"Dad! That's incredible. I am already a grown up and I can manage myself," Marie reasoned out to her manipulative father while they were having an argument in the living room of their mansion.
"Lady! I am trying to make your future easier for you to tackle with. If you marry my best friend's son, you won't have to worry about matters related to the Company and you can just enjoy life touring around the world. I have discussed this already with my friend and we have agreed that you two youngsters will marry the soonest possible time."
"Am I for barter or something dad? Am I your real daughter? It's as if I am just a puppy who cannot decide for my life," she cried out.
"I am already old and I want somebody from a good family to take care of you. Is that wrong, young lady?" Her father stomped his cane on the floor hard.
"Take care of me? Didn't I take good care of myself since junior high? I have a job to make me survive in my lifetime at this age, dad! For God sake, I am already 26, and it's good to be free from relationships. I don't want anybody to tie me up with love matters and cried a river because of heartaches, she snorted back.
"Yes you're 26, yet I have been thinking if you still want to settle down, I want to see my grandchildren running around playing, giggling and laughing aloud with me before I die," her father laughed aloud.
Marie find a way to get near her dad smilingly said, " You're imagining things again dad, you're so healthy and I don't want to leave your theshold just yet. I want to enjoy being single and help you with the company. Let me prove to the whole world that, I, your only daughter can make a break through with jewelry design that every woman will want to have one."
"Nope. My word is final. We will meet the other family within this month. Ready yourself to meet your future husband then and have a grand wedding after your engagement," Felix Villacorte firmly said and walked out of the house.
"Dad!" Marie almost collapsed to the floor. It was like receiving a bomb early in the morning.
Her father called for the chauffeur and went to the Company thinking of how he will let his daughter know about the real situation their Company is experiencing now.One of his trusted employees embezzled money for years without him knowing it. He was backstabbed and it was already too late to save the factory without a merger. A lot of workers and their families with them rely only to the factory. What will happen to them when it close down? Will he able to face his wife in the afterlife? It was the labor of their hardwork from scratch. His wife was one of the best jewelry designers in the country which made it possible for them to enter the business. He closed his eyes wondering what awaits the future if he won't consider his best friend's proposal of merging their companies through their children.
"Sir, we have arrived at the factory just now," the driver told him.
"Ah...yes, thank you, Bert." The old man emerged himself from his thinking. He made his way to his office.
As soon as he entered his office, his phone vibrated and answered the call from his best buddy. "My friend, you've called!"
"Yes, old fox! Have you told your daughter your problem? What was her reaction when you asked her to marry my son? Was she glad?" His friend asked Felix.
" Hey, one question at a time Larry Chan!" Laughed Felix.
"I am just excited! We can be family at last. My son can take care of your daughter together with the Villacorte Jewels. Your problem will be solved in matter of time," the old man in the other line teasingly spoke to his dear friend since college.
"So simple to say, but have you asked your son about it?" He answered back.
"Old man, my son is very obedient and always caring for the people doing hard labor for the Chan Group of Companies and I know he will accept my request of helping you out. He loves me so much that it will be hard for him to say NO as in capital N and capital O to me," old Chan proudly explained.
"Let's cross our fingers first, I already said my part to my daughter. I hope she won't rebel against me for it." Mr. Villacorte said before he dropped the call with a smile on his face.
After hanging up the phone, Old Chan told his son about this arranged marriage son. He was confident that his son would never say no to him.
"Are you serious, dad?"
"Yes I am, son. I... need your big YES, it's not hard right?" Old Chan was trying his way to his son.
"What do you think of marriage, dad? A handy- dandy kind of thing? No way....as in NO WAY!"