A Kiss Of Love

1

Kiran

"I understand you don't feel that way, son, I really do. But please think about your family," my father argued.

It was always the same. "Think about your family", they said, like I wasn't part of said family. If one needed a translation for those four words, I'd say it meant "do it for me because I fucked up and need you to correct my mistakes."

Ever since I was old enough to stand on both feet, my parents had used me to earn money. Pretty good money, if I do say so. They were both lawyers, so one would assume they made plenty money without me... and they did. But they made more from bets with other rich people.

My father owns a law firm, or owned it, rather. It was mine now, well, would have been mine if there wasn't this slight inconvenience my father had just brought to my attention.

In order for me to get the firm, I had to get married. Not just to anyone. To the daughter of my father's old friend. And why? Because, apparently, we've already gotten married at the age of five.

Not a real thing, obviously, but after that, Hugo Lopez figured it was meant to be, and promised Rose to me. And so, I was promised to her.

I haven't exchanged a single word with Rose Lopez since I was ten, which was a long time ago. I was twenty-six now, and very willing to spend the rest of my life all by myself.

Alright, at the age of sixteen, I haunted her down on our school campus because of some rumours that were spreading, and I needed to know how much truth was behind of it all. Had I known they were even slightly true, and she didn't deny them, I would have done everything in my power to... to what? Make it happen? Make us happen before we were forced to?

"I will not marry Rose for the sake of getting the law firm that is rightfully mine anyway," I said. Was that even possible? I mean, surely there was a law against stupid shit like that, not? If not, there certainly should have been one. God, I should've known. I was a lawyer myself.

"Where's the problem? She's only a year younger."

"It's not that, dad." I grabbed the edge of the table in front of me, needing something to hold on to, to keep myself from breaking anything that's on it. "Rose has her own life. She deserves to be with someone she loves, live a life she wants with whoever she might choose. It's unfair. Not only to her, but me, too."

"Your mother wants grandkids, Kiran. You're not getting any younger. And Rose has known of this since she was young. She agreed."

He couldn't have been fucking serious, could he? There was no way Rose willingly agreed to marry me. And even if she had, "at a young age" seemed a little unfair to me.

"If you want the firm, you will have to marry her. There is no way around it. Chris and Rose will be over for dinner to discuss the contract."

"A fucking contract!" I yelled, hitting one hand on the top of my desk. "Marriage is one thing, but a fucking contract for it?"

Now, I knew there were marriage contracts, prenups, and shit like that, but I also knew my father wasn't talking about a normal contract.

"Yes. Just a little prenup in case of a divorce. One that hopefully won't come because it would mean you have to give away half your firm to Lopez."

How did any of this even make sense?

"So I have to give up half of it if I divorce her, but don't get half of it if I don't even marry her?" Who made that up? My father, I bet.

"Precisely. Now, son, I advice you to leave your office and get ready. Your mother and I will be over shortly before Chris and Rose arrive." That said, my father hung up the phone, not giving me a chance to argue any more than I already did.