Chapter 1

"...you're getting married" he said with a serious expression on his face. Mom just stood behind him as he shared the news. How could he do this to me? Why would he do this to me? You maybe wondering what's happening. Well to get a better picture let's start from the beginning.Hi my name is Lia and I am an 18 years old college student. My family has always struggled financially. My dad being uneducated doesn't give him a lot of options for work. The best he can get is working as a garden boy. My mom worked part time in a small salon in town. She didn't earn much but it was better than nothing. We are a family of 5. I have an older sister Harley who's working as a nurse, an older brother Cameron who's involved with gangs. We don't like to talk about him. And two younger brothers Marvin and Liam who are still in middle school. I was studying to become an engineer. A dream of mine. An expensive dream. But I thankfully got a scholarship so my parents didn't have to worry. Now today was family day. A day where my mother made mandatory for everyone to spend time together. Well except my brother of course. But anyway my sister and I were helping her in the the kitchen when my dad walked in. He pulled my mother to the side for a private conversation. And with my dad that's never a good sign. My mother then walked back in saying he wanted to talk to me. My sister and I looked at each other before I left following my mother. My dad sat in his recliner and looked up at me.

"Lia, please sit down" he said. I sat in the two seater couch next to my mother. I could tell there was some tension in the room

"There's something we have to tell you" he said. My anxiety slowly began to rise as my head filled with scenarios of what he's about to say. Maybe I have to drop out of school? Or a relative is dying? What if they can't pay rent this month?

"You know ever since the accident it's been very difficult to make ends meet" oh why bring up the accident. My dad was recently in a horrible car accident where a pick up truck crashed into the driver side of the car. He almost lost his arm because of the impact but by the Grace of God it didn't come to that. He was hospitalised for about 2 months and didn't go to work for a while after meaning he didn't get any income. And with the hospital bills and car insurance on top of the fixed expenses it's been tough on our family.

"Your mother's income won't sustain us for long and all our savings have been used up so I have found a way for us to get some money" I was really getting scared. Maybe he was going to ask Cameron for the money. But his pride wouldn't allow that. He does want to help around the house but my dad won't let him. He says he won't accept 'dirty money'

"Now this is where you come in. An associate of mine has a son. He is smart and wealthy. The CEO of his own company. Charming fellow but has had problems with finding a wife to settle down with because of his busy schedule." I don't like where this is going

"I showed him your picture and told him about you and he's shown interest. So he wants to make you his wife"

"Wait wait wait. What are you saying?" I asked him

"I'm saying in a few weeks you're getting married"