Isabella, you will marry him! Don't you know how rich his family is? If you get married to him, you will benefit a whole lot from his family, and you can help us, too. Why are you acting like a kid, here?" Her mother said, folding her arms across her chest.
In the sitting room, sat the family of three, indulging in a serious conversation. The room was a bit chilly as the AC made the room cold.
"Listen, Isa. You and I know very well that Archie's family is one of the richest families in the country, and if they agree to take you as a member of the family, you will stand to gain a lot. We are trying to help you build a good future for yourself," her father added, drinking up the last content in the cup.
Isabella had tried to convince her parents once more, but she had just signed herself up for another session.
She couldn't wait for them to finish the so-called "session", so that she could tell him that she would marry Archie.
"We know what is best for you, Isabella. Listen to us, okay?" Her mother said, looking at her daughter for response.
"Alright, fine. Enough of the lectures, please. I have heard you two, and I have come to a conclusion on this everyday discussion. I have decided that I will get married to Archie," she said, after minutes of silence.
Her parents were surprised. They knew how stubborn their child was, and agreeing to marry someone she didn't have a thing with was something that needed so much effort.
"Really?" Her mother said, unable to contain the excitement in her voice.
"Yes, really."
Her excited mother hugged her, feeling proud of her.
"Thank you," her father said, smiling inwardly.
She did not want to struggle, when she eventually got married to Andrew. She needed money to start up a business, and be able to build a family with Andrew.
She had no plans of staying committed to Archie, but she had to marry him for the things she was going to gain.
"Can I go now?" She said, sounding uninterested in continuing the discussion with her parents.
She needed to talk to Andrew, to know what was going on on his end.
"Now that she has accepted, it's left for you to meet Archie's father. When will you meet him?" His wife said, turning her attention to him.
Archie's father and Isabella's father were close friends, and had done a lot of things together. They had separated after some years, and as fate worked, they met each other again.
By now, their wives had both given birth to their kids. Isabella's father had always wanted his family and Archie's family to reunite, so he tried every possible way to make the two of them close to each other.
Getting his daughter married to Archie meant that he would receive so many benefits.
"As soon as I finalize my plans, I will go see him," he replied.
After working for hours, Rachael decided to take a break. She logged into her social media account, and joined the group chat that was created by her friends.
Each of them were showing a picture of their boyfriends, and it seemed like she was the only person without one, making her feel like having an experience in relationships.
She stared at the pictures of her friends having a nice time with their boyfriend, and she wished she was in their shoes.
"Come on, girl. Get yourself a man."
"You need to experience how it feels to be in a relationship."
"You are no longer a kid, Rachael. How long do you want to stay single?"
It was as if they knew the conflict she was trying to settle. She logged out, and let out a sigh.
She thought of the debt she would clear in 48 hours if she said no to him. Her salary would not even be enough to pay that debt, if she were to collect it now.
In life, one needs to sacrifice a lot; even the things that are dear to you, to get your desired results.
Maybe, this was her turn to sacrifice her first relationship, just to save her family. She had always wanted her first relationship to be with someone she loved, and definitely when she was ready, but now, she would have to be in a relationship earlier than she thought.
Though she was 25, she didn't want to rush into marriage, or even relationship. She wanted to take her time.
She did not know Andrew that much, so she was not sure what he would do, if she rejected him.
She was still thinking about this, until she dozed off.
She stretched on the bed, flexing her arms, as she got out of the bed, to the bathroom, after checking what the time was.
"7:35."
She yelled, quickly taking off her clothes to have her bath. She was going to be late for work, if she delayed any longer.
She still felt dizzy, but she had to wash the sleep off her eyes and get set for the day.
"Good morning, dad," she greeted her father with a kiss on the cheeks.
"How do you feel now? Judy told me you worked a lot yesterday, so I understand why you woke up quite late. The girls left for school some minutes ago," he said, setting up some toasted bread and tea for her.
"Come here. Have your breakfast, before leaving for work," he added, and smiled.
She smiled back at him, as she took a seat, and began to eat the bread.
"Thanks dad. I will see you later," she said, running out of the house.
As she arrived at work, she thought of meeting him at lunchtime.
She walked in, hoping the CEO had not arrived yet, else she would be in trouble.
"I see someone arrived late on her second day at work."
"Oh, no!"