4. Tessa
4
TESSA
D inner smells like roast chicken and herbs, a comforting scent that feels at odds with the tension in the room. My parents are unusually quiet, exchanging glances that they probably think I don’t notice. I pick at my salad, waiting for one of them to say something. Anything.
Dad clears his throat, setting his fork down with deliberate care. “Tessa, your mom and I wanted to talk with you about something important.”
Here we go. I look toward them, my stomach already knotting. “Okay…”
Mom gives Dad a tight smile, like she’s passing the baton. He straightens in his seat, his expression calm but far too serious. “I’ve been working on a new business venture. You know that already. But part of securing this partnership involves… a personal arrangement.”
“What kind of arrangement?” I ask, narrowing my eyes.
Dad takes a deep breath. “An engagement.”
I blink, the word not registering. “An engagement?”
“A marriage, actually.”
“ Marriage ?” I repeat, a little louder this time.
“To the son of my new business partner,” Dad explains, his voice steady but softer now. “It’s a way to solidify the deal, to bring our families together. Solidify our family name.”
It hits me like a punch to the gut. “You’re… you’re arranging a marriage for me? Are you serious?”
“Tessa, sweetheart, listen,” Mom says quickly, her tone soothing in a way that only makes me angrier. “This is an incredible opportunity for all of us. He’s a good man—wealthy, successful, from a respected family. It’s not like we’re forcing you to marry a stranger off the street.”
“Oh, well, that makes it all better,” I snap, pushing my plate away. “Do you hear yourselves? This isn’t the nineteenth century! You can’t just decide who I marry like it’s some kind of business transaction. We don’t do that anymore. The Irish stopped arranging marriages fifty years ago.”
“Tessa, calm down,” Dad demands sharply. “This isn’t just about the business. It’s about securing your future. You’d never have to worry about money, stability, or safety again.”
“I don’t care about money or stability!” I shout, my voice breaking. “How could you even think this is okay? Are you guys high? Because that’s the only reason I can think of that you would suggest something so fucking absurd.”
Mom reaches across the table, pleading with me. “Tessa, we only want what’s best for you. And after everything we went through—after everything—we thought?—”
“You thought I’d just go along with this because I owe you,” I say bitterly, my throat tightening. “Because you paid all that money to find me, to bring me home, and now you expect me to repay you by giving up my life.”
“That’s not what we’re saying,” Dad insists, but his voice falters, guilt flickering across his face.
“Isn’t it?” I stand abruptly, and my chair scrapes against the floor. “Because that’s exactly how it sounds.”
“Tessa, please—” Mom starts. I shake my head, tears already stinging my eyes.
“I can’t do this,” I whisper, my voice trembling. “I won’t.”
I storm out of the dining room before they can say another word, taking the stairs two at a time until I’m in my room. I slam the door behind me, even though I hate being closed in, and sink onto the bed, burying my face in my hands as the tears come. Hot, angry, and helpless.
My phone is on the nightstand, and I grab it without thinking, dialing Paige’s number. She picks up on the second ring. As soon as she does, I let out a sob.
“Tessa? What’s wrong?” She’s instantly concerned, her words grounding me in a way nothing else can right now.
“They want me to get married,” I choke out, my words tumbling over each other. “To some guy I’ve never met. To help my dad’s stupid business deal.”
“What? Are you kidding me?” Paige sounds as outraged as me. “Tessa, that’s insane. You can’t let them do that.”
“I don’t have a choice,” I say. “Paige, they spent so much money—so much time—trying to find me when I was taken. They sacrificed everything to bring me back, and now they’re asking for me to do this for them. How can I say no?”
“Tessa…” Paige’s voice softens. “You don’t owe them your life. What they did, funding your rescue, was because they love you. Not so they could use it as a bargaining chip later.”
I shake my head, even though she can’t see me. “It doesn’t matter. They think this is what’s best for me. They think they’re helping. And maybe… maybe they’re right.”
“They’re not,” Paige states firmly. “You deserve to make your own choices. This isn’t Ireland in the Middle Ages. It’s your life, Tessa. No one else’s.”
Her words should comfort me, but they don’t. Not entirely. The weight on my chest is immovable, like no matter what I do, I’ll never really be free.
I sniffle, wiping at my eyes. “I don’t know what to do, Paige. Can you fucking believe this? I can’t even comprehend that people still do this kind of shit. For a business deal? I don’t understand how a marriage has anything to do with business.”
My breaths come out fast and hard. If I don’t get control over them soon, I’ll be hyperventilating in no time.
“How could they even ask me to do this?” I ask quietly, sniffling. “It’s basically the same thing as me being sold like I was six years ago.”
“We’ll figure it out,” she promises. “Whatever it takes, we’ll figure it out.”
For the first time all night, I have a flicker of hope. Small, but enough to hold on to.