"Sofia?" Calvin said as he saw her sitting in the dark part of the garden where only a little light reached.

"What happened to you? Why are you chasing me? Why aren't you leaving me alone?" She asked as her voice cracked.

"First of all, you will stop crying then I will answer any of your questions." He said as he dug his hands in his pant's pockets.

"Everyone's waiting for you inside and you're sitting here crying, over what?" He said as he rose his voice.

"I can't marry you. I don't want to. I love someone else. We'll be miserable for our whole life together." She said to him as she pleaded. Tears ran down her face and it irritated Calvin. He hated tears.

"That's what you think about us? You think we'll be miserable?" He asked feigning shock.

"Who is he?" Calvin asked giving her a sharp look.

"He's my childhood friend. We did everything together. Now we want to spend our lives together." She replied.

"Where is he now? What does he do?" Calvin asked again. He wanted to know whatever he could about this man.

"He's an assistant at the catering and planning region at a famous restaurant. But he promised me to work hard to give me a comfortable life." Sofia replied.

"What? Did you just say that he's an assistant?" Calvin asked and Sofia nodded in agreement. Calvin burst into a fit of laughter.
"Sofia Taylor is in love with an assistant!" He exclaimed while still laughing. Sofia got angry when she saw him making fun of Simon.

"Are you still going to marry me after knowing that I love someone else?" She asked him.

"Yes. We can't say anything in the decisions they make. Whatever they say will be for our own good." He said with a smirk. Sofia felt extremely uneasy within his presence.

"You will marry me. I will not have my or my family's name splashed across the front pages of the newspapers and tabloids just because you love someone so ordinary." He said as he inched closer to her. Sofia backed until her back hit the trunk of the tree. He trailed his fingers from her cheek tracing the path from her shoulders to her hand. He held her hand firmly and dragged her all the way inside.

Sofia's parents were busy talking to Mrs. Harrison. They all looked up as Calvin entered with Sofia behind him. Calvin extended his hand towards his mother and she put a little navy blue velvet ring box in it. Calvin let go of her hand.

"Do I have your permission to pursue your daughter for marriage?" He asked as he directed his question to her parents. They both nodded in agreement. Sofia stared at them in shock. She was hurt. Hurt at the fact that even after knowing that she loves Simon, they gave Calvin the permission to marry her just because he's a son of their dead friend. Her whole life was at risk here with this man and all they had to do was a nod.

"May I?" Calvin asked for her hand. Sofia looked between her mother and Calvin. Her mother mouthed " Do it " to her with a strict glare. Sofia put her hand in his.

"With this ring, I promise to marry you, Sofia Taylor. I will make you my wife in every sense of the word and the daughter in law of the Harrison family. From today onward you're mine. " He said as he slipped the ring on her finger rather forcefully. Everyone clapped. Her parents congratulated both of them and asked to accompany them as Mrs. Clarke came in to announce that dinner had been served.

"This was a very private engagement. I don't like this. We have to announce their engagement to our friends and foes. Now they should be afraid of the strength that we now are as a family. I will have everything arranged. The engagement party will be held on the coming Friday." Mrs. Harrison said.

"I have to leave for Australia for a business tour after a month so I think it'll be better if we're married by then. That way I'll be able to take Sofia with me." Calvin said acting all sweet and lovely. He was acting as the perfect one for her in front of her parents.

"Yes. We'd like that too." Jeremy said as Bella smiled showing her support. The Harrison family left shortly after dinner.

"Thank God everything went well. For a second, I thought she was going to run away with that poor boy." Bella said as she dropped on her bed.

"I know we should have asked her before doing all this but we know that she would've rejected Calvin for Simon," Jeremy said as he removed his tie and sat down beside his wife.

"Belle, we have to talk to her someday. We can't just stay quiet." He said.

"I know, honey. Just let her get some grip on herself. Knowing her, she must be crying her eyes out for that stupid boy right now." Bella said as Jeremy nodded.

Sofia changed back into her old clothes. It was so good to wear her old sweatpants and t-shirts. They always provided her comfort when everything else failed. She looked at the ring on her finger. The big diamond screamed of her helplessness. She felt disgusted at the sight of the ring. so she took it off and put it back in its box. She took the box and tossed it carelessly behind her not caring where it landed.Sofia flopped on her bed and cried holding Simon's plank until she slept.