Leo can't think straight after the little surprise his father has thrown at him. He felt conflicted . He had never seen his father in this condition, so vulnerable , so sad . It broke his heart of course. But marriage was something he had never dreamed of. He was so okay with his casual flings and always made fun of the friends who are already married.
He always thought that being married is boring and that it is something that should be done when you are old , at least 35 years above, not when you are in your late twenties.
Yet he just can't deny the only request his father had made. Divorce can be an option for later on ,now he have to oblige whatever his father has requested . He is sure thta the girl would be happy to divorce him after gaining a handful of cash. Yes , that will work , that has to work.
He has heard a lot about Jennifer from his father . He knew how much his father regretted not being in touch with her for so many years. It wasn't that his father never tried to find her. He tried really hard but she just disappear into the thin air.
As promised by his father, his phone rang exactly of 12 AM, Leo roll his eyes as he already knew how punctual his dad can be. He picked the call .
" So?" was the question his dad ask as soon as he received the call. Leo sighed. He still felt somehow conflicted but the hope in George voice made him stick to his decision.
" I am okay with that." Leo said, his voice casul and he heard his father's happy sigh and knew that he had made a right decision, well at least for now.
" Are you saying yes?" His father cross checked , sounding conflicted.
" Yes old man. I am agreeing to this stupid marriage." With that said the line was cut , making Leo frown. What the hell? Can't his father be a little more sweet?
Next morning , George barged in the hospital room and was about to say something when he saw Jennifer place a finger on his lips , shushing him before pointing at the petite sleeping girl on the chair.
" What is it?" she whispered and glanced at Isla . The young girl was out like light.
"Leo agreed!" George said with a happy smile and Jennifer felt as if the weight from her chest has been removed. She looked up at him in disbelief , as if she can't believe that what the male had said to him is true.
" Now you just have to make Isla agree." He said and that is really hard task to do. Isla was very shy and modest girl . She don't like to trouble people with her presence. She likes to be at the background were no one can notice her.
So when she woke up later that day , Jennifer was on her edge, constantly fidgeting with her fingers. Convincing her daughter wasn't anybody's cup of tea.
" Illy." she called and Isla immediately come near her.
" Do you need anything? Are you not feeling well?" she asked checking if her mother is feeling well or not.
" I am fine, baby . I just want to talk to you about something." she said and made Isla sit on the bed.
"What is it mom?" Isla asked utterly confused , her eyebrows were furrowed as she watched her mother's conflicted expression.
" Promise me one thing, Illy." her mother started, as she held her Isla's hand with her both, tears were visible in her eyes that made Isla heart ache.
" Anything , mom . Just say it.," Isla said without knowing what her mother was planning. Jennifer smiled at her, her smile was sad , Isla could tell.
" Marry George's son Leo." as soon as thne word left Jennifer's lips , Isla eyes widened . Whatever she was expecting from her mother's request , getting married wasn't something she had imagined.
"What?! Mom you know whta you are saying?" She asked in disbelief . Never in a million years she would have thought that her mother would want her to get married at just the age of 20.
" George and Leo had already agreed to this ,Illy. Just agree with this please." Jennifer said her was was sounding as if she was pleading and Isla hates it.
" You always wanted me to be a successful girl ,then what is the reason for this sudden change of decision?" Isla asked, her eyes were shining with unshed tears.
" I still want you to be successful, baby girl. But now I am thinking practically. I can't die knowing that I am leaving you all alone in this world." her mother said and that is what was required to make her daughter cry.
Isla Began to cry, hiding her face in her mother's neck, hiccups audible.
" Don't say that! Nothing is going to happen to you! You will be fine! George uncle have assigned best doctors for you !" Isla almost shouted but her voice was muffled in her mother's skin.
" Everyone has to die, mine time happens to be over soon. I can't die leaving you all alone." Jennifer whispered as she caressed Isla's hair, trying to calm her angel.
" Why are you talking about dying, mom? Nothing will happen to you ! I can't live without you! " choked sobs were echoing in the hospital room as the mother daughter duo cried.
" You will live without me. You will have a happy family . You won't have any worries. Leo is a good boy and George uncle as well as Annie aunty will take good care of you." Jennifer tried to reason.
" But marriage can't be like this. You know I don't even go o anyone's house without them inviting me. And now you are forcing me into someone's life without any thoughts? Mom ,I can't do that. That would be unfair, not only to me but also Leo ,who has nothing to do with this." Isla said, still hugging her mother.
" He don't have any problem ,Isla. He agreed to the marriage and I am begging you to agree with this too. I want to die at peace which can't happen if I know that I am leaving you all alone in this world. Even after dying my soul won't be at peace." Jennifer was now crying, her chest rising and falling with the intensity of the cries.
Isla hates this, hates when her sick mom is crying and she is the reason for that.
" Okay." was the only word that left her lips. She still felt it was wrong. The problem was with her, her mother was sick ,her well being is being thought but what about Leo? It was clear that the boy was black mailed just like her. Getting married with this situation is not an ideal type and she fears what her life will hold.
That night ,Leo sat on the bar table with a glass of wine in his hand. He eyed the liquid before gulping the entire thing in one go.
" So you are telling me that you are getting married soon and that you don't even know her face?" His bestfriend, Gabriel asked, he sounded amused.
" That's exactly what I had said, genius." Leo replied with an iconic eye roll. He wanted to drown all the stress he was feeling because of the damn marriage. He didn't let the gravity of the situation get into him when he agreed to his father yesterday night. But as time passed, he knew that he is screwed.
"Congrats, man!" Gabriel, also known as Gabe patted his back with his hand with little too much force, sarcasm flowing in his tactics.
" Not funny." leo sneered.
" The fact that you are getting married is funny. Damn what will all the magazines will have to say now?" Gabe chuckled as he sipped his wine while his best friend was drowning himself with sorrow.
True. The fact alone that the hottest CEO that is known for being bachelor is getting married is indeed funny.
" I need your comfor a**shole not your sarcasm." Leo said as he let his head fall back in frustration. " I don't even know her that well . I only know that the girl is named Isla and that she is just 20 year old." he said.
"You should have thought thoroughly before agreeing whatever your father has said to you. That girl is still young. Everything must be hundred Times more hard for her." Gabe said as he watched his wife sitting on the lounge with her friends. He smiled at her when she looked up at him.
" On whose side are you? " Leo asked, raising his eyebrow , trying to be more intimidating than he already is but Gabe wasn't fazed at all with his tactics.
"I am not taking anybody's side. I am just stating the fact. " Gabe said , twirling is glass.
Leo sighed millionth time that night. Maximum of his friends are happily but he had never seen himself being on the same boat.
His father called him telling that the girl has agreed to the proposal and Leo wasn't even surprised. Isn't it every girl's dream to marry a rich husband and have a luxurious life?
Leo has no problem with providing the girl with that as long as she stays away from his personal life, anything is fine.
He said his goodbye to his friends before making his way towards the car. He wonders throughout the ride back home that what type of girl will his future wife will be? Demanding? Clingy? He don't know but he will make sure to keep her at bay.
It was a weekend night and Leo just wanted to sleep throughout but ofcourse, his father had to ruin it . Exactly at 7 am he got a call from his father, informing him that he should come with him to visit Jennifer.
Leo groaned. Can't a man even enjoy a weekend freely?
And so he stood before the hospital building with his father by his side. George gave him encouraging smile before making his way into the hospital, Leo followed him , suddenly feeling nervous for God knows why.
" Be nice with them. It's your first time meeting them ." George said as he looked at Leo who nodded.
Ofcourse he would have been nice to them no matter what.
His father opened the room and Leo looked around. Their was someone who was in her fifties sleeping on the bed. He hair were brown in colour. She opened her eyes .
" Come Leo." His father said and urged him to move forward. Leo walked into the room and Jennifer extended her hand for him to take . " She is your aunt , Jennifer." His father replied to his unasked question.
"Hello ,Aunty .How are you?" He asked while smiling softly at her.
" I am fine. You have grown so much. I have seen you when you were just a kid." Jennifer said as she cupped his cheeks and Leo immediately felt his heart expand at the gesture. She felt motherly. Leo smiled at her .
" I have heard a lot about you from dad. He used to tell me about you as bedtime stories." Leo said and Jennifer chuckled a little, eyes turning into crescent.
" Ofcourse you did. Our childhood was wild." Jennifer said with another soft chuckled. She eyed him for few moments. " Thank you,Leo. Thank you for everything." She said and Leo was confused to what Jennifer was referring to . She just kept smiling at him." Thank you for agreeing to marry my Illy.I know that you will keep good care of my girl. She is too innocent for this world. Hope you to have a happy life." She completed.
She looked behind Leo and smiled. Leo turned and saw a petite looking girl standing beside the wall, gaze on the ground.
" She is Isla." He heard his father say but he didn't turned around to look at him , instead he eyed the girl in front of him.
The said girl was petite and much shorted than him. She had a fair smooth skin and the red oversized sweater along with the black jeans complimented her skin perfectly. Her long brown hair were fanning around and Leo can't deny that she is beautiful.
He extended his hands in front of him until the girl finally looked at him ,grey eyes zeroing at him.
" Hi. Nice to meet you." He said.