CHAPTER 4: Back in the olden days I.
-Spring, April-
“Hope!” called my mother. Back in London, life was a rush. My step father, Baron Heath Marcus was a very successful businessman. He inherits a train company from his fathers’ father and it has been passed down to generations until it was given unto him. Now he is looking for his successor. Seeing that my brother Harry had already taken my late fathers’ oil company and Rose being the eldest daughter having no interest in getting her hands filled with dirt, it was more logical for my mother and stepfather to set me up a wedding with a man I hardly know so I could conceive a baby boy and that child will automatically inherit his company. Countess Abigail made the idea to somewhat set the whole thing up with her son; Aaron Vance.
Countess Abigail is a close friend to my stepfather and believe me I am no close to any of my stepfathers’ acquaintances. So to speak, I am not close with Baron Heath at all.
“Do I have to do this?” I asked my mother. My mum plainly smile at me and answered and dull yes. The Baron came in to the meeting office and spoke, “Hope. Please understand that you are our only hope. I won’t pick you if you didn’t mean anything to me. I do hope you’d understand the Countess and my decision”. I cut him off and answered, “What do you care? You wouldn’t understand a thing. It’s like you are selling me indirectly” I walked pass him without even looking.
I can feel that he is hurt by my words but it’s not like I am his real daughter or something. After all, I am his ticket to get his ‘successor’. He replied me back and said, “But I do look at you as my precious daughter” and I cut him off again by answering, “BUT YOU ARE NOT MY FATHER!” and thump my way out.
Total silence. I just stood outside the meeting room door and rephrase every single word in my mind. It was rude for me to say that because though he is my stepfather, he tries his best to act like our real father but still, he isn’t him. I felt bad answering him and I can actually hear my mother crying inside the room and Harry consulting my mother.
Not long later, our guests’; the Countess and her son came to our house or mansion or whatever you call it. I call it a house anyway. From a distance a far, I felt like vomiting. My sister Rose held my hands and accompanied me.
“This is our daughter. Her name is Hope” my mother said to the Countess. I politely forced myself to shake hands with her and her hands were cold. A simple curtsey can do but NO. They told me to make her feel like a ‘family’. Which is utterly bullshit. We went into the dining hall for tea and they talked about things which only matters to them. Money.
But Aaron is cute. Especially when he smiles. Although, he does look familiar. I’ve met him somewhere. At least that’s what I think.
A few hours when we were introduced, both of our parents went up to the meeting room and continued their discussion. I was left with Aaron in the reading room. He started off the conversation, “What do you think about this?” he sigh “this whole engagement thing” I answered, “I find it somewhat normal. Besides, it’s Baron Heaths’ wish and your mothers’ for us to get married”.
He let out a giggle. He walked around the room looking at all the paintings and took a book, “I heard you don’t like your stepfather” “is that true?” he asked. I replied him, “I don’t hate him. I just don’t look up to him as my father” he chuckled and said, “what’s the difference? Isn’t it the same thing? You resent your stepfather just because-“ and I cut him off from what he was going to say and told him “please. I am not comfortable with that conversation”. He put out a smile and say, “alright. I’ll stop”.
It was a moment of silence. It’s like we didn’t speak for 5 minutes.
