Chapter 17: CHAPTER SEVENTEEN - Vivid Hallucinations

That Saturday, I had not even tried getting out of my father's arrangements for me and yet he had a car waiting outside my house the next day.

“How did he know where I lived?” I asked Mark, our family driver.

“You seem to have forgotten who your father is,” he replied in a clipped tone.

He wasn't happy to be here.

I wanted to tell him I'd walk, considering the uncanny situation I'd found myself in but since no one had died recently, I guess I wouldn't mind him having a little bit of a scratch if the car tumbled over because he was carrying me.

Feeling like I'd been tumbled in a washing machine, I hopped into the car and left.

Last night was one weird one which added to the list of weird things I'd been filing away in my mind because I had no way of understanding them.

I'd decided not to touch myself anymore and since my new boss was squat right in the middle of this chaos, my brain was able to convince my body to let him go for a while.

Until a sudden flush of breeze came through the window and stilled again immediately while I prepared clothes for today.

Suddenly, I lost the motivation to stay sober and celibate.

I'd not had alcohol in months, but I had the sudden urge to drink and I quickly rushed down to the store to get wine with my limited funds.

At first, the only absurdity was how horny I was and how badly I needed to fuck myself.

On my insurmountable list of things to buy once my first paycheck gets in, I'd added a Rose vibrator.

My fingers were tired.

I wished I could get a boyfriend but men were always getting into trouble for wanting me hence my father arranged this crappy marriage for me.

As Mark drove into the driveway, I filed away the absurd thoughts from last night.

There was no way that happened and thus, I added hallucinations to the list of weird things that had been happening to me. 

I mean, how could my boss come out of nowhere and tell me he's the Prince of hell and also an incubus?

That made no fucking sense so it was best to focus on the present.

When I woke up today, I was sad as hell and kept thinking about how to get away from this crazy arrangement my father had made but nothing seemed to be forthcoming in terms of a solution.

I couldn't just say I wasn't interested, there was no consideration for my opinion when this was made.

I decided to ask him for time to prove myself; maybe he'd see that I'd show up to the house two times in a row without looking like I was chewed and spat out by a giant and see that things had changed.

Well, a girl can surely dream.

I walked into the house and was met with a different type of shock.

My boss was in the living room with Andrew Santiago as well as my parents and sister.

***

The past three hours had been a harrowing experience 

“Look, I know you think you want Aria but Jennifer is more suited for a man of your caliber, Mr. Denver,” my father had begged. Literally begged, he was not on his knees because they were on their way to ruin but I was sure he wanted to lie down and beg my boss to marry my sister instead of me.

“What do you mean by that, Mr Morales? That he's a better man than I am?”

“Of course he's a better man than you are,” mother rebutted, “can't you see it with your own eyes?”

“He's literally the most secretive man in New York! No one has a single record of him and how he got his wealth! At least you all know me and how much I've helped this city and our mayor,” Mr. Andrew argued.

“How have you helped the city, Mr. Santiago?” My boss turned to him, “by allowing sex offenders to go scot-free? By letting traffickers escape the hands of justice? By making the justice system a pawn in the hands of rich moguls with cruel minds?”

“How dare you lay such heinous allegations against me!?” He screamed, standing up. “I'm a respected man of this society and city and you dare not soil my name in such a manner,”

I was perched on a seat close to my sister as the men argued back and forth with my mother chipping in a few words from time to time.

“If you say one more silly word about this, I'll make a call right here and now, and by tomorrow, everything you've ever done, including killing your first wife will be out in the open,” Mr Denver threatened and to our shock, everywhere became eerily quiet.

Then it occurred to me that my father was about to marry me off to a murderer.

That broke me.

I got up from my seat and began running.

“Aria! Come back here!” My father screamed at me but I was far gone.

With tears streaming down my face, I chased after freedom in whatever form I could get it.

Even in death, it would be better than being from a family that didn't have an iota of sympathy for your existence 

What if Andrew Santiago has killed me like he did his ex wife?

Would my family be happy someone was able to do it?

What did I ever do wrong to them?

My head was hot as I ran and suddenly, I heard cars chasing after me.

Thankfully, a car must have gotten spoilt in front because there was a little bit of traffic.

I ran into a coffee shop to hide.

Hopefully no one saw me but that was probably a silly hope as I'd worn a black gown in an attempt to throw my family off the idea of marrying me off.

I sat down and ordered a cup of hot chocolate, hoping it would still my racing thoughts as I watched the cars go past.

My mind went to last night again and I remembered talking about my father's decision to marry me off to a stranger when I was ranting about the terrible life I'd had. 

Now that I'd seen Mr. Alaric in my sitting room trying to get my father to let him marry me instead, it was beginning to look like that hallucination wasn't quite what I thought it was.

But it had to be or I was running mad.

But just as my cup arrived, the bell at the door rang and I looked up.

It was my boss and he walked straight to my table.