Chapter 4

• Inaya’s POV
• “Dad!
• Father!!
• Honey!!” Alex, Mother, and I called at the same time.
• Those were the words I never expected to hear from my Father’s mouth.
• “I can’t let this alliance go,” Father stated with authority, “Never.”
• A gloomy look made its way to Mother’s face, “How can you ask my younger daughter to marry her sister’s husband?”
• “Beckham isn’t Karisa’s husband,” Father explained to Mother.
• “Have you forgotten they already……”
• “That’s enough!!” Father yelled shutting Mother up, “I have made my decision and that’s final.”
• “Father I cannot get married to a man I know nothing about,” I disagreed with Father’s decision.
• “When you get married to him, you will know him,” I burst into laughter.
• “I have never listened to you before so I won’t do that today,” I made myself loud and clear. Getting married at this point in my life was a NO, and getting married to the man my sister was arranged to be married to was a bigger NO.
• “Inaya can never get married to Beckham Henderson,” Alex yelled. Obviously, he doesn’t want me to be more powerful than him, so he won’t agree, and I hate the fact that I was going to support him today.
• “If you don’t marry him then I will cut off everything and render you penniless,” Father threatened.
• I giggled mentally, I wasn’t the right person to threaten, “Do you think I care?”
• I have enough money in my slush fund to take care of me for years. Mother wouldn’t let me go penniless, Karisa would never do that, and Alex would provide for me as long as I don’t have access to this family wealth.
• Father locked eyes with me and said to Mother, “You have one hour to convince your daughter.”
• “I will be in my room, excuse me,” I said and walked away from Father’s reading room.
• I didn’t want to wake my friends up so I went to Karisa’s room. I searched around the room for any clues, but there was nothing. I called but it kept taking me to voicemail.
• This wasn’t the plan, I have to think of something real fast because only the almighty knows what Father may do next.
• “Inaya,” Mother called calmly and I dropped my phone to give her my full attention.
• “Mother, why did you come here? Shouldn’t you inform the guest of the situation?” I held her hand and led her to sit on the bed.
• “Inaya,” Mother touched my face with love, “Have I ever asked you for anything?”
• I think I knew where this was going, I shook my head, “Mother please don’t ask me to marry a stranger.”
• “Inaya,” I stood up from the bed and I saw sadness in her eyes, I couldn’t bear to look at her, “If they leave here today then our heads will be hung in shame, it will be difficult to gain face in society and nobody knows what Mr Henry Henderson will do.”
• I wasn’t going to fall for this, “Mother please don’t involve me, Father will take care of his business.”
• “I understand but what of everything I have built over the years, what of everything your biological mother built for you before she died?” I felt my mother closely behind me, “Would you let that go down the drain?”
• I can’t destroy my life by being married to this man. I know nothing about him; he could have a disability, he could have mental health issues, he could be a drunk or an abuser.
• “I don’t want to hurt you, but you should know you raised a selfish daughter who doesn’t know how to sacrifice for others. I’m sorry,” I apologized and walked out of the room without sparing her a glance.
• “Inaya!!” Mother yelled in the hallway. I ignored her and continued walking. “Then you leave me no choice.” I turned to see what she was talking about.
• My soul almost left my body when I saw Mother place a knife to her wrist, “You have to choose today.”
• “Mother!!!” I yelled and it brought some attention to us.
• “Chloe!! What madness is this?” One of our relatives asked.
• “I just want my daughter to choose, or else I will kill myself right here and right now.” Tears rolled down Mother’s eyes.
• I’m sure Father made her do this; there was no way Mother would try to manipulate me this way. What did Father tell her to convince her?
• “Mother, we already talked about this,” I furrowed my brow as I took sluggish steps towards her, “You don’t need to act this way.”
• “You shouldn’t tell me how to act,” Mother said, “I just want you to fulfill just one thing for me, it will give you a very happy life, I’m your mother I will never make the wrong choice for you.”
• “It wasn’t about the wrong choice, I’m not ready to be married, that’s too much on me,” I couldn’t even tell her that I might be pregnant.
• “Okay then,” I guess you have made your choice, “I don’t deserve to live if I can’t give my daughter a better life.”
• Everything happened so fast that the next thing we saw was blood dripping from Mother’s wrist, “Mom, what have you done?”
• “Honey,” Father ran to hold Mother in his arms, “Call the doctor.”
• “Don’t…” Mom held Father’s shirt weakly, “Don’t…. Let… me just die.”
• “Mom!” I yelled, “You are losing blood.”
• “When….. I die, please allow my Inaya to bury me, allow my Inaya to be at the front carrying my coffin,” Tears rolled down Mother’s face.
• “Get any doctor!!!” Alex yelled to no one in particular.
• “Allow me to die,” Mother cried, “At least I will die knowing my daughter loved me.”
• Why was she like that? I’m sure Father put her up to this. Why was he doing this? If it were Father in this situation, I wouldn’t even bat an eye, but it was Mother, I can’t allow anything to happen to her.
• “What are you doing standing there? Make a decision!” Father shouted as if his life depended on it.