CHAPTER 3: PROSPECTIVE HUSBAND
1635 Words
Drrtt... Drrrttt...
Emira's phone vibrated. She quickly grabbed her phone.
"Tianna," she murmured as she looked at the phone screen.
"Hello, Ann," greeted Emira.
"Hello, Em. I've talked to my parents," replied the voice on the other end.
"Yes, so what's your answer, Ann?" asked Emira with a pounding heart, impatiently.
Tianna was heard taking a deep breath at the other end.
"Anne," Emira's impatience grew.
"Yes Em, the answer is ... yes," Tianna's voice sounded very heavy as she said it.
Emira burst into cheers after hearing Tianna's answer.
"Thank you, Ann. Thank you. Now I want to go straight to Dad's office. Thank you, Ann, muacchh!" Emira said, not waiting for Tianna's response before turning off her phone.
With hurried steps, Emira asked her driver to take her to her Dad's office.
On the way to her Dad's office, Emira took the time to call her Grandma and Grandpa to share the happy news from Tianna's answer just now.
***
These past few days, Steven has been so busy that he forgot to ask Emira about what happened at Tianna's house.
Even lunch was brought to his office by Donna, his close friend. Like today, after lunch, Donna started flirting with him by kissing him.
Donna sat on the arm of Steven's office chair, her hands tightly wrapped around Steven's neck.
Suddenly, the door opened, and Emira appeared at the threshold of her Dad's office.
"Dad!" Emira stood frozen at the doorway, her face flushed with anger at what Donna and her Dad were doing.
Quickly, Donna stood up from her seat, then she took her bag from the table. Donna then stood in front of Emira.
"No need to be angry, Darling, I won't take your Dad for myself," she said as she walked past Emira.
Emira clenched her fists at her sides. She was fuming.
Steven approached his daughter. "Forget what happened just now, Darling." He gently stroked his daughter's hair.
"Sit down. What would you like to drink? Why are you here in my office in the middle of the day? Is there something important?" Steven asked as gently as possible.
Emira shook her head, she was trying to contain her anger.
"I want to hold to your promise, Dad!" Emira looked directly into her Dad's blue eyes.
"Promise? Oh ... the promise to fulfill your request yesterday? Alright, ask for what you want, Darling. Dad will grant it." Steven gently stroked his daughter's fingers.
"I want you to marry Tianna!" Emira's request was like a bomb going off in Steven's ears.
"Tianna? You mean, your shabby friend Tianna? Oh my goodness, Em... whatever you ask, I'll grant, but this request is too much!" Steven stood up, looking angrily at his daughter, hands on his hips.
"But you promised, Dad!" Emira stood up too, her eyes welling with tears as she looked at her father in frustration.
"I did promise, but not if your request is like this!" Steven grew even angrier.
Emira wiped her tears. "If you won't grant my request, then don't expect to see me again!" Emira snapped fiercely, and before Steven could say anything, she had already run out of his office.
Steven ran his hands through his hair; this was the first time he'd ever argued with his daughter.
'What had gotten into Emira's mind to have such a crazy idea?' Steven thought.
Steven knew that Emira really disliked Donna, but that didn't mean she could arbitrarily decide who her father should marry.
***
Steven, having lost the motivation to continue working, just sat dazed in his chair. He remembered Emira's threat earlier, just before she left his office.
Steven immediately grabbed his phone to contact Emira. But Emira's phone was not active. He called home, and the house assistant's response was:
Emira was not at home.
He tried calling his parents to ask if Emira was there. Their answer was that Emira was not there either.
He called his in-laws, or Emira's mother's parents.
Their answer was the same: Emira was not there either.
Steven felt more and more confused and troubled.
Suddenly, Steven remembered something, and quickly grabbed his car keys, wallet, and phone. Then Steven rushed out of his office.
Emira was still sobbing on Tianna's shoulders.
"I hate Dad... he broke his promise, Ann." She sobbed softly with tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Don't say that, Em, after all, Uncle Steven is your dad, you can't hate your own parents, Em," Tianna tried to calm Emira.
"Can I stay here, Ann? Is that okay?" Emira asked, and Tianna just nodded.
Tianna didn't understand why Emira loved being at her modest home so much. Even though Tianna was sure that Emira's house was probably a thousand times better than hers.
"But you have to go home tomorrow, okay, Em," Tianna coaxed.
"Tomorrow I'll just go to grandma's house. I don't want to see Dad!" Emira wiped her tears.
"Okay...." Tianna nodded.
Suddenly, they heard Mr. Smith's voice from outside Tianna's house.
Tianna and Emira exchanged glances, a wave of fear washed over them, as they were the only ones in Tianna's house at the moment.
Tianna's father was out selling street foods. Her mother was delivering laundry to neighbors with the help of Tianna's two younger siblings.
Emira and Tianna went out to meet Mr. Smith. He grinned at them.
"Hey, sweetie, today is your last day as a single girl. Tomorrow you'll officially be Mrs. Smith!" His laughter echoed, nauseating to Emira and Tianna.
Mr. Smith and his men stepped forward to approach Tianna and Emira. Emira and Tianna retreated back into the house.
Mr. Smith grinned again, showing his teeth stained brown from too much smoking. His hand reached out to grab Tianna, her hand now in his grip.
Tianna struggled to free herself from Mr. Smith's grip. She screamed for help with all her might, her voice as loud as she could make it.
Mr. Smith's men shut the door and locked it. Emira tried to help Tianna, but two of Mr. Smith's men restrained her by holding her arms.
Their laughter made Emira feel sick. Tears had already streamed down Tianna and Emira's cheeks.
Their screams were still audible.
Suddenly, the tightly closed and locked front door was forced open, crashing to the floor. Emira saw her father break through the door, assisted by several residents. Mr. Smith and his two men immediately fled through the back door of Tianna's house.
Steven hugged Emira tightly, grateful for arriving just in time. The residents gathered around Tianna, who had fainted.
The mental strain that had been weighing on Tianna for some time had weakened her physically.
Steven quickly lifted Tianna into his car, followed by Emira.
Steven asked Emira's driver to wait for Tianna's family and take them to the hospital later.
Seeing Emira continuously crying over Tianna, whose head was resting on Emira's lap, Steven could see and feel how close they were, how much Emira cared for Tianna.
Steven now began to understand why Emira wanted Tiara as her stepmother. Emira needed a mother who could be a friend, a confidante, someone to share feelings with. And Tianna was the one she most wanted as her stepmother.
Steven had to admit, all this time, Donna had indeed failed to get close to Emira, as well as to his parents and in-laws. Donna was too busy trying to win his heart and attention.
***
Tianna blinked, and the first thing she saw was Emira's tear-streaked face.
"Em... where am I? Don't cry, Em," Tianna's voice prompted Steven and Tianna's parents to approach her.
"Thank goodness, you're awake, dear?" her mother asked, and Tianna nodded her head in response.
"Sorry for troubling everyone," Tianna said weakly.
"Don't talk like that, Ann," said Emira while wiping her tears.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door of the room where Tianna was being treated.
"Come in," said Tianna's father.
The door opened, and a male nurse stood at the threshold.
"The patient's family is asked to take care of the administrative costs," said the person who had come.
Steven approached the person. "I'll take care of it," he replied, and that answer made Emira look at her father intently.
The person at the door looked at Steven hesitantly.
"I'm the patient's fiancé... family too, right," said Steven, as if to erase the person's doubt.
Everyone stared at Steven in disbelief after hearing his words.
Hadn't Steven already rejected Emira's request, as she had told them earlier when she first arrived at their house? But why had Steven changed his mind now?
Emira approached her father. "Dad?" She looked at her father's face with a curious and confused expression.
Steven gently hugged Emira's shoulders. "I'll do anything to stay with you, my princess," said Steven.
Emira cried happily in her father's embrace. "Thank you, dad, for agreeing to my request," she said.
Seeing Steven's gentle demeanor towards Emira, Tianna's parents became more convinced that their decision to accept Emira's offer was not wrong. Tianna lowered her head, unsure whether to feel sad or happy. But seeing the smiles on her parents' faces again was enough to bring her joy.
Steven released his embrace from Emira. "I'll handle the administration first, okay," said Steven, then nodded to Tianna's parents.
However, Steven didn't glance at Tianna even once. She was well aware that what she was doing wasn't something to be proud of, as it felt like she was selling herself.
Yet, Tianna felt she had no other choice; her parents' and siblings' happiness was her top priority.
She watched as Steven's back disappeared through the door.
'Who would have thought my best friend's dad would become my husband, even though this marriage might not be like those based on love,' Tianna mused.
- Writer
