Arranged marriage : Married to an unknown man

Ariana

“No…No… please…. Please… don’t…”

I woke up startled, with sweaty palms and I was panting hard. I rubbed my face with my palms as I tried to catch my breath. Again…again I had a nightmare. I was sick of it now! Why were they not getting out of my mind? It’s only my fault, I shouldn’t have thought about them before sleeping.

I looked at the clock placed on the nightstand and found out I woke up at five in the morning. I decided to get up from the bed as it was morning already. Well, my eyes automatically open at sharp six in the morning but there’s no way I was going to catch any sleep now, so, I got up from the bed then I pressed the remote button to open the curtains. I stood near the window, looking at the beautiful view outside, the sun had not fully raised yet.

I stood there looking into the void, thinking about what this new day would bring to me. I hoped that the new day brings new possibilities. Every morning first thing I do is hope for the positive, this is what my father taught me, always be positive, every day is new you don’t know what a new day may bring to you. This is what I have been doing since I was a child, hoping for the day that will change my life for good.

I sighed out loud and made my way towards the bathroom. I did my morning business then showered and stepped out of the bathroom in my bathrobe. I slid the glass doors of the walk-in closet and entered there. I wore loose ankle-length denim jeans and a t-shirt. I tied my hair in a bun and sat on the bed, it was still 6:45 am. I made my bed and placed other things in their places, and then headed downstairs. When I reached the living room I heard some sound in the kitchen.

“Must be Mrs. Molly” I mumbled as I sat on the couch.Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

Suddenly something struck me…Mrs. Molly always rang the bell though she had a password and she would come at seven-thirty in the morning but right now it was still seven in the morning. Weird. I headed towards the kitchen and froze on my steps when I saw a man finding something in the fridge.

Oh my goodness, there is a thief in the house. What am I gonna do now? Frantically, I tiptoed back to the living room and started searching for something to hit him. I took the first thing I found, a TV remote. Stupid, I know, but that was the only weapon I could think of to save myself with. I ran towards the kitchen, my hands held high gripping the remote tightly but abruptly stopped at the entrance of the kitchen when the thief turned.

My eyes turned wide…there stood the man whom I hadn’t seen in the last five days. When did he come back? That’s not my fault that I didn’t recognize him, I first and last saw him only on the wedding day. He was looking at me with weird expressions.

“What are you trying to do by lifting the remote in the air?” Xavier asked me, raising eyebrows.

“Oh!… I was just catching the signal” I immediately put my hand down and hid the remote at the back. Seriously Ariana… catching the signal.. you are so stupid Ariana.. stupid.. stupid.

He gave me are-you-out-of-your-mind look…yeah I am out of my mind right now. I averted my eyes and looked down.

“Whatever. Meet me in my study exactly at ten. I have something to talk to you about.” Saying that he walked out of the kitchen.

What now? He said that day not to bother him but now he wants to talk to me? Hope there is not anything serious.

Mrs. Molly came on her time, I helped her to make breakfast, she sent Xavier’s breakfast to his room then I ate mine. I wanted to help her with washing the dishes but she didn’t allow me.

I wanted to divert my mind because I may be here but my mind was at him thinking what he wanted to talk to me about.

It was almost ten and here I was, standing outside his study feeling extremely nervous. He seemed intimidating and I didn’t know how I’d have a conversation with him. But I had to.

“Ariana put your insecurities away and be confident. He will not eat you alive, he said he wants to talk which means he will only talk civilly. You can do it, Ariana.” I did a pep talk to myself to prepare to face him. I suck a deep breath and knocked on the door. And when he said to come in, I turned the doorknob and entered. I left the door wide open. He was sitting on the couch with the laptop on his lap and was typing furiously. He has a good typing speed. He still hadn’t looked at me.

“You wanted to talk to me?” I asked nervously, looking towards him while fidgeting my fingers. He stopped typing and looked at me.

“Yes.” He kept his laptop aside and stood up, and stuffed his hand in his pant pockets. He was wearing grey pants and a white shirt with sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He was looking devilishly handsome.

“I want you to work for me.” He said.

Oh, okay he wants me to work for him that’s not something serious…wait, what? Work for him?

“Wh.. what?” I asked while looked at him questioningly. I think I heard him wrong.

“You heard me,” he said authoritatively.

This means I heard him right. My ears were not playing tricks with me. I want to work…but for him?

“What work?”

“I want you to work as my Personal Assistant”

And that hit me hard. I stood there frozen, rewinding his words in my head.. he wants me to work as his personal assistant. But why?

I knew he owned a company and a very big company, Mrs. Molly told me about this. But I didn’t have any experience in the field. I always did small jobs. What if I commit any mistake? Being a P. A. for the owner of a company is a very big responsibility.

“I.. I don’t have any experience and I-” Before I could say anything else he cut me off.

“I know you don’t have any experience. Obviously, how will you have the experience, you must have been spoon-fed by your parents and must not have worked for anything. But here you have to earn the living. I need a P. A. so just suck it up and accept it.” He said in a sharp tone.

I was just looking at him surprised not with his tone but by him judging me. How could he say that I was spoon-fed? He didn’t know how much I had struggled all my life. I wanted to cry but I wouldn’t, I’d be strong and show him what I was capable of. My life has been a challenge and I accepted all the challenges. I will accept this too and I will prove him wrong. One day he’ll take his words back.

“Okay. I accept it” I said confidently. I didn’t know where I got the confidence from but I could not let him judge me without knowing me.

“Good, by the way, you didn’t have any choice. Now listen, you have to reach my office sharp at eight-thirty, not a minute late. I hate tardiness. Rest will be discussed in my office.” He announced.

“Okay.” This is all I could say.

“And you will use public transport to reach the building”.

“Okay” that’s not difficult, I had always used public transport.

“Good. You may go now.”

I turned to go out but before I could leave he said,

“Don’t be late and don’t make me regret my decision of appointing you as my P. A.”

Without turning to look at him, I replied positively and went out of the room.