Forever Yours

Chapter Fourteen

I knew I was dead the moment I walked into the confrence room twenty minutes late. I didn't say a  word as I took a seat, avoiding eye contact with my father who was indeed sitting beside me.

He leaned into me and whispered, "you're late."

"I know I'm sorry, I overslept." I apologized, genuinely meaning it.

"See me after this meeting," he said and that was that.

According to the meeting, things in the company are going very well now, no more financial issues. Halfway through the meeting, Andrew messaged me and I honestly wanted to ignore it but I knew that if I didn't respond at that moment, I didn't know when I'd have been able to talk to him again.

I discreetly messaged him back saying that I was in a meeting that I'll reach him later. Dad saw me using my phone but he didn't say anything.

At the end of the meeting I sat back and waited till everyone had left the room, save for my father. I turned to look at him, "you wanted to see me?"

"Yes," he stood up and walked towards the windows overlooking the city.

"What is going on with you?" He asked, his back away from me.

"What do you mean what's going on with me?" I was actually confused.

"Drinking on a Sunday night? Who does that?" He turned now to face me, this time he crossed his arms.

I groaned and stood up, packing up my stuffs, "dad I'm grown up, I can make my own choices."

"I'm talking to you Victoria," his angry footsteps got closer to me.

"And I'm listening to you," I looked at him, trying not to blow it. "Yes I got drunk last night, wasted even and so what? It's not like I've been doing that constantly. And even if I have how has that got to do with you? Haven't you done enough? You ruin my love life and now you want to meddle in my drinking habits? Isn't one enough for you?" I was furious.

He needs to stop treating me like I'm a child. I'm an adult and I can very much handle myself.

"I'm not trying to control your life Victoria, I'm just looking out for you," his voice was softer now but I wasn't having it.

"Yes you are!" I yelled. "Yes you're controlling my life. If you weren't you wouldn't be forcing me to marry someone I don't love!"

"You think I want any of this? You think I don't want you to be happy and marry Andrew. God damnit Victoria I want you to be happy and if there's one thing that makes you happy, it's Andrew." He stepped closer to me. "I wish I can stop it but I can't."

"Yes you can, all you need to do is say no, say you don't want me to marry Miles. I know you're doing this for the funds that Miles' dad is willing to provide but it doesn't have to come to that. We can figure this whole thing out together, as a family, that's what we are after all." I leaned on the table.

"It's not that simple," he shook his head. "I tried,"  he sat on his chair a sad look now taking over his face. "But that's the only deal Mr. Jacobs would agree to. I tried offering him so many other things, larger shares in the company, I was willing to take risks but all he wanted was for his son to marry from a respectable home."

"What are you talking about?" The wheels in my head was finding it hard to process his words.

"Miles didn't tell you did he?" He gestured to the seat I once occupied and I sat down, ready to listen to what he was saying. "Miles always had this issue with women, he always dated the wrong people, every girl he met always had an issue or the other which always either left Miles heart broken and depressed, there was always a permanent damage, most of the times on the family name and Stefan, Miles' dad just wanted it all to stop, even if it means setting him up with someone."