A Surprising Proposal

"Evelyn babe, please, leave your work for later and join me for a stroll," Tristan persistently said to me with his sweet endearment everytime he needed something.

I paused in what I was doing and looked at Tristan. Tristan Donovan is the only person I can truly call a genuine friend. We were classmates in college, and he was one of my suitors that I rejected. Eventually, we decided to remain friends, odd it may be but now we became best of friends. Especially that our life and current struggles has a lot of similarities.

"Tri, don't you have work? Your Dad might scold you," I reminded him.

Tristan isn't in charge of their company yet because he still needs to prove himself to his father. After all, he was quite rebellious during our college days and often got into trouble. His parents couldn't do much about it since he is the firstborn in the Donovan family. Despite having siblings, he will still be the one to manage their company.

"Oh, forget about that! Daddy will give me the company anyway. I'll take work seriously once I'm in charge. But for now, I need to enjoy life without worries. So please, babe! Accompany me," Tristan said, pouting.

I chuckled at his expression. I took off my glasses and smiled at him. I didn't have much to do at the company today, so I think taking a short break wasn't a bad idea.

"Fine! But we have to go home right away, okay?! I might get scolded by Daddy!" I said.

Tristan approached me and hugged me tightly.

"And that’s what I really liked about you! I promise we won't be late going home, Princess Eve," he said with a grin and kissed my cheek.

Before Tristan and I left, I changed into more comfortable clothing. I couldn't stroll around with Tristan in my pencil skirt and stiletto; that would be tiresome.

"Let's go, babe!" he cheerfully exclaimed, approaching me. I smiled at Tristan, held onto his arm, and together, we left my office.

I also instructed my secretary not to take any calls, as I had an important matter to attend to. I planned to go straight home after our outing, wherever Tristan decided to take me for a stroll.

I rode in his car because he didn't want us to convoy. He took me to an Italian restaurant where we indulged in a satisfying meal. Tristan then brought me to an amusement park, and I couldn't help but feel overjoyed because it had been a long time since I last visited such a place during my childhood.

"Thank you so much for making me happy today, Tri!" I happily exclaimed and hugged him.

He chuckled softly, hugged me back, and kissed my forehead. I was used to Tristan's sweetness, as he had been like this since our school days. It was one of the things I liked about him, and that's why we're still close.

"I told you! See, I made you happy today, so you owe me again," he grinned, teasing.

I playfully punched his arm and laughed along with him. Tristan escorted me back home, and I thanked him again before he left. I arrived home at four in the afternoon, so I wasn't late.

I entered our house with a smile, but I was surprised to hear my parents shouting upstairs. I knew they were in the home office. I quickly climbed the stairs and headed towards the office where I could still hear their heated argument.

When I opened Daddy's office door, my suspicion was right—they were indeed arguing. Their shouting ceased as soon as they saw me enter. Daddy's face turned red, indicating his anger, while Mommy's eyes glared at him as if she were also upset. Mommy didn't say anything; she just stormed out of Daddy's office, leaving the two of us alone.

After Mommy left, I closed the door and faced Daddy.

"Dad, what was that? I just came inside the house, and suddenly, I hear you and Mommy arguing upstairs!" I asked Daddy.

He took a deep breath, sat in his swivel chair, and rubbed his forehead before looking up at me again.

"Your Mom and I had a disagreement because she refused to let us arrange the marriage of your sister Eleanor with Julian Dante, the second son of Jeanine and Maximilian Moore," Daddy explained.

My eyes widened at what I heard from my father. I couldn't believe it, and I couldn't accept it either.

"W-What?! Daddy, Elie is still too young!" I raised my voice in irritation at Daddy's revelation.

"I also disagree with Eleanor marrying Julian Dante Moore! You should be the one to marry into the Moore family since you excel in business, and you're the one I trust!" Daddy said.

I was slightly stunned and had difficulty breathing after Daddy's statement. Yes, Eleanor isn't ready to marry another man, especially someone she doesn't know. But more importantly, I'm not ready for an arranged marriage, and I don't want a fixed marriage! I want to marry a man I love, someone with whom we share mutual affection, not just for business and power. On the other hand, what can I do? I can't say no to my dad. I'm scared of him, and I also respect him.

Throughout my life, I've followed my father's wishes. Business isn't my passion; I want to dance and be a ballerina. However, I can't pursue that dream because I am James Wilson's firstborn, and I have to take responsibility for our business. I've never complained; I've never dared to. I know that if I disagree with what my dad wants me to do, he'll make my sister do it, and I want that to happen. I don't want my sister to experience what I've endured in my life since I was a child. Even as a child, I was always pressured by my parents, and all I could do was cry in a corner and force myself to be strong.

"I told Maximilian that you should be the one to marry their son Julian, but Jeaninne disagrees! She wants Eleanor to marry her son! What does she see in that child?! She hasn't done anything right in our family; she's always rebellious and a headache!" Daddy angrily said.

"Daddy!" I exclaimed.

I can't bear to hear him talk about my sister like that. I looked at him sadly, meeting his eyes while he maintained a cold expression, gazing back at me.

"Elie is still young, and she's not a troublemaker! She's an achiever, a good daughter of yours, and a good sister to me. But, Dad, it's still not right to marry her off at this age. She's too young!" I told him.

Daddy became stubborn; he didn't listen to me. He dismissed me from his office, and all I could do was leave while feeling defeated. Why is our life turning out like this? Why can't we choose what we want in our lives? Why do they need to control us? We have our own lives, and we should be the ones making decisions. Why is it so hard to be part of the Wilson family, and this is how it always is. No love, just pure business.

Will I ever find a man who will truly love me? I don't want to marry a man I don't love and who doesn't love me. I don't want to suffer like my parents in their relationship. I can't bear to make my life more miserable in that way.