Derek was dedicated to his wife, Chloe, from the moment they married. But she got sick immediately and was bedridden all the time. He never left her side until one incident that pulled him away, and when he returned, she was gone.
"Dad! No! I love him! He's the love of my life! I can't believe you'd be so shallow as to forbid me from dating a man just because his family doesn't have money," Chloe wailed in her room at her parents' house.
Her father, Mr. Rawlings, had arranged a dinner with his business partner Mr. Cassini's family, which was not uncommon. However, a few minutes after they sat down, her dad revealed the true nature of the evening.
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"Chloe, Mr. Cassini, and I have decided that you and Derek are going to get married," Mr. Rawlings revealed, clapping his hands.
"It makes the most sense. We'll finally be a family!" Mr. Cassini also cheered, and the entire table burst into amicable talk and congratulations.
The only person who seemed caught off guard was Chloe. "I have a boyfriend," she said, confused.
The table went silent. "No, she doesn't. It's a silly fling that I told her she needs to nip in the bud," Mr. Rawlings assured the guests, and everyone nodded at him.
Derek was elated and sure that she was coming around.
No one was speaking to her. "DAD! No! I'm not marrying a man I don't even know!" she yelled and ran off.
Mr. Rawlings caught up with her in her room, where she wailed and screamed about her love for her former classmate, David. She had had a crush on him in high school, but he was from the bad boy crowd and never even looked at her until a few months ago. They were 20 now and had reconnected one day when Chloe took her car for a checkup, and he was the mechanic.
Although she had known Derek all her life, she didn't feel anything for him. They were almost like cousins who barely talked at family parties. Derek was three years older than her. Mr. Rawling's idea made no sense because she never talked about Derek or thought of him as a man.
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"Chloe, I will not have you settling down with that useless mechanic. He doesn't even go to college. He saw your expensive car and thought he could have a rich girlfriend. You have a bright future ahead of you, and Derek loves you dearly. He told me so. That's why I arranged everything," Mr. Rawlings tried to appease her.
"What? So, you plan my life without my input? That's not fair, Dad! I don't want to marry Derek! I know he likes me, but I don't know him. He's always been your business partner's son. He's nothing to me," she sobbed through her words.
"That doesn't matter. You will get to know him after you marry him. It's the best match for you, dear," her father insisted.
"NO! We're not in the 1900s when a father could decide and arrange a marriage. I won't marry, and that's it!" Chloe stood from her bed and wiped her eyes, looking at her father with a determined expression.
"Fine," Mr. Rawlings nodded. "Then, you have to leave my house immediately. I'm cutting you off. I won't pay for your college. I won't give you another dime. If you want to make your own choices, go ahead. But I won't ever contribute to the life of that gold-digging loser you're dating."
"DAD! NO!" Chloe yelled, shocked. She was his little girl. "I'm doing well in school. I love it there. I can't…"
She trailed off, thinking of her possible life without her father's support. Yes, she was technically an adult, but Chloe still lived at home. She had never worked and didn't expect to until after university. And even then, she thought she could count on her father's support. He had never held money against her.
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At first, Chloe told him she would make it without him, refusing to knowledge all the thoughts that ran through her mind. She even left home but returned shortly. She loved her school too much and, honestly, had no idea how to live a life of struggle.
She and Derek got married a few months after that discussion. Their mothers planned everything. She had no enthusiasm at the wedding, but her new husband was all smiles and careful kisses. He was delighted.
"Chloe, I know this is not how you pictured your wedding, and I may not be the man you originally wanted. But I promise to care and love you until the day I die. I will do anything for you," he told her privately, and she nodded, believing his words.