Arranged marriage: Skeletons(sequel)

Chapter 9

Riley let out a nervous breath and glanced at her father who sat next to her, only to find him already glancing at her. They quickly look forward. The silence in the room is deafening and Riley feels very uncomfortable.

The clang of metal brought the members of the Browns family out of their thinking. They both stood up in a haste, glancing at each other once more before focusing back on the door. Riley rubbed her sweaty hands on her pants. Even Peterson looked nervous.

The door opened. The first person to walk in was a nice looking woman dressed in a blue uniform. She looked at the two without a word then turned her back on them. Mariposa got in next, stopping infront of the officer to get her handcuffs removed. Once she was uncuffed, the officer looked at them all.

"You have 45 minutes," after those words, she left the room, locking it behind her. Mariposa looked at them both and Peterson was quick to get to her, trapping her in a tight hug that she reciprocated with closed eyes.

Riley watched them while awkwardly standing by the table. The two embraced each other like two love birds who haven't seen each other in years. Slowly, they pulled apart, and Peterson led his wife to the table, still holding her hands. Riley sat down as well while her father settled back on the seat next to her, Mariposa opposite them.

The older woman looked at her daughter and smiled.

"Thank you for coming," she thanked her gently, but Riley didn't say anything. She glanced at her father then looked down at her hands which rested on the table. She didn't exactly come here willingly. Infact, she hadn't known about the visit until their car drove into the place. Her father called her yesterday, telling her that she ought to accompany him somewhere. So instead of meeting her friends to help them in setting up for the party, she woke up early this Thursday morning and drove to the mansion where her father was waiting for her .

Once she was in the safety of her room, she sought out for a formal outfit to wear. Since her father didn't tell her where he was taking her, she just assumed that they were going on a business meeting or something. It wouldn't be the first time that her father dragged her into his businesses without telling her.

To say she was shocked when she finally saw where she was being taken, would be an understatement. She didn't know how to feel. Of course she couldn't go against her father but she didn't exactly want to be here. Not like this anyways.

Mariposa looked at her husband and held both of his hands in hers, making him smile at her. Oh how they have missed each other. Sure, Peterson had his regular visits to his wife but with everything that had been going on, they barely ever saw each other. It also doesn't help that their time is limited here. However, Peterson has been making means to get his wife out of jail, without her knowledge.

"I think it's time for us to tell her the truth," Mariposa said gently, the words making Peterson stiffen. He was always a different men when with his wife. Soft. Kind. Gentle. Caring. Loving. The love he had for her was always evident in his eyes. The pain of losing her brought a great change to him. He became a shadow of himself. Sure, Peterson was never one to be soft. He was never vocal when it came to his feelings. His ways were as a result of how he was raised, and they were the reason behind the drift between him and his daughter. Mariposa was always the one to bring them together, but after she got arrested, the two drifted further apart.

"We shouldn't-" Peterson tried to protest but Mariposa shook her head, silencing him. Panic was visible in his eyes as he gave her a pleading look. But Mariposa was tired of hiding the truth for so long. Riley looked at her mother in confusion. What truth? She wondered, but didn't say anything. Her mother turned to her and sighed, Peterson looking down in shame.