CHAPTER 5

Marie stared blankly at him for a moment before getting in, she sat down heavily beside him and the scent of his expensive perfume drifted into her nostrils.

"What happened? You look pale?" He asked her.

 Marie sniffed and looked out of the tinted window, "What do you care?"

Aaron took a deep breath, "I care so much about you, Mariagoretti, I do"

Her head shot back at him, her eyes flashing with much pain and hurt and he could see the tears that played at the side of her eyes.

"You dumped me, Aaron. You trashed me like I was some used diaper you have no use for anymore" Marie said, her voice rising with each word.

"Look, Marie, I know that there is no explanation for what I did, what I did was selfish and I'm sorry but…"He stared at her and inhaled,"....I still love you...so much"

Marie lowered her head, she was breathing heavily now as the memories came crawling right up her chest and made it hard to breathe, hard to think.

"I can't love you, Aaron. Look at you, you are rich and powerful and ... everything but look at me, I'm the total opposite. I just lost my job and I don't know what to do, I wasn't even paid. How am I going to get your money and take care of my dad?"

Aaron stared at her for a few seconds and then he dug out his phone from his jacket pocket and ran his finger across its screen.

Marie watched him, she felt angry, angry at her for ignoring her and doing some dumb thing on his phone but then she heard a chiming sound from her phone.

Marie reached for her phone in her wooly sweater pocket and then a message stared at her, her mouth hanging open.

It was a credit alert...she had been paid her salary for the month!

Marie slowly turned to look up at Aaron who had a smile on his face, she seemed confused for a moment then it hit her hard and a soft gasp escaped her lips.

"You are…."She let her voice trail off.

Aaron nodded, "Yes, I am the owner of the cafe where you work. I had my men follow you and I figured out that yesterday"

The look on Marie's face was indescribable, "You jerk! You made him fire me, what did I ever do to you?"

"Calm down, Marie. You are going to be my wife in two days so there will be no need for you working in such a place" He told her.

Marie's eyes flashed with all the anger in the world, "Are you kidding me? Your wife? You have got to be kidding me"

"I'm not, Marie, "He said mechanically.

"You know what? I can stay here with you, I freaking can't be having this conversation with you" She said and pushed open the door, "I'll get your money tomorrow, yes tomorrow, if I don't then you can do whatever you want to"

Aaron didn't say a word and neither did he stop her, he rested back in his seat and watched her walk angrily across the road without a backward glance.

Well, if she said tomorrow...then tomorrow he shall come for his bride.

Marie's thoughts were a rollercoaster, she went back home and sat heavily on her bed, she went through so many loan websites but at that moment, none of them seemed to be able to give her such money in just two days, even in a week.

She felt as if Aaron was all around her, he practically knew everything about her but she didn't know half about him.

Marie cried herself to sleep, she missed her mother and wished she was here, she lost her many years ago but the memories still seem fresh inside her.

Marie went back to the hospital the next day with some homemade meal for her father, she rehearsed how to break the news about the money she borrowed from Aaron and her being fired from the cafe.

But on second thought, she chose not to break it to him so quickly, maybe she would wait till he got back home.

"Hi, dad," Marie beamed, rushing over to him.

He was sitting up on his bed and a lovely smile stretched across his lips, "Marie! Thank God you are here"

"I brought food, Dad. I know you have missed homemade meals so much," She said, settling down beside him.

He laughed heartily," You always know what is good for me, don't you?"

"How are you feeling now, Dad?" She asked.

"I feel alive" He replied with a smile and nodded slowly.

Marie smiled relieved and brought out his packed meal, she could feel his eyes steady on her and she looked up at him feeling uneasy.

"You still haven't told me how you got such an amount of money under short notice, Marie. If someone had borrowed the money, I would like to thank whoever it was" He said slowly.

Marie bit the side of her lips, she was about to say something when the door pushed open and they both turned to the sound of the door.

Marie's eyes widened as she stared at Aaron standing like a supermodel by the door in an expensive suit, a smile crossed his lips as he stared at her.

"Hello, sunshine!" He said.

Marie wanted to say a word, to ask him why he had barged into her father's ward or even protest but only air came out through her lips.

Her father looked at them confused, "Who is he, Marie?"

Marie turned to look at her father and then back at Aaron who was still smiling, she didn't know what to do or say, she was blank.

"I see she hasn't told you yet, sir "Aaron answered when she didn't, "My name is Aaron Sanchez and I am her fiancé"

Marie's eyes widened and her heart started beating fast, she just realized that she had promised to refund his money, all of it today, or agree to his offer. Dam it.

Her father turned slowly to her, he was finding it hard to understand the whole thing.

"Marie? Is this true...Is he the guy you have always wanted to show me? The one you got engaged to while I was sick?" He asked.

Marie held her breath, she knew he was talking about Mark and she realized she had never gotten to introduce him to her father. It dawned on her that Aaron had been smart, he investigated all that before planning this all.

Marie looked back at her father and forced a smile on her face, she swallowed, she had to agree to this, she couldn't escape from it.

"Y-yes, Dad...Aaron and I are engaged to be married"