Marry him

Mrs. Astrid's urgent gesture caught the attention of the physician, who responded swiftly, gently disconnecting Mara's nanny from the oxygen tube. As the tube slipped away, the elderly woman stirred from her deep sleep, her eyelids fluttering open, revealing cloudy eyes filled with confusion.

"Nanny," Mara pleaded, her voice trembling with fear and desperation as she reached out to grasp the frail hand lying on the bed. "Please, stay with me. Don't leave me alone."

The machines surrounding the bed began to emit a shrill, incessant noise, the urgency of which mirrored Mara's rising panic. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest as she watched helplessly, tears streaming down her cheeks, knowing that time was slipping away.

With trembling hands, Mara attempted to push open the automated door, her efforts becoming increasingly frantic as the realization set in that it was firmly locked from the inside. "Please," she begged, her voice breaking with emotion. "Somebody help us! Nanny needs help, please!"

Still grappling with the stubborn door, Mara's heart sank as she heard the approaching footsteps of her stepmother and stepsister. Their faces twisted with malice, radiating an aura of wrath that seemed to engulf the room like a demonic presence unleashed from the depths of hell.

Hastily rising to her feet, Mara bowed before them, her voice trembling with desperation. "Stepmother, the doctor removed the oxygen tube. Please, I beg of you, save my nanny. She's innocent, she's all I have left after my mother. Please, save her," she pleaded, tears streaming down her cheeks as she clasped her hands together in supplication.

Maya, her stepsister, observed Mara with a cold smirk, her words dripping with venom. "Who would have thought the sharp-tongued Mara could display such vulnerability in the face of her nanny's suffering?"

Normally, Mara would have retorted or rebuked her sister, but with the lives of her dear nanny hanging in the balance, she dared not make a misstep.

"Please, Mrs. Astrid, I implore you," Mara continued, her voice cracking with emotion. "Help me arrange for her to receive the care she needs abroad. I am at your mercy. Please, help us," she pleaded once more, her heart heavy with fear and uncertainty.

With a gentle smile, Mrs. Astrid signaled to the doctor, who promptly reconnected the oxygen line, bringing a sense of calmness to the elderly woman as she resumed her composed demeanor.

"Your nanny is now in the recovery stages," Mrs. Astrid, the current director of JYK Hospital, explained gravely. "Depriving her of oxygen again could result in irreversible brain damage or worse, leaving her in a state neither alive nor dead."

Maya interjected sharply, her tone laced with sarcasm. "Will you beg for it never to happen again?"

Panic surged through Mara as she clutched Mrs. Astrid's leg, pleading desperately. "Please, I beg of you, don't remove it again."

Her stepmother's words cut through the air like poisoned daggers. "You've returned to being the humble Mara Lopez, but now you must do something to save your nanny's life."

Mara tightened her grip on Mrs. Astrid's leg, her voice choked with tears. "I'll do anything you ask, just please save her."

Mrs. Astrid's decisive tone rang out. "Very well. Go home and prepare yourself; you're marrying into the Lewis family this evening."

Mara's eyes widened in disbelief. "Marriage? Just like that?"

Mrs. Astrid strutted away with an air of triumph. "You heard correctly. Ask your father for the details."

Stunned, Mara called after her. "You can't decide my marriage like this, Mrs. Astrid!"

Turning back with a chilling glare, Mrs. Astrid delivered her ultimatum. "Marry into the Lewis family or your granny's life hangs in the balance. The choice is yours."

Feeling lost and overwhelmed by the impossible choices laid before her, Mara returned home from the hospital, her mind swirling with confusion.

"Dad, you're siding with them too?" she questioned, her voice tinged with disappointment.

Mr. Lopez shifted uncomfortably, his words stumbling out clumsily. "Mara, please understand. I'm powerless in this situation. I can't control Maya's mother."

"But Dad, I don't even know him! This is ridiculous. I can't just agree to marry someone I've never met," Mara protested, sinking wearily onto the couch.

Maya's voice cut through the tense atmosphere. "Accept this alliance for the sake of our family, and for your nanny. Dad can't intervene because this marriage is crucial for our family's business interests."

Mara turned to face Maya, her frustration boiling over. "Why should I be the one to marry him? Why not you? You're a Lopez too!"

Maya's response was cold and calculated. "It's your choice: your nanny or your family. Remember, we are your family, not your nanny. You must marry the young master of the Lewis family for the sake of our business."

As Mrs. Astrid entered the room, Mara felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. The weight of her family's expectations bore down on her, leaving her feeling trapped and helpless in the face of their demands.

As Mr. Lopez gently massaged Mara's shoulders, he attempted to offer a solution to the tense situation. "Maybe we should consider letting Maya take on this responsibility instead, since Mara is hesitant."

But before he could finish, Mrs. Astrid's sharp retort cut through the air, silencing him instantly. "No daughter of mine will marry into that shady family," she declared, her tone final and unwavering.

Despite the outward appearance of wealth and privilege, Mara's life was anything but glamorous. Controlled by her manipulative stepmother, she had never been given the opportunity to make her own choices. Hand-me-downs from Maya and a lackluster education were just a few examples of the limitations imposed upon her.

Yet, amidst the suffocating control, there was one constant source of comfort and protection: her nanny. Despite society's expectations, Mara chose to prioritize the woman who had cared for her since birth over her own happiness.

As Mara grappled with the impossible decision before her, she couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude towards her nanny and a deep resentment towards her stepmother, who seemed determined to make her life a living hell.

Caught in the suffocating grip of an impossible dilemma, Mara sat in silence, her mind racing with conflicting thoughts and emotions. The weight of her decision bore down on her, casting a heavy shadow over the once serene family living room.

In a rare moment of assertiveness, Mara rose to her feet, her voice trembling but resolute. "Fine, Mrs. Astrid. Let's say I agree to marry him. But you have to promise me that you'll arrange for Nanny to receive treatment in America immediately," she insisted, her eyes pleading for reassurance.

Mrs. Astrid approached Mara, her expression unreadable as she set down the newspaper. "Agreed, Mara. Your nanny's paperwork will be sorted, and she'll receive treatment at one of the best hospitals in America as soon as you make your decision to marry and move in with him," she confirmed, her tone businesslike yet tinged with a hint of satisfaction.

Mara's heart sank as she struggled to comprehend the true motives behind the proposed marriage. "But what about the family? What benefits will this alliance bring?" she pressed, her voice tinged with resignation.

With a smirk, Mrs. Astrid explained, "Contracts, money, business partnerships. Aligning ourselves with the Lewis family, the wealthiest in Los Angeles, ensures our success in business. Your marriage is simply a strategic move."

Feeling overwhelmed and defeated, Mara sighed heavily, the weight of her burdens crushing her spirit.

Seeking solace and counsel, Mara hurried to meet her friends, Lucian and Evelyn, at the gym, hoping to find clarity amidst the chaos of her thoughts.

As she confided in them, their initial disbelief quickly turned to laughter, their teasing banter offering a momentary reprieve from Mara's inner turmoil.

But beneath their jests, Mara couldn't shake the gnawing feeling of unease, knowing that her decision would shape not only her own fate but also the lives of those she held dear.

Mara vented her frustration to her friends, her tone filled with exasperation. "I'd be more thrilled if I had a say in choosing my partner, but my stepmother has lined me up with some rich guy."

Lucian raised an eyebrow, his expression incredulous. "A marriage contract? Seriously? Why you? Why not her daughter?"

Mara shrugged, a weary resignation in her voice. "I have to do it to save Nanny. It's the only way."

Evelyn chimed in, her voice tinged with sarcasm. "Well, at least you'll be marrying into wealth. Silver lining, right?"

Lucian nodded thoughtfully. "True, but why wouldn't she arrange it for her own daughter? Something fishy's going on here."

Mara took a drag from her cigarette, the smoke curling around her as she spoke. "I don't know who he is, but apparently he's one of the sons of the Lewis family."

Evelyn's eyes widened in disbelief. "Wait, the Lewis family? The ones with more money than sense? Which young master are you marrying?"

Mara let out a frustrated sigh, crushing the cigarette under her boot. "That's the thing—I have no clue who he is. It's like someone else is pulling the strings of my life."

Lucian chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. "Come on, Mara, don't make that face. You'll get wrinkles."

Evelyn cut in with her usual bluntness. "Just go through with the wedding and then divorce him. Problem solved."

Mara couldn't help but laugh at Evelyn's straightforward solution, despite the gravity of her situation. With friends like these, maybe she could navigate her way through this mess after all.

Evelyn nodded thoughtfully, her expression contemplative. "Yeah, why wait years? Just avoid him for a few months, maybe even days, and then get that divorce."

Mara sighed, her voice tinged with resignation. "But my heart isn't in this marriage at all. I don't even want to give it a try. I just wish I could fly away somewhere far with you guys and Nanny."

Lucian clapped Mara on the back, trying to inject some levity into the situation. "Well, since you're not feeling it, let's go out and have some fun! Oh, and by the way, when's the big day?"

Mara's reply was filled with bitter irony. "Tonight! Because why not? Isn't it just my luck to be thrown into a marriage with a complete stranger?"

Evelyn and Lucian exchanged a resigned glance, silently acknowledging the absurdity of Mara's situation. Evelyn spoke up first, her tone tinged with resignation. "Mara, sometimes you just have to accept your fate and deal with the consequences later. It's messed up, but it's the reality we're facing."