ANDERSON’S MANSION
Mr Anderson heaved a sigh of frustration. “Camilla listen.. I don’t want you to feel bothered about anything. But I think it’s best you find out the truth now.” He muttered.
Camilla furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. “What truth?” She demanded.
“We are in a huge debt and the company is close to going bankrupt.” Mr Anderson answered.
Camilla eyes widened in shock and her mouth dropped immediately. She wanted to ask question but her words and voice failed her at that very moment.
“Few years ago I got into a deal that I thought would really benefit the company, I took on extra loans to invest in the deal but in the end it wasn’t what I thought it would be. The company that brought the deal was a fake one and they took off with all of my money. And since then I have been trying to making things right at the company.” Mr Anderson recounted with a sad look on his face.
Camilla shook her head slowly. “What? What are you saying?.. No.. no dad… You can’t be telling me this. Is this true mom? Are you aware of the company’s situation?” She couldn’t believe what her father was telling her.
Camilla didn’t know about the company because she was never involved in the affairs related to it.
“It’s true Camilla, the company.. is in a huge debt and we are afraid that it would fold up soon.” Mrs Anderson replied.
“So why am I just finding out about the company’s situation? And is this why is you want me to get married to Ace Clark? You feel that once I marry him then you will be able to get enough money to revive the company.” Camilla said and that was truth.
Her parents wanted her to marry Ace Clark to get money to build back the company. They felt bad about using their only daughter to get what they wanted but it was the only option left to save the company.
“This is unfair. Why does everyone keep fooling me?” Camilla cried.
A tear strayed down Mrs Anderson’s right cheeks. “No.. no.. Camilla.. please don’t think like that.. we love you.. and we didn’t mean to use you to get what we want for the company.” She whispered.
The door bell jangled and a maid came out to answer the door. “Good evening sir.” The young maid greeted as she opened up the door for Ace Clark to step into the house.
Mr Anderson was surprised to see Ace Clark. “Good evening, Mr and Mrs Anderson.” Ace greeted them as he walked further into the house.
“Where.. Where is your dad?” Mr Anderson requested.
“Actually I came alone to talk to you.” Ace Clark answered.
Mr Anderson surged forward and grabbed Ace Clark by his collar. “How dare you?! How dare you make my daughter shed a single tear?! How dare you try to fool us all?! And who are to decide if the wedding will take place or not?! You never deserve to be with my daughter!” He grimaced in anger.
Camilla went to her father. “Sop it dad! Stop it! Just let him go!” She tried to stop her father and Ace Clark didn’t make an attempt to fight back the old man.
He was simply there to make peace with them and hopefully they would accept his decision to calling off the wedding.
“Please dad… just let him go already.” Camilla pleaded and then her father released Ace Clark.
“I am really sorry.” Ace Clark apologized sincerely.
Camilla frowned at him. “Enough of the damn apologies! So just leave and let us be! I don’t want to hear any of your apologies! I don’t want to ever see your again! And what else do you want after hurting me badly! All this while I thought I have finally found my man but I never knew I was wrong! I hate you, Ace Clark.” More tears dropped down her face even though she was trying to pull off a strong face.
“Camilla, I am sorry but can’t you see your father is only trying to use you? I told you earlier that you are insensitive to some things around you. I was actually..” Ace Clark swallowed hard to think of the right word to say to her. “I wanted to tell you everything but you didn’t want to hear me out. I wanted to let you know that your father is trying to get us married so he could get enough money to save his company.” Ace knew the situation of Anderson’s company but he didn’t tell it to his father.
He only found out recently after one of his directors mentioned it in a board meeting while they were looking into new and old companies to invest in and Anderson’s companies was on the list. He had looked into their proposal and did some finding only to find out that the company was in a huge debt. Ace managed to put two and two together in his head and was able to come up with the facts that Anderson wanted to marry his daughter off to save the company’s reputation and also build it back.
“Your father is only trying to use you to revive the company.” Ace said.
“So what? Tell me! You know that I want to use my daughter to revive my company and how is that your business?!” Mr Anderson tried to reach out to Ace again but Camilla stood in front of him.
“That’s enough dad!” She shouted.
“Honey calm down..” Mrs Anderson muttered.
“This is all wrong. A father shouldn’t use his daughter to satisfy his needs.” Ace said in a low tone.
“And who the hell are you to lecture me on fatherhood?!” Mr Anderson seethed his teeth in anger.
Ace Clark was extremely calm about the situation. “I don’t have any right and I am not trying to lecture you. But the truth is that you are wrong and you could have ask my dad for help.” He spoke softly.
“I do things my way!” Mr Anderson snapped.
“You do things your way by using me dad?” Camilla said in disbelief.
Mrs Anderson wiped her face. “No.. no.. no Camilla please don’t think like that.” She tried to reach out to touch her daughter but Camilla side stepped her.
“I don’t have much to say but all I can do is apologize to you. I am sorry but I have to call off the wedding at this point.” Ace Clark said while Camilla turned to face him.
“Camilla, I just hope you find that one man your heart desires. And I hope that you find it in your heart to forgive me. Mrs Anderson, I will repay whatever you have spent on the wedding arrangements. Mr Anderson, I won’t say a word to my dad about your plans but I want you to figure things out with him. I will take my leave now.” Ace sounded resigned and he turned to leave but camilla hugged him from behind.
“Please don’t leave me.. Ace.. forget everything I said at your office. I am sorry for yelling at you. Please don’t leave me. I can take care of your child and we can be one happy family.” Camilla cried.
Ace freed himself from her hold and then he turned to face her. “This can’t work out and I am sorry for hurting you. Camilla, I just hope you understand me.” He lisped softly.
“Ace-”
“I am sorry.” Ace apologized again before walking out of the house and Camilla broke down in tears.
“My dear…” Mrs Anderson tried to console her daughter but Camilla raised her finger up to stop her.
“Don’t.. say.. anything… else.” Camilla said shakily as she exited the living room into her room.
She did the next thing that came to her mind. Camilla brought out a small box and she started to fill it up with her clothes. She came out after packing a few thing and then motioned out of the bedroom to the living room where her parents waited for her.
“Camilla, where are you going?” Mrs Anderson asked.
She continued walking but soon stopped at the door. “I don’t know. I.. I.. just need to.. clear my mind. And I hope that you also do what is right.” She answered before opening the door.
“Camilla-” Mrs Anderson would have followed her but her husband stopped her.
Camilla didn’t know where to go as she drove out of the garage. She pulled up by the road side and did what was expected. She cried thinking that Ace was right when he had said that she was so insensitive to things happening around her. How could she not know about the company’s situation? Her parents had been struggling to keep up and she didn’t have the slightest idea of what they were going through.
After several minutes of crying inside her car, Camilla decided to see just one person. Someone she trusted enough to listen to her. At least that one person has always been willing to listen to her but she has never thought of giving him a chance even when he had begged for it. And while she was busy falling head over heels for Ace Clark, he was interested in her but she had confessed the truth to him that she was deeply in love with her. At that moment, Camilla still doubted if it was right to turn to him.
Camilla started the car deciding that she would take the chance to see him not for anything other than the fact that she needed a shoulder to lean on at the moment. She couldn’t bear it alone anymore.