I Have To!

Have you ever wished for once you had a normal life? Well, if you have that wish, welcome to my world! Out of all the worst things, it had to be an arranged marriage! I mean who does that in the twenty-first century? The critical part of this situation was that I never actually met the guy!

I was standing in our mansion's highly decorated living room in London discussing my arranged marriage, with my mother. I was trying to get at least a single clue of what my husband-to-be looked like. But it was not going too well.

"Do I really have to do this? This is modern time, America has black president... I can't marry a man I don't even know! Do not talk to stranger! Remember that rule you taught me? Now you want me to marry one?" I complained to my mother.

She was as tall as me, with long brown hair and big russet brown eyes, just like me. She stood up from her chair.

"At least tell me what he looks like or how old he is! Is he young? At least my age?" I begged.

"You will find out soon enough." My mother coldly answered. "Don't look at me like that, Amelia. It's your father's idea. If you want to complain, go to him."

"But he's all the way in Paris on a business trip." I exhaled. I was doing my best to keep my temper in.

"Then call him or wait until he comes back. Now if you'll excuse me,"

"He's old, isn't he? That's why you’ve been hiding this from me?" I said as my mother walked past me.

My mother stopped for a second. She left the living room without a word. And that only confirmed my suspicions.

My family was rich. We had a butler, servants, clothes designers, everything the queen had. I could not understand why my father wanted me to marry this guy. For over three weeks-since I learned about my sad fate- I tried to figure out what was the reason behind my parents’ strange decision.

I even made a list of families that we knew. The only thing my father did not have and the queen had was power and a lot of attention. Which brought me to think maybe my dad chose one of the royal family members.

Yea, like you are probably already thinking, this makes no sense. I thought that too. I decided to stop guessing who it was. It was painful to think now he was most likely old man- pedophile.

No matter whom it was, I had a plan. There was no way I would spend my life with a man that I barely knew--an old man... I would sabotage my arranged marriage. The problem was my father...

My father, Mr. Charles Jenkins, most people called him, was a heartless monster. Wait till I explain before you judge! I spent my childhood terrified of my father---until now. He never smiled and properly talked to me without giving me an "order."

I tried to defy my father's "order" once. I was nine years old and my nanny was forcing me to wear some black shoes I hated. I refused. My mother tried to talk me out of it but I was too stubborn to listen. I didn't care what the consequences were----now I wish that I did.

I remember clearly that afternoon how my dad came to my room to have a father-daughter chat with me. I was pouting thinking that I was a normal rich spoiled girl. My father told me why I had to go out with him. He had a friendly reunion with his important business partners. His family had to be there with him.

I promised my dad to go but I had to be wearing something else. He insisted on the black shoes that I hated. He said that black is universally a perfect color. I still said no. So he told with rage,

"Fine, then from now on, you will not wear anything on your feet again. And you still have to come to the party." He slammed the door behind him.

I thought it was a joke. It should have been a joke, a sort of menace to scare me. But when I saw him ordering people around to "confiscate" all my shoes--including socks, I freaked out. I apologized to him but he didn't care. I spent an entire month walking around with no shoes, wearing long dresses in public to avoid the attention of the media. My feet got injured sometimes but my father would still not change his mind.

I was horrified as a kid and learned something very important. I learned that my father was not human. If i didn't do as he said, I would be in trouble--- and trouble is such a nice word to what waiting for me if i disobeyed my father. He treated me like an asset. My mother always tried to convince me that he "loved" me. And all he did was for my own "good". Yea, right! If that was trues then pigs did fly.

I often thought of escaping. This would mean living like a normal poor person. Impossible. My father was not the kind of man to let his belongings escape. He would make sure to follow me and make my life as miserable as possible- until I come back to him begging. And besides, I was rich all my life. There was no way I would survive living on my own.

Because of my father, I HAD TO marry that guy. I had no choice---unless he refused me. That was my plan. I would do anything in my power to make that presumed-old-man hate me. He would visit tomorrow and stay for two weeks at our mansion in London. My father went on a business trip and would not come back until the following week. I had one week to do whatever in I could to sabotage my arranged marriage. "Failure" was not an option. My life and my future depended on it.

I went to my spacious room to call my BFF. We had a rendez-vous later at night... to do some dangerous things!