Marrying a Stranger

Chapter Two

Jessica's pov.  

They asked your hand in marriage and your father and I have agreed was all I could hear from my mother’s mouth, which made me gasp silently. This was a condition the greedy leeches gave plus a 50% from our profits made in Africa for them to solely pair with us.

I can’t believe my parent agreed to this without even asking me, well I knew my mother could, but then my father always going and accepting all his wife says is what always baffles me even now including my life partner. How could my mother be this selfish to even put her daughter’s future in the line just for money, power and fame, I don’t seem to understand all this, am just disappointed and hurt. I have always wanted to marry for love and at least have a control of the remaining part of my life since I have never owned any since I was born, but now that is also been taken away from me without my opinion counting, all they cared about was moving on with the family business legacy which was passed on from my grandfather.

Ignoring the pain in my eyes, my mother continued. You will create time and meet him in 2 days, then come to the house for dinner tonight, your father and I want to see you. I just nodded and she left without glancing at me.

I sat and thought of all the crises the company will have to go through and the loss our employees will have to bear also considering if other companies will agree to take them if they lost their jobs, and I had no choice but to sacrifice myself to save many as no other choice was left.

 I was going through the resume of a potentially new employee when my work phone rand. Without checking my phone, I took it to my ears to answer the call not realizing it was my dad who was on the phone.

Finally, I could talk to the almighty busy daughter of mine who has no time to reach out for her father. I smiled and said my greetings to my dad who reminded me that I was supposed to have been in the house already for the family dinner, reminding me that the food was already getting cold.

Due to work load and pressure from everywhere, I already forgot about the dinner at my parent’s house which was just an hour drive from the company. My father used my mum’s phone to call knowing fully well I would not reject my mother’s call. What he didn’t know was that my mother didn’t call me any time before 10 and it was just going to be nearly 5. My mother took the phone from my father and decided to speak

“I can’t make it to dinner, there’s a meeting in ten with human resource on the development of the fabrics and it will take long.”

That’s all I had to tell her before I knew she’d convey to my father that I was not coming. I’d rather let her speak to her husband than I, after all no amount of reasons would convince my gentle father that I could not come and my mother would rather me die than miss a meeting. Hearing her silent breathing, I knew she had nothing else to say and she was getting impatient, so I quickly cut the phone call and put it on silent.

After getting refreshed a bit, I walked out of my office into the meeting room to greet the managers of the human resource and their secretaries to hear what they had to say. After about an hour, I noticed Priscilla and Janet, another secretary, both kept yawning and looking at their wrist watches. Looking at the huge clock on the wall, I read the time and it said quarter past 8 and they looked like they’d fall asleep any moment, whilst the others were busy fidgeting in their chairs thinking I hadn’t noticed.

After the meeting ended, I ordered the guards to bring Chinese takeaway for everyone. I watched their delight expressions as they all got happy about the fact of not going home to cook.

I gave them each a slight smile as they thanked me a dozen times, but their gratitude was only going to be short lived for I knew my mother would have my head for keeping the employees till this late and also buying dinner for them. I waited till everyone was gone then said goodbye to the two guards and walked down the street towards my apartment. I hoped the down tenant, Ms. Williams, hadn’t left her kitchen window open. Her lovely dog would venture like a boss into my house and claim the only couch I had. I hurried across the zebra crossing and tightened my grip on my laptop bag.

Finally reaching my house, I couldn’t stop but notice thankfully, the down window was closed. I scurried to my room and headed for a quick warm bath. I still had to finish another report and it was already 9.

While in the middle of a sentence, I lifted my vibrating phone and started narrating todays story once again to my mother. She had forgotten about the Anderson’s deal and I was grateful for that. “How was the meeting” she asked the only question I didn’t want her to. “it was fine, Janet suggested making another new design for the fabrics before bringing them here” I said as I waited for her to ask me what time the meeting finished, but I was saved by my door bell ringing.

Quickly fixing my pajamas, I opened the door to see my mother’s chauffeur, standing with a food box in his hands. I raised an eyebrow at him as he smiled and handed me the box saying my father sent it.

I asked him to place the box on the table while I thanked him and put the phone back to my ears but it was long cut. I walked by the balcony door and caught a glimpse of the silhouette of my mother as the chauffeur drove them away, so much for bringing a takeaway for me and so much for being her daughter.