Our Arranged Love Story

Chapter -1-

"Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved." - William Jennings Bryan

Bellemere sauntered up the staircase of her large home with two mugs of hot tea in both hands; a lit cigarette was present between her lips. Smoke swept behind her as she made her way to her daughter, Nami's room.

She knocked on the door and called out to her but didn't get a response. She gave a light sigh and expertly balanced the two mugs in one hand, opened the door and made her way inside.

Giving the room a once over, she found that Nami was nowhere in sight. However, Bellemere had a good idea of where she was. At the corner of the tidy room was a door adorned with the sign 'Map Room."

She found Nami, back turned away from her, seated and hunched over a map. Scratching sounds could be heard as she drew out the map's details with quick but skillful hands. She was wearing her reading glasses, hair up in a high ponytail, dressed in a blue and white striped tank top with orange shorts.

Bellemere approached her, sat down at the couch and rested the cups on the nearby coffee table. She noted the cupboards stacked with old maps and new ones that Nami deftly recreated. On the floor lay a couple sheets of scrunched up paper. 'Nothing but perfection, huh?' she thought.

She looked towards her pretty daughter, rolled her eyes and cleared her throat. The scratching stopped and Nami glanced over to the couch with widened eyes. She didn't notice till now that she had company.

"Hi mom," Nami said with a smile. "What brings you here?"

"Hello Nami," Bellemere began, "I'm here to talk to you about your future-" Nami made an annoyed face, one that Bellemere knew all too well- "As the daughter of the Mikan Grove Foundation, it is..."

"I don't want to hear it." Nami said, cutting her off and turned back around to her map. Bellemere blew a thin trail of smoke and stared hard at the stubborn girl in front of her.

Choosing to ignore Nami's rudeness, she continued:

"Nami, it is very important that you marry a well-off man from a prominent family for the up keeping of our household. It is your duty."

Nami knew that the continual success of the family business depended on her marrying into a rich family but on the other hand, she also knew that deep down in her heart she wanted to know, to feel what true love really was for herself- not of the decision of her parents.

"Mom, that last thing I want is my life being ruined by some old, egoistic bastard who only focuses on work! The suitors you guys have chosen for me so far were too old, narcissistic, flashy or just plain old perverts... I don't want to be some trophy wife. I want to be a wife!

What I want is to find my own kind of love- true love. I can't believe that you of all people is trying to force me into doing this. Where's dad?"

Nami was so furious. Was on the verge of tears.

"About that," Bellemere said, handing Nami the tea. Nami took a sip after saying a silent thank you and marveled at the taste. It was orange tea, her favourite. She began to feel herself calm down a bit.

"Your father and I understand, sweetheart. You know that we never want to see you unhappy and will never choose someone who is unsuitable. In fact, we have already found someone to be your serious suitor!" Bellemere beamed.

Nami suddenly took a quick intake of breath after hearing that her stairway to misery had already been built. She put her mug to the side and put her face in her hands.