Chapter 5 Please, I can't marry her, Dad! Drop the wedding plans.

Alton walked into the room, trying to figure out who the lady seated before him was. Before he could fully decode who she was, Harrison's voice broke the silence in the room.

"Good Alton, meet Marina," Harrison's voice echoed through the room, cutting the air. "Your wife-to-be". He said it with a sweet smile.

The name struck Alton like a lightning bolt, sending a jolt of recognition through his mind.

"Marina? It couldn't be!" Alton immediately rejected it without letting the words out of his mind. But as his eyes met the lady before him, he realized it was her! Marina, his office nemesis; the one he had sworn to fire from his company when he became director. His worst nightmare is now a reality, sitting innocently in his family's sitting room, poised to become his wife.

Alton was overwhelmed with unprecedented shock and disbelief, leaving him speechless and unable to withdraw his stare from Marina. He glanced at Harrison, then at Fedrick, wanting some rhetorical explanation.

Marina was bestowed with shock; her cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she met Alton's gaze.

"What the hell is this?" She wanted to exclaim; she had never felt so embarrassed; it was as if her weaknesses and imperfections were laid bare for him to see. She wished to disappear into thin air to escape the awkward situation.

As they gawked at each other for a second, they both were speechless; extreme tension filled the room.

"Hi, Alton." Marina cleared her throat and found the courage to speak, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Hi Marina," Alton replied, his response neural as he nodded curtly.

"Son, you can see how beautiful she is, right?" Harrison broke the silence in the room after Marina and Alton's shocking exchange.

"You will grow to appreciate each other with time." Harrion's voice was loaded with expectation as he looked at Alton.

Alton forced a smile; he adjusted in his seat, feeling uncomfortable. Marina sitting in his sitting room to be his future bride made him feel sick. The thought of Marina becoming his wife disgusted him, sending shivers down his spine. He wanted to scream out his objection and express his disgust, but the words got stuck in his throat, leaving him feeling suffocated.

"Excuse me, Dad," Alton muttered, his voice weakening. "I need to use the restroom," he said, and he rose to his feet, hurriedly out of sight without waiting for a response, desperate to escape the suffocating atmosphere.

Marina's mind was wedged with unanswered questions as she sat in disbelief.

"Why is Alton, the son of a billionaire, working as a low-level employee like her? Why does he dress like a commoner? Just why?....." She wanted to keep asking herself the questions of why with no ending; however, she couldn't find answers to any.

"Marina? Do you like my son?" Harrison's voice breaks Marina's heart, breaking her thoughts; the questions cut her heart into pieces.

"He is a wonderful man; you will grow to like him," he said, dropping the bombshell.

Marina wanted to protest and tell Harrison the truth about her feelings towards his son. She wanted to tell him that Alton was her rival; they were like water and fire that hated each other. However, it was as if her throat were glued together; she couldn't utter a word and could only nod in response.

"She likes him very much already; we should start the wedding planning right away!" Fredrick answered on her behalf, and Marina felt like giving him a big knock on his hairless head.

"Who the hell sent him? Gosh!" She thought if only Fredrick knew the truth about her feelings towards Alton, he would immediately bundle her into the car and drive her home.

"Definitely," Harrison agreed with a final tone, which made Marina almost suffocated. She had thought she was marrying an aged billionaire; she never knew it was a young guy, not only an unknown guy but her enemy.

"I am sorry, I need to go now; I have an emergency to attend to." Marina eventually managed to speak with a trembling voice.

Fredrick was shocked by the sudden attempt by Marina to leave, with a look composed of surprise and concern. He wanted to immediately strike out what Marina said to maintain his loyalty to Harrison, as he couldn't fathom Marina's sudden request to leave. However, when he caught Marina's pleading look, he relented.

"Oh! So soon? I was hoping we could all dine together before you left! Harrison asked, confused, as he watched Maria stand to her feet.

Marina's heart raced with panic as she searched for an excuse.

"I am sorry, boss; she already mentioned she has something urgent to attend to; it was impromptu," Frederick interjected quickly, coming to Marina's rescue.

"Very well then; we can discuss the wedding plans later," Harrison nodded with understanding, though he couldn't hide the feeling that he was shocked by Marina's sudden request to leave.

Maria was relieved as she walked behind Fredrick out of the sitting room; she couldn't help but appreciate him for covering for her.

Harrison waited for some minutes after Marina and Fredrick left, expecting Alton to come and join him in the sitting room, but when he couldn't see him, he became concerned.

"What is he doing? Why is he taking so long, especially when they had a visitor?" he asked rhetorically with a furrowed brow. Harrison decided to check on Alton.

"Alton, are you okay? What are you doing?" Harrison asked, hitting Alton's doorbell. At the moment the doorbell rang, Alton emerged from his room.

"Why did you take so long? They have left, and we must start planning the wedding soon!" Harrison explained in a final tone. Alton was glad when he realized Marina and Frederick were gone.

"Dad, where and how did you meet Marina? She is my worst nightmare! She is the colleague I told you about, the one who makes my work life miserable," Alton said with a detest.

"Please, I can't marry her, Dad! Drop the wedding plans."

Harrison wasn't surprised; he felt something was amiss, especially with the actions the two displayed in the living room.

"So Marina was the same girl Alton had mentioned to me before?" Harrison found it amusing; he couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"You mean that lovely young lady is your work girlfriend you spoke to me about?" Harrison asked with a giggle, finding it rather funny.

"Dad, she is not my girlfriend! She is my enemy, and I refuse to marry her!" Alton's voice echoed firmly, his voice filled with frustration.

"Well, son, I like her as my daughter-in-law already, and since you both know each other, it will be easier; you must marry her; otherwise, you will stay as a low-level employee in my company! Harrison's expression was serious; he then walked out of Alton.

Alton was speechless; his brain started thinking of what to do next; he couldn't bear the thought of working with Maria any longer or not becoming the director of his father's empire.

"I need to devise a plan and act fast; I must take urgent action!" he exclaimed, his hand striking firmly against the elegantly crafted marble walls.