The Forbidden Fruit | 47

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Arabella's POV

As they join their hands in marriage.

In marriage.

In marriage.

I ripped my hand from Ryan's, my breath hitching in my throat as Mr. Marks' words replayed like a broken record in my head. Our hand in marriage? This–this is what I was waiting for wasn't it? This is why I felt that uneasiness that day in the office when Ryan asked me to go out dinner.

This is why my mother cancelled our thanksgiving together, why no one would answer me, why she flashed me that sad smile, why she's too goddamn ashamed to meet my gaze and why my father. . . My father.

"Arabella?"

I snapped out of my reverie and met my mother's gaze, her lips were downturned in a frown and her face was etched in concern as she leaned towards me slowly. I flinched backwards, my back hitting the chair harshly but I didn't even whimper in pain as the wood dug into my skin.

Ryan placed his hand on my shoulder and I flinched away once again, my eyes wide as I toppled off the chair quickly which caused it to career into the tiled floor beneath me with a loud bang. "Arabella hear us out." My mother whispered softly as she slowly stood up, her arms outstretched as if she were approaching a feral animal.

I stumbled away, slipping on my stilettos which sent me flying backwards but a pair of strong hands caught my fall. I peered up to see Mr. Marks staring down at me and immediately I shuffled away from him. "W–What the hell do you guys mean hand in marriage, who the hell is getting married!?"

"Sweetie we came here tonight to have this conversation civilly, if you cower away like a bruised puppy we can't talk to you and neither Ryan." I snapped my head towards Ryan who was now standing up, a conflicted expression on his face as he averted his gaze from me and onto his father then mine.

My very own father!?

"I— what the hell is going on!" I didn't even recognize my own voice, it was filled with rage, rage I didn't know that I could even harbour but it was there and all I could see at the moment was pitch black as I leaned against the table for support.

"Tessa, Nessa and Hanna can you girls please leave, we'll resume dinner in a bit okay? This is between the adults." Tony said as he ushered the girls out of the kitchen. I caught Nessa's gaze and she flashed me a sad smile before spinning around and disappearing out of the dining room.

My father slowly approached me but I shot a hand out, halting him in his footsteps as I shook my head vigorously. "I swear to god you get any closer and I'm running out of this house like Cinderella." I snapped, he pursed his lips in a thin line and shoved his hands into his pocket before lowering himself back down into the chair and placing his face in his palms.

"Why don't you sit down and we shall explain everything, Miss Smith, hmm?" Mr. Marks demanded, I glared at him as he pulled out the chair that crashed against the floor and motioned for me to sit down. So I did, my eyes flickering towards Ryan whose eyes never left mine. 

How could he know about this and not tell me? I get that he's my boss and we were barely friends but he's the only person I could bond with at work.

At work. . .

"You, wait. . .that's why I got the job in the first place right? It was all a bribe for this fucked up situation right father!? You bribed me with my dream job without me even knowing it and sold my soul to the Marks!?" I shouted, my hand coming down onto the table harshly and pain immediately shot through my hand, I whimpered and quickly tucked it under my arms, my eyes never leaving my fathers.

"Yes, Miss Smith that was our end goal, to have you acquainted to my son Ryan here. But do let us explain huh?" He smiled as he lowered himself down beside my mother and gestured towards me, her eyes met mine and now I could finally see the emotions that she tried so hard to hide.

Guilt, shame, anger.

For selling me.

"Before you were born your father had started his business, Smith and co and it was thriving Arabella. We got everything we wanted because of it, our home, our family, our estates, everything. Your father had worked so hard to build his business from the ground up and he wasn't prepared to lose it in any way shape or form so we signed a contract that we would marry off our first daughter to any son of Lewis Marks in the event that your father business falters. Your marriage will allow the Marks to fund your father's business and prevent it from crashing." She explained.

I narrowed my eyes at her, biting my tongue to prevent myself from singing a chorus of swears. Instead, I flickered my eyes shut and chuckled humourlessly. "Arabella our family business is crashing. In a few months if we have no help it'll be like it never existed, we will go bankrupt, we won't afford to own any of our estates, everything that we have worked for will simply seize to exist."

"No! EVERYTHING YOU'VE WORKED FOR WILL SEIZE TO EXIST! YOUR BUSINESS HAS NOTHING, NOTHING TO DO WITH ME!" I lowered my trembling hands to my side and tucked it back into my arm in fear that I'd strangle my father with it if he dared come near me.

My mother flicked her gaze to my father who seemed taken aback by my outburst and turned towards me once again, tears brimming her eyes. "Think about it, Arabella. Everything that's our–your fathers, it's yours. Your college fees, your dorm on campus, your job. Our home, everything that we built your name is also on it and if we go bankrupt and fall into debt it'll put a dirty record on the Smith's legacy."

"And I'm supposed to sell my hand in marriage for your goddamn business! Why mother, dad!? Wasn't there any other solution to saving the business other than an arranged marriage to a man I barely know! Other than taking away your daughter's freedom and will to marry whoever it is that she loves!? Other than breaking your daughter's heart?" I whispered softly. I sniffles, only now realizing that tears cascaded down my cheeks rapidly no matter how I tried to stop it.

My mother suddenly sobbed as she fell back against the chair, her hands covering her face in shame which only heightened the emotions that I was currently experiencing.

"How could you hide his from me for nineteen years? And God who knows how much longer if it weren't for the business crashing at this very moment? Would I have been married already before I had to follow this contract? Would I be all on the other side of the world or would you guys have manipulated me into staying in the country much like how you've manipulated me in many ways, spoilt the pig before bringing it to get slaughtered her?"

I leaned against the table, a humourless smile etched on my face and if it weren't for the salty tears that fell into my mouth even I could fool myself that this was quite amusing but it wasn't. This was my freedom they were discussing, they were marrying me off to a man I don't know and love.

"How long?"

"Arabella–"

"HOW FUCKING LONG!?"

The table fell in silence and I could barely see either my mother or my father as my vision blurred from the assault of tears that pricked my eyes. I wiped it away although it was useless, I needed to see her face when she said it, I needed to see the disgust and shame as she sentenced me, I needed to.

"Five years."

There was a loud sob that tore through my body. It sounded like the wail of a banshee and felt like a thousand knives ripping through my back and I only now realized that the sob was from me and not the woman sitting across me. My hand came over my head, ripping through my hair in frustration and anger before I slammed it against the table once again which made my mother flinch in fear.

"You condemned me to five years of marriage with a man I do not love! I LOVE TYLER FUCKING HART AND OVER MY DEAD BODY WILL I MARRY SOMEONE ELSE THAT ISN'T HIM!" I kicked the chair away from me, ignoring it as it slammed against the wall and came crashing down against the floor.

My mother's wails and my father's protests didn't stop me as I ran out of the dining room, sobbing loudly as I found myself in the grand hall of the house. I quickly kicked off my stilettos and made it to the front door, ripping it open and stepping out into the cold night air.

I continued running, not knowing exactly where I was headed until I found myself in the middle of what seemed to be the garden. My legs gave under and I toppled to the ground in a heap, sobbing loudly as I clutched the material against my chest.

I could feel it, like my heartstrings were tearing apart, bursting away from its hold. It hurt, it physically hurt and I couldn't understand how that was possible but it did.

In my madness of screaming and tears I hadn't realized there was a person crouched beside me, their strong arms wrapped around me as they fought to keep me tamed.

When I realized the maroon material that was soft against my skin I punched him with all my strength and tried my hardest to shove him away from me but despite my kicking and screaming, my thrashing against him no matter how it hurt and how much strength and stamina I put into it he wouldn't let go.

"I hate you! I–I hate you so fucking much, let me–let me go, please. J–Just let me go!" I rasped out as I slammed my hand against his chest, my vision blurry to the point where all I could see was blurred darkness enveloping my eyes.

"I know, I know." He whispered, tightening his grip around me so that I was trapped between his arms and his chest. I failed to shove him off of me and gave in, my face crushed against his chest and I hugged it tightly as another sob racked through my body. "I want Tyler," I cried loudly as my fingers tightened around the material of his shirt.

He didn't reply but instead caressed my back softly, still mumbling a bunch of incoherent words into my ears. "I want Tyler," I whispered, watching as a teardrop fell onto his shirt and sunk into it, along with that came another then another until his shirt was soaked in my tears and I was whimpering softly.

I will always love you.

I flickered my eyes shut, trying my hardest to comfort myself in the sound of Tyler's voice as we bid goodbye to one another at the airport. I knew leaving him was my biggest mistake and now it's my biggest regret.

Tyler got it all wrong that night.

I would have to do something that might make him hate me.

And I know there's no way out of it.

Not without him.

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