Chapter 2 Bitter surprise

After dinner, they all gathered in the living room. Tilda walked quietly out of the room where she had just layed down her very active two year old son after a lot of petting and persuasion. She didn't want to miss what George would tell all of them because it could affect her and her family. She walked in to the living room where everyone was waiting for her "I'm sorry I took a while, it was hard getting Tommy to sleep" she gave a smile has she sat next to her husband.

"It's okay, Matilda." George sighed "I was just about talking about how my meeting went," he gave a glance at everyone in the room and proceeded "it went well, it was a success. I was able to get our main investor and friend, Frank Reid to keep doing business with us and by this our company would be able to expand more and keep flourishing more than it ever was with the amount of money he's going to invest this time." He allowed the congratulations and cheers to die down before he proceeded "but there was a catch to this business deal, to assure him that our family's would keep doing business and I won't break the contract arrangement, he added a clause to it." He looked over at Penelope and continued talking "He asked for Penelope to get married to his son, by doing this our contract would be solid and he'll be pleased to keep doing business with us"

Penelope gave a laugh and expected everyone also to but they didn't, "c'mon guys, that was a good one, right?" She laughed "It's so cool when Dad gets to chip in little jokes every now and then" she chuckled and thought of the reason why she was the only one that found what he said comical, then the realization hit slowly and she looked up to her Father in disbelief. "It is a joke right, Dad?" She asked standing up.

"Why would this be a joke, Penelope? This is a serious business arrangement here and you're taking it as a joke! What part of this is funny to you?"

Penelope's heart raced, her breath got clouded and laboured "you really want to sell me off to your business partners son and you expect me to be all joyous about it?" Her eyes expanded in disbelief "is this a sort of prank or what?" She looked around the room and no one seemed to be too happy about it but couldn't say anything to go against him.

" Would you please sit down and stop throwing a tantrum!" George commanded and for a second she thought of doing what her father ordered but she was more upset than submissive at the moment.

"No Dad!" She took everyone by surprise including George.

"What did you just say?" He stood up and looked down at his daughter "I Said, I won't Marry a stranger I don't know or love just for a business deal and I don't care of anything you say anymore"

"If you refuse to do this you would be in big trouble, Penelope" he had a stern glare on his face "you're not a child and I'll expect you to act like the adult you are and act as you're told to" he stated in a very upset tone.

"please just sit down, Penelope" her Mom pleaded Penelope scoffed, she didn't know what had changed in her, but she guessed something must have sparked her new found rebellion and that was her father's lack of care of anyone's feelings. She turned around and started walking to her room

"if you leave this place you cease to be a member of this family!" She heard some gasps and turned around.

"If that's what you want, Dad then fine, I'll make it easier for you by actually leaving"

"No!" Her Mother exclaimed standing up but she just ran up to her room.

She felt hurt but she also felt free and Victorious, her mind was clouded and filled with a lot of thoughts as she ran up the perfectly sculptured long stairs. Why didn't she take the elevator? She thought, where would she go from here? Would her grandparents take her in? Her Mom's parents have never been too crazy about her Father and they should take her in till she gets back on her feet, she'll work really hard to get some money of her own, open the cafe of her dreams and maybe along the line she'll fall in love and settle down, she thought. She sighed at the thought of the beautiful plan she had and started getting her clothes into her luggage bag.

"And what do you think you are doing?" Her Father's voice startled her and she turned around to confront him

"if you've come to insult me some more then I'll beg you not to, I'll leave like you want" she sighed

"if you leave, like I said you'll cease to become a member of this family and you'll have no right that a member of this family has. What you're doing here is stealing clothes that were bought with my money, if you want to leave here, you'll leave with only the clothes on your back, you are given that luxury. But apart from that, you have no right to take any more clothes or belongings my money bought!"

Penelope gasped at what her Father just said "I don't believe you'll do that to your own daughter," she shook her head in disbelief "why would you do this to your own daughter?" She felt so confused and lost.

"I'm doing this for your good and the good of everyone" he inched closer to talk to her, his blue eyes were tired and his short brown hair was begining to get disheveled.

"No, Dad," she shook her head "if you actually love me and care about me you'll care about how I feel and how your actions affect me. Why would you just go on and agree into something like that without caring about my feelings?"

Her Father paced a bit and shook his head "I've made this decision for my family and I wouldn't explain myself or repeat it again! You better chose to accept it or leave like you want to"

Her Father's words hurt and she felt like she would cry but she stopped herself "you've controlled me all my life, told me what to do, stopped me from doing what I love everytime." She scoffed and shook her head "why did you ever send me to law school all those years, uh?" She asked "so I could go, study, get my degree and not use it and then settle for this kind of marriage?"

"If you don't do this, just know that you'll be tarnishing the family name and you'll be a disgrace" her Father's stern demeanor was unbelievable, it felt like he wasn't even listening to anything she said or cared and it made her wonder why she actually needed to do it.

"Why are you making me do this, Dad? I've always been what you ordered me to be, but this... This is way too much" she was exasperated and it infuriated George so much that he yanked her arm and pulled her from her dressing room before spitting out in anger the true risk behind her choosing not to get married.