they'd said.
No matter how many times I forced myself to imagine a future with James...
The answer never changed.
No.
I couldn't marry a man who disgusted me.
A man who had tried to force himself on me. A man who saw me as nothing more than a business transaction.
But every time I chose myself...
My father's company flashed through my mind.
His employees. His dream. His legacy.
It felt as though I was standing in the middle of a battlefield, with no matter which direction I ran, something precious would be destroyed.
A soft knock broke the silence.
Before I could answer, the bedroom door creaked open. My mother walked in.
She looked exhausted. Not physically… Emotionally. Without saying a word, she sat beside me on the bed.
Then she gently rested a hand on my shoulder.
"Serah..." Her voice was calm. "I think it's time we talked."
"I know how difficult... and how unfair all of this feels."
My mother squeezed my shoulder gently before letting her hand fall into her lap.
"But right now, your father's company is hanging by a thread."
"I know, Mom." The words came out sharper than I intended. I looked away, swallowing the frustration threatening to spill over.
She let out a weary sigh.
"Whatever decision you make..." she said softly, "...don't let anger make it for you."
Her eyes searched mine.
"Think it through carefully."
I nodded.
Outwardly, I looked calm. Inside, I was a storm. My father had taught me many things while he was alive.
One lesson had stayed with me more than any other.
Never let anyone bully you into surrendering your dignity.
So how was I supposed to honor his memory by marrying a man who had tried to take that very dignity from me?
The question tore at me long after my mother quietly left the room.
Silence settled over the house once again.
I stared at the ceiling for several minutes before finally reaching for my phone on the bedside table.
The screen lit up in my hand. My thumb hovered over James's name.
Then… I pressed Call.
"I knew you'd call." James answered almost immediately, his voice dripping with satisfaction.
"I told you you'd come to your senses. You don't have to—"
"Dinner, James."
I cut him off before he could finish.
A brief silence followed.
"I want you and your parents to come over for dinner tomorrow night."
For a moment, he said nothing. Then he burst into laughter.
"Dinner?" he repeated, thoroughly amused. "You're serious?"
His laughter echoed through the speaker.
"After the little stunt you pulled today, I expected you to crawl back begging for forgiveness."
My grip tightened around the phone until my knuckles turned white.
Arrogant bastard.
Every word that came out of his mouth made me want to hang up.
But I couldn't. Not yet.
"Oh..." His laughter slowly faded into a smug chuckle. "I get it now."
He clicked his tongue.
"You've finally realized there's no way out."
A satisfied hum escaped him. "You want to apologize in front of my parents."
He laughed again.
"I like that."
His confidence was almost embarrassing.
"Good girl, Serah."
The words scraped against my nerves like sandpaper.
I forced myself to stay silent.
"Perfect," he said. "We'll be there."
The call ended.
I lowered the phone and stared at the dark screen for several seconds.
A slow smile crept onto my face.
James could keep imagining whatever fantasy he wanted. He had no idea what I was really planning.
And tomorrow night...
He'd wish he'd never accepted my invitation.
- Writer
