Scarred For Life

Chapter 34

*
Maryam had been reluctant to call Adnan ever since they left their house. Her mother had given her his phone number despite her refusal, and insisted she call him at once.

Mercifully, her attention had been drawn elsewhere afterwards, and she didn't get a chance to pressurize her any further. But once she had dealt with the problem at hand, she returned to her daughter's room with a purposeful stride.

"Why are you still sitting there?" she asked. "The event is going to start in less than two hours."

Maryam stared down at the bright blue gown she was supposed to wear to the dinner party. It wasn't her first choice, but her mother insisted it made her look pretty.

"I'm waiting for lunch," she said. "I called room service a few minutes ago. I'll get ready when I've eaten."

They were staying at Fraser Suites hotel, with her parents sharing a suite while she had one to herself. The room was mostly beige, with faux carpets and plush leather seats all around. They were on the fifth floor, and Maryam loved the view down below, with several people down at the pool either sunbathing or diving into the water. She wasn't a very good swimmer herself, having nearly drowned at the age of nine.

"Come," her mother said as she pulled a chair from the table and set it in the middle of the room so it faced the mirror. "Let me fix your hair before the food gets here then."

"What's wrong with my hair?" she asked, turning to glance at the mirror sharply.

"Well, it's a mess," she replied, pulling her to the chair and dumping her in it. Her braids were beginning to fray at the edges, so she loosened them up.

"Have you spoken with Adnan yet?" she asked.

"Not yet," she said softly, dreading what came next.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" she glared at her, tugging at a braid forcibly until her scalp began to prickle. "You should call him immediately."

"Why?"

"Why?" her mother asked incredulously. "Have you forgotten everything I told you?"

"Not at all," she replied, remembering the long speeches all too well.

"Adnan is a reputable young man," she said. "He's hardworking and religious, and he's one of the wealthiest men at such a young age. Your father and his father go way back. It would make both of them happy if they were to see their children united in marriage."

"But Adnan doesn't want that," she said.

"He's just... confused, at the moment," her mother said. "His father called your father yesterday. He said Adnan recently broke off his relationship with a woman he was meant to marry, which is why he acted the way he did. Give it time, and everything will work out for the best."

She placed her hand on Maryam's shoulder then, smiling at her reflection.

"One day," she said, "you will inherit your father's wealth, and everything he owns on this earth. As I told you, he has named you his beneficiary, and he intends to split the inheritance between you and whoever you end up marrying. We would rather see his hardwork surviving under the control of an intelligent man; one who has already made something of his life, so he wouldn't have his eye on what you own. Adnan's father is a wealthy man, far beyond what you can imagine. Being the oldest son, Adnan is the heir to his company. When his father passes, who do you think all that wealth passes to?"

She returned to her daughter's braids, her fingers working like clockwork.

"It's not about what you will get, Maryam," she said. "It's about what you will be passing on to your children. Remember, the greatest gift you can give them is a bright future. And the way the world works now, you can only do so if you are wealthy enough. Knowledge is not power; not anymore. Money is power. And you must do whatever it takes to give your children all the power they need."