Arranged love

youre getting married

- Juliet's Pov -

"You're getting married," my dad says, and it would be impossible to keep the shock off my face. "No, I'm not" I affirm. I was told to come to my parent's estate straight after work because they had something important to tell me, but this was out of the blue. My parents aren't strangers to coming up with weird ideas and making me comply with them, but sometimes they take it too far.

"It's not up for discussion Juliet Victoria. we are telling you that you are getting married. It's that or you forfeit your spot as future CEO, and it will Be solely in his position. His name is William Hilton, and his dad and I want to merge our companies. With marriage that is even more solidified, so this is happening, and you need to get in line" My dad is sitting in his swivel chair behind his mahogany desk looking stern. It's not like him to dictate my life, that's more my mom's playbook, but now here we are. He has never mentioned that there would be these kinds of conditions for me to take the spot as CEO of Fitzgerald Enterprises. we have talked about me taking over for hours on end, but now he has changed his tone.

William Hilton... he is a stuck-up playboy in the society circles. Just like me, he is the COO of his family's billion-dollar company, but he also is full of himself. Not that I've Ever had a conversation with him. We don't have mutual friends, but damn, he always has a new female on his arm whenever I see a news article about him or see him at events. Needs to say we couldn't be more opposite in that department. My love life is lacking, but his is overflowing with desperate girls looking to be trophy wives and live off their fortune. That might be a tad judgmental, but I just can't stand people without ambition.

"but why? We have always talked about me taking over. What changed? Don't you think I can do it?" I've studied, gotten both my bachelor's and master's in business, and sat through board meeting after board meeting since I was 15 years old. I'm ready for this job. Certainly, I don't need some Playboy to manage the company.

"there is no need to argue Juliet. this is what's best for the company and the family... we could stand to have a male partner in the CEO position, it's good for our companies to merge and we want to see our only daughter marry," he goes on. "William is a standup good man that I think you can learn from. He knows the art of letting go a bit and he can stand to learn a thing or two from you, too. You have a certain poise his parents are looking for in a wife for their son. It's in everyone's best interest that this works out."

It's a sexist notion that I need a man by my side to manage the company. I'm perfectly capable of doing such myself. There isn't a single remark to be made about my work as COO that should take me out of the running from leading the company into the future, solo. But I also know that when my dad puts his mind to something, there is no way in hell I'm changing it. I've always been told that there is no question about where my stubbornness comes from, it's certainly from him.

My dad pulls a velvet box out of his desk drawer and hands it to me. It doesn't take a generous to know what's inside it, an engagement ring. To not stall it I open the box and reveal a gorgeous ring. Whoever picked it out sure had taste. In the center, there is a big square diamond and then there are more diamonds on the band of the ring. If I were to ever get married, this is the type of ring I would want. I just wish this was my choice.

Years ago, I decided that I would never get married, that it wasn't in my best interest. In the past, I haven't had good luck with men. They have burned me time and time again with their abusive tactics and words. It was better to just lay the notion about a wedding to rest. When I was little, I dreamed of marrying Prince Charming in a big poofy white dress, but now I know better. There is no such thing as fairytales with happily ever afters smacked at the end.

"Put it on. We need to know if it needs to be altered darling. But I went to your apartment and got the measurements from your other rings, so it should fit perfectly. Celia and I had so much fun picking out the perfect ring for you" my mom gushes as she urges me to put it on.