"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid that is not something I want. I will not be getting married anytime soon; I have a lot of things ahead of me." For a girl who had been trained to remain quiet and polite, Jessica was showing a different side of herself. She had always spoken to her mother about wanting to go to university and pursue interior design as a career. She aspired to be a successful, independent woman. Despite her mother's constant discouragement, Jessica felt the need to carve out a life of her own. She was already tired of spending all her time under her mother's control.
The way Mr. Gonzalez glanced at her showed dissatisfaction and disdain. He was a man of power and wealth, unaccustomed to rejection. Mr. Gonzalez believed that with his deep pockets and wealth flowing from every direction, he could have anything—or anyone—he desired. However, he hadn't counted on Jessica being so sheltered from the world, where the corrupt morals of the new generation had yet to touch her. The loss of her memory, a fact her mother had said nothing about, made Jessica prioritize her future more than her present.
"Jessica, dear, what are you saying?" her mother asked, her heart pounding as she begged her daughter with her eyes to tone down the rebellion and accept the offer.
"This is not what I want, Mother, and it never will be. You've taught me a lot, but I'm certain getting married without my consent isn't one of them," Jessica replied with newfound confidence.
"I know what's best for you. You will marry this man," her mother said sternly.
"He's old enough to be my father! This is one of the very things you told me corrupts our society. You taught me not to be greedy, and not to align myself with people who will hurt me," Jessica responded, her voice cracking.
"Young lady, I will not stand here and be insulted. I am not as old as whoever your father was!" Mr. Gonzalez interrupted, unexpectedly humbling himself.
"My dear," he added, taking Jessica's hand. "I will make you the happiest woman in the world. I'll take care of you, provide for you, take you to the best places, and shower you with money. Think of all the things you could have if only you had the right amount of money at your disposal."
He spoke as though this should be the deciding factor for her, expecting Jessica to fall to her knees at the promise of wealth. However, Mr. Gonzalez didn't realize that Jessica wasn't like most women. She hadn't seen much of the world, and money wasn't the most important thing to her. She was curious about the world, eager to experience it on her own terms, away from her mother's care.
"Money doesn't buy happiness," Jessica replied as she rose from the table. Without looking back, she began to walk away, ignoring her mother's calls.
For the first time, she was stepping into rebellion—a stage her mother never thought she'd witness. Mrs. Hayman had raised Jessica to always follow instructions and never disobey. However, she hadn't anticipated how those lessons would unravel when the issue at hand concerned Jessica's own life and future.
When her mother caught up with her outside the hotel, she fought with her conscience, struggling not to slap her.
"If you walk away now, you cease to be my daughter," Mrs. Hayman said coldly, causing Jessica to stop in her tracks. When she turned around, she was taken aback by the serious expression on her mother's face.
"You'll disown me if I don't marry that old man?" Jessica asked in disbelief.
Jessica's mother inhaled deeply, trying to find the right explanation. She needed to convince her daughter by any means necessary.
"He's not an old man, my dear. He's a very good friend of mine, and if you knew your father's age, you'd understand that he's much younger," she answered, avoiding the real issue.
"And didn't we have a conversation about respecting and obeying me? You were such a good and respectful daughter before—"
"Before I lost my memory?" Jessica finished the sentence, tired of her mother's constant manipulation.
"Yes, before you lost your memory. That man was always meant to be your husband. I'm just trying to reignite the spark that once made you fall in love," her mother lied through her teeth.
"Why don't I believe you, Mother? If I had truly been in love with him, wouldn't I feel just a spark of those emotions? Why do I only see him as a father figure?"
Jessica's mother took a step forward and placed a hand on her daughter's shoulder, smiling menacingly. A chill ran down Jessica's spine.