CHAPTER TWO
1802 Words
"Ryan, I said it's not going to happen. Not when I'm still alive.” Mrs Spencer’s eyes blazed as she took a step closer to Mr Spencer, her voice raised.
Mr Spencer flinched, his hands raised in a calming gesture. "Can you keep your voice down and hear me out?" His tone was laced with exasperation.
She spun away, her movements jerky with agitation. "Hear you out?! You're not making sense at all."
Mr. Spencer grasped her arm, spinning her back around. His eyes pleaded for understanding. "Becca, that's enough! Calm down and let's talk this through normally." His voice was soft, but firm.
She jerked her arm free, her chest heaving. "It's not, Ryan! It's not. My God! How could you make such a decision without letting me know? Without letting them know?" Her words spilled out in a furious torrent.
Ryan's face twisted in frustration, his eyes flashing with defensiveness. "I had no choice. I didn't have the time." He rubbed his temples, as if warding off a headache.
Rebecca's gaze turned icy. "Since when? Since when, Ryan, didn't you have a choice?" Her voice dripped with venom.
"Since the day you pushed me into accepting his offer seven months ago, even when I told you I didn't want to.”
“Even when I told you we were doing well enough, you kept on nagging and whining about the need to expand."
She gasped.
Ryan's expression turned bitter. "You know exactly what I'm talking about, Becca. Don't pretend you don't."
Rebecca's face reddened. "Now you're trying to pin the blame on me?" Her voice trembled with rage.
"That's not what I meant, Becca..."
Rebecca cut him off, her voice slicing through the air. "You're doing exactly that. But you know what?” She asked , poking at his chest.
“I won't let my daughter marry someone who's old enough to be her father just because her own father doesn't have the balls."
Ryan's face paled, his eyes wide with shock. "How... how can you say that to me, Becca?" His voice cracked, his words barely above a whisper.
“What's going on, Dad? Mom?” They both turned to see Roselyn and Rachael coming down the stairs.
“It's…” Mr Spencer swallowed.
“It's nothing, musk. You both should go back to your rooms. Your mom and I are just…”
“We're not kids, Dad, that you just send to their rooms. Who's marrying who?” Rachael asked, cutting him off.
“Your father…”Mrs. Spencer began.
“Becca… Stop!” Mr Spencer said in a warning tone.
Ignoring him, she walked towards Rachael. “Your father wants you to marry Mr. Nathan Freeman, who is old enough to be your father by the way, to save the company.”
“What?! Dad, that's not true, right?” Silence.
“Dad” Roselyn said softly, going to him.
“It's true, Rachael. You're engaged to Mr Freeman. If you don't marry him, the company will go to him.”
“How can one be engaged without the person's consent? You can't do that to me, I'm not a child!” She screamed.
“I'm aware of that… The situation was just out of my hands. I'm so sorry, baby.”
“You're sorry?!” Rachael's face was red with fury. She could feel her beating so fast. She could feel everything slipping out of her hands. No! This can't happen.
“Why do I have to save the company, Dad? Isn't that your responsibility?”
“Baby… I tri…”
“And why does it have to be me to make that sacrifice? What about Roselyn? She's the eldest.”
“what?”
“Rachel!”
Mr. Spencer and Roselyn gasped together.
“Your sister is engaged.” He said incredulously.
“And so?” Mrs Spencer said with a raised voice.
“Mom!” Roselyn couldn't believe her ears.
“This is not the time to be selfish, Roselyn.”
“Self… What?” Roselyn asked faintly.
“Your sister is about to get signed in into Juvix. Marrying now will disrupt her future.”
“Rebecca, she has a fiance already.” Mr Spencer said.
“You wouldn't want that, would you?” She raised her brows at Roselyn.
“No, I won't, mom. But what about me? My future? I accepted Colin's proposal because of you. So what's going to happen now?”
“Because of me, you say? Don't put that on me.”
“What?” She asked, shocked.
“For once in your life, Roselyn, don't think about yourself alone.” Mrs Spencer said
“That's enough! Rebecca” Mr Spencer shouted.
“It is not!” She shouted back. Turning back to Roselyn, she said “Don’t be selfish” and went up the stairs.
“Don’t mind your mom, Rose,” Ryan said to her. “She’s just upset right now. I’ll speak with her.”
“And what she said isn’t true” he said as he saw tears slipping from her eyes.
“Dad” Mr Spencer looked at his other daughter. Her eyes were filled too. “Baby…” he said, going to her.
“I know you don’t love me,” that stopped him.
“What?! I love you very much… what are you sa…”
“But I didn’t know it was to this extent.”
“Come on, Rachael,” Mr Rachael said quietly, feeling tired. “You know I love you”
“Prove it then. Let Roselyn marry him.” She turned and fled to the stairs, sobbing
Torn, Mr Spence went to Roselyn who was looking very devastated.
“Rose… Musk… I’m sorry baby. And your mom… your sister… they don’t mean what they said.”
“What are you going to do now, Dad?” He looked at her. She looked hurt but she was still calm. She had always been the calm and cool-headed one in the family.
“I already signed the document stating one of my daughters would marry him. Rachael has to marry him. If she doesn’t, not only will we lose the comps, we will be sued. And that can’t be good for us.”
“I’ll have to convince her somehow because she has to meet with him tomorrow at lunch.” He said.
“Tomorrow? Isn’t that soon?” she asked, cleaning her eyes.
“He was the one who set it up, Rose and if she doesn’t show up…” he sighed as he sat on the chair. He robbed his hand on his tired face.
Roselyn noticed the tired lines and worry on her father’s face.
“Don’t worry, Dad. I’ll talk to her. I’ll get her to at least try and have lunch with him tomorrow, okay?”
He nodded.
“Alright, get up.” She helped him up. “Go freshen up. I’ll have Betty bring your dinner to you. Then, you rest, okay?”
She watched him leave. He looked a little older tonight. Her Dad was a very handsome, sunny man. He was tall and lanky. He had a young face and the sweetest smile but right now, the smile wasn’t there and he was looking even older than his age.
She had to convince Rachael somehow to have lunch with Mr Freeman tomorrow, to at least get to know him.
She went to look for the housekeeper and gave her instructions to send dinner to her Dad. Then she went upstairs to Rachael’s room.
“Rachael, we need to…” she paused as she stepped inside the room. It was empty.
****************************
“Hey Rachael, what are you doing here?” Collin asked when he opened the door and found her standing outside his door. He looked at her and noticed she had been crying.
“What’s wrong?” He asked. “Are you okay?” Is Roselyn okay?”
“Yeah… she’s fine. Can I come in?”
Collin hesitated before he opened the door wide to let her in. He gestured towards a sofa in his living room for her to sit.
“Your living room is looking more cramped than before.” She said, looking around.
“Yeah… I bought some furniture and appliances.”
“But they can’t fit into your apartment.” She pointed out.
Collin smiled. “I’m not buying them for the apartment. I’m planning on getting a bigger place for myself and Roselyn for after we are married.”
“Oh…”
“Yeah…”
“So Rachael, what happened? Does anyone know you’re here? Does Roselyn know that you are here?”
She nodded no and started sobbing.
“Hey hey hey…” He stood up and went to her. Taking her hand, he said “Tell me… what happened?”
She sniffed. “I had… a… a row with my Dad”
“Do you want to talk about it?” He asked.
She nodded no.
“It's alright… Let me get you a glass of water”
He was about to get up when she held him back. “No… I don't need water.” She started sobbing again.
She dropped her head on his shoulder. He hesitated for almost a minute before wrapping his arms around her.
“It's okay… Sh sh sh… Get up” He removed his arms. “Let me take you home.”
She wrapped her hands around him and held him closer. “No, I don't want to go back to the house just yet.”
“Please, let me stay” she held him tighter.
“Rachael… You have to go back. Your parents would be worried about y…”
“Collin…” She looked at him with her tear filled eyes. “Please, let me stay here for tonight”
“I'll leave tomorrow morning. I just don't want to see my Dad or anyone for now. Okay? Please”
He looked down at her. Her face was red from all the crying. He sighed. “Okay… You can use the bedroom. I'll sleep here in the living room.”
“Do you um…need something to change into?” He asked. She nodded. Her eyes went to his lips.
“Let him go get you some clothes” he said, his voice becoming raspy. She held him still.
She drew her face closer to his. Collin gasped and dislodged himself from her.
“I'm engaged to your sister, Rachael” He said quietly as he tried to get his heartbeat to slow down. He got up.
“Collin…” She called him softly, looking up at him, her eyes doe-like.
“Not again, Rachael,” He said. “We can't do it again.”
- Writer
