Chapter 1

Gregory Simpson had just walked into his mansion with his assistant holding his suitcase. He walked through the hallways as he angrily scanned around the house for her and soon, he was barging into the living room yelling, 

"Ashley!! Ashley!!! Ashley, where are you?!!" 

Ashley Simpson, his daughter did not answer back and so he moved to the next room to find her. He had searched half the entire mansion made of eighteen rooms and yet, he could not find Ashley. 

"Where is Ashley?" He asked in fury as he saw the nanny he had hired to take care of Ashley since she was a child.

"Where is she?!!!!" He yelled. The nanny had no idea where the young miss could have gone so she simply shook her head and bowed her head to answer Gregory Simpson.

With frustration, Gregory Simpson sent his assistant away and marched to his room. He opened the door to his room as he got in and locked it. He was too angry at that moment and needed to relax. 

He pulled off his gray jacket and blue jeans and tossed them on the bed. He needed to be free and calm. The stress and frustration of the day were getting to him.

He soon pulled off his shirt and underwear and grabbed a robe.

He walked to his shower. He needed to be calm and a cold shower would do the trick for him. Gregory stepped into the shower. The cold water on his skin worked and now, he felt a little better than before. 

He dried himself up with his towel and sat on his bed, staring at the television screen.

He was cool and calm until his phone rang. Gregory Simpson stared at his cell phone which displayed the name of the caller. It was George Chulley again. For heaven's sake… 

He picked up the call as he heard George Chulley speak, 

"I hope we have a deal, Mr. Simpson. I would not want to waste mine or my father's time" 

Gregory sighed as he answered back. He agreed to the deal. George chuckled over the phone as he said,

"Good. In that case, I might burn the case file and send the expected amount to your company's account. It was nice doing business with you, Future Father in law" 

George Chulley hung up the phone. 

Things were getting really bad for Gregory Simpson and his daughter Ashley Simpson was his only way out. He hoped she would understand. He took in deep breaths and went to sleep.

****

The next day, Ashley was seated in the dining having her breakfast when she heard her father, Gregory Simpson coming downstairs. She quickly got up to greet him.

"Hello, Dad, Good morning. I heard you were looking for me yesterday. I ran over to Joyce's place to return a book I borrowed and when I came back, I heard the news. Is everything alright?" She asked as she watched him take his seat at the dining table.

Gregory watched her for a few seconds before speaking. He told her he wanted her to follow him when they were done eating. He had something important to tell her. It was about work and he needed her help.

"Is something wrong at work?" She asked.

"No. Just come with me after breakfast. I have something to share with you." Ashley nodded as she sat back in her seat and continued her breakfast. Her father dug into the food too, and both of them were silent as they ate.

Breakfast was over when Ashley reminded her father that it was time to go. Gregory Simpson nodded and led his daughter to the car. They entered and soon arrived at his office.

As they got into the building, Ashley and her father were both greeted by employees in the building. Ashley saw the smile on her father's face as she watched him respond to every person who greeted him. She loved the way her father looked bubbly and joyful as they walked through the hallways and into the elevator.

In a matter of minutes, she and her father were now in his office. The glass stand on his desk read 'GREGORY SIMPSON, CEO OF SIMPSON ENTERPRISES' as he sat behind his desk in his office. He looked at her from his chair and asked her to have a seat. 

"Dad, is everything alright?" Ashley asked as she sank into her chair. The reason her father must have been looking for her had now popped up in her head.

"Ashley, do you like this company?" Her father asked.

"Yes Dad, I do. It is our company after all" She answered back. Her nerdy glasses hung from her nose like a picture in a museum.

Her father leaned in her direction as he spoke softly to her.

"Ashley, my precious daughter. All this is going to be going away in the next two days if you do not help me" her father said, his gaze focused on her.

"What?!! Why?" She asked, "what can I do to help?" 

"I need you to marry someone I would pick for you. Someone who can help me savor this company" 

"WHAT!" She shouted at the top of her voice. Ashley was not going to have it.

"Ashley, I have taken care of you all your life. This is the least thing you can do to repay me. Do it for me please" her father begged. He had left his chair and was now on his knees in front of Ashley, begging.

"No!" Ashely got up from her chair as she distanced herself from her father." No, Dad! I will not. How can you ask me to do that??!! It's my life we are talking about!!"

"Please". Gregory continued to beg.

"No!!! I will not do it!!" She said as she walked over to the door, opened it, ran out, and slammed the door in her father's face.

Her father screamed behind her, "Ashley, please!!!! If you don't do this, our company will go bankrupt!!" He fell to the ground and started to cry.

Some would say Mr. Gregory Simpson was a weak man to cry but he knew what was going to happen if Ashley did not agree to marry George.

*

Ashley Simpson had gotten back to her father's mansion. She angrily ran in, up the staircase and barged into her room, and threw her bag on the floor.  She jumped on her bed and started to cry. Why was her father asking her to marry a man she did not know? 

All for what?? The Simpsons Enterprise?!!!

Was it more important than her life? Did her father not care about her or her feelings??! 

A few minutes on the bed and Ashley stopped crying. She wiped her eyes and sat up straight. She was going to do it. She was going to do it since her father had asked her to.

All her life, she had wanted to please him and if marrying a man she did not know was going to be the way to please her father and have him praise her at least once, she would do it.

She got up from her bed and picked up her bag from the floor. She reached inside and grabbed her phone.

She scrolled to her father's name and dialed it.

"Hello Dad, Yes... I am fine... I am back home. Yes! I will do it. I will marry George Chulley" she said as she hung up her phone and turned to her bed.

"My life is officially ruined" she muttered as she lay to sleep. Ashley had never really felt like she owned her life and now it was more evident.