Chapter 3

"Your grandfather did what?" Mikael asked his best friend. He couldn't believe what he had just heard.

"You heard me. My grandfather arranged a marriage for me. Though a business marriage, but a marriage all the same." Jacob reiterated to his best friend. He had called him out earlier this morning for lunch at their usual restaurant as he felt the need to vent.

"This is because of the bankruptcy isn't it? This marriage is meant to somehow save the company?" Mikael had seen this coming. And he had warned his idiot of a friend when he was taking money out of the company's pockets endlessly that there wouldn't be a fairytale ending to it. Of course he didn't listen.

"Apparently so. I'm being exchanged for the 'good' of the company. What a joke."

"You're not being exchanged Cobi. I guess this is the only way you can actually play a part in fixing this mess. And I hate to be that guy that says I told you so, but I fucking told you so man. That was not a mistake you should have made." How many times had he berated his friend in the past over this. Mikael felt like a nagging parent at this point.

"Whatever. It's too late for all that. We need to look for a way forward."

"Have you met her?"

"Who?"

"Your bride to be man, who else would i be talking about?" This sudden idiocy that Cobi had been exhibiting was beginning to annoy the hell out of Mikael.

"Nope. Haven't met her. But Grandfather set up a meeting or whatever. She's the first daughter of Donald King. Lima, I think that's her name."

"No way. Lima King?"

"Yes."

"Mono?"

"Yes."

"She's way above your league man. You'd be like dead weight to her. And I cant believe you don't know her. She's the face of Mono. What kind of director were you in your father's company not to know one of the biggest names in the industry? Did you ever attend meetings or seminars?" Mikael couldn't believe his ears. Luck always seemed to be on Cobi's side.

"No, I never went for meetings or seminars. Didn't feel the need to. And what are you implying by calling me dead weight? Aren't you supposed to be my friend? And how great is she even?" Jacob was in an even worse mood. This sucked. He seemed to have no one on his side. It was times like this that he missed Jessica. She would always stand by him in times like this. Speaking of Jessica-

"Shit." Jacob cursed, which stopped Mikael from putting his spoon of food in his mouth.

"What is it this time?" Mikael asked as he set the spoon down.

"I have to end things with Jessica. i totally forgot about that." Jacob said, with a groan of frustration.

"Well what a fucked up mess you're in. Thats not going to be an easy quest. But if you need my help I'll be there to support you."

"Thanks man."

"Through the phone."

"Fuck you". Jacob said as his best friend laughed at him.

"What are you waiting for? Call her now" Mikael prodded.

"Okay, okay." Cobi picked up his phone and made a call to his soon to be ex. The phone rang a couple of times before Jessica answered and her shrill voice came on the line.

"Hey baby. How are you? I've missed my sweet munchkin over the past few days. Didn't even bother to check up on me."

At the sound of her voice Mikael made a gagging face which was totally ignored by Jacob. Now was not the time to fuck around.

"Hey Jessica. Are you free this Saturday? We need to talk."

"Yes babe. You know I'm always free for you. Let's go on a date to that new restaurant alright?"

What? Jacob had clearly just said they needed to talk. "Alright. See you Saturday,"

"Okay baby. I love you. Muah." And with that the line disconnected.

"Did you just set up a date? To break her heart?" Mikael finally spoke after his friend ended his call. "How harsh."

"She set up the date not me. Since I'm about to end things the least I can do is go along with whatever she wants."

"Best of luck bro. You're gonna need it."

Standing in a corner office of the the 25th floor of the 30 story Mono HQ building, looking out the window at the cityscape of Manhattan while sipping a cup of coffee was a young lady who had just had her world turned upside down by her father just 24 hours prior.

She was so lost in thought that she didn't even notice the entrance of her best friend and a legal advisor of Mono, Philip.

"Just what happened with your family yesterday that has made you so spacey? I've been here for five minutes and you haven't moved from that spot."

At the sound of her best friend's voice. Lima jolted back into reality. With a sigh, she turned around to face him and then walked over to the sofas on the other side of her office. she set her coffee down and took a seat, beckoning Philip to come over. As he sat down opposite her she began to relay what had happened to him.

"I'm getting married."

"What?"

"I'm getting married."

"How? Since when?" Philip was dumbfounded. When Lima had called him earlier in the morning that there was something she needed to tell him, this had been the last thing on his mind. "You can't just leave it at that. Explain."

"My father arranged a marriage for me with the grandson of George Bennet of Ben Incorporated."

"Why all of a sudden?"

"He wants to retire. Said its time I became CEO."

"Oh." Philip understood a little. The old school board of directors would not accept her if she wasn't married, Some silly thing about commitment. that was all bullshit because he had never met someone as committed to this company as Lima was. And now she had to marry a stranger to get a position that was rightfully hers. "This is fucked up."

"I know, but what choice do I have?"

"Cant you at least choose the man you'll marry yourself?"

"No one comes to mind. And there's no time. Dad wants to do the handover next month and I have to be married already by then."

Philip was silent. He felt really bad for his friend. How much more of her life was she going to give to the company before those people were satisfied?

"Its okay. Its not like there's someone I'm in love with or in a relationship with. And I need to do this for my father so I can do what he couldn't do."

"What?"

"The corrupt directors."

"Oh."

"Yeah. He knows he cant do much about them because they're family. But I share no sentiments with them so he wants me to handle this."

"They will fight you." Philip was worried. What Lima was about to do could destroy her and this company if they were not careful. Those directors were powerful.

I know. We need to prepare ourselves for what's coming."