Chapter 4 The Acquiescence

"Are you kidding me? I am too young to get married and I do not even know what kind of creature you are, and what habit do you have and then all of a sudden you will ask me to marry you? You know, everything you ask me to do I am willing to do willingly, just do not ever offer me this thing because it is not a joke, marriage is sacred, you might not know that. We do not know each other yet and we do not even love each other." Amanda said full of shock in her voice, she did not even think this was what the man would ask her, she knew it was a blasphemy.

Not because the man has the ability to live and survive in life as well as he has a beautiful face, that is already an enough reason for her to marry him anytime he wants. She still believes in true love that comes spontaneously at any time and without being forced, for her it matters deeply about marriage because while it is a living commitment, it is not just a game that if you do not want then you will suddenly give up. That is what she goes for in those moments but the man in front of her does not even seem to be joking in his offer and he even gets to smile at the serious situation.

He was even able to answer what Amanda said seriously sarcastically but in a tone that seemed to be serious in what he was saying.

"If so, let us begin to love one another." He mentioned the reason why Amanda suddenly closed her eyes because of the annoyance she felt at the same time as she scratched her head because she really wanted to hit the man on the head to make him aware of what he was saying but she just could not. Perhaps the man would suddenly demolish their home as soon as he was angry with her and does not like what her lips were saying, she would surely be shaken by the hurtful words of her neighbors because they were not able to regain their home at the hands of the man in front of him.

"Let's not prolong this conversion, I am just asking you something significant, just let us take this island and live here forever then I am ready to do whatever you want. Even if you make me a servant for the rest of my life, it is okay. Just feed me and my mother for free, that's no problem for me. Deal?" Amanda immediately said that she thought she could solve this problem but Theodore did not seem to agree with her because he was just looking at her as she spoke and unlike before, it was so serious that Amanda was very worried because he does not know the reason why his gaze was fixed on her that intently.

"Deal?" She repeated her last words thinking the man had not heard what she said, noticing that Theodore's mind seemed to have returned to reality Amanda immediately rested deeply because of the nervousness that she did not know where it was coming from. It is not the ordinary nervousness she feels whenever she is not ready for a situation, it is like she only now felt it in her whole life and whatever it is she knows something is weird. She suddenly averted her gaze from the man because she felt something was wrong, but less than half a second later Theodore suddenly grabbed her hand which is why she stared into the man's brown eyes.

"I am serious about what I said. Marry me and I am ready to give you this island for life." Weakly but emphatically Theodore says that caused Amanda's heartbeat to suddenly speed up, she does not know why she feels that way, in her whole life her chest has only now throbbed like that as if for whatever reason it is he who gives her strange joy. She immediately closed her eyes deeply so that she could no longer see Theodore's face but it seemed that even when she closed her eyes, she could still see the man's brown eyes and his playful smiles that annoyed her the most. That is why she suddenly opened her eyes too, if only what they were talking about did not matter she probably had already left her whereabouts. It seemed like a fire when she looked at Theodore in those moments that if the intimacy they had in those period lasted longer, she might have been burned. She feels that whatever she is feeling in those moments is not right and something seems to be preventing her from feeling that. She did not really know why she was confused, It has less than a day when she met him but why did she just react and feel like that? Maybe she had just heard from a man that he wanted to marry her, but she knew that was wrong because they did not know each other very well yet, and she is not that easy to get.

"I am beyond sorry but I can not agree to marry someone I do not love yet and you can not get me with your simple sarcastic answers. That thing is too important for me, it is not just trial and error that can be delayed if you can not take it anymore. If for you marriage is just a trip, for me it is a vow that will never be broken and it is only for the couple who love each other and want to be with each other forever. Do you understand my point? I can not marry you-"

Amanda was no longer able to continue what she wanted to say when Theodore suddenly ordered one of his servant at his back to come to his place because he wanted to order something from that person and what he ordered to the man who go to his whereabouts just a few moments ago would almost drop Amanda's jaw and boost her heartbeat due to extreme nervousness.

"Start the demolision job!" Strongly and vigorously Theodore says that was the reason why the other male companions went at the same time earlier and they had equipment in hand that would help them to speed up the destruction of every home. Amanda was barely able to move and she also did not know how to stop Theodore from ordering it to her servants, Theodore's staff was already preparing at that time to demolish the houses and they were also planning what they would prioritize and how to make the thing they were going to do easier. At that moment she could already hear the seemingly disappointed words left by her neighbors, who would admit she whom deeply resented at those times.

"It would be foolish to trust a woman who we knew from the beginning who no longer has the ability to solve this problem. My suspicion was correct earlier, that she could do nothing, we would still be evicted from our place."

"They are starting to destroy our home! It is obviously Amanda's fault, if she had not stopped us earlier from using violence maybe those men would have left our area!"

"I am right in what I had said earlier, we should not entrust her with the problem of the whole island because it will only put everyone in greater danger."

"What are we going to do? Are we going to just let them destroy our place? Let's not trust Amanda anymore, she is an idiot!"

"Let's stop them! Let's not expect Amanda to help us anymore, she is a weak creature and incapable of solving our problem."

"She is a useless one, she even gave us hope earlier that there is still a way for us to stay in this place but she just fooled us!"

"I totally thought Amanda would get through this situation but I was wrong. She just let us down!"

"It was a big mistake that we trusted Amanda, she did nothing for us!"

Those were just a few of the phrase Amanda heard from her neighbors, her gaze immediately went to her mother who was tearfully watching how Theodore's servants were slowly preparing to destroy their place, still continuing to young people cry because of the idea that they have no place to live as well as their parents who do not have enough money to take and buy a new home. Amanda felt so much pity in those moments, she knew it was wrong to marry without careful thought and no affection at all, but she thought it was harder to watch her mother, uncle and neighbors react to the devastation when their home and in leaving the place where they also take up employment. She took a deep breath and immediately wiped away her tears. She did not think that it would be a mistake for her to be judged immediately by her neighbors and almost disparage her character because their request was not complied with. She does not even know what hurts more in those moments, to see that there is really no hope for them to stay in this place, or to be rejected by the people you helped before and considered family just because of one result, that they did not like.

When she was finally able to breathe easily, she immediately turned to Theodore who had been by her side earlier and watched his servants as they were planning. She looked the man straight in the eyes as she said words she knew would be the solution to this situation.

"I am going to marry you."