Chapter Six - A way out

Isabella's point of view.

"I got something, I got something," Cameron's voice was so loud it woke me up from my sleep before she barged into the room and jumped on the bed.

I tried to turn away but she kept on interrupting me, "I got something, don't you want to know what it is?" She asked, her tone much softer this time.

I was the type of person that got headaches when woken abruptly. Headaches that lasted for days on end and made me sick.

Plastered on a fake smile and looked up at her, "What do you have?" I hoped it wasn't something from that boyfriend of hers because I would literally strangle her if it was.

She smiled back at me, "Well the contract, the lawyers have been looking at it and they discovered the only loophole they could find in such a bonafide contract," Dressed in a fancy pink minidress and the necklace I had gotten her as a birthday gift, Cameron could not have looked more beautiful, "I hope Zachary has brothers or cousins."

I nodded. He did. He had a twin brother with an attitude even more rotten than Zachary. The one person I wasn't allowed to think about or even talk about.

"He has a brother," I said nonchalantly.

Cameron nodded at that, "Well the contract said you had to get married to a Newman, it didn't state which one. You could get married to his father and it would be legally binding," She dropped the paper on my thighs and I immediately picked it up.

And there it was. Circled with a pencil.

'This hereby states that once Miss Isabella Andromeda Wells turns the beautiful age of twenty three, she is to get married to Mr Newman as payment for the loan granted to Mr Wells on this day.....'

I dropped the paper and turned around to stare at Cameron who had walked away from me and towards the dresser where she was skillfully brushing her hair and had a big smile on her face. She had done well but I was still going to get married.

"I don't understand how this helps," I finally said the words that were stuck to the back of my throat.

She seemed to understand because her face softened, "You can get a contracted marriage with another Newman, offer him money or something. Then get divorced after some time," She explained to me, "And then no one would question it and this arranged marriage would be void."

I didn't want to squash Cameron's happiness. She had gone through alot to get this, she had missed her engagement because of me and now she was going to learn that this wasn't going to work.

"Jason would never agree to this, he literally hates me and even if he didn't, I don't know where to find him," I said while carefully folding the paper into a rectangle so I could place it on the nightstand.

"I'm going back to sleep before I get a headache."

Cameron's whispered words were the last thing I heard before I fell asleep.

"I won't let you down."

*****

The chatter downstairs came to a stop the moment my legs touched the last stair. I raised my eyebrow at my mom and Cameron, sitting huddled together in the kitchen.

My cousins sat at the other end of the kitchen and waved hi to me when they saw me. Identical twins and I couldn't even tell the difference between them yet.

"Isabella dear, Cameron just gave me some great news," Mom said once she was done whispering around with Cameron.

I walked towards the refrigerator, "Is it the fact that I could get apparently get married to any Newman?" I asked then picked up a bottle of water and almost drank everything.

Mom smacked me alot when I did this when I was younger. Now, she doesn't even bat an eyelid and waits for me to finish before she continues.

Cameron cleared her throat, "It's a choice Isabella, in things like this, it's good to have a choice."

They were being so unreasonable. I turned to mom because if Cameron wouldn't understand, she was supposed to.

"Mom, I can't ask Jason to marry me. First reason, he's one of the reasons why I left, the second reason, he's a jerk and third reason, I can't even find him. Perhaps he is even halfway across the world," I hoped I wasn't shouting because I felt like I was shouting.

Sincerely, I had a headache because of this topic.

"I think I'm going to go out, this house wants me to become crazy or something because I don't get what you don't understand."

No one tried to stop me. The house was suffocating already which made me so happy because I was leaving tomorrow. I would come back after the fashion show though. I couldn't leave my mom alone and I had a wedding to plan.

Outside wasn't dark yet and the neighbor's children were out and about, playing with their bicycles and toys. Oh. To be a child again without the responsibilities of an adult, wandering through life without having thoughts of how to get out of a marriage.

I could see my dad somehow. He was everywhere. Every piece of flower I touched, the sky. I could see him guilding me as I walked around. I placed my finger on the tree close to our house before taking a seat on the root of the tree, watching everyone walk by.

I must have looked like someone crazy. Who sits under the tree in their pyjamas at this time of the day? Plus my hair was a rats nest kept in a messy bun.

A little kid from the opposite building ran towards me, she had the smile of an angel and kind of reminded me of my dad. Everything reminded me of my dad though so that wasn't much comparison.

"You're really sad," She said before taking a seat by me, "My mom always said I should show kindness to sad people all the time," She giggled when she was done saying that, like she felt she had said something funny.

Her enthusiasm was contagious so I wasn't surprised when there was a smile on my face.

"Why are you sad though?"

"Because my friends want me to do something stupid," She gasped, showing me the cute little gap in-between her teeth, "But the stupid thing is something that can actually help me," I added at the end.

She nodded, "If it's something that can help you then do it. Your friends must really care about you."

"They do."

She didn't say anything else because suddenly her mom was calling out for her and she had to run back home. That didn't stop her from giving me a kiss on the cheek though.

My time outside had not being unproductive after all. I could think better now and see things in a new light. I didn't even get the headache I thought I would have by now.

My decision was made though and I would be more than happy to tell Cameron and mom so they would leave this alone. I was the one getting married, not them. And if I had to get married to Zachary so my family wouldn't go down in debt or lose another life then so be it.

He wasn't a bad man when he kept his mouth shut. And from what I heard, his sex was good.

Cameron wasn't in the kitchen when I came in. Just my mom going through the family album, she was a bit teary eyed though and caressed some of the photos.

"Mom, I can't do what you guys are asking me to do," I announced my present with those words.

To my mom's credit, she wasn't startled. She flipped that page to another, one where I wore a tiny swimsuit while dad pursued me around the beach.

She sighed deeply, "I have a way to get you out of this, something your dad did without even consulting me and now you're rejecting it," She got up from the chair and walked towards me.

My mom was a pretty woman. Too pretty for my dad, I wondered how he got such an attractive woman to fall inlove with him and even got married to him. That beauty was still there and it shone, even when she was mad at me.

"We were invited to a family dinner with the Newmans this evening. I heard Jason would be there so get ready," She left the ghost of a touch on my cheek before she turned around and walked away.

She wasn't there when my dad sold me away so she wants to make sure I get out unscathed.

A family dinner at the Newmans though was the last thing I expected. No need to argue against this though, I was pretty sure mom would lend me one of her dresses.

The knock on the door interrupted me. But there was no one outside when I opened it.

Just a new package and inside was the prettiest gown I had ever seen. From Newman again.