Previous Engagement (Nigerian)#2

Chapter Six

"Grandfather please no" I said "please no".
Before I could say another word I felt my mom's hand hit hard on my cheek. She slapped me. I held my cheek in my left hand as a tear drop. I felt dizzy and felt this urgency to rest my head on my pillow at home.
"How dare you talk to my father like that, you respect no one. You've always been selfish. Everybody in this family has made sacrifices except you." She yelled as tears dropped from her eyes "you keep disgracing this family. Two chances you've had to make it up to us and you are being offered the third one and you are saying no. You ungrateful child"
She raised her hand to hit me one more time but Dara held her back. That was the first time she would hit me. That was the first time anyone has raised their hands to hit me.
"I let you choose whoever you want. Not once but twice. Because you were my first granddaughter" he said calmly " Tamilore and Toriola were both betrothed before they were even conceived. Before we even knew they were twins. Every other granddaughter I have had after you already have the roles they play in the growth of this families wealth and power"
I fell to my kneels and cried as everyone looked at me blankly like nothing life changing was happening there and there.
"Grandfather please, I promise this time will be different" I begged him and cried "one more chance, Grandfather. Please, I promise it will be different"
"Yes it will. I will make sure of it" he said "you may all leave now."
Dara helped me up and everyone headed towards the door except grandfather who sat comfortably in his chair as he watched us walk away. I looked into his eyes and he looked into mine but he just looked calm and expressionless until Dara came and took me away. My uncle and Timi stayed back. I looked at my dad and he didn't say anything as he watched me leave.
"Thank you, sir" he said behind me to Grandfather.
Why did my father have to thank him?
Nobody could even defend me. Maybe if Tobi was here he would have defended me. I pushed away from Dara when we got outside the library. She led me towards the elevator and pressed on the elevator button and it opened up. I stepped in after her.
We got in and she looked straight at the door. One would have thought she was born to the family with the way she acted like one of us. I didn't dislike her but in this moment I couldn't help but think she was the perfect granddaughter my grandfather would be comparing me to. "She did whatever she was told. She had almost died for the family. She is the mother to the heir of the family". I couldn't help the thoughts.
As the elevator started to move down I took a deep breathe and stood tall. "Dara, tell me something" I said with my heart in my mouth as I prayed and hoped she would answer my questions.
"Grandfather paid him off. You know your grandfather, you know your family. They couldn't handle watching you act like a child anymore" she turned to say with a strict voice and the same stupid expressionless face everyone had. I couldn't even tell if she felt pity for me anymore or if she even felt anything at all.
"This is a good thing. Your family needs you"
I knew in my heart somewhere that it was a possibility that Grandfather would do such a thing. But at the same time I convinced myself my family wouldn't go that far to hurt me or even hurt me at all.
"Do you know who it is" I asked her as I cleaned the tears from my face as the elevator got to the last floor.
"Some random person." She said with a smirk on her face before walking out of the elevator.

Random person my foot. They are going to marry me off to someone old enough to be my father.

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