Dynasty - John F Kennedy

PROLOUGE

I guess I always knew that this would be my fate. My mother always talked about it when I was a child. Oh, the dresses I would get to wear, she gushed. The gatherings I would host, and the beautiful kids I would raise. I knew she meant well, and at first, it sounded like a fairytale. I would go to bed at night dreaming of my future husband even before I closed my eyes. He would be handsome, a bit mysterious, and have a kind of smile that was undeniably contagious.

As time passed, I realized that I wanted more than a husband and kids. During my time at university, I convinced myself that my primary focus would be my career and not on forming a family.

However, I knew I would have to marry eventually. In a society built around the male, I would have to. Otherwise, I would belong to my father forever. And though they only ever insinuated it, I knew my parents would find someone to couple me up with if I hadn't found someone they deemed suitable by my twenties. 'Suitable' for them meant white, rich, and catholic. When I met James, I was naturally very confident in my thoughts on the patriarchy and didn't intend to fall deeply in love. But life has a funny way of throwing you goddamn curveballs. And though I didn't want him to be, he was everything I ever dreamt of. He was selfless, kind, and supported my independence. But he was neither wealthy nor catholic.

I was 25 the day my parents told me they had found a fitting bachelor. When I protested, they assured me the only I had to do was go on a date with him. Although I knew they expected more than that. When they told me it was the oldest of the Kennedy brothers, I wasn't even surprised. Rose Kennedy and my mother had always wished to unite our families. And sadly, Robert had already married another.

Everyone knew what John was. He was a skirt-chaser, loves the chase, and is bored with the conquest. It was a mystery to me that my mother thought this was an excellent fit for her eldest daughter.