6. Margo
Chapter 6
Margo
I t had been a month since I had met Liam out on the beach, I never thought such a small exchange could turn my entire summer around. Every time I had to meet up with other contending families that my parents want to marry me off to, Liam would secretly whisk me away.
The stolen kisses in secret, the looks that he would shower me with from a far. And every time he did, I felt guilt that I had been hiding such a big secret to my mother and father. That I had been falling hard for Liam.
He would take me out on dates, sneak up from the balcony, running around in the back paths in the rain, privately swimming by a beautiful water fall.
He even taught me how to backflip, and I taught him how to tan.
He would send me gifts, letters, bracelets, necklaces by making a waitress slip in my purse.
As more and more dates have gone by, I got used to his presence. I got used to the attention he gave me, the love and admiration I got back.
From the very first date he knew what he wanted and made sure to let me know.
He brought me flowers, he set up a fancy dinner and basically told me he wanted to be with me. He would do whatever it takes.
Don’t blame me, I’m convinced that I had turned crazy because of him. Would this mean that I wouldn’t have to get married to someone I didn’t want to be with?
I mean it’s Liam Brookshire for God’s sake. His mother is practically made of money, and he can help with my family… surely… right?
But I would never ask him to help. I would never let him. Liam is a guy I like; I wouldn’t use him. I hope my parents would understand that he means more to me than normal, as a girl that has come from wealth. I’m not going to give a sob story on that fact that men are attracted to not only me but my wealth.
I party like no other, maybe one person would beat me in the party aspect and that would be Verina.
I don’t think she would ever pick a guy over having a good time. I was notorious for getting my friends in the best of the best clubs in the city.
To be fair my father does own half of the clubs in the country. At least my parents know my ways. Verina on the other hand, loves to party but has to show her family a different type of herself. Verina’s family is the limelight of Hawthorne, politics type of famous.
I think she mentioned something about her father running for senator.
Now New York limelight and full-on country limelight would be Grayson Prince’s family, same with Adrianna’s father. At the end of the day, the majority of people that live in Hawthorne come from old money. Only a couple have gotten in from scholarships. It was extremely rare, but some people are just like that, smart and deserving.
Usually everything would be going great, but my family and I have reached mirky waters. The role of being a good daughter, I was supposed to help. But now what am I supposed to say.
“Hey mom, hey dad, I want to leave you both high and dry! I no longer want to get married and help you and the business.”
There is nothing more to say other than the fact that I am a horrible daughter. Choosing a boy over my parents is not going to be an easy decision to make. It was a decision that I can never come back from.
I don’t know if Liam would be worth it enough to lose the trust of my family. The fact that I am even thinking about this is making my head explode. The thought of picking a man over my family sickened me… only that I really want to pick Liam.
It’s going to be a big risk that I’m not sure I am willing to make.
I have not moved in my chair for twenty minutes, contemplating on what I want to say. They had been having conversations in front of me and I found myself reaching the bottom of the wine bottle.
My parents with wide grins, they always looked pleased, but I didn’t know if they looked happy enough to hear bad news and still be happy later.
“I am so glad you have asked us to go to dinner, we thought you were angry with us!” My father consulted as I took a gulp of my nervousness.
“I am so glad you have come to your senses and finally came home to us. We are so happy to tell that the Grimaldi family will be joining us for dinner and discuss your future possibility with Benjamin.” My father added as I failed to say anything else.
“He is a great man, Maggie.”
I flinched at his words. I certainly couldn’t help it; I’ve always knew that I didn’t want to marry by the arrangements of my parents. It wasn’t what I wanted, I felt guilty. I have led them to believe that I did and that I wouldn’t back down the moment it counted.
It counted now. And I wanted to back down. I’m horrible, because now it truly does count, and I am a complete asshole for keeping the secret.
“Mother.” I breathe. “Father.” I addressed calmly.
“Yes Maggie?” My father slowly chopped his steak and placed it in his mouth to devour.
I took a deep breath, “I don’t want to marry.”
So it goes, my mother’s wine glass dropped to the floor, shattering, the purple liquid stained her suede heels as it continued to spread. My father’s face turned bright red.
Silence settled in the room as my heart stopped for a moment. “What?” My mother’s voice breaks. My father took a moment to pull back and took a calm breath.
I sat all fucking silent, scared that if I move something else might shatter. But my father’s head turned, “What has caused you to change your mind?” He said it in a way where he physically looked pained to anything.
My lip quivered, “I’ve met someone else that I would really like to date,” My hands shake, while my mother stands up.
“Is he marriage material?”
I shake my head, “I would like to experience a relationship first before marriage, mother.”
She starts to cry, “No. You will stay away from him, and you will go to this dinner with Benjamin.”
I couldn’t feel it until now, but tears had gathered down my cheeks.
“Daddy?” My voice broke, my heart aching, breath hitching. I didn’t have to say anything else because I knew that I didn’t need to say anything for my father to understand that I needed him to take my side.
My father stood as well, breaking a barrier never crossed before, “You can date him, Maggie.” He calmly suggested.
I looked at my disappointed mother, then back at my father, “But not under my fucking roof.”
“You are not our daughter.” My mother spat as I let my tears fall.
My whole world fell, my heart broke and yet the only person I wanted to console me was Liam.
Now. I had nowhere to go. I only had him.
“You…” I muttered, “You don’t mean that…” I asked with a little bit of hope as my parents faces hadn’t moved an inch.
“Margo, we can’t even look at you.”
They had never called me Margo before, until now.