Chapter 1 - The deal

By Catherine De Castro

"YOU CAN ONLY BE GOING CRAZY!"

I could hardly believe what my ears had heard. When I was informed that we would have an emergency meeting, I expected something very serious to be happening, but I could never imagine that insanity had taken over my father’s head.

I looked to my mother for help, but all I found was a connivance that drove me crazy. In turn, my father, continued to look seriously at me while the others present, all of the Marques family, seemed distressed, except for one person, Heitor Marques. The firstborn heir to a world-renowned architectural and urbanism firm seemed as desperate as I did.

"Daughter, please calm down! Listen to what we have to say so you can reason."

I started walking back and forth not being able to believe that that nightmare was really happening. Nervousness took over my entire body and I felt like I was about to lose consciousness at any moment. The only thing my senses repeated without stopping was the phrase said by my father: "You will marry Hector Marques". And all I could think about was, How am I going to get married? Actually, the right question was, how am I going to marry a man I don’t love. In modern times and I was even being subjected to an arranged marriage?

Of course I knew the Marques family. Although the name of Hector was bombarded by the mainstream media that persecuted him and exploited daily all his endless rebellion. The heir of the Marques, was scandalous, who came back and got into trouble, and did not care to hide the many conquests during his nights in the great ballads of the country, which ended up producing scandalous matters that pointed to Hector as just another irresponsible rich man who did not even know what to do with the money he was heir.

However, they were not only successful entrepreneurs in the middle of society, but also respected for it. Being an ally of a Marques, it was fatally certain to be guaranteeing prestige. However, not even the certainty of this made me want to share a life with him. Visibly Hector and I were completely different people, and although he was an attractive and very handsome man, I could not see anything in him that caught my attention or aroused my interest. Not to mention that we never even had contact with each other, we knew nothing of each other, so there were no feelings that would lead us to the altar. So there was definitely no possibility of me being calm in the face of that news. I definitely wouldn’t want to marry a man who had the reputation Hector carried.

"I’m not marrying him. I don’t have to." I said without bothering myself with the cold look I received from Hector, who until then heard everything in silence.

"Think about it, Catherine. Your marriage is a big deal for our families. Especially for your father who’s about to vote for the presidency of the country." Hector’s father said he seemed not to care so much about the barbarity of what he said.

"Take that as a good deal, daughter. And I know you’re good at it." It was my father’s turn to say.

"Good to know that my future is a business for you, Dad. I’m very happy! I grumbled with irony.

Gradually I began to understand what was happening there. Although we had our own construction company, which I had been running the family business for some time, Dad was engaged in engaging with public life, and of course the perfect, well-founded family label, is something that is well regarded by society. Perhaps it would not be good for his political image to have a daughter of twenty-six years, without a structured family base to go out in the photos next to the man who wanted to run a country. Of course I considered all this a great nonsense, an era already surpassed by modernity, but unfortunately the vast majority does not seem to think like me. On the other hand, I could not understand what the interest of the powerful businessman Alexandre Marques, in agreeing all that.

Seeming to read my thoughts, Hector Marques finally said:

"What do we get out of all this bullshit, Dad?"

His voice was thick, icy, and his expression was visibly from someone being thrown to the lions. He was furious!

"Besides cleaning your image, which every day is deteriorated with these parties and people with whom you go out? We will unify our company with the Castros company. Together we will be one! We will become not only a large family, but also successful partners." Calmly the eldest replied the son.

I was in shock at that revelation. So Dad not only planned to give me as a bargaining chip, but he also planned a society without even communicating to me first.

"I have no problem staying with my image the way I am. To me, the media is just a bunch of pigs that feed on crumbs. Not always what they say about me, in fact, is reality."

By that time Hector had completely lost his composure and no longer hid his revolt.

"I’m not marrying a spoiled brat because you think it’s better to be done. Well, frankly, Dad."

The look indignant!

"Spoiled little patriot?" I asked facing Hector who looked at me with disdain. "I don’t know if you know, but I work. I’m not like you that I spend my life spending my father’s money while I live getting in trouble."

The man in front of me squinted. There I realized that Hector was the kind of man who hated being confronted, but who did not cause me fear.

"Shut up, both of you!" Hector’s father ordered and then turned to his son facing him with contempt. "Our shareholders simply don’t want you in the chair because they don’t trust your ability to run the business. They think you’re not only incapable, but a kid who can only embarrass me. I won’t lose everything I’ve earned because of you, Hector. Either you marry Catherine and live a responsible man’s life, showing you’re capable of running the family business, or I’ll disown you."

As father and son faced each other in a silent battle, it was Dad’s turn to turn against me...

"Don’t think it will be different with you, Catherine. This is not a proposal, but a determination. You will marry Hector, and this is no longer an argument."

I felt frustrated with my destiny and at the same time feared for what was to come, after all, it was notorious that living with Hector would not be easy at all.