Unrequited II F4 Thailand

No Choice

Present Day...

Ren immediately stands up from his seat and rejects, "Ma, Pa?"

I looked at my mom who was sipping her water, "Mom, what are they talking about? Ren and I? Engaged?" I looked at Ren and he shared the same exact look of shock.

Auntie Nai tries to have Ren sit down but, he refused. "Pa, are you being serious right now?"

Uncle Art sighs, "Preecha, would you like to explain?"

I look at my mom and she sighs When your father passed...Your father had a lot of debts to his company."

I slowly sit down to listen to her as she continues, "He had Glioblastoma, diagnosed at stage 4. He didn't have much time, Ara. We had no money to pay for treatments or for the house, and his debts from his parents-" She broke into tears and Aunt Nai walked over to comfort her.

I felt ashamed, that I didn't know how much our family suffered, how much she suffered. I wipe my own tears falling down my face. My mom pats Aunt Nai's hand and continues, "Before your father...passed. We made a deal with the Aira's."

"What deal?"

"The deal was the arranged marriage in compensation for the debts. They helped us out with my schooling, and we were able to live comfortably," she reasoned

I shook my head, "This isn't fair. We are not your pawns to handle. You can't just sell me, mom."

Mom appeared shocked and said, "I never sold you."

"What the hell is this then? Tell me, what the hell is this contract you and dad signed without my consent?" I demanded.

My anger clouded my judgment as I asked all three of them, "Is this engagement supposed to distract the public of the controversies surrounding Aira Medical Center? Are all of you that shallow and immoral?"

"Nova!" Mom yelled. Ren tugged on my arm, making me look at him.

I yanked my arm off his grasp, "Don't tell me you're agreeing to this."

"I don't," he says. "Pa. I still plan to go to Paris with Mira."

My heart pulled when he said that he was running to Mira, and I clenched my fist, what was I expecting?He would never love me. Uncle Art shook his head, "You're not leaving this house until we resolve this."

Ren looked around the table and said, "It will never resolve since both parties are never going to agree to this. This isn't right, I can't love her, I love Mira. My flight is in 2 hours I need to leave. I'm sorry Dr. Sansithorn."

"Ren!", Aunt Nai yells for her son. He spares me a look of guilt before leaving the dining room. I sat on my chair as I kneaded my face with my hands.

She gives me a tissue and rubs my back, "I'm sorry darling." She hugs me as Uncle Art stands and fixes his coat.

"Let's continue this on another day. I will have a discussion with him."

Aunt Nai stands with my mom as he says, "We want to make a contract. We want both of you to be engaged. I won't be making an announcement since Ren isn't here. This will serve as good publicity for the family and the medical center."

I scoffed, "You'll never give us this choice even if we said no right?"

"Nova. Don't talk to them like that, they helped us all these years," Mom said.

"But does that warrant this stupid arrangement you've made? Signing us off into a loveless engagement?", I asked.

Mom slapped her hand on the table, causing a loud noise—attracting everyone's attention to her. She narrows her eyes on me, "This engagement is set in stone whether you like it or not. You both have a year which will start when Ren comes back. You both have an obligation and responsibility to your families." I didn't answer as I crossed my arms in defiance.