Arranged Lies

I stood outside the cold, grey walls of the prison, my heart racing with anticipation, but mostly anger. I hadn't seen my father in weeks, after he was half dragged out of a business meeting, and our company closed down. Fraud. He had to stoop that low to be involved with fraud!

As I walked through the security checks and into the visiting room. My eyes scanned the area until they landed on my father. In a span of weeks, he looked older and worn down. He was a man who always dressed in tailored suits exuding confidence, but now he was a shadow of himself in a dull orange jumpsuit.

I felt a surge of anger as I approached him, my heels clinking loudly on the floors.

"Father." I said curtly and took a seat in front of him.

He looked up, a hint of sadness in his eyes. "Loretta, it's good to see you."

"I wish I could say the same to you." I replied.

He sighed, his shoulders slumping. "I know you're angry, Loretta. You have every right to be, but I want you to know that I am so sorry. I was desperate, and I made mistakes."

I raised an eyebrow, tapping my fingers light on the table. "Mistake? A mistake is forgetting your own daughter's birthday, or the anniversary of your own wife's death."

He flinched at the last statement, his eyes lowering. "I.. I."

"Those are mistakes dad." I continued, not wanting to hear his excuses. "You commited fraud, ruining not only our reputation, but our company too. Everything is in chaos, our accounts are frozen, we are under thorough investigation, and everything they keep finding is adding a whole lot more years to your sentence."

He looked up at me, his eyes pleading. "Loretta, please. Just listen to me. I have a plan."

"What plan? To fuck us up more? Because honestly, you have done a whole load of that these past few months."

"I know I fucked up. But this is different. It can actually save us, save the company."

I hesitated, curious despite myself. "What are you talking about?"

He took a deep breath. "Before everything blew up, I made a business deal with the Reinhart family."

I felt a flicker of surprise. The Reinhart family has the biggest law firm in the country. They weren't only influential, but very wealthy. They could actually get us out of this mess, but..

"What is the catch, and how the hell did you make a bargain with them?" I asked,not exactly trusting his words.

"Let's just say I know something very important, and Devon owes me a favour."

"You're blackmailing him, aren't you?"

His dug his fingers through his grey hair. "I did what I had to do. To save us."

"Dad, you do know how dangerous that it. Or have you forgotten the vulnerable position you are in right now?" I asked, trying my best to keep my tone controlled.

"This is the only way, Loretta."

I almost wanted to believe him, to believe that maybe he could undo what he did. But with these past few months, it felt like it was a stranger that was sitting in front of me.

I leaned closer to him, lowering my voice. "How exactly are the Reinhart family going to help us?"

He swallowed nervously. "This is going to come as a surprise,but I want you to know that I'm doing this to save our company. You're part of the company, and I really hope you understand my choice."

"Could you stop stalling and talk." I snapped.

"It's an arranged marriage with the first, and only grandson of Devon Reinhart. Damian."

The silence that fell between us after was heavy. I was quiet because I couldn't quiet believes the words that just came out of his mouth, while he was waiting for me to say something first.

"You want me to get into an arranged marriage with Damain Reinhart, that fucking creep?" I asked, staring at him dead in the eye.

"He's a good man Loretta." He said softly. "I made sure to do my research on him; top of his class right from when he was in diapers, he climbed up the ladder of his family's firm in the span of one year, he's intelligent and not once has he been caught in a scandal."

"Exactly what makes him a creep, he's perfect, that alone bothers me. If someone is that perfect, then there's definitely something he is hiding."

"Loretta." He whispered, reaching for my hand but I pulled away. "I know this is very inconvenient for you, but this is the only way. Are you really going to throw away this opportunity to save our family?"

"No." I snapped. "You don't get to do that. You don't get to gaslight me into fixing a problem that you caused. There isn't a need to go any lower than you already have, dad."

"Lorey.."

"Did you even think about me? About my happiness or how I'd feel about it. You're selling me off to someone you haven't even had a conversation with, are you really that selfish?"

My father's expression changed, gone was that pleading tired man, and staring at me with cold eyes and a nuetral expression was Diego Morales.

"This isn't up for debate, Loretta. You are getting married to Damian, and if things go according to plan, then I'd be out of here in a couple of months." He rose up his hands cutting me off. "I know you are angry and dissaponted at me, and I take full blame for everything. But you have always wanted me to give you enough responsibilities, and here it is right in front of you. Lorey, you need to do this."

"This is ridiculous." I said, shaking my head.

"You don't have to be married to him forever. Five years max, and if you still don't like him by then, then you can divorce him. It's that easy."

I scoffed, anger rippling in my veins as I stared at the man that was supposed to be my father. I hated how selfish he was, how his selfishness had pushed my mother away to the point where she told no one she was sick. I would never forgive him for that, and neither would I forgive him for this.

I stood up from where I stood, and adjusted my suit jacket. "I'll get married to Damian Reinhart, but I assure you dad, this will be the last favour I'd ever do for you."

Relief flooded his features and he sighed. "Thank you."

"Mum would be so dissapointed." I whispered, and turned to walk away.

Two years. That's how long I'm giving the Reinharts and my father. After that, I'm divorcing him and moving far away and starting a new life for myself, away from all of this. I could almost see myself, content and happy in a little town where no one knew my name.

Two years, Damian Reinhart. Two fucking years.