Unexpected Proposal
Rachel
I still couldn't recover from the impact of Thompson's words. I was questioning whether I had heard correctly or if I was just creating illusions in my mind. Maybe I should have taken better care of my diet, as it seemed like I was having hallucinations.
“Are you asking me to marry you?” I asked, completely perplexed, needing confirmation.
“Yes, I would be very happy to do this for the daughter of my great friend” he confirmed what I still found hard to believe that he had said.
Before I could refuse, Enrico's tone sounded extremely rude and full of anger.
“Rachel is not going to marry you!”
“Enrico!?”
I hadn't realized his entrance and my heart skipped a beat in surprise at his words. The only person who can give that answer is me!
“Only Rachel can answer that!” Thompson replied arrogantly before I could intervene. “This matter does not concern you.”
“You are mistaken if you think so” Enrico protested, pointing his finger almost at Thompson's chest. “Rachel stated that I am the father of her children, so I have every right to be involved in her life.”
“You need to make a decision, man! Just yesterday you were telling anyone who would listen that it was impossible for the children to be yours!”
“Wait!” I interrupted, feeling a sharp pain in my heart with that statement, and I looked at Enrico first. “First, Thompson is right. Nobody can decide anything for me. Secondly, it's a baby! Just a baby!”
I felt a sudden twinge and put my hand on my still-flat stomach. This was becoming very stressful!
“Rachel, are you feeling something?” Enrico asked, already by my side and indicating the couch for me to sit down.
“It was just a twinge” I explained.
I agreed to sit but pushed Enrico away from me. His presence at that moment was not good for me, especially when he was being so inconsistent with his feelings.
“I think you should leave,” Enrico told Thompson, surprising me with his audacity. “Rachel needs to rest.”
I needed to take action about Enrico. He couldn't make decisions on my behalf.
“I don't need you to tell me what to do, Enrico” I declared firmly. “I ask that you leave me alone with Thompson, since we were talking when you arrived and we need privacy. Ever heard of that?”
“Rachel, are you thinking of accepting this ridiculous marriage proposal?” Enrico asked, hands on his hips.
If it weren't for the seriousness of the matter, I would have found his expression of anger funny. My heart, however, chose that moment to recognize how handsome he was, becoming even more attractive when he was irritated.
“That's none of your business, Enrico” I replied, struggling not to smile. “Please, leave us alone.”
Enrico practically glared at me, visibly upset, and marched down the hallway towards the staircase hall. I needed to talk to Thompson in private.
“So, what do you say?” Thompson said as soon as Enrico disappeared down the hallway. “I believe you want to accept my proposal, after all, it's the best option given the circumstances. This... guy, the father of the baby you're expecting, clearly seems willing to shirk his responsibilities. I would like to help you, in the name of the great friendship I always had with your father, as I mentioned earlier.”
I looked closely at Thompson. He was offering me exactly what I had been seeking relentlessly for the past few months: the opportunity for a marriage with a rich man willing to fulfill all my desires. Now, even more, because he was also willing to take on the responsibility for a child who was not his. However, the most important question I needed to ask at that moment was quite simple: why?
I had questioned myself repeatedly since the moment he made that strange and unexpected marriage proposal. Why did Thompson suddenly appear, so full of good intentions, claiming a strong friendship with my father, but only after months of his death? This seemed very strange, and the only answer I could find to this simple yet mysterious question was that there was something behind Thompson's actions, although I had no idea what it could be.
The fact that Lindsay had completely changed her attitude towards Thompson within hours said a lot because if there was anyone I trusted completely, it was my friend. She had been by my side at all times since we met when I worked at the hotel. However, I wouldn't completely push him away.
“You're right in several aspects, Thompson” I agreed, with a forced smile.
My hand remained on my belly as if I were protecting my baby, although I still didn't fully understand what I was protecting. I felt something strange about Thompson, as if he were someone familiar, but whom I didn't completely remember. The fact that he had said he had been to my father's house several times while working with Patrick could be an explanation, but it didn't seem enough.
"Can I take that as a yes?" he asked, his eyes gleaming with cold enthusiasm.
"Yes, I will marry you, Thompson," I declared, feeling an unpleasant premonition in my stomach.
\--------------
After Thompson left, Lindsay showed up to help me get to my room, and I deeply thanked her for her support, as I was extremely tired and weak to even walk.
Once back in bed and properly fed, I felt renewed and realized it was best to tell my friend what had happened, at least part of the story. Lindsay was hiding something from me, and although it could be to protect me, I was also determined to express my distrust of this story with Thompson.
Lindsay was almost in shock when she heard my account, and her surprise increased when I explained that, by this point in the events, even Enrico knew of my decision.
I continued to listen to Lindsay's impassioned speech, deeply indignant at me after finding out that Thompson had proposed to me and I had accepted his proposal.
"I can't believe you did this, Rachel!" she repeated once more.
"What is the problem with Thompson, Lindsay?" I asked determinedly. "You seem to hate him now, but you don't tell me what he did to earn your dislike."
Lindsay opened and closed her mouth several times, saying nothing concrete, and ended up sighing, clearly tired.
"I just don't agree with you marrying someone solely out of interest, Rachel."
At any other time in my life, this accusation would have been completely valid, and I wouldn't have been offended by it. But things had changed. I was a different person, and I wouldn't be able to do something just for money or thinking only about my well-being. I just needed to understand who Thompson really was and why he appeared now, full of good intentions. There was something wrong in this story, and I was determined to find out.
“I understand your point, Lindsay” She had no idea how much I understood her. “But I don't want to rely on Joseph's goodwill when I have no guarantee he'll keep doing this for much longer. Enrico is his son, and he doesn't believe me when I say I'm pregnant with his child and no one else's.”
“I get that,” she said, squeezing my hand in a supportive gesture. “But you don't have to marry that man.”
“I have no family, and you're my only friend” I tried to explain, bringing a bit of truth into it. “I can't work right now... and I don't want to keep living here in this uncertain way. What other option do I have, then?”
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