Trying Not To Love You [hiatus]

Prologue

"What?!" I yelled as I abruptly stood up in my seat. "Are you seriously doing this to me? Are you f*cking serious?"

"Madeline Jane Trufols, you sit down right this instant!" my mom hissed, her eyes widening with my sudden outburst. "You're making a scene," she added, glaring at the people who had turned to look at our table.

I scoffed and sat back down, crossing my arms. My parents seriously needed a reality check. I thought we were just going out for another elegant lunch. But I guess I thought wrong because now, I'm supposed to be engaged to this gorgeous man in front of me.

I honestly admit that, yes, he was hot. And yeah, I'd probably marry him. But at seventeen years old? You've got to be kidding me. I haven't even graduated yet! I didn't know anything about Beau Hamilton, except that he was from a wealthy family. And that he was hot.

"Please, any girl would agree to marry me," Beau said.

I glared at him before turning to look at my dad. "Gee, Dad. You couldn't have picked someone modest for me."

My dad sighed and said, "Maddie, I would do anything for you to be happy and marrying him is best for you."

Or for you and your company, I wanted to say but bit my tongue at the last second. "But--"

"Don't worry," Beau cut me off, "Maddie." He smirked, like my name was that funny. "If it's me in bed you're worried about--"

"Jesus Christ!" I cried, cutting him off before he could say more perverted words. Seriously, how did my parents ever find this guy fit to be a husband? Unless you count his rich parents, he's hardly worth it.

I sighed and turned to stare at my parents with a blank expression on my face. "Yeah, and the best thing for me is a perverted husband who'll eventually make me perverted and then we're gonna have perverted babies. Yeah, I totally love that," I said, my voice overflowing with sarcasm.

My dad gave me a disapproving look and my heart ached for a second but then I remembered what he and mom were trying to do. "Sarcasm is never fit for a young girl like you, Maddie."

"Seriously? We're already in the year 2013, Dad. Every teenager is fluent in sarcasm," I informed him. "It's like you're from the medieval times. I mean, seriously, who does arranged marriages these days? The f*ck."

"Language," my ever-so-formal-and-uptight mom warned, completing it with a stern look on her face. 

I scoffed. Yeah, like I cared about language. "The one who seriously needs an attitude adjustment right now is Beau, not me. If you haven't noticed, he's the one disrespecting us and you don't care about that? Oh, right. I forgot. His money got you tongue tied."

Dad blushed and glanced at my mom with a worried expression. That surely hit the spot. I was right.

But the only thing that I really cared about right now was how I was going to get myself out of this crazy mess. I tried to recall those times where I read tons of pages in Wikipedia. There's got to be a hole in this mess somewhere. Work, you stuupid brain, I told myself, like scolding my brain would get me anywhere.

My face suddenly lit up, and like a lightbulb sparked above my head. "You know that I'm still seventeen, right? I need your consent." And as soon as those words left my mouth, I felt my blood rush up to my cheeks as I realized my mistake.

My parents chuckled. Cunning snakes.

Beau clicked his tongue and looked confident with himself. "You can't get rid of me, Maddie. Accept it, we're gonna have perverted kids."

"Shut up, you prick," I snarled at him. In my peripheral vision, I saw my mom open her mouth. She was probably about to scold me, so I beat her to it, "Look, whatever you'll do or say, you can't get me to marry him."

My dad sighed for probably the nth time and I knew that he was growing more impatient. "Madeline," uh-oh, my dad never calls me 'Madeline' unless he's angry or irritated with me, "You will marry him--"

"Or what?" I narrowed my eyes at him, even though I know I'm at a dangerous sea here, "You'll cut off my allowance? You'll ship me off to South Africa?" I gasped dramatically, "Oh, no. You'll disown me, will you?" I shook my head for effect.

I saw a look of concern on my dad's face, but it was gone too fast. It was replaced with seriousness and I had a feeling that he was really serious with this whole marriage thing.

"Yes, Madeline. If it comes to that, yes."

As soon as he said those words, I felt like Superman just punched me in the gut. I was pretty sure that I looked pale and that I looked like a fish, with the way my mouth keep opening and closing. 

"You're not serious, are you?" I finally managed to say as I warily eyed my dad.

He leaned in closer across the table and narrowed his eyes at me. "Do I look like I'm joking, Madeline?" He really knew how to look menacing.

I gulped and took a deep breath. "Okay, fine." I saw my father look at my mother with a pleased expression on his face, while Beau raised his brows in surprise. I was, too. Surprised, I mean. I didn't think I'd give up this easily for money, but for family, yes. I love my parents, even if my actions contradicted me.

"But at least give me until graduation to...be free. To think about things. To live life as a normal teenager, okay? At least give me that," I sighed and stood up, not waiting for their answer. "I need to go at Claire's. See you later, Mom, Dad," I bid while glancing at them. When my green eyes landed on Beau's blue ones, I hesitated. But in the end, I said, "Bye, dumbass."

Then I left without another word. I didn't want to ride in our car, so I hailed a taxi. Once I got inside, I told the driver the address of my best friend, Claire Bates.

I took my phone from my bag and dialed her number. After the third ring, she picked up, "Hey, Madz. What's up?"

I snorted. "Something's definitely up. Look, I need to talk to you."

It was her turn to snort. "Uh, we're already talking," she said in a duh voice.

I rolled my eyes even if she couldn't see me. "I meant I need to talk to you in person so I'm coming over, 'kay?"

"You didn't even need to ask," she said and I could tell she was smiling. "Well, you've got a perfect timing 'cause I've got something to tell you, too."

"Uh, we're already talking," I mimicked her, smirking.

"Oh, shut up, Madz. If you don't get your ass here in three minutes, you're dead." And with the, she ended the call. Typical Claire.

Now all I needed to do was to talk to her and find out what she thinks of my decision.

I knew it was stupid of me to agree for money, but in the back of my mind, a voice kept telling me that I was right. That I was right to agree for the sake of family.

But then another voice, a rebellious one, kept telling me that I needed to fight for my rights. I had the right to live normally as a teenager. I had the right to choose who I marry and love. Surely, Beau wasn't the one. Marriage was supposed to be about being with the one you love wholeheartedly, not the one with the money.

I didn't know which to choose. I'd be selfish if I chose either. I was completely torn.

---xxx---

A/N: A bit too fast? Not descriptive? Tell me what you think, guys. Be honest. And if you've got any suggestions, feel free to post it down below and I'll surely respond. Hope you enjoyed this!