Chapter 4 A Meeting My Prospective Future Groom

Marina woke very early with some jam in her tummy, as her head was filled with nothing except meeting her prospective groom, the man she had agreed to get married to. She took some care in selecting the perfect dress she would wear; she wanted to look nothing but her absolute best. She felt some satisfaction with the dress she picked: an elegant, long, armless, red, plain chiffon gown, especially as she stood in the mirror to see how beautiful she looked.

Marina couldn't take off the feeling of anxiety that gripped her as she waited for Fedrick, her uncle, to take her to the elderly billionaire's house. She paced forth and back in her room, her mind racing with rhetorical questions.

She didn't know when some of the questions spilled out of her mouth with a sudden surge for answers.

"What is his age? What does he look like? What kind of life does he live? How rich is he?" she kept asking, her voice barely a whisper.

The more she asked herself, the more unsure she became. She started imagining how her life would be after getting married to the elderly billionaire, but all she could see were just ordinary shadows and a half-formed image. Her heart got gripped with more apprehension. She wished she could unfasten her decision to get married to the elderly billionaire, but it seemed too late now; she hoped that her decision would be worth it eventually.

As she kept hoping for the better, adorned in her best attire, she heard a car horn reverberating; she knew Fredrick had arrived. She took a last glance at the mirror to be sure everything was perfect, and she hurriedly left her room.

Tracy was sitting quietly in her favorite armchair when Marina walked in; the wrinkles on her face were more visible, engraved with conflicting emotions. Marina couldn't help but feel guilty as she gazed at her beloved grandmother. She knew Tracy wasn't pleased with her decision to marry the unknown-aged billionaire, which burdened her heart.

"I am not sure I am doing the right thing, grandmother," Marina eventually said after exchanging glances with her grandmother for a few minutes, her voice barely above a whisper.

Tracy returned the gaze, her eyes engrossed with dismay and worry. "Oh, my beloved granddaughter," she mumbled softly, her voice laced with regret.

"I wish I knew all the answers; however, in life, we just have to be faithful and hope for the best."

Marina responded with a nod; her throat bubbled with emotion. She wanted to believe everything would eventually come out fine in the end; however, uncertainty gnawed at her.

"But what if I am making a mistake?" she mumbled in a low voice, trembling with doubt.

Tracy took Marina's hand in hers with a soothing and comforting touch.

"You are a knowledgeable and competent young lady; whatever the outcome is, be well assured I will always be here for you," Tracy assured Marina as tears filled Marina's; she stretched out her body to hug Tracy, finding relief in her comforting presence. Despite her anxiety and doubt boiling inside her, she knew that with Tracy by her side, she could overcome any challenges.

Fredrick's car honk broke the solemn moment between Tracy and Marina, dragging Marina away from her grandmother's warm embrace. Marina hurried out of her room with her heart filled with emotions to meet Fredrick, who stood outside, his face beaming with joy. He couldn't wait to become in-laws with his billionaire boss.

"Hey, my dear Marina, good morning. You look gorgeous!" Frederick said it with an unprecedented smile. Marina had never seen her uncle in such a sweet mood before; she knew her uncle wanted her to marry the billionaire, not precisely because he cared so much about her but because of his selfish reasons.

"Good morning, Uncle Frederick." Marina managed to reply and return the smile wryly, her mouth slightly apart, revealing her white set of teeth.

Fredrick couldn't hold back his excitement as they walked towards the car. "I am more than happy that my little niece will become a wife to a billionaire soon," he uttered with extreme pride.

"You will get everything you have ever dreamed of now, Marina!" He added. The joy in his heart knew no bounds; he knew what he would get if the relationship became successful.

Marina nodded forcibly to what Fredick said, still scared of her decision as doubt crippled at the corner of her mind. She could not shed the feeling that it was all happening faster than she thought. She was rushing way too fast into an uncertain future.

As Fredrick drove his car carefully towards Harrison's mansion, Marina gawked out at the car's window; the sprawling estate's magnificence intensified her nervousness. She couldn't help but imagine herself and feel that soon she would be like a fish swimming in an ocean of wealth and power.

Fredrick couldn't read Marina's mind; he was oblivious to her inner concerns and was only interested in his own interests and happiness.

"You will love it here, Marina. Harrison is a generous man; he will take care of you!" He assured her, his tone brimming with extreme confidence.

"Oh! His name is Harrison, Harrison, what?" She thought as she nodded quietly. She wanted to ask more questions; however, she kept her mood and watched the beautiful surroundings Fredick drove into.

Arriving at the billionaire's estate, Marina was astounded at the beautiful grand mansion she saw. The gate glide opened effortlessly, revealing a vast expanse of luxury that stretched into infinity. Marina's heart was filled with unprecedented amazement at the sight of what she was

As they eventually entered the sitting room, Marina's eyes fell upon Harrison, the man she was supposed to marry. He looked much younger than she had thought; for some moments, she pondered on the hope that her future might not be as gloomy as she had feared.

"Hey, good day, sir," Fredrick greeted, standing stiff with some salutation.

"Hey, Fredrick, how are you? You are welcome. Is my future daughter-in-law?" Harrison asked, smiling at Marina. Marina's heart sank immediately.

"What does this man mean by 'my future daughter-in-law?' Is he the father of my future groom? IAm I getting married to someone younger than he is?" Marina's heart flooded with extreme thought.

"Oh! No! She is your bride-to-be," Fredrick responded as Harrison returned with doubtful laughter.

"Have your seat, please!" Harrison summoned them to sit as Marina's heart started skipping uncontrollably.

"How are you doing, young lady? Marina, right? Harrison asked Marina. Marina wasn't that shocked; he knew Fredick would have told him more about her.

"Yes, sir, my name is Marina," she said confidently, trying to wave off her fears.

"My son should be here soon," Harrison said, immediately calling out the name. "Alton, Alton," with a loud voice. A cold ran through Marina's body; the name sounded familiar, and she hoped it wasn't the same person she knew.

Before she could compose her thoughts well, a figure that looked so familiar to her walked into the room with extreme confidence; it was Alton, her colleague from work, the only person she didn't like to come across.

She was filled with extreme shock and disbelief as she strained to make sense of the situation.

"What was Alton doing here in the billionaire house? Is he my prospective future groom?" She wanted to ask Frederick immediately who Alton was; she wanted to scream hard in her mind; however, as her eyes met Alton's eyes across the room, Marina felt a cold run through her spine.