Chapter 2 NO FREAKING WAY OUT. DIANA'S POV

There is no way I am going to do that!

I wanted to laugh at the absurdity but it was even very unreasonable.

What was my dad thinking? He knew how I felt about love and how I would never be able to go along with this plan of his.

I am sure he must have known this all along, and he just pretended, or maybe he needed confirmation he would get the money before he broke the news to me.

Whatever it is, I cannot do it.

My heart ached for true love.

While my dad was busy planning my ties to his boss's son, I had been here being a hopeless romantic. What would happen to my prince charming now?

Tears dropped from my eyes as I stood there.

"It is not a death sentence, love. It would only be for a while. Like one year or two and then you can break up the marriage."

"And then what? What would happen to the fact that I have to live with a total stranger for that period?"

"Don't you want me to get this position? You know how long I have wanted it, don't you?"

"I know, Dad but you also know how much I want to marry for love."

"Some things can be Sacrificed for our happiness, don't you think?"

My heart broke at the thought of this, he was only thinking about himself.

"What about my happiness, dad?"

"Diana..."

I shook my head as I walked out of the room. I cried my heart out at the fact that I knew this was wrong yet I cannot blame him for wanting to pawn his daughter away for money and a position at work. But when did it get so bad?

I heard a soft knock on my door and before I could reply, Dad came in and sat beside me on the floor beside my bed.

I moved away a little as I sniffed and wiped my face with the back of my hand.

"What do you want Dad?"

There was a long pause before he answered me.

"Remember it has always been you and I against the world. If there was any other choice I had, I would never have agreed to this but I just thought it was an opportunity to give you a better life. The kind of life that you desire."

"Have I ever complained to you That I am not content with whatever you give me? Dad, I have lived with you for over twenty years now, and not once have you not been able to put food on my table. You have sent me to the best schools and given me everything that you were capable of giving, and even when I did not have enough, I never complained to you, and now, you think I want to live a different life without you in it?"

He rolled his eyes.

"It is bound to happen someday."

"Someday, Dad, not now, not soon. I had no plan to leave you anytime soon."

"Why don't you want to get married to him?"

"I do not know him and I have always dreamed of meeting my man in a meet cute kind of way."

"What childish but we could arrange that."

"Where is the fun in that?"

"Michael is a very nice young man and I do not doubt that you'd be quite taken with him."

"And why is that, Dad? Because he had money?"

"That and many other things."

"You don't even know this man."

"You are the one who will marry him, you are the one who needs to get to know him. Please, do this for me. I promise you can come back home soon."

I sighed. If I refused, it would be as if I was insensitive to my dad's plight but then, what do I do?

"I will think about it."

"Fine but I want you to know that you don't have to do this if you don't want to."

I am quite sure he did not mean that and he only said that because he knew I wouldn't refuse him.

"You will be meeting Brendan in the evening for a date tomorrow. Wear something nice."

"Wait, I don't even get to have a say in that?"

"It will be fine, trust me." He said as he headed out of the room.

I sighed. I put a call through to Kim and she answered immediately.

"My life is over."

"Are you still hung up about what happened in the movie?"

"NO, I have a much bigger problem than that."

"What problem could be much bigger?"

"My dad...."

The network suddenly went bad, and I could no longer hear her. I hung up mad sighed. Perhaps it was a good thing that I would get to meet him first. At least I would know whom I am about to get married to and decide if I would be able to tolerate him. For all I knew, he was one ugly ogre, for his family to be looking all over for a wife for him.

I could not sleep all through the night. I kept turning and tippling until day broke and made sure to avoid my dad as soon as I went downstairs. He was the last person I wanted to see right now but as I walked past the kitchen, I saw a wrapped package on the table and moved close to see a note on top of the red box.

"Wear this to the date. Get him something nice as a gift from an expensive place like Lennings. I left you my card. Michael will send a black Limousine to pick you up in front of Lennings."

I rolled my eyes, what exactly is the fuss about? And what if I decided to pick up a gift somewhere else? I checked the package to see a short blue dress that reached my knee but was a little bit too exposed at the upper part. I am not sure I will wear this but then, now that I think of it. Maybe I could make him dislike me by looking like a prostitute so I decided to wear the gown.

I wonder who picked the gown for my dad. Is he seeing someone?

After getting him a designer watch at Lennings, I headed out of the store to see a black car waiting. I saw the chauffeur smile at me as he opened the door, and I hopped in, and then I fell asleep thinking of my meeting with Mr. Fancy.

My jaws dropped wide when the car halted to a stop and I got out in front of the most magnificent mansion I have ever seen. I was ushered into a room where some maids and then I was made to take a bath and dress in a light sleeping wear. I do not understand what I going on or know what to make of this.

A few minutes later, I suddenly began to see the maids leaving the room in a hurry and I wondered what was going on until I caught sight of the most exotic figure I have seen in my life. He was tall and lean and dressed in simple dark clothes. His gaze was gloomy, but the dim light in the room made it difficult to make out his face. His gaze seemed to be stationed on me alone.

"Pull off your clothes!"

What the actual fuck!