Chapter 2: The Family Tension

May  2022

"Maybe there's another way, Dad," Brent said to the board meeting. He was so tense because of the company's decreasing sales. He was my eldest brother and the current CEO of the Garcellano Group of Companies. 

"What way Brent? Show us, tell us what to do," Daddy said. 

I wasn't paying attention to the meeting but this meeting is all because of me having an arranged marriage to someone whom I don't even know personally.

"Come on. Sushmita is too young to get married, Dad," Deborah said, taking Brent's side. 

"Sushmita darling, what do you think about marriage?" Daddy asked while reaching my hand. He softly pressed it. 

"I don't actually know, Dad," I said to him as I shook my head. 

"See. She doesn't want it Dad, no one wants it," Brent agreed to me. 

"Oh, I want that. Just look at the bigger picture. We were in the middle of a higher debt and our sales are decreasing. If Sushmita accepts the offer, then all of our problems will be solved. The Xiu family will give us three hundred million in exchange for Sushmita and she will have a better life while we can restore the company again. Win-win situation right?" Royce said, the third eldest son. My easy-go-lucky brother. 

Brent and Deborah gave him a very strange look.

"A better life you say, thanks bro," Brent said as he glanced annoyingly at Royce. 

"That's my boy," Daddy said, pointing to Royce. 

"Sis, I care so much about you, if your future will be secured like this then, you can have the chance to get everything you want. The Xiu's are fucking loaded," Royce said to me. He's not even close to encouraging me. 

I shook my head because this conversation leads to nothing. Only confusion and quarrels. 

"Dad, this is Rodney Xiu, the guy doesn't even show his face to everyone. How is Sushmita supposed to marry someone who hides his face?" Deborah said. 

"But he's finding a bride and ready to settle down," Daddy said carelessly. 

"I get it, he is popular for being unique, but Dad, you know how rude and arrogant he is. He could hurt Sushmita physically. You don't want your girl to be a battered wi–" I cut Brent's words by saying, "This is enough, I'll marry Rodney Xiu to restore the company," 

"Sushmita honey, no! you ca–" I also cut Deborah's words by saying, "My decision is final. Dad, I have something urgent to do so if you will excuse me," I stand up preparing myself to leave the board room.

"Go ahead, darling, the meeting is adjourned," Dad said.

Royce claps his hands while I'm leaving the board room. My brother is so happy. Good for him. He doesn't care about me. Just like Dad. 

"That's my youngest sister, strong and feisty. It's settled, Dad," Royce said as he tapped daddy's shoulders. 

As soon as I left the board room and reached the stairs to go down to the lobby, I took a glance of the Xiu's while walking together through the entrance. Rodney is not around. I wonder where he is, it seems like his world is way too far from his family. 

Harold Xiu is the CEO of the Xiu Group of Companies, he is the eldest while Abbigael Xiu is the youngest and has a successful fashion designing career in Italy and Mr. Hernan Xiu, their father who has always been successful in their family business. He owns five luxury hotels, an airline and a department store here in the Philippines. That's why my father is so obsessed about accepting Mr. Rodney Xiu's offer of marriage to me but I don't know the main reason why Rodney needed a bride. Is it really because he wants to settle down or there is something else. I don't know what to think because he hides his business very well. He's a private person. There is little news about him but it doesn't help me to know who he really was. 

The struggle about being a Filipino businessman is that we don't have higher connections. That is why we need to sell ourselves to get the sympathy of those upper classes and invest in our company. 

I walked down to the parking lot to get my black BMW car when suddenly my phone rang. I got a text message from an unknown number and when I read it, it says,

Unknown Number: Hi 

I replied with

Me: Who the fuck are you?

because I am so pissed off. This should be some jerk or a prank text who doesn't have anything to do with life. I immediately opened it when my phone rang again, 

Unknown number: I'm your future husband.

I was shocked when I read it, I almost dropped my phone. 

Is this really Rodney? How does he know my number? If this is really Rodney then I'm screwed up big time, I almost jumped into my car when my phone rang again.

Unknown Number: Your language doesn't fit for a Garcellano heir. I'm quite impressed.

Damn it, damn it! Daddy will get mad at me for being rude so I replied, 

Me: I don't believe you, if you are really Mr. Xiu then prove it. Show me.

I hit send and it replied faster than expected saying, 

Unknown Number: Be careful of what you wished for honey, you might regret it.

I didn't reply back and start the engine but there's some men in black suits blocking my way so I opened the door of my car to get out and faced them. 

"What the fuck?!" I shouted as I saw them staring at me. There were five of them wearing tuxedos. 

"Boss wants to see you now, Ms. Garcellano," said the man in front of me. 

He suddenly grabbed my hand and put a white handkerchief on my face and suddenly, everything went black. 

I woke up in a dark room. It's very luxurious, the walls are painted gold and silver but it's so dark, the only light that I have is the window beside me. 

I can say that it's already noon and the sun is setting down as I jumped out of the bed to look at the window. I noticed that there are other windows but it's covered with thick black and dark blue curtains so I tried to pull the strings to open it but I was stopped by the manly voice that I heard saying, "I won't do that if I were you," 

I gave up pulling the curtains and found where the voice came from, and I saw a man sitting on a chair. He wore a dark blue tuxedo and was sitting prominently on the chair. I couldn't see his face because it was covered by the darkness of the room. 

"Mr. Xiu?" I said. 

"You are just in time, Ms. Garcellano," He said.