Chapter2: The Contract

Everyone had a normal look on their faces; I was the only one confused.

 Bryan dropped his wine glass and then turned to Mr. Holland and said ‘Here is just fine sir’ Mr. Holland then looked at his sister and granddaughter before turning to another man dressed in black which I didn’t notice till now and collected a folder from him. 

Bryan then took the folder and signed it immediately without even reading the contents; I found it odd because Bryan is one person who reads everything.

 Just after that Mr. Holland, his sister Margret, and his granddaughter Helen all got up and headed to the door, and out of excitement Margret turned to me and said “We cannot wait to make you part of our family.”

 I was so confused wondering what the whole dinner and contract was all about while still in my thoughts my stepmother and sister came to me and congratulated me with weird smiles and as they worked out of the room they were both laughing.

As soon as Bryan stepped back into the house I bombarded him for answers and clarity, he took me to the home office, shut the door, and poured himself a glass of whiskey. 

He went back to his chair and faced the window for more than 30 minutes Bryan refused to talk and I was running out of patience, just as I was about to shout at him the next words that came from his mouth melted my anger he said ‘we are going bankrupt’ I became sober by the words but I gathered a little energy to ask.

 ‘How’?

Bryan tried to explain to me how the business has been bad and they have lost millions from bad investments. He said I don’t even have enough money for Dad's medical bills.

 Then I asked about the contract he just signed he said “That’s our only hope… you are our only hope, Amelia”

That night he drove me to the hospital and all I could think about were his last words to me at the office, when I looked at my dad on the hospital bed I knew I had to do whatever it took for him to get out of this condition. I thought about it long and hard and figured I would talk to Bryan about the contract after school on Monday.

So that evening after dinner I went up to the office to see Bryan… the whole office reeked of alcohol, Bryan was nowhere in sight and there were papers scattered all over the place.

 I began to pick up the papers and as I got closer to the desk in the middle of the office that was when I saw Bryan lying on one of the chairs on the balcony with a cigarette between his lips and a glass of whiskey in his hand.

He did not notice my presence immediately so a sound to bring him back to the present.

He looked surprised to see me yet, padded the space beside him, and asked me to sit. After speaking about random things which included my day at school the next thing he said knocked the air out of my lungs.

The contract is a business deal and a marriage proposal… What!