“Ok, so what did you guys want to tell me?” She asked. “Must be something serious since you had mee back home for it.”


    “ir,” her Father started, but paused immediately, looking back at her mother, who nodded and ced a supporting hand on his shoulder. He faced his daughter again. “You know how my business was facing major setback about two years ago?” ir nodded. “I had to loan money from The Lancaster-”


    “Wait.” ir sat up, surprised by what her Father just said. “The Lancaster? Like the-”


    “Yes,” her mother said. “The Lancaster. Your Father needed to do something fast and when he had approached Mr Lancaster, he was able to loan your Dad a great sum of money which brought your Dad’s business back.”


    “Yes. Except ording to the contract I signed, I would pay back in a year and a half time.”


    “Ok,” ir said slowly.


    “Your Father doesn’t yet have the money to pay Mr Lancaster ir. He does have the money, but if he takes that money out and pay, his business would go back to the way it was two years ago and…”


    “Can’t he give you like more time? I mean, Dad you could ask for more time right?”


    “I had agreed that I wouldn’t provide excuses to him once the time reaches, he has already given me a grace of three months and I’ve only been able to gather up seventy percent of what I owe ir. But… Oh, I can’t say this.” He rubbed his hair, it was then that ir noticed the bags under her Father’s eyes. He looked really tired, and worn out.


    “ir, Mr Lancaster wants you to marry his son.” She didn’t stop to wait for ir’s reaction, not looking at her daughter she continued. “He… that’s the only way he would let your Father off, if you marry his son, Dn Lancaster.”


    ir was quiet for awhile, she finally managed to open her mouth “What?” She questioned quietly, she had heard the words well, understood everything her mother had just said as she saw the wordse out of her lips. But she had to ask again, just so her mother would prove her wrong. “Why? Why would he say something like that? Just because we owe him money? Dad what did you tell him?”


    “I’m sorry ir.” Was all her Father had to say for ir to finally understand the guilty looks on her parents face. “I tried, but he-”


    “You agreed.” It wasn’t a question. “You guys want to sell me off?”


    “No, ir honey, please don’t say it like that,” her mother said quickly rushing to her side. “Listen, your father and I aren’t selling you, we tried our best ir, for months, for a way out of this, but Mr Lancaster stuck with his words. ir you have to understand there is nothing we can do about this.”


    “N-nothing you can…” She gave a smallugh. “I’m dreaming right? Right? That’s all what this is, a dream.”


    Jane urned to her husband. “Don’t just sit there Martins. Please say something to her.”


    “What’s there to say?” ir pushed her mother’s hand away. “You two know what I’ve been through in thest month. It’s barely been two months since Richard left, the man I wanted to marry, yet here you are with talks about marriage to another man, a stranger?”


    “I’m sorry Darling,” her Father told her. “But with time y-you will get to know Dn more. He is smart, sessful, very handsome. I know things will be hard at first, but you…” He turned to his wife for help with words.


    “It’s not going to be forever ir, after a year you can file for a divorce if you want-” her mother tried to speak.


    “I don’t want a divorce!” ir shouted them jumping up. “I don’t want to get married, I don’t want a divorce. Oh, I feel like such a fool, I can’t believe I came here for this.”


    “ir-” Her mother tried to speak.


    “Goodnight.” She said instead and ran up the stairs, heading to her room.


    ~~~


    “No, you don’t understand Samantha, I’ve been married off, and to some man I do not know.”


    “Wait, are your parents really serious about this? I thought you were joking. Why would your parents do something like this?” She gave a dryugh. “They are not serious right, this is some sick prank?”


    “I wish Samantha, I wish, but they are really serious about this. They want me to marry someone I do not know… I can’t, I won’t, but…”


    “But what? What’s wrong? If they are pressuring you, just leave. You are already a grown woman and they can’t control you.”


    “My… This guy my parents are talking about… his father, my Dad owes him, something like that I wasn’t really listening to them. They came to a conclusion that if I marry their son… This is not happening Samantha. My mother said I can file for divorce after a year, but-”


    “But nothing, are you actually considering this? Pack your bags ande back home. For crying out ir, we both know you are… as much as I hate you say this, you are not well ir, not in the right state and l know you are not ready to talk about it, but this isn’t something you need on your head now. How about…” ir was distracted by her door opening and her mother walking in.


    “Hey, Samantha, I’ll call youter.”


    “Later? Did I say something wrong? I’m sorry that I brought that up, but-”


    “No, you didn’t do anything. My mum is here.” She ended the call, not giving Samantha the chance to say another word. “What do you want mother?”


    “Mother? Seriously that’s what you call me now? I know you’re angry with me, but you have to understand-


    “No, you stop. Ok, you guys never understand anything, nothing at all and now you expect me too? You do things the way you want to do them, you don’t care who you hurt along the way.”


    “Don’t speak like that ir. You know your Father and I would never purposely do anything to hurt you, we love you and want the best for you.”


    ir scoffed. “No, you don’t. Just leave.”


    “ir listen to me,” her mother insisted, not moving. “We don’t want this, your Father and I were not looking at this. That’s why we’ve been trying to raise enough money to pay off, paying with what we currently have spells doom for your Father’s business. It would copse and why that is not more important that your happiness, we have-”Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    “So, I am now the solution? Mom, I do not want to get married to a stranger, not to anyone. You know how Richard’s betrayal affected me, you know I still haven’t healed from that and now this?”


    “I know darling, I know. But please just do this, for us, please.” ir looked away from her mother. “ir please.”


    “I don’t want to get married,” she cried.