Arletta Jessica McDowell POV
"I wanted to ask, do you have plans to get married anytime soon?"
"What?" I was wide-eyed when I heard Dad's question which was really out of the ordinary.
Lord, why do I even have a father who was as obnoxious as he was? What sins did I commit in my past life that have caused me to get in trouble with Rayner? Could I live a simple life like others and have a pair of sane and normal parents?
"Yes. You heard me right. You are already old enough to think about it."
I could not stand Dad's authoritarian attitude anymore. How could Dad say something like that so easily? Has he lost his mind?
"No. I still want to study and do not want to marry anyone."
I did not want to be outdone by this crazy situation. I glanced at Mom and Ben and their faces looked unhappy with Dad's question. I hoped they would defend me in this situation.
"Honey, what did you mean? Lizzy is still young. She has not graduated from college yet and needs to focus on her studies."
Great! Now I heard Mom's voice. Thank God she helped me. Dad has indeed lost his mind and could not be left alone!
"It was a fair question. Who knows, Lizzy really wants to get married at a young age, but she was afraid to tell us."
It was easy for Dad to talk like that. He thought that I wanted to get married at a young age. Seriously! I could not imagine being married to Sammy, especially since we often fight over trivial things. How could a household be happy if a husband and wife were always fighting?
"I never thought so, Dad. Studying comes first." I had to stop this crazy conversation. Somebody, please help me! Hopefully, this was just a dream, and when I woke up, everything was back to normal.
"You should start thinking about it, Lizzy. Time will fly by, and you will be graduating soon. You must think about it." Dad was still Dad. He would not budge, let alone listen to anyone else's advice.
Sometimes, I wonder why Mom wanted to marry Dad. A man like that did not deserve to be a life partner, let alone a father.
"Lizzy is still a little girl. I do not agree with her getting married."
Thanks, Mom! I really appreciated your help, and it meant a lot to me. Dad picked up a cup of coffee and sipped slowly. Because of his absurd behaviour, the atmosphere in the dining room became tense. We remained silent as if we were waiting for Dad to say something.
"I am not asking Lizzy to get married tomorrow. Our daughter is the first child and already has a boyfriend. If her relationship with Sammy is not serious, then their relationship should end."
I almost pounded the table, not believing what I had just heard. What? Dad just told me to break up with Sammy! What was Dad's brain made of, anyway?
"That is nonsense, Honey. Lizzy and Sammy are still young and definitely not thinking of getting married anytime soon." I could hear Mom's voice, which was indeed annoyed but still polite.
I gripped the edge of the chair I was sitting on. What did I dream last night? Why did I get a strange question about marriage this morning? What year is it that children are required to get married at a young age? I could not think of anything now.
"I did not ask for your opinion, Wifey." Dad turned to me and gave me a serious look.
"Lizzy. You are the eldest child. You have to think about the future. If there is no certainty in your relationship with Sammy, then just leave him."
"No way!" I blurted out, causing Dad to glare at me.
Well, I did not fucking care about him! I did not want to follow Dad's silly wishes, because the marriage topic was scary and very serious. Could Dad, for once, think about his children's feelings, especially me?
"Just think about that. I will ask you this again three months later and you should be able to give me a definite answer."
Damn him! I was about to open my mouth to argue, but I heard Mom's voice. "Honey. Please do not ruin this breakfast."
Dad paused, then exhaled heavily. He did not say anything else. That crazy man seemed disappointed with me, but in reality, I was the one who felt that way!
"Okay." That was all Dad said.
Dad stopped talking and started eating, while I had lost my appetite. Dex was barking, so I turned my attention to him. My good boy seemed to know when I was upset or sad, and I thank God that I had him in my life. Dex would be always be my precious dog.
I rubbed Dex's head a few times. I glanced at the back of the chair where my dog was sitting, and there was already an empty bowl. He must have devoured all his food while Dad and I were arguing.
"Good boy," I muttered, smiling.
Dex stared with sparkling eyes. I smiled slightly because I saw his funny behaviour, even though I had been angered by Dad's attitude earlier. After finishing rubbing the puppy's head, I looked at the plate that was still filled with food. Could I eat this in my room? I did not want to see my dad.
I wish Rayner was not my biological dad or I was not their daughter! Could I just ask Mom and Dad for a DNA test to prove my wish? Would they agree or would they get angry? I am the one who should be angry!
I glanced at Mom, and she signalled with her eyes that she wanted me to eat breakfast here. I had to nod, not wanting to antagonize Mom. After all, she had helped, so I didn't want to cause trouble with her.
I ate my food reluctantly. The atmosphere in the dining room became awkward, and this was what made me not feel at home when Dad was around. He always opened up silly conversations that led to arguments, and Ben and I were very distressed by his attitude.
When I accidentally turned to Ben, he motioned for me to leave the dining room as soon as possible. I nodded, and he stood up first. I followed my only brother, carrying Dex. We walked out of the room without saying a word to Mom or Dad.
"I do not like what Dad was talking about earlier." Ben started speaking in a low tone, once we were far enough away from the cursed dining room.
"Yeah. I do not know why Dad is even asking about marriage when he knows I am still in college." I replied to Ben's words because Dad's behaviour was strange.
Ben did not respond, so we walked in silence. The sunlight was already here, but I still felt irritated. "Sissy."
I looked back, and there was Ben. Why was he even there? Wasn't my brother next door?
"What was wrong?" I asked, raising both eyebrows.
"I have my suspicions. Perhaps Dad has planned-"
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