Please, Bestie, Be My Dad's Wife

Emira looked at Tianna sitting in front of her. "So after high school, do you want to continue to college or work, Tianna?" Emira asked her close friend of three years. "College seems impossible, Em. You know what my family's life is. Maybe I'll look for a job with my high school diploma," Tianna replied in a soft voice, with a sad gaze. "What kind of job can you get with a high school diploma, Tianna?" Emira asked. Tianna shrugged her shoulders. "Anything as long as it's honest work, maybe a sales assistant, or a café waitress, or maybe even a domestic worker." Tianna seemed very resigned to her situation. Emira held Tianna's fingers, as if wanting to give strength to her friend. "I really want to help you, Ann," she said softly. Tianna returned Emira's hand grip. "You've helped me too much, Em. You are my best friend." Tianna looked at her friend's mixed-race face. Emira Adinda Adams. Her father is Caucasian American. Her mother is a native Javanese. A friend who is always there in Tianna's troubles, a friend who always defends Tianna from bullying by their schoolmates. Tianna Dion entered this elite school through a scholarship. Her father is a traveling street food vendor, while her mother is a laundry worker. She doesn't expect to continue her education because she also has to think about her two younger siblings, Xander and Feliz. The school community seems unwilling to accept someone as poor as Tianna, saying her presence taints the school's elitism. But she can endure until now, because this is her only chance to get a high school education. And Emira's willingness to be her friend makes Tianna feel not alone. Emira is a friend to her in both good times and bad. Even though their differences are very striking. Physically. Emira is tall, fair-skinned, and blue-eyed. Tianna is small, with tan skin and black eyes. In terms of status. Emira is a rich kid, anything she wants she can always get. While Tianna has to work hard to help her parents, just to meet her needs—only what is needed, not what is wanted. Yet, they become close friends. Emira is always the first to defend Tianna when she is bullied by other students at their school. The affection between them grew naturally. By the third year of their friendship, they remained strong due to the trust they shared. *** Emira walked alongside Tianna towards Tianna's house. As soon as they stepped onto the porch of the modest 5X6-meter house, they heard crying and shouting from inside. She and Emira quickly entered the house through the wide-open front door. Tianna and Emira saw Tianna's mother crying, being berated by three people standing in front of her. They were Mr. Smith, the loan shark, and his two bodyguards. Mr. Smith's looked at Tianna and Emira. His gaze was as if he wanted to devour them both. His lips curled into a terrifying smile, as seen by Tianna and Emira. "Remember, you have two weeks left. If within that time you can't pay off the remaining one thousand-two-hundred dollars debt, then Tianna will become my wife, or I'll seize this house and land!" Mr. Smith's voice thundered through the cramped living room. His words made Tianna and her mother's faces turn pale instantly. Tianna's mother pleaded with Mr. Smith for more time to pay off their debt. Tianna quickly hugged her mother, holding her mother's hand tightly. Tears streamed down both their cheeks, and Emira's eyes welled up too. Mr. Smith looked at Tianna from head to toe. A grin spread across his face again. "Sweetheart, remember, in two weeks you'll officially become my wife," he said with a chuckle, and then left through the front door with his two henchmen. After Mr. Smith left; Tianna's mother broke down in hysterics. Tianna and Emira tried to comfort Tianna's mother. *** Emira opened the door to her father's office, ignoring the warning from her father's secretary, who said her father was busy with a guest. Emira's eyes were fixed on a beautiful woman, sitting on the arm of the chair her father was seated in. The woman's arm was draped around her father's neck, as if he belonged to her alone. When she saw Emira enter, the woman stood up from her seat and walked towards Emira. "Hello Emira, how are you? I just came to bring your father lunch. He said he didn't have time to eat out because he was busy with work. Okay Em, I'll head back to my office now, bye dear." The woman waved at Emira after picking up her bag from the table. The woman was Aunt Donna, a close friend of Emira's father whom she never liked. Emira pouted, her lips pursed towards her father, Steven Adams. Steven rose from his seat and approached his only daughter. Steven kissed both her cheeks. "What's up?" Steven asked. "Do you remember your promise, Dad?" Emira asked. "Which promise?" Steven asked, confused, as he pulled his daughter's arm to sit with him on the sofa. "You promised to grant any request I have if I make it into the top five graduates from my school, right?" Emira asked. Steven nodded, then shrugged. "Hmm... a man keeps his word, right? I'll definitely grant whatever you want," Steven said casually. Emira held out her right hand to her father. "Promise?" she insisted. Steven shook his daughter's hand with a laugh. "Promise," he said, laughing. Emira held up two fingers. "Swear?" she insisted again. "Swear!" Steven replied, also raising two fingers, smiling, and then ruffling his daughter's hair. "What do you want, darling? A car? An apartment? Or do you want a trip around the world?" Steven asked. Emira quickly shook her head. "The graduation announcement is in two days, and I'll be collecting on your promise that day," she replied mysteriously. Steven chuckled and pinched his daughter's cheek affectionately. "Okay, my dear. I will definitely grant whatever you ask for," Steven assured Emira that he would keep his promise. *** Emira and Tianna sat on the school garden bench as usual. "How is your mother, Ann?" Emira asked Tianna. "Mom has been crying since last night, Em. She blames herself because the debt was to pay for her cervical cancer surgery. I feel sorry, but what can I do," Tianna replied softly. "What about your father?" Emira asked again. "Dad said... he'd rather give up our land and house than give me to Mr. Smith, Em." "Then where will you live?" Emira asked again. Tianna slowly shook her head. "I don't know," she replied in a very soft voice. "So, are you going to work after graduation, Ann?" Emira asked. Tianna nodded her head again. "Would you like to work at my house?" Emira looked at Tianna with hopeful eyes. Tianna looked back at Emira, confused. "Work at your house?" Tianna asked, her voice sounding as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing. They were indeed close friends, but until now, it was always Emira who visited Tianna's house, while Tianna had never once visited Emira's house. As far as Tianna knew, Emira's father had been traveling abroad. He only came home occasionally. Emira lived with her grandparents, her mother's parents. "You mean, at your grandparents' house, Em?" Tianna asked again, because Emira remained silent and didn't answer her previous question. Emira slowly shook her head. "My father came back here three months ago," Emira replied. "Oh... I want to, Em, I want to! I'll be a cook, a cleaner, even a gardener, just not a driver because I can't drive," Tianna said enthusiastically, chuckling softly. "That's not the job I want to offer you, Ann," Emira's voice was hesitant. "Then? A babysitter? Did your dad get married again? Do you have a new sibling?" Tianna bombarded Emira with many questions. Emira shook her head hesitantly. "Please, don't be offended, Ann. I really want to help you. I want to always be with you. I've decided to offer this to you. My father doesn't know that I'm offering this to you. But my father has promised that if I make it into the top five graduates, I can ask for anything. I will ask him to fulfill this wish of mine, Ann," Emira explained in detail to Tianna. "So what job do you want to give me, Em?" Tianna asked, increasingly curious. Emira looked deeply into her eyes, and Tianna returned to the gaze of her friend. "Promise me you won't get mad, promise, Ann!" Emira grasped Tianna's fingers. Tianna raised two fingers in a V-shape. "Promise ... just tell me!" Tianna urged impatiently. Emira took a deep breath before answering Tianna's question. "The job I want to offer you, Ann, isn't a typical job, it's not something ordinary, because this job ... uhm, ahh ... please, Ann, be my mom, marry my dad," Emira grasped Tianna's fingers tightly, her teary eyes looking into Tianna's with a pleading gaze. Emira's request hit Tianna like a bolt of lightning on a clear day. Tianna's eyes blinked, returning to her friend's gaze. "Ann... please Ann. It sounds selfish, indeed, because I'm asking you to marry my father, who is already old, but he's still upright, not hunched, his eyes are sharp without glasses, and his face isn't wrinkled despite his age, Ann. Ann, please Ann. Will you..." Emira pleaded, trying to sell her dad to her friend whom she desperately wanted as her mom. Tianna's eyes were still blinking. She seemed to be in shock due to her friend's unexpected request.