Chapter 50: 50| CHOOSE

Kayden, Frema's father, had a huge smile on his face as he laid his big, black briefcase down on an opposite couch from them, awaiting an answer. Frema swallowed, uneasy before looking back at her mother for help but Heather looked away nonchalantly.

"Frema?" He prodded, looking between the two women suspiciously.

"Y-yes?" She stuttered, stalling with the answers he was looking for.

"You want to get married and spend the rest of your life with who?" He asked clearly now, lowering himself onto the couch. She knew she had to say the truth now. She should have listened to Eron when he suggested his more 'technical' approach which involved allowing her parents to warm up to him. Now there was no turning back. She was here now. Hopefully, her father would be more understanding. So she raised her right hand in the air briefly, showcasing the light, but overly expensive diamond ring which sat on her ring finger.

"With Eron, dad. I love him. I love him enough to be able to forgive him for all he's done. It's all in the past now, we can finally leave the past behind..." Frema trailed off as she saw her father's callused fingers close against his palm in a tight fist. He rarely showed his anger, but little actions like these would give anyone a clue on how he was feeling about anything. There was silence for what could count as a year and Frema wished the ground could open and hide her from her father's judgemental gaze.

"What more should I expect? Is it enough yet? The embarrassment? Because at this point, I feel like I should be ready for anything from you. Anything." He spoke too calmly and Frema chimed in,

"I did not mean to embarrass you, dad. I swear. For eight years, it's been a battle between love and vendetta. I want our love to win, it's been there all these years.. only growing stronger every year.. I want us to give him a second chance..."

Kayden scoffed. "Vendetta won already, Frema. In case you have forgotten so soon, that man reduced me to barely nothing. At my 60s, I had aimed to relax and watch my workers do almost everything for me, while I make the money from home. Every entrepreneur's dream, literally. But look at me now, roaming about this city under the hot weather in search for any job I could use to push myself back up. And guess what? No one seems to want me in their establishment. It's like the city turned their back on me, I'm alone all because of that emotionless beast. But of course, out of all the men on earth, that's the one you want to get married to. That's the only one for you." He ranted and Frema bit her lips, shame washing over her at the realization of her actions. What was she doing?

"Dad..."

"Oh please, don't. Don't tell me you cannot see that this man is trying to use you to milk more from us. What am I saying? What more is there to milk when he took everything? I see you're looking all expensive again because of him. From our money. He's pampering you off our money, Fremantle! Has love blinded you?" He sighed and dropped his head into his palm for long seconds. Frema wanted to go into his arms and beg for his forgiveness, promise that she would not marry Eron if that was what he wanted.. but she could not just bring herself to go along with her thoughts. She did not think she could do it. Heather began to speak again now,

"You said Riley was against this too.." Right, Frema thought. Just because she could not keep her mouth shut, her mother would use Riley against her as well. ".. can't you see that everyone is against this? What would it take for you to give up after eight years of being ruined by this so-called love? After he gets you pregnant and leaves again?"

"Mom, Eron is a changed man." Frema argued and Kayden shot up from his seat at that, his pent up anger coming off him in waves.

"Changed? Changed?! That man is a bloody thief, Fremantle, he is far from changed. I mean, if he were changed, I would have everything I worked for back. Or does his change not come with making amends?" He snapped at her. Frema was quiet now, her mind wandering off to possible answers to her father's questions. Eron had never said anything about returns. She did not know if she would be able to ask him about it, she was not sure she would be ready for his answer.. Eron Castile always had a mind of his own.

"You know, when you came with him to the church and went around with him, I only felt it was the childhood infatuation messing with you and everyone told me to leave it alone. We thought you knew better but you just had to come up with this. Did you say yes because of your single mother status or maybe the diamond ring? What exactly?" Kayden enquired and Frema sighed, grabbing her clutch off the couch and getting up to her feet. Heather followed suit.

She stared straight at her father for minutes until he spoke, "You will return his ring, Fremantle."

Her fingers ran through the smoothly carved diamond on her finger and without a word, she began to walk away from them, only stopping at the door to respond,

"I can't return Eron's ring, dad. I'm sorry."

Just as she made to open the door, he said finally, "If you get married to him, you will no longer be my child."

She stopped in her tracks, her blood running cold at the statement. Heather had her jaw drop as well, not imagining that her husband would come to such conclusion. Yet he had forgiven her for all she'd done? She questioned herself. Frema finally got a hold of herself and pushed the door open completely, walking out of her parents' house.