I just want to take this moment to thank all you readers who have been reading Forced To Be Wed from the start and have been supporting me. Because of you guys, I am about to get 99 reviews in just 8 chapters including the trailer. I have never expected to get such attention from you guys. I found out that this story has the most hits than from any of my old stories combined so thank you all so much and I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it.



Few days have passed since Troy's proposal to Gabriella. Ironically, Troy and Gabriella haven't seen each other since then. Gabriella only mostly got calls from Troy informing her his parent's reactions were to the proposal and turns out that the Bolton family were planning to have an engagement party for them soon. Speaking of family, Gabriella grew more and more worried when she realised that her father have been MIA for the past few weeks that he doesn't know what had happened to her.

Gabriella had spent every single day thinking of a way to tell her father that she was engaged. She wanted to tell the truth but Troy insists that she would just have to lie so that her dad might not slip out about the real secret to Troy's family. Gabriella felt guilty not telling her dad at all. She was used to lying to him but not about something that big.

That day of the proposal, Gabriella went home and told her roommate what had happened to her at the office. Sharpay totally laughed out loud after Gabriella told her what happened. All she said was, "So what's next after the marriage? Will you two plan to adopt a baby and tell everyone that baby was yours?" Sharpay joked.

Gabriella responds was, "Not helping!"

It was true. Sharpay was not helping. She needed a friend to help to advice her right now. Not having to throw lame jokes around involving her. She even told Sharpay about that kiss they shared in the closet. She told Sharpay the truth on how she secretly was enjoying the kiss but didn't want to admit it.

"When we were kissing, I feel as though we were the only ones there and not only because we were in a closet," Gabriella told Sharpay.

"I hear that's what they say about a true love. When you kiss someone who is your perfect soul mate, everything in the world starts to freeze and you are the only ones there alone on earth enjoying one another's company," Sharpay said in a dreamy look in her eye.

"True love? I don't think so. I will never fall in love with someone so…so…stupid like him," Gabriella said.

"Never say never, G. Things always happen when you least expect it," Sharpay said.

Gabriella didn't know how to respond to that. It was true that she felt something at that kiss but she just didn't know how to deal with it. Every night, she sometimes wish that she could kiss Troy again to check if the thing she felt in her stomach was real or just a shocked attack. But she told him she would never kiss him ever again so how could check? She told herself she would have to forget it.

About the engagement thing, she had told every single one of her co-workers to not tell her father about it. She gave a reason that she wanted to tell her dad herself. One problem, she didn't know how.

That night when she got home from work, she checked her cell phone and saw that she had a missed call and voicemail. She assumed it was from Troy but it was from someone else. Her father. She was really starting to panic. Oh no. Did someone tell him? It can't be. I told everyone not to. Then again, some people just can't keep a secret. She slowly pressed her cell phone and listened to the voicemail.

"Hi Gabi. It's dad. I'm at the airport right now on the way home. I would love to see you first thing at the office tomorrow to catch up with you. See you tomorrow."

Gabriella held her breath. She didn't know her father was coming back so quickly. She hadn't thought of a way to tell her dad that she was engaged to some guy she met at a café whom she also did a favour for. How is she going to tell him? Should she just cry and tell her dad the truth behind Troy's back? Of course not, she thought. The would mean betraying Troy and breaking their deal. Suddenly she realised she started to care about Troy. It was something new and weird. She didn't like the feeling. Or does she?

The next day, Gabriella yawned while on her way to her desk at work. She couldn't sleep last night thinking that her father might have a heart attack when she tells him the big news.

While working, she kept glancing at the clock. She was anxiously waiting for her father's arrival back to work. Not too long later, Gabriella saw her father arriving at the office. She stood up from her desk and ran to the main door and greeted her father. To her luck, her father did not look quite too happy when he entered.

"Hi, dad! How did the business trip go?" Gabriella asked perky-ly.

"Horrible," her father said. "You don't want to hear the rest of it. So how have you been? Anything happened while I was gone?" he asked while entering his office with Gabriella behind him.

"Um, not much. The usual," Gabriella said. "I have a new friend."

"That's good. Is she nice?" her dad asked.

"It's a he, dad," Gabriella pointed out.

"Oh. My mistake. How did you meet him?" her dad asked again while sipping the coffee set on his table.

Gabriella took the seat in front of his desk and answered him, "We met at a café at Orchid Drive where Mr Andrews told me to go and get coffees for him and his friends," Gabriella said.

"Oh. Is that all? If not, I think you should go back to work. I'm sure he has some job for you to do," her dad said.

"Actually, I need to tell you something. You see, the guy that I met, something happened between us and I'm not sure how to tell you," Gabriella said.

Len put down his glasses he was wearing and stared angrily at his daughter, "Did this boy get you pregnant?"

"NO! That's not it. It's something much more complicated than that. Uh, well…we're engaged," Gabriella announced while getting ready to hear her father's rage.

"WHAT?! You mean to tell me some idiot propose to you without my permission? Who is this asshole? What's his name?" her dad said angrily and causing the whole office to lurk over at his office. Gabriella got up and closed the door. She didn't need any witness to see her father killing her.

"His name is-" Gabriella got cut off before she could finish.

"Never mind who he is and what's his name. Get that idiot in my office. I want to meet him," her dad declared.

"But dad, I'm pretty sure he's busy at work right now," Gabriella said.

"Whoever is willing to propose to my daughter without me knowing will be here in my office in thirty minutes not more than that. After you call this idiot, I want you come back here so I can check if there are any brain cells left in that brain of yours. Do you know how ridiculous this is? I have never been so disappointed in you in my life, Gabriella," her dad scolded her.

"Dad, it's not like I went to Vegas and married him. We're just engaged. We're not even planning a wedding yet," Gabriella said.

"I don't want to hear it, Gabriella. Contact the guy and tell him that I want to speak to him directly face to face. Got it?"

"Yes dad," Gabriella said sadly while walking out of his office. She knew her life is over. She went to her desk and took her cell phone to dial Troy's number. Luckily for her, he picked up his phone.

"Hello?" he greeted.

"Hey, it's Gabriella. We're in trouble," Gabriella said.

"Did my mother come to your office? Because I swear I didn't tell her your work address," Troy said.

"It's not that," Gabriella said then continued. "I told my dad about our engagement and he wants to see you in his office in thirty minutes," Gabriella told him.

"I don't think I can. I'm in the middle of something right now," Troy said.

"You have to. If you don't come here, my dad will chase after you like a dog hunter hunting a dog," Gabriella said.

Troy sighed, "Alright, I'll be there."

After that, Gabriella went back to her father's office. "He said he's coming. He'll probably reach here soon."

"Good. Now sit down while I talk some sense into you," her father said. Gabriella knew she was in for it. She braced herself for the worst.

Half an hour later, Troy arrived and walked towards the door that says Len Montez. Before entering, he heard a man talking loudly.

"Do you know how hard it is to explain this to your grandparents about this? What am I going to say to them? 'Gabriella met this guy at café and they got engaged a few days later.' Your grandmother might have a heart attack after hearing this. I am not nagging to you because I'm angry at you. I'm nagging because I am furious with you. Never in my life would I think I would be in this type of situation. If your mother was here, she would be very upset with you."

If your mother was here? Troy asked himself. Troy was confused. Gabriella never talks about herself too much and she never talks about her family either. Then again, Troy never took the time to ask her about herself. Troy started to feel guilty about it. He shouldn't have kept telling Gabriella how his life sucks. He should have at least asked Gabriella about herself. All Troy knew about Gabriella was she's saving up for her own line and that she wanted to be a designer and also, she liked the kiss that happened between them. Troy too enjoyed the kiss. The truth is, he couldn't get the kiss out of his head. The kiss felt good somehow but he was afraid to talk to Gabriella about it.

Troy knocked on the door before he entered. Then the two Montez looked at him. Len looked rather furious and Gabriella looked rather depressed.

"Hi. My name is Troy Bolton," Troy started. "Gabriella told me to come and meet you."

"I know. Sit down," her father told him. "So Troy, what the hell is wrong you?"

Troy was confused, "Excuse me?"

"You can't find any other woman to date so you just have to propose to my daughter without my permission?" her father asked him sternly.

"Dad!" Gabriella scolded him.

"No, its ok, Gabriella," Troy said. He has dealt with overprotective fathers before so he thinks he could handle this one too. "Mr Montez, I understand that you are concerned for your daughter's well being in my hands but I can assure you-"

"Stop it. Just stop it," her father said. "You know what, since you two want to be together so badly, I am going to buy you a nice apartment in here where you will have to live in together since you two just admire one another so bad."

"Seriously?" Gabriella asked. "I thought you were mad?"

"I'm still am but I am just helping you out here. You two are to live with each other and that's final. Secondly, Gabriella, I want you to clean your desk by today. You're fired," her father said.

Troy looked over at Gabriella. She was just as surprised as he was. "What?" she asked helplessly.

"You're fired. I don't want to have anything to do with you right now. You crossed over so many lines including this one. I'll send you the address of your new house by tomorrow and you two can start moving in next week," her father said.

"But what if I refuse into doing both of the things you want me to do?"Gabriella asked challengingly but at the same time sadly.

"You have no other choice. I'll call you when I'm not ashamed of you anymore. You two may leave now," her father said before turning to his computer screen thus beginning to ignore Gabriella for who knows how long.

Gabriella was the first one to stand up and leave but Troy didn't. He stood up and spoke to her father. "Mr Montez, I know you're angry about this but do not make Gabriella's life miserable because of me. If you're angry, be angry with me. It's my fault anyways," Troy said.

"Yes but it was her doing to say yes to you in the first place thus making this situation both your faults. I have a meeting in ten minutes. It will be a lot nicer if you leave right now," her father said, dismissing Troy.

Troy sighed in defeat and left the office. He walked over to Gabriella's desk but she wasn't there. Seconds later she appeared with a bunch of boxes in her hand. She put down the box and then completely ignored Troy.

"Do you need any help?" Troy asked her but she didn't answer. "Look, I'm sorry that I cost your job but-"

"My job? What about my life?! What about the fact that my father can't even look at me right now?" Gabriella said furiously with tears starting to well up in her eyes.

"Look, I said I was sorry. The least I can do is to help you pack or carry the boxes," Troy said.

"Sorry is just not enough. And thanks but I can get whoever to help me," she said.

"Could I offer you a ride home at least?" Troy offered.

Gabriella sighed, "I'll call you when I'm ready."

"Ok so I guess I'll be hanging out around this area for a while-" Troy got cut-off by Gabriella.

"I meant it when I say I'll call you when I'm ready. Just leave ok?" Gabriella asked before breaking down into tears. "I'll see you next week at our new home."

Troy felt helpless. He never thought any of this would happen to Gabriella. He didn't mean to make her life so miserable right now. He never felt so guilty in his life.


So how was that? Didn't see that one coming did you?
So what would happen to Gabriella now that her father practically disowned her? Will Troy be her knight in shining armour to the rescue?
Guess you will just have to find out in the next chapter!

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