Everything seemed like a joke to her, but as the minutes passed and her Mother had still not come to tell her that she was only joking, Anna knew as much as she hated this to be true, it was right. She had pulled her knees to her chest and was staring vacantly at the wall in her room. Her mind was blank as she couldn’t think straight to what she should do. How she should act or what she should say to the woman that wanted nothing but the best for her. She only walked out of the room even though Mom kept on calling her name to come back. There was a soft knock on the door and Anna didn’t even look up at the door before she spoke.
“I told y’all that no one should come to me tonight. Leave here unless you want to lose your job.” She clenched her eyes shut. She could feel the way her heart was burning painfully in her chest. She didn't know whether it was right or wrong, but she wanted to end everything and be the daddy’s girl she once was. If only her Father didn’t die when everyone least expected it even though he had known of his sickness for a long time and had been planning for how death without any of them knowing. She would have still been the spoilt brat she always had been; she wouldn’t have been trapped into a company she always dreaded, and she wouldn't have to face the malicious faces of those directors. Sometimes she wanted to yell at them that ‘Hey! My father founded this company and without him, none of you all will be there.’ But self-discipline had always been the hardest thing any person could do, that was why she was trying everything she could to achieve it.
She didn’t know when Kate walked into the room until she placed down the tray she had come with and she sat beside her on the bed. “I told you that I want to be alone, Kate. Please leave.” She spoke with a voice that she was sure didn’t sound like hers, her eyes not even flickering from the wall she had fixed them on.
“I know, Anna.” Kate sounded so worried and sad, “But you have to eat something, if not you’d be weak and the next place you’d visit is the hospital. You know the type of body you have, your immune system is very low, that’s why you have to be very careful, okay?”
Anna turned her bloodshot eyes that were devoid of any tear but the pain in them was as raw as a volcano melting from a molten magma. “Do you think that I care much about my body now, Kate? I don’t!” She yelled at the pitch of her voice, but Kate didn't even flinch, because she knew Anna had to yell all the frustration her frail heart had to accommodate.
“I know, Anna. But for the sake of people that loves you, eat something please.” She was speaking softly as though she was talking to a child and if she spoke too loudly, that child will start crying to the point that no one can control him or her. But that was the same case as Anna, she was like an egg that just need a small pinch for her to explode. “Please, Anna. You have to let everything out of your chest, but for you to be able to do that, you have to be strong enough, don’t you think?”
Anna stared into her eyes through the illuminating light in her room and shook her head, “Mom wants me to marry Jack, Kate. Can you believe it? Out of all the men in California, she chose Jack for me and I can’t wrap my head around that even if it would be ten years from now. She wants me to walk to my doom, because the very day I get married to Jack, that will be the end of everything for me. Because he has to make are that he didn’t just damage me, but my entire life.”
Kate looked surprise but when she was about to speak, she didn’t sound as though she had been gob smacked by the revelation. “I know you’d be in pain. But I'm certain she has a very valid reason for her to choose a husband for you, Anna. Your Mother is the type of woman that doesn’t want to force someone to do things unless that’s the only way out, and besides, she loves you so much to get you married to a man you don’t love...”
They all didn’t know that Mom had been in the room for a few minutes until she cleared her their eyes all turned to look at her, “You’re right, Kate.” She sighed and walked further into the room, she was holding something that they all couldn't point a finger at, “Can you excuse us please?” Kate almost immediately nodded her head before she stood up and walked out of the room.
Anna didn’t utter a word until Daphne sat down and she sigh, “I know you’re in so much pain right now, Anna. I don't know why you hate Jack this much but he’s a very nice guy, okay?” She still wasn’t staring at her and it seemed as though she detested the mere sight of her mother, which hurt Daphne more than she could ever have admitted to. She sighed again, flicking back her tears because what she hated the most in her life was seeing Anna in pain and knowing so well that she couldn't do anything about this but watch as she went through the pain until she found the light at the end of the tunnel was what hurt her the most.
“I’ve spoken with Jack’s mother, and she told me that if the two of you like, you can have an agreement of a five-year marriage. That way, it will be after he gets his license back and he can finally get a job and resign from his father’s company. While for you, it will look like a natural divorce to the directors and I'm certain none of them will ever bring up the issue of you getting married when they are all aware that your five years of marriage has ended.” Anna was just staring at her as she spoke, and even though the idea of the marriage didn't sound so good to her, but the thought of being married to Jack for just five years was soothing than being married to him for the rest of her life.
Who thought that what she did would come back to bite her the way it did? If she had known, she wouldn’t have asked Mr. Trent to withhold his license, all these wouldn’t have happened. And then she remembered, at least it wouldn’t have happened to him, but for her, she might've found another guy and get married to him even if she wasn’t in love with him yet. She knew if she opened her heart a bit, she might be able to fall in love with him. She shook her head softly and her Mother looked in so much pain.
“What do you want me to say now, Mom?” Because she didn’t even know what to feel not to talk of what to say. Because the moment her Mother told her that Jack Roberts was the one she wanted her to get married to, she gave up on everything and it felt as though all her body had been frozen.
“I want you to accept the wedding, Anna. We’ve already planned for everything; we’re just waiting for your approvals.” Did she add an ‘s’ to approval? Did that mean they were yet to get an answer from Jack? Well, that seemed like a way out for her. Because she wasn’t much concerned about what the directors of the company suggested, because for all she knew the company belonged to her in her Father’s will and his suggestion wouldn’t be significant.
She was certain that Jack would never agree to getting married to her, he loved Clara, that was her name, right? “Approvals? Did this mean that he’s yet to accept the union too, Mom?” She asked, and Daphne nodded her head. Anna sighed and rested her back on the bed head, “Then whatever he says is right with me. If he accepts, I promise I will too. If he rejects, I'm sorry, Mom, but you won’t expect me to push myself on a man that rejects me, do you?”
Daphne shook her head, but the edges of her lips began folding into a small smile. “This is letter written to you by your Father, he asked me to give it to you whenever this moment arises, because he knew it will. Take your time to read it, I'll let you know of Jack’s answer by tomorrow.” Anna was just staring at the neatly folded letter she had placed in her palms and she didn’t know how tears already pooled the brink of her eyes even before she saw the contents of the letter.
He had a reason, she knew. Since he wrote this letter to her then he most definitely had a reason for doing what he did, for making that condition a part of his will. She opened the letter, and her heart lost a bit because the handwriting she had seen was as though she could run to her Father’s study and see him there. He might look up at her with a smile or wave at her dismissively because he was in a virtual meeting. She lifted her face to stop her tears from rolling down her cheeks but that was only effective before she started reading the letter. Because the moment she started, it felt as though he was the one seated beside her and he was reading it out loud for her.
To my darling, Anna Will Brayden, Hey baby girl, I know by now I've been buried depths within the ground for years and you’ve already been missing me until you’re tired of doing so. I know I've hidden my sickness from all of you, forgive me, Anna, but that’s the only chance I have for living my final days happily because I'm certain if the two of you know about my sickness, my last days would’ve been full of tears and grief. Those laughter and smiles sounded better, don’t you think?
I know, I know, my baby girl is sad, and she feels clueless. You don’t know what to do and you don’t know my reason for doing so, right? I know. But I have a reason, Anna. You’ve always known that I'm an only child, and after we gave birth to you after years of trying and failing, the doctor confirmed to us that we can never have a child, which was quite devastating for us, but after some time, we realized you were a gift, and we would have to cherish you for all that we have.
I don’t want you to get married late, Anna. And I know if you get yourself consumed with the work of that company you might forget about your personal life and all that will matter will be how to increase the growth of this company. Please don’t do that to yourself, okay? The doctor confirmed to me that my fertility problem is hereditary and only if you get married at an early age will you be able to get out of the risk of inheriting it yourself (Your mother doesn’t know about this, don’t tell her because she will get herself worried, okay? I know you’re strong, and you’ll give me handsome grandchildren, my Anna.) I don’t want my hard worked company to be passed to some nieces or nephews when both you and Daphne are no more, I want my bloodline to keep on building the empire I built with my sweat and blood. Get married early, my darling, give birth to as many children as you could, okay? Papa will be so proud of you and I’d be so happy if you make a family of your own.
Your Mom loves you; she might be annoying sometimes but she’s a very sweet soul that only wants to get the best for you. Take care of my Daphne for me, Anna, please don’t let her cry because if she does, I'd know it from here. You all should be happy and make sure you bring your husband to my grave; I want to know the lucky guy that gets my Anna. Also, don’t forget the notion, whatever Anna Brayden wants, Anna Brayden gets. Be happy and stay healthy, my baby.
Will Brayden, Forever your favorite Papa.