Chapter 3: Amina’s Dream

As we finished breakfast, everyone was silent, processing the news that had just been revealed to us. My mother and Elizabeth quickly excused themselves, "Liz and I are going to run some errands we’ll be back in a couple of hours” mom said. My father headed to his office, no doubt trying to find a loophole in the contract that had been presented to us. As for me, I retreated to my room, where I was left to contemplate my own thoughts.

I couldn't help but think about my pregnancy. I knew that I couldn't keep it hidden forever, but I was afraid of how my family would react. I also couldn't stop thinking about Josh and Elizabeth's betrayal. The thought of them together made my stomach turn, and I couldn't understand why they would do this to me. I know why Liz did it but Josh I just couldn’t understand.

Just as I was lost in my thoughts, there was a knock on my door, ” come in “ I said. It was Janet, one of our housemaids, ” your father requested your presence in his office” she said. “ thank you Janet “ i said smiling at her.

I made my way to his office, unsure of what he wanted to talk about. When I arrived, my father looked at me apologetically and said, "Sweetheart, if you don't want to marry that man, you don't have to. We will figure something out."

But I knew that if I didn't accept the proposal, we would lose everything. Despite my own reservations, I assured my father that I would marry Damien and do whatever it took to save his company.

“Are you sure you want to do this?. You don’t have to sweetly” dad said looking straight at me. “Dad it’s fine I’ll do it” I said fiddling with my thumb.

"Ok then Amina, we're going to meet the DeLuca's this evening at six o’clock ," my dad said looking at his watch. “That’s four hours from now, I will call your mother and sister and inform them. Be ready by five thirty.” He said pulling his cell phone from his pocket.

The news hit me like a ton of bricks. I knew that this would happen but not this soon. I didn't know how I would be able to face Damian or his family when I was keeping such a huge secret. But I had no choice, and I had to do what was best for my family.

As I slumped down on the plush couch in my room, my thoughts were spinning in my head. I couldn't believe the amount of responsibility that rested on my shoulders, and I wasn't sure I was ready for it.

I closed my eyes for a moment, feeling exhausted. But instead of drifting off to peaceful sleep, a dream took hold of me, which felt more like a nightmare.

I found myself standing in the middle of a dark forest, with the wind howling terribly around me. The trees swayed violently in the gale, and branches lashed out at me, whipping my face and clothes. I tried to spot a way out, but the dense foliage around me made it impossible to discern which direction I needed to take.

As I stood there, shivering with cold, I heard a crunching sound behind me. I whirled around to see a dark figure, standing only a few feet away from me. The form was human-like, but there was an unnatural aura around it that made me feel uneasy.

Before I could even blink an eye, the figure was on me, pinning me to the ground. Its hands were cold, like ice, and its breath smelled rotten. I struggled against it, but it only tightened its grip around me.

As the creature brought its face down to mine, I woke up, gasping for breath, with sweat covering my body.

I realized that this dream was a representation of my fears that I was alone and trapped in a world I didn't belong in. It also reminded me of the weight that I carried, in trying to keep my secret from everyone, even the people that would be my family and myself.

I took a deep breath, and tried to calm myself down. I knew that it was time to face my fears, and that the only way I could move forward was by accepting my situation and making the best of it.

Realizing that I had fallen asleep and now had only 30 minutes left before my meeting with the DeLuca family. I was shocked and in a hurry, scrambling to put myself together. I quickly got up and went to my bathroom to freshen up.

I started by washing my face with cold water, hoping to wake myself up. Then, I quickly brushed my teeth and put on some deodorant. I knew that my hair and makeup would take the most time, so I decided to tackle those next.

For my hair, I decided to go with a simple but elegant updo. I gathered my hair into a sleek bun at the nape of my neck, using hairpins to secure it in place. I left a few tendrils of hair loose to frame my face, giving me a soft and romantic look.

For my makeup, I decided to go with a bold blue eyeshadow to make my eyes pop. I used a light blue shade on my eyelids and a darker blue shade in the crease, blending them together for a seamless transition. I finished off the look with a swipe of mascara and a light pink lip gloss.

As I looked at myself in the mirror, I was pleased with how I looked. My blue eyes really stood out against the bold eyeshadow, and my hair looked elegant and sophisticated. I quickly changed into my outfit and headed out the door, hoping that I wasn't too late.

As I walked out of my door, Liz was standing there, waiting for me.

"Well look what we have here, the horrible mistake my family has to deal with," she sneered at me.

I was filled with rage, and tried my best to keep calm. "Liz, I really don't have the time to argue with you. You've already ruined my life, what more do you want?" I shot back.

I could see the anger and frustration in her eyes, but she brushed it off and muttered something before storming off.

I took a deep breath and headed downstairs to the living area, where I saw mom and dad waiting for us.

Liz walked behind me, still throwing insults my way. "Look who's decided to grace us with her presence. I hope you're ready to spend the rest of your life being the wife of creep, Amina," she said laughing, her words cutting deep.

I tried to brush it off and hide the pain and hurt I felt. I knew I couldn't let my dad see me breaking down. I had to be strong for him and my baby.