"I refuse to be a part of this I won't go through with it!" Tears streamed down my face as I fought back the rage slowly building inside of me, consuming me.
When my parents sat me down and filled me in on the deal they had made with Ian, I thought I was being pranked. These were the kind of things you only ever saw happening in the movies.
"Please understand that we're doing what's best for you and this family. This isn't the way we envisioned you getting married." My dad tried to reason with me.
If they were doing this with the best of intentions then why didn't they seek my approval first. This was the biggest decision of my life and yet they excluded me. It just showed how much they valued my opinion.
"I had a right to know! This is my life we're talking about." I paced back and forth in the room.
Ian sat quietly in the back of the room, observing us. I wanted to walk up to him and scream in his face but he was not to blame, my parents were. They were the ones that lied with my name and made him believe I was going to go along with it. I knew the circumstances were hard but I didn't know that they were desperate to the extent of selling off their daughters hapiness for it.
"It's not just about you, Adalia. It's about our future as well. How will we able to make ends meet with no source of income?" My mom scooted closer to my dad, and put her hand in his.
"I could have gotten a job." I stopped pacing and stood in the middle of the room.
"You have school to worry about, don't be ridiculous. That would too much on your plate."
Ian stood up, straightening his suit and then ran a hand through his hair. "Mr and Mrs Green, I'd like to have a word with your daughter." He gestured to the stairs, "In private."
Great, now they were going to leave me with him.
Hand in hand, they went upstairs leaving Ian and I alone.
Ian came and stood a few feet away from me. "I want to apologize on behalf of your parents, If I knew they hadn't consulted with you first before coming to me I would have called the whole thing off."
"You can still call it off." I suggested, feeling a tad bit of hope.
He placed his hands in his pockets, clenching his jaw. "I can't."
I stepped closer to him and narrowed my eyes at him. "What do you mean you can't?"
Ian had the power, the money and connections. He could have had this whole thing put behind us in a second with a snap of his fingers. I didn't see why it couldn't be done.
Sighing out of frustration,he ran his hands over his face. "I could," he clenched his jaw, "but I don't want to."
Had he hit his head on his way here? Was he aware of the words that came out of his mouth?
"What?" I blinked up at him, trying to make sense of his answer.
He covered the distance between us and held my hand, staring down at me. "Adalia, to be quiet frank, I've grown fond of you over these couple of years." He placed a hand on my cheek. "Did you really think I'd pass up the opportunity of making you mine?"
"But, um—"
Words, Adalia, words. I could barely form a sentence without stummering.
He stepped back, giving me back the needed space to think rationally without him clouding my better judgement. "Ian I barely know you, and I'm young. I didn't plan on getting married for another ten years and.."
He nodded in agreement, contemplating my every word. "You're right and that's why we're going to take it slow."
I bit my lower lip and tucked some hair behind my ear. "Ian what I meant to say was I've never seen you in that way and I don't think I ever will."
"I guess we'll just have to work on that." He smirked. "Adalia, think about it, this couple of months we could get to know each other and who knows? You might fall in love with me. If you do, then we'll get married and if you don't then you can walk away and I'll never bother you again."
I thought it through carefuly, all I had to do was spend enough time with Ian to make him realize that I wasn't the woman for him. I could make him dread the day he even set his eyes on me. In return I would get my freedom.
"And what about my parents and my university expenses?"
"Even if you choose to walk away, I'll see to it that your parents business gets the capital it needs and your university expenses are covered." He said never breaking eye contact.
He held out his hand for me. "Do we have ourselves a deal?
I hesitated at first but then shook his hand. "We have a deal."
I wondered what would happen if this whole plan backfired on me but then again I was certain that the chances of me falling in love with me were slim. It was a win-win situation.
Or so I thought.