Chapter 3: Michael
561 Words
She was clearly scared out of her mind and upset. She was clearly unhappy and there against her will. I watched her ring the hem of her pretty pastel pink dress in her trembling hands. I watched her point the toes of her black ballet flats towards each other. She didn't peer up at me at all. Her gaze kept to the floor and the way she sniffed and the way her bottom lip trembled made me scowl in distaste.
I had no idea what my father was plotting and the image of a shy and trembling woman beside my father was enough to make me sicker to my stomach. I hated it and didn't want to see this image. This wasn't what I was thinking the meeting would entail. I thought it would be a normal one on business, not this. This was too much for me to handle. The anger boiled and seethed within me and my nails bit into my palms as I flexed my hands.
"You asked me to come in?" I kept my expression serious, and I lacked any emotion besides disappointment at what I was staring at.
"Yes. Michael, this is Eden Li. Eden, this is my son, Michael Clintock." My father touched the woman's shoulder and I noticed how she shivered from his touch.
"What is this?" I crossed my arms over my chest as I watched the woman flinch.
"Well... I was thinking that you haven't settled down yet and I saw her up on an online website and thought her interests were good and she seemed like someone you would be into... She is well mannered and beautiful. Exotic. Ethnic. She'd be absolutely stunning and unique beside you in publicity photos." My father ran his fingers through the woman's soft dark hair, and I swallowed back bile.
"You ordered a mail order bride for me." I felt my anxiety rise as my stomach flipped. "I'm sorry. Am I understanding this correctly?"
"Yes. I ordered you a mail order bride from America. She is to stay with you and marry you. The wedding is already planned and scheduled for December. Exotic and Ethnic women sell, Michael. You know this. Everyone wants one like her. She'll look good on you." My father pushed the woman forward and she nearly tripped as she whimpered.
I caught her wrist before she could fall, and she yanked back her wrist like she had been burned. I watched her cradle her wrist in her other hand and not peer up at me. I sighed and peered up at my father with an unamused expression. "Fine."
"Treat her well! You're an Clintock after all! She's not some woman you took home from a party!" My father called after me as I walked towards the door with Eden following close behind.
I growled beneath my breath and put on a fake smile as I turned around to utter the most common words from my lips towards my father. "Of course, father."
"Good. You have a photo shoot for a magazine at 6 AM tomorrow. Your bodyguard will be there to pick you two up an hour before." My father went back to moving around paperwork on his desk.
"Yes, father." I held the door open for the shy woman and sighed, as she kept her head down and trembled more.
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