CHAPTER 1

  Darlene

  

  "Dad! I can't do this" I whisper shouted.

  

  "Why?" He asked, clearly confused as to why I wouldn't take his decision. I so badly wanted to roll my eyes at the fact that it was an obvious reason why I couldn't do what he was expecting me to.

  

  My father, Mr Bernardo had accepted a marriage proposal from the McKenzie's, on my behalf! Could you imagine my face when he broke the news to me this morning?

  

  "I simply can't marry  man I have never met, I mean what  if he's not the one for me?" I asked, stress evident in my face but my father waved it off with a flick of his hand as if to dismiss my obvious worry for nothing.

  

  "Is that it?" He asked me, I looked to mum who as casually knitting in her chair, squeak quiet almost as if she didn't want any part of whatever it as that my father and I had going on. Even though she was supposed to be even more engaged than I was.

  

  Mum had always been like that and my father and I had always been like this too. He would make decisions for me, business wise most of the time and while it always turned out in my favour, I didn't exactly like been made decisions for. It was almost getting exhausting having to constantly have this one conversation.

  

  "Dad, seriously? You're asking me that?" I just couldn't understand what it as that made my dad accept a marriage proposal before I even got to know that these ' McKenzies' existed in the first place. My dad had everything figured out concerning this topic and I wasn't getting it.

  

  "Yes of course. I don't see the reason why you're so upset. I don't see any reason at all. I mean, you should be happy and overjoyed! You're about to be wedded. What's there not to like, my darling?" It was the way he always turned my name from Darlene to darling that got me to always forgive him and relax but not this time.

  

  "There is everything to worry about dad! Everything. How do you Ben know these people?" I asked, baffled out of my mind that he would just marry me off to anybody nd everyone that showed interest.

  

  He sighed deeply and good up from his rocking chair, he was about to give me a lecture and I was beyond ready for it.

  

  "Well, they're my best customers" he said and as if on remote control, he turned away ND walked right out of the sitting room. I was dumbfounded. What in the blinding fuck was going on here. I expected much more information on that topic, I picked up the chase and went after him.  There was no way that I was going to let this slide.

  

  "Dad! We're not done speaking" I said, trying to keep up with him. I followed him and lo and behold, I saw the most devasting thing I could ever see. A group of men, in a blunt cut line all held gifts and my father was directing them to where the wrapped huge boxes were going to be stored. My mouth hung out in the open, alot more than I expected.

  

  "What is this?" I asked no one in particular, horror written in bold lines across my face. I walked straight out of the house, never looking back.

  

  "Darlene!" My dad called out to me as I held my hands to my chest and walked out. There was no way that I was going to listen to him now. Not after what I just saw.

  

  I walked back to the bakary, one that has been in my family for generations and generations, passed down to each offspring. Something about baking always got me relaxed, it as a little over eight am and normally we opened by nine. I decided to bake fresh tarts, wanting to escape the things that were now hunting me. As I grabbed the ingredients, my phone rang in my pocket.

  

  I didn't bother to retrieve it because I knew one out of both parents was the caller and I was in no mood to reply or speak to either one of them. It was not worth it, especially since I knew that this wasn't a fair deal. It was a ' I have done it and now you have to abide by it' kind of situation. It genuinely sucked that it was turning out this way and I wasn't been given a chance to make my own choice. They didn't even know if these people were good, he just flowed with the fact that they were his best customers but that want enough to send her out to marriage like that, whether they were best sellers or the president.

  

  A rap in the glass, had me screaming from behind the counter " we're not yet open" as I carefully arranged the tarts. The rap went on at an annoying rate and I had to leave the counter just to give the person a piece of my mind when I saw the familiar knitted sweatshirt.

  

  "Mum?" I was surprised that she was here and something told me that she didn't come to try tarts, she as here on something totally different and while it ached my heart that she may be here to defend him, I couldn't let her stay outside and it was unlike her to ever indulge in our squabbles. I was tempted to just go back and pretend she wasn't here but the moment passed the instant she turned and looked me straight in the eye. Fuck it.

  

  I opened the door for her, turning the sign to closed for the day because I knew whatever it was that brought her here want going to be a quick session. It was going to be long, tiring nd maybe even uneventful. Thank God I made tarts, I could sulk better with them in my mouth.