Chapter 2 C2

Ella knelt on the ground in front of Mr Bailey, her father, sobbing. His head remained buried in his newspaper, flipping it as he kept reading without lifting his eyes to look at his crying daughter.

She had just gotten back from her workplace, where she worked as an office assistant in a very small office and was yet to change her clothes, when he broke the shocking news.

"Be prepared, you're getting married next weekend." Her father's words kept replaying in her ears as she remained on her knees, weeping profusely.

"Father, please. Don't do this to me. This is not part of my plan right now. I beg you." She begged him, wiping her tears but it kept pouring out uncontrollably.

Mr Bailey hissed, closed the newspaper and angrily placed it on his lap. He glared at Ella, who was still in front of him.

"Do I look like I care about any of your useless plans? Huh? Don't get me mad, young lady!" He snapped at her.

At that moment Mrs Bailey walked in with a weird smile on her face.

Feigning ignorance, she asked, "Honey, what is going on here?"

"Why is she crying?" She asked again, pointing towards Ella as she took a seat beside her husband.

"I have no idea." He shrugged and picked up his newspaper, and continued to read it.

"I just told her about the marriage arrangement and she has been crying ever since as if someone died." He said, flipping his newspaper yet again.

Irritated, Mrs Bailey replied, "Oh! It's because of that?" She hissed.

Ella then turned to her, falling on her face, and grabbing her mother's legs, "Mum, please plead with dad for me. I don't want to get married to someone I do not know. I don't even want to get married yet."

"You don't have to know him. You will get to know each other once you're married and staying together." Mrs Bailey replied, with no iota of empathy.

Ella shook her head in disagreement, "No! I don't want to, mum." She cried.

Mrs Bailey Scoffed, "Oh dear. Such a poor child."

"You still don't know your place in this household, do you?" She spoke, her voice barely above a whisper, but Ella heard it.

Confused, she wiped her tears, "What do you mean, mum?"

"Look, this household has been facing a lot of financial hiccups which I believe you know about. Except you want to pretend, and that's fine." She responded, while Ella just listened, wiping her face with her hands.

"Anyway, you already know how our family has been rolling from one debt into another. The bank is going to throw us out, and seize the house if we don't repay the loan by the end of this month. The only solution is for you to marry this billionaire, and voila! we'll get back on our feet again." She continued, leaving Ella, staring at her in disbelief.

"Is that all I am to you? Just a tool? A tool to be used to get back on your feet? Why can't we find another way, mum? Dad? Huh?" She asked, her eyes darting between both parents.

"You have any idea of any other way to get out of this financial mess?" Mrs Bailey asked her but Ella became quiet.

She truly didn't have any idea of how to help them financially. Her salary was barely enough to sustain her for a month, not to talk of the whole family.

Mrs Bailey sucked her teeth, "Exactly! That's what I thought."

"Or do you think that measly salary of yours can do anything?" She asked Ella, her face twisted in disgust.

"But I can get a better job." Ella insisted. "I'll work hard. I'll-"

"And with what qualifications do you plan to do that? Huh?" She asked, cutting Ella off, rudely.

"And in what year exactly will that happen? Is it after we've been thrown out into the streets and we have become a laughing stock? Is that it?"

Ella sniffled, "But what about my sister? Why can't Bella get married to him? It's not like she will hate the idea of marrying a billionaire anyway."

Truly, if it was under another circumstance, Bella would have happily jumped at the offer without thinking twice, and their parents would have happily supported.

Disgusted by what Ella had just said, Mrs Bailey yelled at her, "Will you SHUT your mouth before I shut it for you right now! You idiot!"

"Have you lost your mind? You really have some nerve." Mr Bailey barked, angrily.

"You're lucky I'm not selling you off to the highest bidder." He added.

"But there's no difference." She retorted. "It's just like you're selling me off to-"

She hadn't completed her statement when Mr Bailey arose from his chair and slapped her hard across the face.

"You ingrate! How dare you talk back at me in such a manner! You should be lucky I'm not in a terrible mood this evening." He hissed, glaring at Ella who held her hunting cheek.

"Look, you'll get married to that man and the wedding will be held next weekend!" He commanded, raising his voice. "That's final!"

Paying her no mind, he walked out angrily, while his wife followed closely behind, leaving Ella, devastated.

Left to wallow alone in her misery, Ella remained on the floor in silence, until Bella, her younger sister, suddenly popped out of a corner. She had been hiding, eavesdropping on the whole conversation all along.

As she peeped and saw Ella in the living room, sitting on the floor, lost in her thoughts, and staring at nothing in particular, she let out a quiet mocking laughter, and walked into the living room.

She then burst into a loud hysterical laughter, snapping Ella out of her thoughts.

Still laughing, and with a mocking tone, Bella said, "Hi 'ABOUT TO BE MRS ANONYMOUS'."

Ella remained quiet, and paid her no attention, but Bella continued to taunt her.

"How is the preparation for your wedding going? I hear you're about to be married." She continued, her tone still filled with mockery, and Ella couldn't control her tears.

"Oh! My Poor sister. I must say, I'm gonna miss you." Bella continued.

Ella sniffled, "Can you help me beg them to reconsider? Please Bella, I'm going to do anything you want me to do. Please." She pleaded with Bella, who kept walking round in circles around her.

"Anything? You're sure?" Bella asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Yes, I promise, I'll do anything." Ella assured her. "Please help me just this one time."

Bella suddenly scoffed, "As enticing as that sounds, I'm afraid I won't be able to do it for you."

"But why? Please."

Bella shrugged, "Well, someone has to do it and that someone is definitely not me. As you already know, the family's finance is already hanging on a thin thread, and we can't afford to go broke. It can't happen. I'd rather die than go broke.

"I heard the billionaire is an old man. So that way, you can save us from this mess before he dies." She chuckled mockingly.

Shocked, Ella exclaimed, "Wait, what? An old man?"

Bella made a mocking face, "Oh, you weren't told? Oh poor Ella, you don't know anything."

"I heard he is a wobbly old man," she continued, "but he is a billionaire, and that's all that matters." She added, intentionally making her sister's life more miserable than it already is.

Ella, realizing that her life was heading towards doom, began to cry again.

"What did I ever do to deserve this? All my life I've done every single thing you all wanted me to do without complaining or grumbling. Can't I at least have a say on just this one thing?"

"How is that any of my business? Am I the one who asked you to marry an old man? Please don't stress me!" Bella snapped at her, and hissed.

An idea popped in Ella's mind and she suddenly stopped crying. "You know what? Why don't you get married to him instead?" She asked Bella, whose eyes widened.

Taken aback, she yelled, "What?! Ewwwww... Are you crazy?"

"We both know how much you love money and since money isn't an issue in this case, you'll be fine. Please, I can't get married to him. Please for once in your life, do this one thing for me." Ella pleaded with her, wholeheartedly.

Ella tried to convince her sister to take her place instead, but unfortunately, it didn't work out.

Bella folded her arms across her chest, "Oh, so you're trying to throw me under the bus?"

She snickered, "You've got to be kidding me!"

"Or wait, Is it because I'm here having a conversation with you? That's why you think you can brainwash me into accepting to marry that ugly stricken old man?"

"No way! It's never going to happen!" Bella spat angrily.

Her expression suddenly changed, and her lips gradually formed into a smirk. "Oh, and there is a HUGE surprise awaiting you."