"BUT MUM you know I can't marry him. He's slept with almost half the women in the city. He's a complete casanova!" Kim wailed.

     Kimberly kenedy has been betrothed to the Italian tycoon Andreas Costa for as long as she could remember. Well since she was old enough to walk. Her father. Robert Kenedy had made a marriage agreement with his best friend and close ally in business Gonzalo Costa to strengthen the bond between both families. 

    But there was one problem. She had never met her fiance!

    Of course she'd heard stories about him but most of them aren't good ones. The only.good stories she hears about him are from her parents.

    "Yes you will, Andreas is a very nice and well brought up man and I assure you that when you meet him you'll love him just as he'll also come to adore you."

    Her mother Emily Kenedy a petite brunette woman in her mid fifties didn't like to believe the worst of people. She'd somehow only see the light in every dark tunnel.

    "Yeah the same way half the women in town does." She mumbled under her breath.

    "What was that?"

    "Nothing mum, but do I really have to marry him? You know nowadays many young people marry the ones they fall in love with. 

     Not the ones made by agreement before they even learnt what the word marriage meant. And what about my work? There's no way I'm quitting."

    "Hush now, it was your father's decision and it was one the best. And besides, we can't just call off the wedding now that you've come of at now can we?

    It wouldn't look good and will only hurt our family's reputation and besides I'm sure Andreas will still let you work at the hospital so there's nothing to fear."

    "No, I guess not." Kim said letting out a sigh of resignation.

    "But I do get to see him before the wedding right? I've got to at least get to know him."

    "Of course honey, you'll meet him."

    And as if getting an idea her mother said.

    " You know what? What if I put in a word to your father and get things prepared to welcome Andreas. We'll even call and invite him over. Oh! It's going to be fun!" 

       Her mother squealed like a little kid who just got got the candy she'd always wanted. Getting up from her daughter's bed where she'd say previously, she leaned forward and left a kiss on her daughter's cheek before leaving the room.

                                        ***************

       NOW ALONE, left with her thoughts, kimberly lay on her bed deep I thought. She thought of how most people felt envious that she was born into the second out of the top ten ranking rich families in California.

      But those people didn't even come close to knowing the downside of being born in a rich family like hers

      She'd always lived her life doing what her family wanted, no, demanded not her. As it was her duty as the only child and heiress of her family's company. And she'd damned well follower them!

        But now she felt she was trapped hanging on a cliff with only a rope to prevent her from falling. But she could feel every fiber of thread snapping, the same way the thread surrounding her life was unraveling bit by bit.

        Maybe she'd run away? She smirked at the thought. This wasn't a disney movie where she'd get her happily ever after, this was real life.

                    Then an idea clicked!

         She'd meet the man alright, but not to get to know him as she should. She had to think of a way to somehow convince him not to get married to her. But she'll still leave the option of running away open.