Chapter 4

Today, Asa went to the civil bureau and when it was her turn, she received the marriage certificate and signed it. All these while, the man she was arranged to marry hadn't arrived yet. She wondered why the man had not come yet. 

She just want to get this done as soon as possible. All of a sudden, she saw a hand collecting the marriage certificate from her, on looking up, she was shocked to the gut when she saw that man...that man she had a night stand with seven years ago. They really met again for the third time. 

Out of anger, she spoke, "have you been stalking me, Mr? Oh? You had to appear before me again so that I can help your bride make the custom design, right?" 

"Are you the woman?" The man asked her. 

"What woman?" 

The man looked at the picture on the marriage certificate and folded his fist hard, the cracking of the bones could be heard. He slammed the marriage certificate on the table and signed angrily then he walked out of the civi bureau. 

It can't be! Is he the husband she was arranged to marry? Looking at the marriage certificate, she confirmed with his passport that was attached on it. Oh! He didn't appear before her intentionally, he wasn't stalking her, this was a pure coincidence obviously. 

But... Wasn't he about to get married to his fianceé? What happened? She quickly walked out of the Civil bureau and caught up with him, he was almost at where his car was. 

'Mr. Hali," she called. She had seen his name on the marriage certificate. "I'm as confused as you are, how did we become married? I thought you are planning to marry your fiancee? What happened?" 

"My assistant will send you the divorce paper, you must sign it otherwise, I'll make your life miserable." He got inside his car and drove away. 

She furrowed her brow in shock. But was it her fault? She immediately called her father and once the old man answered, she spoke, "father... it's impossible for me to marry that man. I know him." 

"And what if you know him, my dear child? Does it change anything?" The old man asked. 

"He wants divorce and I'm ready to grant him. Dad, please understand. I can't force myself on him when he clearly wants divorce plus I found out he has a woman he was already planning to marry." 

"Let's talk about this at my home." 

"Dad, you know I can't come there. I don't ever want your wife again." She said. 

"But I do not have the strength to come to your place." 

"I know. Why don't we meet at the restaurant that's not too far from the house?" She suggested. 

"Okay, I'll be there as soon as I can." 

After the call came to an end, Asa got inside her car and drove at once to the location of the restaurant. Surprisingly, her father was already seated there. 

"Dad... he wants divorce and I must grant him." She said after she had sat. 

"You already told me all these. But I guess I didn't tell you the purpose of the marriage?" The old man said, "with the marriage, you get to become something tangible in the future, I can't state it now cause the family wants us to keep it a secret. Secondly, our companies will be able to partner with their families, as you can already notice, we are at the edge of bankruptcy, I'm sick and didn't have the strength to manage our companies and it has tell a lot on them. Thirdly, I promised Biden's mother personally when he was just five years old and you were in your mother's womb that if my wife gives birth to a girl, I'll ensure she ends up as Biden's wife." 

"You made this agreement when I was in the womb?" 

"The unofficial agreement with Biden Hali's mother was made when you were in the womb, yes, but the official agreement was made after you were born. Our family have a lot to gain from this my dear child." The old man said. 

"Dad, you can employ someone capable to manage the affairs of the company, plus declaring bankruptcy isn't the end of the world, dad. I won't marry a man that didn't want me." 

"Do you want him?" 

"Never. Why will I want him? I'm happy with my son. I'm happy being a single mother. I don't need a man in my life. Dad, please understand that I deserve to be happy. I can't tie myself to a man who loathes me." She said. 

"That woman Biden Hali wants to marry isn't the right one for him. You are. Biden Hali once saved me from death, I owe him my favor. Please my dear child, do this for me."

When she saw that her father would keep insisting on what he wants, she stood, "father, I must leave." 

The old man looked at her with a sad expression and nodded, "I love you, my sweet child." 

She looked at him and responded, "I love you too dad. But my happiness will always come first." Then she walked away. 

It's barely two hours that she got home that she received a visitor in person of Biden Hali's assistant, Timofel.

"Please read the divorce agreement and sign it at once," Timofel said as soon as he was in her living room. She received the divorce paper and sat, she took a pen, ready to sign when her phone suddenly rang. Seeing that it was Polina, anger rose in her bile, how dare she call her? She hadn't dare to call her in the past seven years. Ever since she caught her in bed with her husband, she didn't care if she was dead or alive. 

But it's weird that she's calling her all of a sudden, out of curiosity, she answered it, "your father is dead." 

"What did you say?" 

"Your father is dead. He left a letter behind for you." Then she hung the call up. 

Her heart ripped apart into sadness, the pen she was holding fell from her hand and tears rushed down her face. She then called her line back and when she answered, she asked, "what's in the letter?" 

"Come and pick it whenever you are chanced." 

"Just read the letter for me already," she said angrily. 

"As you wish," Polina said and after a minute, she proceeded to read the content of the letter, "the letter reads: My sweet Asa, please give your marriage with Biden a chance for at least one year, if it didn't work out after a year, you can proceed with the divorce. From your loving father."