Chapter 2

Ethan pov

My sister Lara was waiting for me in the waiting hall. She and I are very close. We like to tease each other. Our two eldest are a bit older than us. As soon as they finished high school, each traveled to a foreign country . The first is in Canada and the second in Germany. They have already finished their university studies and are working in their respective host countries. Although we chat regularly, we are not very close like Lara and I are.

Lara led me to her car and I put my luggage in the trunk of the car then I went to sit in front with her. We made the trip while chatting. I'm happy to be back home. I had missed this fresh and natural air that tickles my nostrils a lot. The beautiful scenery, the sparse trees along the road, the clear skies without long, endless buildings... I felt like I had spent an eternity without coming back here. Since today is Sunday, the traffic was less dense and it didn't take long for us to get home. I quickly entered the living room, I was so eager to hug my mother after this long absence. I actually find her sitting in front of the television. As soon as she saw me, she got up to me and took me in her arms. She hugged me so tight that I was gasping for air.

"I missed you a lot too my darling mamoune, but you're going to end up suffocating me with this hug." I smirked trying to pull away from her embrace.

"I missed you a lot my baby!" She said, finally releasing me. 

I look around to make sure no one has heard this and exclaim in a fake serious tone.

"I'm a man now mom! Stop calling me baby all the time!"

"For me you remain my baby even when you have a white beard and I have the grace to be alive." She replied tenaciously.  

Decidedly, my mother will never change, I say inside me.

"Go and take your bath while I get the table ready."

I take my leave of her and go wash up. After having taken my bath, I am called for dinner. My father made the effort to be present early. It's probably because I came back. After the meal and once he asked about me, he told me

"I hope you are ready for your wedding?! Starting next week, there will be a meeting with our both families. I want you to get ready accordingly.".

"Count me in daddy!" I replied smiling

Naella pov

It's Saturday night and I'm out for a walk with Charles. My father told me yesterday that my supposed future groom is already back home. Next weekend, there will be a meeting between our families.

“Honey, I promise you, I will never agree to this marriage!” I assured to Charles as we were sitting on the beach by the water.

"You won't be able to oppose your father sweetie." He replied dejected.

"I don't know what to do to make him change his mind my heart..." 

I was really desperate.

"I have an idea..." he said hesitantly.

"Which one? Speak I'm listening" I replied very curious to know what he had in mind.

"What if we run away?"

"Do you think that's a good idea?" I asked the question with less enthusiasm.

"It's the only idea that comes to my mind right now for you to escape this marriage. You could take enough money from your father and we flee to another country."

"No. I don't have access to my dad's accounts. Forget about the money, it's impossible!" I answered, looking discouraged.

"You could still search secretly in his documents or search his office. Use your brain Naëlla!"

"Forget this idea! I can't do this. Running away and abandoning my father... I love him very much and he loves me too... He would dye of grief." I retorted, totally disagreeing with Charles' idea.

"You say your dad loves you?! Is it this love that pushes him to the point of giving you to marriage to someone you don't know, as if you were a common object?" Charles retorted angrily.

"Calm down Charles! He probably thinks he's doing the right thing for me, but if I had some time, I could reason with him. I'm sure he'll end up changing his mind." I said trying to calm Charles whose face was already contorted with anger.

"And what are you planning to do? Because there's no need to remind you that on Saturday, the meeting between your families will take place and, believe me, at this stage it's difficult to go back."

"I know, that's why I have an idea that I think will be good." I said still keeping my composure.

"Ah yes! Which one?" Charles hastened to ask.

"I would like you to help me hide in your house, while waiting for my father to calm his eagerness to marry me against my will."

"No! I don't think it's a good idea. How can you live with me, you who are used to the luxury of your chalet? You have seen with your own eyes how cramped we are at home. That's not a good idea at all! "

"Calm down darling! I'm only going to stay there for a few weeks, until my father changes his mind. 

It's not killing anyway! If you manage to live in these conditions, why not me?"

"For us, it's our habit, we've only known this life. But for you to put up with it, it would be killing!" 

Charles is very anxious and nervous hearing my proposition. I think he is overreacting a bit.

"Don't worry honey, I'll get there. Besides, it's in the interests of our marriage. Or do you want me to marry like my father wants?" I questioned him, looking him straight in the eye. He hastened to answer

"But no of course!"

"So that's the only solution for my father to calm down."

"Okay, I think we have no other choice." 

Finally, Charles and I agreed to the idea of me escaping from home. I had already been at Charles's house for a week. Even if it was not the total comfort as it was the case at home, I still liked it a lot. I liked their simplified way of living. They didn't bother with bogus formalisms like the way of life I had always had. Whatever they found at hand, they took without thinking. I must admit that the first days of life here had not been total joy. Nevertheless, I ended up appreciating this rhythm of life opposite to mine. I have been able to discover another style of life different from mine, and it was quite a good experience of life. 

Throughout the week, my father had been busy looking for me everywhere. He went to my school to see if I was there. Luckily I haven't set foot in school since I've been here. I knew this would happen, that was why I did not go to school the whole me. Charles came in to check on me.

"Your father is furious about your absence." He told me looking worried.

"Of course he must be! I'm the one he cherishes the most in the world and the fact that I disappeared all of a sudden surely bothers him." I replied to Charles, not at all surprised by his words.

"That's exactly what worries me the most, my dear." Resumes Charles, looking at me anxiously.

"What's bothering you my darling?" I questioned him, not understanding why he's got that worried look.

"Your father cares about you too much and I'm sure he won't hesitate to hurt me when he finds out I'm the one getting in his way."

"Don't worry about it sweetie! My dad is a good man and he can never hurt you. He's just mad right now because I ran away. But I'm going to make him listen to reason, don't do not worry." I say to assure Charles.  

But obviously, my words don't have that reassuring effect on him. I sense him reluctant and panicked. He retorted

"You're saying that because he's your father. But you didn't see his angry face this morning at school. He threatened us that he would imprison anyone who keeps you in his home. The dean also came in into the dance threatening us that he would personally take care of this individual and that he would be expelled from the university, if ever found." 

Charles was speaking in panic. He continued to share his concerns with me, always with the same fear in his eyes.

"Only you know more than anyone about my financial situation. I only have my mother as family and if I were to be kicked out of school, she would throw a tantrum for sure. Let's not talk about it if I was taken to prison. She would dye of it instantly."  

I fully understand his apprehensions and I try somehow to reassure him.

"Don't worry my love! I promise you nothing will happen to you. I will make sure my dad won't hurt you, believe me. I just want to scare him a little and then I'll go home. House." I said stroking Charles and looking at him fondly.

"I'll make sure nothing happens to you and to your mother, you have my word! Okay?" I continued to say, giving him a look that was meant to be full of assurance.  

He nodded shyly the answered in a not very convincing tone.

"If you say so!"

Charles went out leaving me pensive. My father is not even ashamed to use his power to go and threaten defenseless young students! He pushed the cork a little far anyway! I don't even recognize him with that attitude anymore. Ever since he told me about the damn marriage, it seems like he's turned into another person. I'm sure he's called me a hundred times and left tons of messages. But he doesn't know that I left my phone at home in my room. I turned it off beforehand. I will stay here for up to two weeks. I do not intend to attend this meeting of misfortune between our two families. This young man, whoever he is, already disgusted me even before I met him. How can he accept this kind of marriage? Is it stupid to agree to unite with a person whom he has never met in his life? And if I was a witch, what would he do? Who still does things that way these present days? We are all the same in the twenty-first century! If my father is so attached to this marriage, he just needs to take my place as long as he is there. I'm going to teach him a good lesson before going home.

Right now, I can't ask Charles to babysit me. They barely have enough to eat and since I've been here, it's my self who gives the money for meals. His financial situation is in bad shape. His mother sells at the market and does not earn much money. A marriage between him and me at this time and without my father's support would be suicide. I thought my father would like to support me in my choice of spouse and at least find a position in his company for Charles, but he had already completed his program a long time ago and Charles was not on it. If at least we could have some more time, Charles would pass his degree and find a good job, and in that case my father would no longer have the same opinion of him. But he wanted to do things in a hurry. I don't know how to make my father reason at this moment so that he changes his mind.