Chapter 3.

“I think what he wanted to say was that he wants to marry you...” 

It felt like a loud ringing echoed in my head as my mother's words kept repeating themselves over and over. No, it can’t be true, it wasn’t possible. No man would want to marry a lady they met in an elevator for the first time. It just wasn’t possible.

“Mum, that can’t be possible,” I said in disbelief, not wanting to think about it.

“Nothing is impossible dear,” my mum said in a stern voice. Then laughed loudly, "that was a joke, Anna. Did you really fall for it? That's such a random conclusion!"

She laughed even more. I frowned. Did I actually take her seriously?

"I thought you were serious. I felt so scared," I muttered, not finding it funny.

Her laughter receded, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring up that sour topic."

"It's okay, mum but… but mum, I don’t want to get married yet, especially to someone that I met in an elevator. I do not know anything about him in fact, I can’t accept it” I said panicking.

“Is that the only reason, Anna?” my mum asked, knowing that there was more.

“And also I don’t want to end up like you and dad,” I answered in a low voice.

“But it isn’t that bad. Let's say I was serious and that was what he meant to say, it's better than your father forcing a bad man down your throat. At least, you two had great chemistry like you said, I and your dad never did.”

“But still mum, marriage at the moment is a no no for me,” I grumbled.

“Don’t worry your pretty head Anna, I was exaggerating on the whole thing, he might have wanted to say something else” she said trying to convince both me and herself, "why am I also starting to think I am right?"

“Me too,” I muttered, "he seemed rich, a powerful heir maybe."

I didn’t want to accept or believe whatever my mum said, I wasn’t ready to get married, I just wanted to leave my normal life with no hiccups in it, but things never go the way one plans it.

Destiny and fate has a way of twisting everything, leaving you frustrated, life wasn’t fair. It had never been fair.

“So tell me, what is the mysterious man’s name?’ my mum asked in a soft voice.

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know? I can’t believe you didn’t ask him his name,” my mum said, sounding disappointed.

“No mum I did ask him his name but he didn’t answer, instead he said it was classified and then made the statement that got interrupted by the elevator” I explained.

“Awww, someone is grumpy that the lift ruined their moment,” My mum said giggling.

“No mum, I am not grumpy” I whined, smiling like a Cheshire cat.

“Yes, you are.”

“No, I am not”

“I bet your face must be beetroot with a wide smile like that of a Cheshire cat.”

“Mum!” I exclaimed shocked by my mum’s accuracy.

“Yes darling,” she giggled.

“I’m not blushing neither am I smiling like a Cheshire cat,” I said trying to convince her.

“Yeah sure, whatever that floats your boat” she chuckled heartily with a slight yawn.

“So tell me, how good looking is he?” 

“Mum!”

“What? It’s just a question, so tell me” she pressed.

“Well he is really good looking, I mean he is both handsome and beautiful at the same time, he has bright green eyes and nice biceps, he is really tall, with midnight black hair, he is so charming,” I described him to my mother like I was facing him again as in the elevator.

“Awww, my baby has found love,” my mum said overexcited.

“Love?” I scoffed aloud, “Not happening.”

“Yeah yeah whatever helps you sleep at night,” she l chuckled, "I was joking. Love doesn't come in a jiffy but attraction does!"

"Mum!" I exclaim, grinning widely.

“So how is your dad?” she asked, laughing slightly.

“He is fine mum, as always stop worrying about him and focus on your leg,” I grumbled, annoyed that she kept worrying about someone that didn't care if she even existed. He doesn’t care if she lives or dies.

If this is really how love is then I would rather not love.

"I do not want to focus on my legs. Don't you know wounds hurt more when you pay attention to them? That's why you see these movies when the main character is shot but he keeps fighting like he isn't hurt but once he notices his injury, he starts to feel the pain. It applies to life too. If I focus on how much your dad has hurt me, I won't be able to laugh with you now and I might have turned into a monster that you would never recognize but instead, what do I do? I focus on the things that make me happy, you, my family, my friends, my dreams, and even your father. Trust me, he was not a monster the entire time."

Her words got to me and had me meditating.

"Your dreams, what are they?" I asked quietly.

She sighed deeply, "do not worry about me, Anna. Focus on yourself, mama loves you."

I rolled my eyes. Mum has an incredible talent for eluding situations she found uncomfortable.

"Okay?"

“Okay mum, you should rest. I would come tomorrow morning to see you, yah?” I said with a tired yawn.

“Yeah yeah, nighty night, baby girl.”

“Nighty night, mum.”

The moment I dropped my phone on my bedside table and placed my head on the bed, the loud voice of my dad calling me startled me awake.

“Adrianna!” he yelled again, I quickly jump out of my bed and ran in the direction of his voice which was in his office. He could have just sent a maid to call instead of yelling like an insane man. I opened the door, stepping inside his office.

“Yes dad, you called?”

“Yeah, you are getting married”…