The Price of Freedom

Chapter 1: Who Is That?

DINAH

“I’m not marrying him!!” I screamed out.

I didn’t know how many times I had to tell my mom that she wouldn’t just get to sell me off to the highest bidder. Ever since my dad died last year, she had been trying to marry me off to any rich man that gave me the time of day. We didn’t necessarily need the money; we could live comfortably from the money my dad left us and the insurance money was still there. And I worked for God’s sake!

We could definitely survive if we spent the money wisely. Mom had always been used to a certain lifestyle and it was impossible to keep up with her. I had begged her to be a bit more frugal. To watch what she spent. Her excuse was that she needed to keep up with her friends.

Her latest suitor for me was none other than Jacob Bennett, we met in college and ever since then he has had a thing for me. Now he was going through my mother to try and purchase me basically. Everytime we see each other at an event, he would ask me out again. I have rejected him countless times and he was still not getting the idea.

I refused to be married off no matter how much financial security he was promising. I could take care of myself and I could damn sure take care of my family.

“Give him a chance Dinah, he’s handsome and charming,” my mother sighed. She was all about appearances, it didn’t matter what happened behind closed doors as long as the public saw the perfect family. Now this perfect family was down a member, and she had to make up for it with lavish luncheons for her and her friends.

“He’s an arrogant pompous ass,” I shot back.

“I tried to give you a choice but seeing as you’re being difficult, you WILL marry him. No objections,” she screamed at me. She was not backing down, I had to get her to see reason.

We were standing in dad’s old office, and I could not believe she was doing this in here. He always said that we should love and cherish the person we marry. I saw myself being walked down the aisle by my dad, giving me away to the love of my life. But of course she wouldn’t understand that. I had a feeling she never truly loved my dad, maybe just the idea of him appealed to her.

Now, I was standing in the middle of his office on the verge of angry tears because of what my mother wanted to do to me.

“THAT ISN’T A CHOICE!!!” I cried out. I couldn’t hold back the stream of tears any longer. My dad would have never done this to me. “I’m not going to marry him not now, NOT EVER!!” I yelled out.

I wasn’t sure how much more of this I could take. It was like I gave her a million reasons why I didn’t want to and she would find one why I should, and that was final. She was willing to sell me off to continue her lifestyle like I was a means to an end.

“You will because in case you forgot your sister turns 18 in a week and if you don’t marry him then she will. I promised him a wife and he will get one,” she spat.

Serena was barely about to turn 18, she didn’t need to be tied down to some man simply because our mother wanted her to. She still had a life to live outside the confines of this god forsaken house. “You wouldn’t f*****g dare!”

She looked at me without faltering and then the most devious smile appeared on her face. She knew she had me. She knew that I wouldn’t allow Serena to be a part of this, no matter the cost. “Wouldn’t I? I’m the one holding the money. You have no other family. I’m the only one here for you now. What will happen when I disown you and you’re left with nothing?”

“Why are you doing this?”

“Because when I’m gone, I need to make sure that my daughters are taken care of. I need to make sure that you’ll continue the family line,” she shouted at me. I couldn’t handle this anymore. What family line? It didn’t matter if we continued it if I hated the person I would have to procreate with.

“We aren’t your f*****g baby making machines!”

“You’ll be whatever I tell you to be! Whatever Jacob tells you to be!”

“I will NEVER forgive you for what you’re doing,” I told her. I was tired of this conversation, there was no getting through to her. I just needed to get out of here before I did something I would regret. I still needed my family. At least what was left of it.

“I can live with that,” she scoffed. “Now you’ll be announcing your engagement in two days and you’ll be getting married in two weeks. A week after Serena’s birthday to be exact.”

Fat tears started to roll down my face, my hands were balled up into fists. I was livid. I turned around and ran upstairs to my room, slamming the door behind me.

I started pacing like a mad woman. She wasn’t going to marry me off. And she sure as hell wouldn’t be marrying Serena off.

I just needed to think of something, anything at least to stall the wedding. There was only one way.

We needed to run.

******

I was sitting in my car, waiting to pick up Serena from school. She was still in high school and would be graduating in about a month. She was excited for college, her top university accepted her and now I couldn’t even be happy about it because I had to worry about paying for it in case Lily cut us off.. What kind of mother did that?

It was ok, we would be fine. I had a plan in place, I just needed to make sure that Serena was on board, and then I could follow through.

I saw Serena talking to her friends, I didn’t think she had noticed me yet. She was beautiful, with long brown hair put up in a ponytail, she had amazing facial features with high cheekbones, her eyes were a mesmerizing chocolate brown with hints of gold you could only see in the sunlight, she was about 5’9” with the body of a model.

We almost looked exactly alike, my hair was cut into a long bob just below my shoulders with blonde highlights throughout, I got the short end of the stick, quite literally, and only measured at 5’4”, I also looked older and more refined because of the 5-year age difference.

As soon as she noticed me waiting for her, she put a little pep in her step and skipped over to the car with a huge smile on her face. “Hey, I thought mom was picking me up today?” She asked as she climbed into the front seat.

“I thought we could grab dinner together; you know a little sisterly bonding,” I answered, hoping she wouldn’t see past the façade.

“Ugh that sounds perfect, I’m starving,” she moaned.

I couldn’t help but laugh, she would literally eat everything and not gain a pound, I’d eat air for breakfast and gain 5 pounds before lunch.

Shortly after we arrived at her favorite restaurant Café Malu, she hopped out of the car with the biggest smile on her face. As soon as we were through the doors, they immediately recognized her. “Ah Miss Serena, it’s wonderful to see you again. Table for two?” the hostess asked.

“You know it Shelly, can we get a table by the window?” Serena asked pointing towards the glass window overlooking the street.

“Of course, sweetheart, anything for my favorite customer. Come on we can seat you now.” the Shelly woman said as she ushered us to our table.

“I’ll give you two a few minutes and then someone will be by to take your order,” she smiled at us.

Serena picked up the menu scanning it up and down as if she was going to get something different, when we both knew she was going to get the same pasta. A few oohs and aahs later, she finally decided to speak without lifting her eyes from the menu. “So, what do you want to talk about Dinah?”

“What are you talking about?” I responded.

“You know what I’m talking about, you only bring me here when we need to talk.”

She was right, the last time I brought her here I had to tell her about our dad. It did not go over well. Thankfully it didn’t ruin her love for this place, only reinforced it since dad would bring her here after school. “Maybe, I just wanted to hang out with my little sister,” I semi lied.

“I’m sure,” she said with a sarcastic tone. “So, will you please just tell me, you’re stressing me out.”

I sighed, there was no hiding anything from her, she was incredibly perceptive. “Okay, you’re right, but keep an open mind to what I’m about to say.”

She looked up at me trying to decipher if she should be concerned or not but hesitantly nodded in agreement. I knew her mind was already running a thousand scenarios about what I had to say, but she kept quiet with a tight lipped grimace.

“So, you know how mom wants me to marry Jacob Bennett right?” I asked and she nodded in response. “Well what if I told you that neither of us would have to marry a man, she chose for us,” I paused waiting to see her reaction.

“What are you talking about Dinah, she’ll cut us off.”

“We can make it on our own Serena, I have a really good paying job and we can take out loans for your school,” I explained. Serena wasn’t like our mom, but she still had a penchant for the finer things, what teenager didn’t.

“Dinah, I don’t want you to have to do that for me. If you won’t marry him mom said I’ll have to, so I guess I will. She already told me the plan and I’m not willing to let you make all these sacrifices for me.”

The fact that my mother went behind my back to tell Serena first infuriated me. She was trying to turn her against me and all I could do was hope that Serena was smart enough to see right through her. But she was still so young and malleable, just hope Lily like her. “Serena if it’s about the money don’t worry about it, I’ll take care of it.”

“This isn’t about the money D... well partially it is, but it’s mainly about mom, we can’t just leave her alone. She’s already lost dad,” she told me with a sad look on her face. Was I being selfish, I was prepared to run away with my sister leaving our mom all alone? Maybe I didn’t think this through. Maybe my only option was to accept the marriage. Maybe I should do this for my family.

“Okay, you’re right, forget I said anything, maybe I’m just nervous,” I tried playing it off, but I was a sea of rage inside.

She looked at me with a kind hearted smile and held my hand on the table, “Dinah, we’ll be ok. Dad raised us to be amazing women and we’re going to do just that.”

The waiter came over and took our orders, not long after we were eating our meals and gossiping about a guy she had a crush on, completely forgetting that I was planning on running away at my big age. “He’s just so cute Dinah,” she gushed. “If I were to have anyone’s babies, I would want them to be his.”

“You’re ridiculous,” I chuckled. She was boy crazy and would change crushes like socks.

From the corner of my eye, I spotted a man walking towards the restaurant window. He was handsome, better yet handsome was an understatement, he was a god. He was well over six feet tall with dirty blonde hair and bright blue eyes, that shined through even from a distance. He looked like he worked out too, you could see his muscular frame through his T-shirt.

Before I could stop staring, he caught me checking him out. He smiled and sent me a wink making me blush with embarrassment. I hadn’t even noticed his friend that was walking with him, the other man looked over at me and smiled before whispering something to the guy.

“Woah did that guy just wink at you?” I heard Serena ask with a sudden rush of excitement.

“What? I think he might just have had something in his eye,” I responded turning a shade redder by the second. I could not believe I was just caught gawking at a man. And by my little sister no less.

“He totally did!!! Do you know who that was?!?” She was practically screaming at this point jumping in her seat.

“Lower your voice Serena,” I ordered looking around apologetically at the people seated around us. “am I supposed to know who he is?” I was confused.

“You are so oblivious sometimes. That was Liam Evans!”