Chapter One

Kathy Pov

I bang the door loudly as I angrily walked into my mom's room and she turned to look at me with an annoyed expression but I was much too angry to care.

"Young lady what do you want and why can't you knock before entering? Have you forgotten your manners?"

She asked, I didn't even bother to answer.

"Mom, what's the meaning of what dad just said to me? Why am I being sold off in the name of marriage?

"Is that why you barged into my room like that? You should know already, it shouldn't be news to you since you were here when both of your sisters got married to men the family chose for them and they are both doing well, yours won't be different my dear,"

"Mom, I am not my sister and besides I am just twenty-three I still have a lot of time, I am not ready for marriage now and as you know I have a boyfriend who I love and I don't wanna leave him and marry someone I don't know or care to know about, so please tell your husband to get off my case."

My family was the worst family on early, right from birth both me and my two sisters were groomed to marry into wealthy families while my brothers were trained to take over the family business, I have four older siblings, two sisters and two brothers I am the youngest, my two sisters Nelly and Nora were both married to 'men' my family chose for them, though they got lucky and are happy in their marriage, my older brothers were both not married yet but the oldest Nelson will be getting married in three months, the only bad egg in the family was my other brother Nathan and me, he didn't want anything to do with our family and had left when he had turned eighteen, I wish I could have left too, I am neither interested in the family business nor in getting married, I just wanted to live my life but the shocking news my dad just told me this morning is threaten to ruin that for me.

"Oh, but he is someone you know Katherine, you guys use to be friends when you were little so he is not a stranger,"

"What? Who is he?"

"Remember Max? He..."

"What the? Mom, I am not gonna marry him no way,"

I screamed at the top of my lungs, there is no way in hell I am gonna marry Max.

"Katherine, you can't drag this family name to the mud, you are well aware that our family is doing good business, and have a great relationship with Max family and our children marrying will solidify that relationship, so young, lady get your acts together and do as you are told,"

My mom voiced in her annoying voice that I have gotten tired of, don't get me wrong I love my parents but I wish they could put their kid's happiness over material things but that's not the case, yes my sisters are lucky to find happiness in their arranged marriage but I can't say the same for myself, cuz firstly I have known Max since we were little and he is a jerk and a bully, I can't imagine myself marrying someone like him.

"Mom, if you guys still want me here you better cancel whatever it is you have planned if not you will never see me again I said in angry and turned to exit the room.

"You don't have anywhere to go, if you don't do as we say you will have to part ways with every privilege you enjoy,"

My mom threatened. As much as I would have loved to brush it off as a baseless threat I knew my parent can do it. They did it to my older sister and she came crawling back one week after she left home and ended up getting married, my case will be different though cuz I have been making plans in case this happens though it is not finalized at least what I have with me will carry me until I can find a job and start life aside of my family's shield.

"I know what you are thinking Katherine but that won't work cuz once we collect your id every penny with you will be collected,"

My mother said busting my bubbles.

"What? But I worked for that, it not your money,"

"Is that what you think? Katherine? I thought you are intelligent think about it, get off that horse young lady, the day you were born into this family is the day you sealed your fate."

"Mom, this is my happiness we are on about here,"

"Katherine for once be grateful for what I and your dad are doing, we are doing our best do that you won't suffer at a loss here, your sisters understood when we told them please don't make this difficult for us, I for one is already stressed out, please don't add to my stress,"

She gloated out.

"I am not marrying Max and you guys can't force me," I replied and stormed out of the room went into my room to get my car keys, and left the house in a fit of anger.

I drove until I got tired and called my boyfriend to come to get me but like he does most times he said he was busy, I wanted to go over to his place but he hated it when I go there without notice so I drove myself back to the house cuz I was both hungry and tired. I met my older brother when I got to the house.

"Hey, Princess where have you been?"

He asked hugging me, my siblings and I were very close even Nelson made sure to keep up with me even after leaving the house. Nathan didn't live with us either so he may not have known what happened.

"I went out to get fresh air this house is stuffy,"

"Is that so? You look pissed, what happened?"

"Mom and dad just dropped a bomb on me this morning,"

"What? The marriage,"

Wow nice, he was aware, I quietly removed myself from his hug and pointed at him in disappointment, I thought he had my back but I must have been kidding myself cuz that seems not to be the case.

"So you knew and you didn't tell me? I feel betrayed brother, I thought you were on my side,"

"It's not like that Kathy, I am on your side,"

"No you are not, I don't understand our family is doing well, why do we have to be sold off in the name of marriage? Why do I have to leave the man I love for someone else?"

I croaked as tears gathered in my eyes, I just don't get why my family feels it necessary for us to marry into wealthy families too, even my brother is getting married in two months to another heiress.

"It's not about the money princess it's about keeping the family line and relationships and as children born into such families we already sealed our fate,"

He said wiping away tears from my eyes and pulling me back to him and we both walked upstairs into my room where I laid on the bed and he sat down beside me.

"I will never allow my children to go through this,"

I said with determination, I already knew I wasn't gonna marry Max and for all, I care my family can take all the wealth and money in my name, my boyfriend is there he will care for me until I can stand on my feet.

"It's not that bad if you think about it, I mean I and Jenn fell in love only three months after we were introduced, same with our sisters too, yours won't be different and Cross is a nice guy,"

"You guys just got lucky," I whispered before what he said registered.

"Wait, I am not marrying Max but his older brother Cross?"

I asked in shock getting up from my bed.

"Yeah, it Cross not Max,"

He answered but I wasn't listening again, Cross was worst than Max, Max is like the smaller devil between the two of them, now I wasn't even gonna dream If it never, I need to get out of the house, there no way I am gonna marry Cross, I thought already making plans on how to leave without getting noticed.

"I need to leave now, Kathy, Jenn, and I have some fitting to do and I need to pick her up from her office,"

Nelson said getting up and pecking me on my check.

"Okay, I will see you soon,"

I replied and laid back down when he left, I tried to imagine myself marrying Cross and it just didn't sit well with me, Cross is someone I knew very well especially during high school, he had been far my senior and had already been in college while I was still in junior high, but he had also been very popular that every girl in our school had known him, especially since his younger brother had been popular too. He was like the devil himself if the Bible description of the devil is to be followed, Cross should fit the description perfectly, though I have not seen him for close to ten years now as he has been away handling his family overseas business, the little I remember of him still fit the devil description, tall, handsome with broad shoulders and sexy lips that every girl had wanted, he had been temptation himself and at a point, he had been my fantasy that was until he showed me his true color and I didn't need anyone telling me before I let go of those fantasies.

"I need to leave this house before anything,"

I said to my self standing up from my bed and going to where I kept my valuables, I opened the box and brought out a few cheques, that I had gotten signed and with my boyfriend name written on it, the perfect plan already forming in my head, I just needed to speak with my boyfriend, I smiled satisfied with myself and laid back on my bed.