Chapter 5

Sarah P.O.V

I felt tense and doomed after hearing what Grandpa and Grandma told me. They arrived in the States last night, and today they've given me the biggest shock of my life.

According to them, I must marry for the merger or lose a 40% share of Amario Enterprises. Before they could finish their next sentence, I slammed my hands on my lap and stood up.

"I can't accept this proposal, Grandpa. I just graduated, and right now, I want to explore new things. I don't want to get married so soon."

"Sweetheart, we're not forcing you, but we want someone strong to take care of you. Grandpa and I are getting old, dear; we won't always be here to support you. That's why we want you to be secure and happy," Grandma said, making me sit down again as she held my hands.

I thought about everything happening. When it comes to marriage, love, respect, and trust are the pillars of happiness.

I've always been nervous about relationships, scared of rejection and being unloved.

I feared I'd be the one trying to maintain the relationship while the other person didn't care.

"Sarah, we always want what's best for you. But remember, if you reject this proposal, the company will be ruined. This company was your mother's dream. Sophia worked hard to bring it to where it is today. But honey, we don't want to force you," Grandpa said, comforting me.

Thinking about my mother, I wondered what she would do in my place. Would she accept this to save the company? She worked tirelessly until her illness confined her to bed.

"Grandpa, I need to think this over. I'll let you know my decision soon," I said with a weak smile and left.

I went to my room and closed the door. I lay on my bed, replaying the conversation with Grandpa and Grandma.

I never thought I'd get married so soon, let alone just for the sake of the company. But deep down, I knew this company held my mother's memories, her hard work, and her dream of making Amario Enterprises one of the leading companies in the world.

I always thought that when I married, it would be for love, not a business deal.

I never had time to date in high school; I was always busy with studies and a part-time job. If any guy tried to ask me out, Chloe and Jessica made sure I never went.

I still remember the night after graduation when there was a party at our house.

FLASHBACK

I was in my room, checking my email about the applications I had submitted to various universities. I could hear the loud music coming from downstairs.

Chloe had invited everyone to the party. She even asked me to join, but I politely declined, knowing she and Jessica would likely have a plan to humiliate me again.

Suddenly, I heard a knock on my door. I closed my laptop and walked over. Opening it, I saw Justin standing there, holding two cans of beer.

"Hey, Sarah!" he greeted me and walked into my room, sitting on my bed and looking around.

"Hey, Justin! What brings you here?" I asked, walking towards him.

Justin was in the same grade as me and Chloe. He was one of the popular guys in high school. We weren't close friends, but we had worked on some projects and assignments together. He seemed like a genuine guy.

"Why are you sitting here alone? Why didn't you come downstairs and join us?" he asked.

"Well, I don't like loud music, and I'm not used to these parties. Besides, I had some important work to do," I told him.

"Oh, that's alright. Everyone has their own tastes and choices," he said, offering me one of the beers he was holding. I politely declined.

"C'mon, relax a bit, Sarah. One beer won't harm you," he chuckled.

I hesitated but eventually accepted the beer and took a sip.

One beer won't harm me.

"So, what are your plans after high school?" he asked, drinking his beer.

"Well, I'm planning to study architecture, but I haven't decided which university to choose."

Before I could say more, I started feeling dizzy. I could hear Justin talking, but I couldn't understand what he was saying.

I could faintly hear Chloe and Jessica's voices inside the room. I heard them talking, but I couldn't make out the words.

Jessica's voice came closer as she whispered in my right ear.

"Let's have some fun, Sarah," she said, laughing wickedly.

I tried to get up, but Chloe pushed me back onto the bed. My T-shirt was yanked off aggressively, and my jeans were pulled down. I tried to shout for help, but no words came out. I could hear Chloe, Jessica, and Justin giggling.

I was lying there in just my underwear. Someone pulled me closer, and I heard Justin whisper something in my ear. All I could understand was that they were up to something terrible.

Justin gripped my waist, then started sucking on my neck.

"Please... don't," I begged them.

But they didn't stop. After a few minutes, I heard Jessica say it was enough; they'd gotten what they wanted.

I sighed in relief, but then I felt someone tugging at my hair. Before I could react, they started cutting it. I struggled with what little energy I had left, but a sharp kick to my ribs knocked me out.

FLASHBACK ENDS

When I regained consciousness, it was already the next day. I was still on the bed, my underwear torn. When I looked in the mirror, I saw bruises around my ribs and abdomen. My hair was nearly all gone—I was almost bald.

Jessica, Justin, and Chloe had made a video of me and Justin in bed. In the video, only my face was visible, while only Justin's back was shown.

They shared the video on every social media platform, and the whole school assumed I had shot it and shared it to gain popularity.

I even told Dad, but he blamed me for not being careful. Later, he chose to believe others, thinking I had purposely shared the video.

A tear slipped down my cheek, but I quickly wiped it away. Because of that night, I couldn't trust any guy. Although I managed to overcome this fear when I moved to Boston, becoming more comfortable around new people, I still struggled.

I even went on a few dates, but things never progressed. I was still uncomfortable with intimacy and trusting anyone.

Thinking about the marriage proposal, I realized I still didn't know who I was supposed to marry. All I knew from Grandpa was that he was the young CEO of a rapidly growing construction company.

I spent the whole night tossing and turning in bed, thinking about the marriage and the company merger.

By 4 a.m., after a night of deep contemplation, I was finally ready with my decision.