Chapter 7

“This was my favourite photo of you. You looked like a real angel. I had to take that photo. There was so much love and adoration in Dad’s eyes as we looked at a picture of me when I was seven. I had to admit I was a real beauty as a child. It felt like I was staring at a human-sized Barbie doll. I had on a cute pink gown and my blonde hair was parked into a ponytail and my eyes seemed so blue as they sparkled with mischief.

“It was a hassle to get you to stay still that day. You had way too much candy because your mom could never resist your puppy eyes and you knew it. We had to bribe you with a promise of another candy if you stayed still enough to take that photo” he smiled and ran his hands over the picture, taking in every little detail.

“That was the best day ever. Mom had finally gotten that catering degree and made us a feast. I didn’t understand what it meant back then but I was happy because she was happy”

“I loved her, you know, it killed me when she was taken so quickly from us. I hate to say this to you but I am happy to go to her now. She doesn’t have to be lonely and alone anymore.” My heart clenched with Dad’s words. I know he never stopped missing Mom. He never got married again or even had any relationship that I was aware of.

“I know Dad. I know you loved Mom more than anything in the world” I rested my head against his shoulders and was careful not to place all my weight on him.

“I also love you more than anything in the world. I hate that I am leaving you alone but not to worry you’ll be in good hands if all goes well” There he goes again. He would not give me any information about who he was going to be leaving me with and I had no idea who it could be. I had run my head over a thousand scenarios but couldn’t decide on what he was planning and just go far to tell you how unpredictable my old man was.

“Are you not going to tell me what you are planning?”

“You have to be patient, princess. You will find out in due time, maybe today as soon as Duke arrives from the errand I sent in”

“And when would that be?”

“I am sure he will be here in a bit” I was about to convince him to tell me right now because patience was wearing thin. There was a knock on the door as soon as I opened my mouth to start my whining and I threw a glare at the closed door.

“Come in” my Dad weakly called out. He was slowly becoming worse and we could all see it but no one mentioned anything since there was no use in pointing out the obvious.

Duke walked in and gently closed the door behind him before walking to my father’s side. They were quiet and just staring at themselves but I could tell they were having a silent conversation. After some seconds of just staring at each other, Duke let out a curt nod before turning to me to look at me briefly. There was a little bit of relief in his eyes and even Dad seemed relieved. This had to have something to do with Dad’s grand plan to not leave me alone.

“Tell me, what did you people do? You promised to tell me when Duke arrived and he is here so tell me?” I reminded my dad.

“You are so impatient my darling”

“Well, you aren’t helping matters either by delaying the conversation. ”

My dad turned to look at Duke who gave another curt nod before walking out of the room. After Duke left, nobody said anything. It was as though Dad was thinking of the best way to deliver his statement and I patiently waited for him to put his thoughts and words together.

“Do you know who Atticus Hayland is?”

“Of course I do” Who doesn’t know Atticus Hayland? That man was a force to be reckoned with in the business world. His name was always mentioned in business lecture halls as a mentor all future business owners should look up to. He took his father’s failing export company and turned it into a conglomerate whose subsidiaries were at the top of their field. From real estate to semiconductors, Axis practically ruled the capitalist market.

“What do you think of him?” Dad asked again and I had to narrow my gaze at him.

“What’s with all these questions? What do you care about what I think about him? I was seriously getting confused by all these questions.

“Just answer the damn question, princess. I can barely keep my eyes open since my body has been awake for too long so I need to sleep soon” Now he is making me feel guilty for asking questions.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know him personally so all I've heard about him is solely on his business. I don’t have anything I could say on his personal attributes”

“I am sorry for snapping at you. I am just anxious because I know I don't have a lot of time left. I have to do this as soon as I can”

“It’s fine. I understand. But why are you asking me all these questions? We don’t have anything to do with him”

“We will soon”

“How is that going to happen?”

“You will be getting married to him”

“I am going to do what? Dad, you can’t be serious. Wait… this is your grand plan of not leaving me alone? To marry me off to a stranger?” I could not sit down any more so I stood up. I was furious and my hands were shaking. Do I look like a commodity that could easily be sold off at convenience?

“Calm down”

“Calm down? Don’t tell me to calm down. You are going to arrange a marriage for me or may have already done so without my consent. That is not happening dad. This isn’t the 18th century. I won't be getting married to anyone” My breath had also become shaky. I tried to breathe properly but it was getting lodged in my throat and my restlessness was getting too much so I started to pace the room.

“Please Hazel, calm down and listen to me” The mention of my name stopped me in my tracks. Dad hardly called me by my name and even the workers in our home didn’t so I hardly heard my name being called. Dad only called me by my name when he was angry and by the look on his face, he was getting angry.

“I don’t like this dad”

“I know but you cannot manage the company. I didn’t prepare you for that which was a failure on my part. I should have done a better job raising you ``I didn’t like the tone of his voice that made it look like he did a bad job raising me. I walked to the bed and sat down once again. I let out a sigh and calmed myself down.

“Stop looking down on yourself Dad. You did a very good job raising me to be the woman I am today. Are you not proud of me?”

“Of course I am. Every time I look at you, the amount of pride that wells up in my chest can never be measured” he was looking at me as if I was crazy to think he would not be proud of me and I gave him a look to tell him that was exactly how i felt when he said he did a bad job raising me.

“That’s exactly how I feel, Dad. I would never trade you for anything else in the world”

“You know I would always do what's best for you right? I would never do anything to harm you or make you sad?”

“I know that but this is different. Marriage is for life, dad. How did you even get someone as powerful as Atticus to marry me?”

“Marriage is exactly what you want it to be. You just have to make sure you make yours the way you want like a potter. He takes a plain clay and shapes it into what he wants.”

“You still haven’t told me how you got such a powerful man to want to marry me. What kind of deal did you strike with him?”

“Thirty percent shares from the company and managing rights of the company”

“What!!! Dad, are you crazy? Thirty per cent out of our seventy per cent? Are you selling off the company to him? And managing rights? That would practically make him CEO”

“That's the plan”

“What do you mean by that’s the plan? That's our hard work there Dad and you cannot just hand it over like that to someone else”

“The company would still be yours”

“In name only” I was on the brink of tears. I know that I may be incapable of managing the company at this moment but I could learn. Did my father have such little faith in me?

“I can assure you it is not because I think you are not capable. You are far too delicate for me to thrust into the ruthless world of business, especially one as powerful as ours. Atticus would be the perfect person to make sure the business stays as the best construction company and also make sure you get your money. I don’t want you to suffer or worry. I have shielded you your whole life and I plan to continue doing so even in my death”

“I am not weak Dad, I can handle it” I tried to reason with him but his decision was final.

“I know you are not weak but I would not risk someone hurting you because they think you are not adequate to handle the company. The people I work with are not people to take very lightly. I would not have you in the middle of vultures”

“How dangerous can it be Dad? Then why did I go to business school if I would not end up managing the company?” I had wasted four years of my life studying something I didn’t like just because I thought i had no choice but to take over the company.

“I wasn’t aware that was your reason for studying the course, else I would have asked you to do what you wanted. I am sorry for that.”

“There isn’t changing your mind?”

“No. I’m sorry princess but you would thank me for protecting you like this later”

“I don’t think I would” he started coughing and I reached for the cup of water that had a straw in it so I could give it to him. When he finished drinking the water, I dropped the cup back in its place.

“Consider it your old man’s dying wish and do this for me. Please” he didn’t have to pull that card on me and now there was no way that I could deny it even though I didn’t want it.

“Fine, just because you pulled that card '' I stood up and walked out of the room, not even turning back as he struggled to call out my name. It hurt me to hear him struggle but I was too hurt to care and I felt ashamed of myself for not caring but I still didn’t go back to check up on him.