The Man She Betrayed

2. The Unwanted Arrangement

Clara

Six years ago

"How can you do this to me, Dad?" I screamed at him, throwing the phone in my hand towards my bed. The veins in my head were palpating because of the rage I felt and I was seconds away from killing someone.

"Please Clara, just meet him once. Okay?" he tried to calm me by rubbing my arm but my rage didn't alleviate.

"Meet him? And then what? You know what, you have no right to arrange my marriage to someone. We live in twenty-first century and I have every right to choose my own partner." I almost growled, trying my best to keep my voice in control.

"Clara!" he looked desperate, his eyes told me but right now, my whole future was at stake. I wasn't going to emotionally blackmailed by him.

"Just go. Please Dad, just leave me alone." I said and collapsed on my bed, hiding my face in the pillow. He tried to talk to me but I was in no mood of replying so I just kept silent.

After he left, I shifted to sitting position and looked into the mirror. It wasn't supposed to go like this. I was supposed to finish high school, graduate college, get a job, find love and then get married, not the other way around. I would never let this happen to me.

No matter how hard they try to persuade me.

...

After taking a shower, I looked at myself in the mirror. My eyes were puffy because of all the crying. Once this issue is over, I'll spend a day pampering myself, probably a facial and a hair treatment. I really need a new wardrobe before leaving for college.

Once I dried my hair and pinned them up in a high pony, I did my makeup to hide my swollen nose and puffy eyes and left my room. I trudged towards the living room and heard sobbing from inside. Increasing my pace, I reached inside and found my mom crying.

"Mom? What happened?" I dashed towards her and seated myself beside her, wrapping my arms around her. Her crying caught me off guard because I have never watched her cry before.

She immediately wiped the tears off her face and smiled but I could see the sadness hidden behind her smile. "Nothing Clara." she said but I didn't believe.

"Mom please, tell me. What happened?" I asked and before she could lie again, the tears leaving her eyes spoke the truth. "We are in debt, Clara." she mumbled, her voice laced with grief.

"Debt? How much? Ten grands? Twenty grands?" I asked in concern. My Dad was an owner of a small textile company and I knew the business wasn't doing well for some days but I didn't know things were that bad that we ended up in debt.

"Five hundred grands." she said and a surprised gasp left my mouth. "He has lost the company and we might lose the house too."

Her words caused my thoughts to jumble up. "Mom!" I didn't know what to say. My heart did somersaults in my chest and I fought the urge to cry. My stomach felt funny and the feeling made me nauseated. "Is there any solution?"

"Darren Vincent offered to pay out debt but you need to marry his son for that." she said and her eyes lowered to the ground as guilt covered her face.

Tears pricked the back of my eyes and I hid my face in between my hands. "How can Darren Vincent be so selfish?" I hissed in contempt. Darren Vincent was Dad's business partner and his old friend and I don't know why he put that condition in front of Dad.

"It's not his fault, he doesn't have five hundred grands. But his son does because his maternal grandparents left him a lot of money. The issue is he can only inherit it after his marriage." she told me and I heard each word carefully.

Why is it so complicated?

"I don't know what to say" I said, rubbing my temples with my fingers. My head felt like it was going to explode with all the information Mom was bombarding me with.

"We can't force you to do anything sweetheart. But please, think about it." her voice was exhausted and her tone was begging. I felt really bad for putting her in such position.

After she left to cook dinner for us, I hugged my knees and rested my head over them. My mind was a tangled mess at this moment. There was a lot at stake now and my decision can change everything. If I reject him completely, we might end up homeless and if I accept, I would be stuck in a loveless marriage with a stranger.

At the dinner table, both Dad and Mom exchanged few glances at each other. Now that I noticed, Dad had bags around his eyes and he looked older than his age, due to all the stress. I felt bad for them because at one side, it's their daughter's future and at the other side, it's their business and house at stake.

When I couldn't take the silence anymore, I began the conversation by dropping the bomb on them. "I want to meet Darren Vincent's son." I announced.

Both Dad and Mom stared at me like I have grown two heads. They didn't expect me to agree to help them and I couldn't blame them for that. Throughout my high-school, I acted like an obnoxious, self-centered person who only cared about looking the best, having the most expensive clothes and the latest trends.

"Are you sure?" Dad asked, leaving the fork in his plate.

"Yes. Just one meeting. I'll tell you my decision after that." I emitted in a weary tone.

Smile appeared on both of their lips and proud flashed in their eyes. Last time they were this happy with me, I had turned thirteen and I got first prize in an essay writing competition.

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Any guess what Clara did that made Aaron hate her so much?