Page 8 of Torn Souls

But I remember the conversation we had later that evening.

He looked at me, his eyes vacant and cold. “You will never speak about the men I meet in my office,” he commanded.

I didn’t answer him at first. Honestly, I didn’t even know what to say. When he narrowed his eyes at me, I swallowed hard andnodded. Talking out of turn was something I had already learned about.

“The man you saw earlier has a son and one day you will marry him,” he informed me like it was perfectly normal.

Before I could nod or acknowledge his words, he turned away from me. I felt the dismissal, and it stung, but I brushed that off.

What I couldn’t brush off was the finality of what he told me. That I would be marrying someone. Someone I didn’t know.

Marrying someone wasn’t something I had really considered. How could I? A child would only imagine the fairy tale of love and a wedding, not the reality of it. I didn’t even imagine a wedding, probably because I never saw my parents in love or together.

What would I even imagine?

Loneliness? Abandonment? Neglect? I had no need to imagine those things; I lived them.

Thankfully, I never met the person who I was going to marry. I’m not sure how I avoided it, but I can only hope it was because I was so young. Then, without warning, my father’s mood started to shift.

Men stopped coming over for meetings.

The tension could have been cut with a knife.

He was volatile and combative.

The only thing I could do was walk on eggshells and hope for the best.

I was in college by then and was able to spend more time away from the house at different times in the day. I’m sure theonly reason I was even allowed to go to college was because he thought it would look good for me to be educated.

After graduation, my father came to me, fury written on his face. It took everything in me not to cower away from him. Or run screaming in the other direction.

“Originally, I was going to tell you about your wedding in two months. That was the plan,” his words were filled with rage. “But your wedding has been postponed.” He got right in my face, his eyes wild, almost feral. “Make no mistake, Oaklynn, you’ll still be getting married, but not until everything is taken care of and power is restored in this city.”

My eyebrows pulled together because I didn’t understand what he was talking about. I wasn’t sure I wanted to.

“Don’t question me,” he snarled before I even considered it. He gripped my upper arms and shook me. It wasn’t as rough as he’d been in the past, but I had to stifle the gasp of surprise that wanted to escape my lips. “Never fucking question me.”

I lowered my gaze and looked at the floor, knowing about his need for power and control. It seemed to placate him, not all the way, but enough.

“You’re just as worthless as your mother,” he spat the words, shook me again, and released me with a shove.

I was barely able to keep my footing, but I managed. Then I stood so damn still until he huffed out an exasperated breath and stormed toward his office.

How fucked up is it that I actually breathed a sigh of relief because the encounter wasn’t as bad as it could have been?

Small favors, huh?

That was the last time he mentioned my impending wedding. I don’t know what has happened since then, but I’ve heard a lot of yelling coming from his office.

Maybe listening in could earn me some information, but I don’t want to find out what would happen if he caught me. The thought of it makes me shudder.

I’ve seen him look at me with calculation in his eyes. He’s up to something, but that’s nothing new. He’s always up to something.

I have the feeling it won’t be something fate help me avoid this time. There won’t be any way to escape it.

Maybe it won’t be as bad as some archaic arranged marriage.

Maybe it will be worse.

---