"Tell me what?" I asked still angered.
"Mr. Swan why don't you and your wife step out of the room for a moment. I'd like to speak with Isabella for a moment…alone," Mr. Masen spoke angered standing up from his chair.
Chapter 2 – (Bella P.O.V.)
My mother and father got up from there chair's swiftly and shut the door tightly on their way out.
Silence.
I stared at Mr. Masen as he slowly removed his suit jacket and hung it on his chair before walking around the table slowly toward me. We stared at each other until he was about a foot or two in front of me. I could see the anger in his green eyes, his jaw set and his lips in a hard line practically frowning in a way.
"How old are you Isabella?" Mr. Masen asked me suddenly.
It would be an understatement if I said his question surprised me. I was expecting something different something more...defining.
"Seventeen," I answered back without a thought. A simple question that had no meaning.
"Hmmmm...And are you aware that most girl's your age are already married or are engaged to be married?" He asked me reaching his hand down trailing his index finger down the curve on my cheek.
I pushed his hand away from my face, "Of course I'm aware. You speak to me as if I have no concept of what sort of things go on in the outside world."
He smirked down at me leaning back and sitting on the edge of the table next to my chair.
"If you are aware are this then I'm assuming you also know that it is frowned on for a lady of your age to not even have a suitor. Not only that but by the time you turn eighteen and still have not been married then it is most likely you won't ever. Because many believe that if you haven't married by that age then there must be something wrong-"
"There is NOTHING wrong with me," I interrupted him.
"You will not raise your voice at me!" he sneered towering over me resting his hands on the arm rest of my chair.
"Don't tell me what to do!" I hissed in his face.
I felt one of his hands clamp down on my mouth which forced my head back onto the back of the chair.
"You are really trying my patience little girl. Now you're going to listen to me and I don't want to hear a peep out of those cute little lips until I say so. Do I make myself clear?" Mr. Masen said in a deadly tone.
I nodded my eyes widening a bit.
He slowly let go of my face and leaned back into his position on the table.
"You know I have half a mind to walk out of this room and tell your parents that the agreement is off. But you my darling Isabella need a husband that will teach you respect. Yes, you will be a good little wife for me won't you honey," he cooed to me in the end sliding his finger down my cheek again.
I felt my eyes widen in horror and my breathing become short. His wife? An agreement with my parents? I hadn't thought that my parents would ever even consider getting an arranged marriage for me. My mother knew my view of marriage and that I had no intentions of getting married anytime soon.
"Wife?" I gasped out.
He smiled at me, "Why yes sweetheart. Didn't your mother and father warn you? I didn't come over to meet with your father. I came over to see if I would find you as a suitable wife for myself. I must say Isabella I've seen many women and I find your refusal toward me...refreshing."
I could feel the shock wearing off and it was becoming replaced with outrage.
"YOUR WIFE?" I practically screamed standing up from my chair knocking it over in the process.
He stood up to his full height, "Enough. I've had it with your disrespect. You're going to sit in that chair silently while I tell you what will be happening from now on. You're lost all privileges Isabella. Screaming at your future husband in such a way. Now be a good little girl and listen to me."
I raised my hand to slap him but he caught it before it could make contact.
"That wouldn't be such a very good idea Isabella. You don't want to make me angrier than I already am," then he let me go and reached down to pick up my chair and all my forced me to sit down.
"Now your mother has told me that you recently stopped your schooling. Well that will be starting up again after all I need a well-educated wife. You will also be meeting my family very soon but I think we might hold off on that for a little while longer. I can't have you showing up to my parents' home disrespecting me like that. I know it's frowned upon for unmarried couples to stay alone in the same house. But you must know that each weekend will be spent with me at my house," he bent down and whispered the last part in my ear.
"Your house?" I asked trying to lean away from him.
He chuckled, "My house and do not be mistaken my lovely you will also be in my bed but no worries nothing will happen until our wedding night."
"Wedding?" I was starting to feel lightheaded.
He kissed my ear softly, "We will be married in three months. You will look so beautiful. All of the other men will envy me for having such a lovely wife to come home to."
I felt him softly grab my left hand and slip something on my ring finger. The tears flowed down my face steady because it now hit me. I was to marry Mr. Masen, a man I didn't know, in three months' time.
I didn't say anything as he bought my left hand up and kissed each of my fingers pausing longer on my finger that now held a ring. I stared at the air in front of me with a dazed look my eyes unfocused.
"Now, I'm sure this is all of a shock to you. I know its Saturday which means you'd have to come to my home tonight. I'll allow you to stay here and get everything straight with your parents. But tomorrow I'll be sending a driver here to collect you and your things to stay with me tomorrow night," he whispered to me tucking a lock of my hair behind my ear.
I didn't notice that tears has started running down my face until he whipped them away.
"Shh my dear. No more tears from you," he told me.
I sniffed softly before looking up at his smiling face.
"May I be excused?" I asked quietly.
He nodded softly, "Of course. You head on upstairs and get some sleep. I'll see you tomorrow."
Mr. Masen helped me stand up and kissed my forehead gently before pushing me toward the door my parents had went out an hour ago. I walked out of the door passing my parents who were sitting together in the parlor.
"Bella?" my mother called toward me as I walked up the stairs not even bothering to look at them.
"Leave her be Renee. Give her time," I heard my father tell her.
I reached my room and shut the door behind me before flicking the lock and resting my back against it.
The tears had stopped already and now everything felt as if it were moving in slow motion. I kicked off my shoes and reached behind me unzip the dress and stepping out of it leaving it pooled on the floor. I reached for my night dress which was placed on the chair in the corner. It was a cool night so I didn't need to open up the window to let the wind in.
I sat down at my vanity and gently took out all of the pins that held it together and brushed it back softly to prevent it from getting knotted during the night.
I stared at myself in the mirror and reached up to wipe off the makeup that had dried under my eyes from the crying. My ring caught the light in the room and I brought my hand down and held it out in front of me so that I could finally take a look at it.
The band was a white gold and it wasn't just one diamond on it, it seemed as though there were dozens of diamonds clustered together to forms a flowery look. It was quite beautiful and fit me perfectly.
I got up from my vanity and softly crept over to my bed after flipping the lights off. I climbed into my bed pulling the covers all the way over me, covering myself from the world.