Chapter 2 Marriage Behind Debt

Alice found herself back in her room after the man who came to collect her father's debt had left. She sat in silence, staring out the window with an empty gaze. Yet, her mind was filled with various problems she was facing, and a new one had just been added.

The room Alice occupied was simple, not too spacious, containing only a wardrobe, a study table, and a medium-sized bed used for sleeping. The bathroom wasn't inside Alice's room; it was separate and the only one in the house. Therefore, everyone had to take turns when wanting to use it.

Additionally, Alice's room was currently silent, the door tightly locked from the inside. At this moment, Alice didn't want to be disturbed by anyone after someone had come this morning to demand her father's debt from her family. Alice pondered over the debt that could be settled if she were to marry the son of the man who had demanded it.

Of course, Alice was not accepting the condition imposed by that person. She felt as though she was being treated as a commodity to settle her father's debt. On the other hand, Alice also didn't know who the child of her father's former boss was. So for now, Alice was contemplating her situation. Her mother hadn't forced Alice to accept the offer from David, her father's ex-boss.

Even though Alice wasn't pressured to accept David's offer, she couldn't help but think about the debt that had to be paid within an extremely short time-two weeks. Yet, her father's debt was so significant, amounting to tens of millions of dollars.

Alice was self-aware; she would never be able to gather that much money within two weeks, even with the help of her brother-in-law. So, she was utterly confused about what to do. If the only way to clear her father's debt was to marry David's child, Alice felt she needed to reconsider.

But Alice was afraid that accepting David's offer would lead her into deeper trouble. She didn't know the person she would be marrying, and she feared they might not accept her either.

The question swirling in Alice's mind was: Why did David demand that she marry his child as a condition for clearing her father's debt? Alice felt she had no special abilities; she could only cook and manage the house. She didn't consider herself particularly attractive or talented. What did David see in her that prompted him to make such a demand?

Indeed, Alice was very confused now. Was David's child also being forced by David if she accepted the offer? Alice had just met David for the first time this morning, let alone meeting David's child. She had never met or even known anything about her father's former boss's child.

Alice's head felt like it was about to explode. She was so confused to the point of feeling dizzy while trying to find a solution to all the problems she was facing. Before this new problem arose, Alice already had issues at her workplace with her colleague. As a result, her head was only filled with problems she had to deal with. And these problems arose just two days after her father's departure.

Alice returned to work after just two days of her father's passing because she had only received a two-day leave. But after only a day at work, the girl encountered problems with her colleague.

What made Alice slightly better was that today was the weekend, which meant she wouldn't meet her work colleague. Alice thought that today she could calm her complicated mind. Sometimes, Alice still cried when she remembered her father who had left just three days ago.

"Damn it! Why is my life like this?" muttered Alice, releasing a string of harsh words. She rarely swore before, if ever, unless she faced a problem like now.

Alice's daydreams were shattered, her eyes no longer staring blankly ahead. Instead, her eyes slowly glistened.

"Why do problems keep coming to me, God?" continued Alice in a soft tone. Her head bowed down, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"What did I do wrong, God?"

After saying these words, Alice bent her knees, hugging them close and burying her face in her knees. Alice cried silently, without letting out any loud sobs, shaking with her shoulders and suppressed sobs.

Alice cried quietly, her voice muffled. She recalled her late father, whom she already missed dearly. Alice missed her father's wise advice; although her mother and sister were still there, Alice felt her father was wiser in providing solutions and advice.

If time could be rewound, Alice wanted to go back to her childhood, which was much better than now. Back then, Alice wished to grow up quickly because in her imagination, being an adult was enjoyable and liberating.

But the reality now was different. Alice now understood exactly what her sister had said before, that being an adult was not necessarily pleasant, but tiring.

Alice deeply regretted her desire to grow up quickly in the past. Now, Alice wished to return to her childhood, a time when she didn't have to worry about any problems other than school tasks.

"I miss Daddy," murmured Alice softly, her voice barely audible.

"Why did Daddy leave me first?" Alice continued to speak as if she were talking directly to her father.

Alice's mind was truly stuck now; she didn't know what to do anymore. She wanted to surrender, but Alice was afraid that her decision would lead her into even bigger trouble.

"But if I accept Mr. David's offer, the effects might come to me alone. But if I refuse Mr. David's offer, everyone, including Mommy, might bear the burden of Daddy's debt," thought Alice amidst her sobs.