Chapter 2 - The answer is no

STEPHANIE RAN OUT OF THE COMPANY on her wobbling short legs. That man, Mr. Black sure was something and by something she meant an asshole. She pouted when she signaled a taxi from the pavement, the girl was desperate to place herself as farthest to that man as possible. Him and his marriage proposal.

She simply came for a job and ended up proposed to?! And Mr. Black had not master the sincerity of a proposal. Stephanie pictured her proposal to be by a man who she loves dearly and whom loves her, a proposal that was romantic and true, however Mr. Black was not known to be such man. He is bold and upright and did not bother for her opinion.

'I must be dreaming. This is not a dream but a nightmare, one with a devilishly handsome Ceo that wishes to marry me." The girl shook her head, stating it that way made it sound ordinary but Mr. Black was a man whom one would have to judge behind his extremely good looks. He was a present, wrapped in pretty red paper but with a bomb inside. Dangerous.

Stephanie stepped off the pavement and into the stopped vehicle. She looked through the back shield window as the car moved. 'I will not marry that bastard.' No matter what I will not marry him.

***

"But you must marry the man, Stephanie Anderson!"  Steph's best friend, Elise, shouted at her. She used Steph's full name which represented her seriousness.

Steph sighed, resurfacing herself from under the bathtub water, "I can not marry the man, Elise. Did you not hear me? I dislike the man and rather greatly at that. The answer is no." She grabbed the bottle of alcohol from her friends hands, who pleaded in front of her, and took gulps of it though she wasn't a person who had much taste for alcohol.

"Now please," She seated the bottle at her side, "Allow me to drown in peace.  Your shouting disturbs me."

Stephanie attempted to sink again but Elise grabbed her wrist, "You should be happy that I am not scolding you for taking a bath in my expensive red dress!" She furrowed her thin brows, "Why are you not taking this seriously? A handsome Ceo asked for your hand and you flicked it away? Steph that is a dream, don't tell me you are playing hard to get, now?"

"T-that Ceo wants nothing to do with I, Elise, he doesn't." Steph took another gulp of alcohol, her words starting to become a slur.

"Nothing to do with you?! Stephanie you are gorgeous and you looked like vixen with my makeup. He must of like how I made you."

Steph scoffed, laughing to herself, "I did not look like the Ariana Grande, Elise. I looked like the Voldemort! I was horrid. My makeup was a mess by the time I walked into that office. You should've seen me. I was a package of nerves. A man such as Mr. Black does not desire such a clutz."

"But he had to have liked you if he proposed."

She laughed for a second time and Elise furrowed her brows, "Would you stop laughing at me?"

"Liked me, Elise? That man likes no one, he is a philandering asswipe, he wants nothing to do with me, only to save his own buttom."

Elise rolled her eyes and took the alcohol from her friend, "Will you stop drinking and explain to me."

"But I am sad. Oh so sad, Elise." Stephanie fought her friend for control over the bottle but Elise won and drank the remaining of it, which wasn't much as Stephanie had drank it all.

She was clearly drunk.

"You said he wants to save himself, how?"

The girl blinked and fixated herself straight, "Oh right, now if I've recall correctly he said there's rumors on him. Search him up, Elise! Search the bastard!"

"Hold on, hold on."  Elise took out her phone, her nails clicking against the search bar quickly to please her friend, "Come to think of it, I did hear some rumors but I don't bother looking into them because there is always people trying to get at him. Last week, a woman said he killed her dog, can you believe that?"  Elise was a person who kept up with social media, especially on Mr. Black and Ian Somerhalder.

"No, but I'm sure it'll not be much of a surprise if true."

"He's must be horrid, Stephanie but there's good sites on him too. You just know nothing of him. No one is that horrible, it cannot all be true. You can't hate him for whom he is on the media—"

"I know enough. He's a handsome dick who I wish to slap upside the head!" Steph slurred, "I don't need to know about him, I've learned enough from my grandma's magazines and meeting him today confirmed my accusations!"

"But he is a rich dick, one can achieve pleasure by simply touching his head. I heard someone is selling his hair strand for a million dollars on the market."

"What?! Which human will possibly buy a strand of hair for a million bucks. That is insane."

A cheeky smile took Elise glossy lips, "I will—"

Steph narrowed her eyes at her friend's bizarreness.

"For Ian Somerhalder!  If it is Ian I am sorry, Stephanie."

"Whatever, Elise. I appreciate your opinion but I will not marry that man, your attempts are futile." She crossed her arms over her chest, the wet fabric of the dress sticking to her arm.

"But there is some benefits to marrying him."

"Humor me, Elise."

"Well there's money, and well money and if that isn't all there's also…money." She shrugged, "You do not need to love the man, Steph. All you need to do is call quits after you both get what you want. Didn't you say it's only six months—" The phone started ringing in Elise hands and she looked down at the number, "It's your sister." She showed it to Stephanie, "Why is there fifteen miss calls, Steph?!"

"Do not answer it, I am ignoring her."

"Why?"

"Today is the day of the will."

"It is? Then why are you here. You should be there. It is your father's funeral, Steph."

Steph sighed, "The old man is only spoiled. Trust me, Elise, you know the man he was, that would hardly be a funeral. It makes no sense going there, it'll be of a party." It would seem to others that Steph is a selfish person but he had never have a close relationship to her father.

Some moaned in times of death but for Stephanie there was nothing she felt she should do. It was surprise to her, her fathers passing, but time passed and it wasn't anymore. That was it.

The phone stopped ringing but started again. Elise was about to switch it off but read the screen again, "It is your grandmother now."

Stephanie shooked her head, 'So she couldn't get through to me and decided to contact Granny.' To Stephanie it was not a surprise that such situation would arise. She positioned herself and cleared her throat when she slid the answer button, "Evening Granny what is it?" Her voice turned honey sweet edged with respect and love. The change in her attitude from her sister to her grandmother would open many mouths.

"The funeral? Yes of course I knew she would beckon you to call on me." She looked at her friend and shrugged, one that said I told you so. "I know, I know I'm sorry Granny but I cannot do that, I'm not in the mood right now to show even fake smiles toward everyone that will be there."

Her grandmother smoke from the other end, her voice raising with concern when she asked, "What happened dear, is everything okay you don't sound like your well self."

Stephanie bit down on her lip, she was yet to tell her grandmother that her job search was yet again unsuccessful. She opened her mouth to speak again after a few seconds of silence but got shocked once she heard the old ladies teary voice.

She was crying.

"Stephanie please darling, please attend your father's funeral." She sobbed, her voice cracking tremendously, "If not for them then do it for me."

Hating to hear her grandmother cry, Stephanie nodded immediately no matter how much she was against it  she would still attend for the old lady that raised her. In this case it was her granny begging her to go, not her sisters and it was her granny Steph never wishes to disappoint in a lifetime. She's done to much for her.

"I'll do it for you Granny." She didn't understand why her Grandmother wanted her to go so badly but she hung up the phone and looked to Elise, "Looks like I'll be attending after all." She wrung her hair of water, "Just as I was thinking the day couldn't be more worst my bad luck has returned once again to kick me in the ass."