Chapter 3

• Marina
• I prepared myself for many things, among them being mugged, stranded on the street, car trouble, surviving while hiking, and even excelling at origami. Simply because I had seen many scenarios in life, I had reached the point where when my father proposed that I become the wife of one of his business partners to whom he owed money, I said yes, but in my head, I already had the idea of escaping. They only gave me a two-week notice, and I couldn't withdraw any money because he canceled my cards, and the little money he gave me was for daily expenses.
• My only option was to escape from the limousine that took me to the church. Prepared for many things, but not for receiving a second marriage proposal in less than a week.
• But there I was, with a man with honey-colored eyes proposing to be his wife. My answer was already given, so I stood up to distance myself from a stranger who bought me my first wedding dress.
• "It's convenient for you," he insisted. My laughter was evident.
• "Convenient for me?" I asked sarcastically. "In case you don't remember, I just escaped from a wedding I didn't want. I hate forced marriages, and I don't want to marry someone whose only quality is their name."
• "George Castelo," he replied. "That's my name, so remember it well because I can convince you to do it."
• "Oh, please! Don't be ridiculous. There's nothing in the world that can achieve that," I turned around.
• "Your father is following you so that you marry his business partner, who owes him ten million just in capital. He's on the verge of bankruptcy, and the only possibility of not becoming a beggar in a few months is if the Diheston-Torrenegro marriage takes place," he stopped me. "The guy is looking for a wife to give him an heir, but I don't want a child. Just the marriage for eighteen months, there will be nothing more than attending events with me, introducing yourself as my wife in front of a lawyer who will determine if it's real to transfer the inheritance my grandfather left."
• "You haven't convinced me."
• "Sooner or later, you'll get tired of working for six dollars an hour, and that salary won't support you and your father," he hurt my heart. "If you accept the contract, after the stipulated time, we divorce, and you can forget about me. As if I never existed."
• "No, that's my answer," my pride always moved me, and at that moment, it did too. My dream was always to get out of everything on my own, not because I felt like I didn't need anyone, but because my sister tried and could only get married to help my father not lose the only partnership that supported him. I didn't want the same for myself.
• I worked the remaining hours. I just wanted a bath, to sleep in a more comfortable place, and not bother Juliana with my presence all the time. She already had enough with her drunk husband who spent his salary, forcing her to work to provide for her little one.
• I led a very tight life, yet she didn't hesitate to help me. In the morning, I worked a few hours and then looked for a new job. I had the afternoon free, so that was my goal, to find at least a shift in another place.
• A restaurant caught my attention. I had been there a few times with my sister, and it seemed like a good idea.
• Taking advantage of the fact that there weren't many people around, I approached. It wasn't difficult for me to talk to the manager, he agreed to give me a few minutes, which was all I needed.
• "Why would you want to work here if you can do it somewhere else?" he asked with some suspicion. "As far as I know, your family is from..."
• "I am starting from the bottom, on my own terms. That's why I just want a job, I'm not asking for special treatment or anything," I explained confidently. Even I was amazed at how the story connected with reality.
• "Let me make some calls and in a few moments, I will tell you what position you could fit into," he added with a certain degree of complexity. "If you can wait outside, please."
• I nodded, leaving the office where everyone was passing by quickly. It seemed like they were afraid of the name on the door, but I preferred not to ask and walked a few meters. I leaned my back against the wall, looked at the occupied tables, and reviewed the place that now seemed unreal to be seeing from a different perspective.
• Almost half an hour passed and I continued to wait. It was becoming strange that it had been so long.
• Some cars stopped in front of the place. My heart stopped when that familiar figure got out of one of them. I wanted to run, hide, but it was pointless. He looked directly at me, taking off his reading glasses that he surely forgot to remove, as I was sure he had been informed of my presence at the site.
• "Get in the car," he determined seriously.
• "No, if you keep insisting that I marry that guy," I stepped back, but his security team intimidated me. "Dad, we can get out of this mess in another way, I don't need to marry someone who..."
• "Get in the car, Marina," he sentenced sternly. "I've had enough of silencing rumors. Paying to prevent the family name from being tarnished because of you. You've embarrassed us!"
• "If you let me explain," I hurried. "If you stop seeing everything as a business and listen to me, you'll understand that I don't want to be with someone I'm terrified of... your partner is the same age as you."
• "That's why he needs that heir. That's why you should think about our family. That's why you should act like Susan did," he showed that businessman face that I knew better than my own father. "We all make sacrifices, Marina."
• He touched my cheek and a solitary tear slid down my face. He would never listen to me unless I did what he wanted, I felt no compassion for anyone but himself, and realizing that hurt.
• "Let's go home," he whispered near my forehead. I let all my tears flow before denying. I cautiously shook my head from side to side.
• "No," I cleared my throat.
• "What?" he wanted me to say it, looking at his face. A man in a beige jacket passed by him, distracted with a phone, perhaps the sign of destiny and my only option, along with two other men who were talking among themselves.
• If my destiny was always the same, it would be my decision how and with whom to accept it.
• "No, Dad," I inhaled deeply, trying not to break my voice. "I won't do that. I won't marry Angelo Diheston. I don't want to fall into the same trap and let you control my life even when I'm married. I don't want you to decide how I dress, what I eat, and how I live, because you only see me as another business."
• He turned his face away from me with his hand. Tears welled up as my decision was made, causing my lips to tremble.
• "I will pay off your debt. I swear I will," I wiped my face. "But don't be surprised if I distance myself completely. I don't want to feel resentment towards you."
• I turned around, managing to control the trembling in my knees. I was accepting a fate I never wanted, but in exchange for marrying a man twice my age, I took the next option. I crossed the grand hall in search of the table. I dried my eyes, took a deep breath when I found it.
• On the second level, at one end, was the table with the three men who seemed engrossed in their conversation. I walked towards them, their eyes met mine and their laughter slowly faded away.
• "Do you still want to marry me?" I asked directly, capturing all three gazes.
• No matter how much I searched, I wouldn't find a solution by looking for work everywhere. The only thing I had managed to do was have one hundred and sixty dollars in my pocket and have my father find me. Next time, he would surely be my father's partner, and I had been terrified of him ever since I met him.
• I wasn't going to take the risk. Maybe I would regret it later, but it was my only option.