Samantha bristled, determined to put a stop to this insanity. “I’m twenty-four, adult enough to make my own decisions, and I’m not marrying Rajesh whether you like it or not.” Damn, girl, Arizona sent you back with chutzpah. The urge to grin tickled the pit of her tummy.
She matched her father’s anger stare for stare. Gob smacked described his reaction perfectly then recovering, said, “Rajesh will be here tomorrow afternoon, and we will go ahead with the proposal.” He stood to leave.
“I’m sorry, Papa, but I’m in love with someone else.” Her forceful words impeded her father’s next step.
Rotating slowly, he glared at her with what she could only call infuriated cynicism. “What did you say?”
“I’m in love with somebody I met on holiday.” There, she confessed and now for the onslaught of her father’s wrath.
“And who is this person?”
His indistinct calm surprised her. “Cody, Deborah’s brother.”
Her mother’s gasp of surprise skittered through the air as her father asked, “This Cody, is he a ranch hand?”
Samantha’s anger resurfaced with his apparent lack of respect for the man his daughter loved. “No, he’s not a ranch hand. He owns, runs the ranch, and does a fine job too.”
“It’s the same thing, Sam. It’s not constructive in the business sense of the word.”
Her body tensed. “Why is a person only worthy if he runs or owns a major corporation? Why can’t he work for a living like every other person?” she argued, annoyed.
“Because unlike everyone else, I want security and comfort for my only daughter.”
“But you forget, like you, everyone starts somewhere and what better way than to work your way from nothing to something. Money doesn’t come easily to everyone and it may make the world go round but it certainly doesn’t guarantee a lifetime of happiness.”
Samantha observed her father’s silent deliberations and wished she could conduct a secret scrutiny into his mind. What the hell made her father tick? Hopeful he was thinking of her happiness and not his benefits as usual. Her marriage to Rajesh meant enterprising business relationships which would boost her father’s already thriving corporation.
She glanced at her mother. A deep frown puckered the older woman’s brow. Misery masked her beautiful features. If her mother could speak her mind, she’d most definitely urge her to go back to Cody.
Her father’s next statement claimed her full attention. “Sam, I’ve given it some thought and I don’t think this man is the ideal partner for you. He doesn’t seem befitting of your status.”
Ooh. Frustration lent her face an ugly scowl. And we’re off again. Another battle waged with her father and his bigoted ideas. Her patience wore thin, she inhaled sharply. It was time for a serious change, starting right now. Samantha tilted her chin defiantly and matched his stubborn streak. “Benefiting for you, you mean. C’mon, Papa, you haven’t even met the man and you’ve passed judgment.”
“You’re being insolent, Samantha.”
“No, I’m not and you know it. I’m eternally grateful for everything you’ve done for me, unfortunately your little girl has grown up, and it’s time I made my own decisions.”
“By making your own decisions, what precisely do you mean?”
“Simple. I’m not about to wed someone like Rajesh Rao when there’s a perfectly good man like Cody Bentley waiting for me.” A stretch of the truth a little but she didn’t care. Anything to end this ridiculous marital notion her father insisted on forcing.
“He’ll use and then discard you as though you were nothing, Sam. Men of today give no thought about the sentimental value of a relationship. Everything is about sex and—”
“And let me guess, Papa, you know the sentimental value of a relationship. Is your idea of leaving a wife and daughter home alone all the time emotional and idealistic?” Her bluntness, a serious first caught him off guard.
Her father grimaced. His gray eyes the color of storm clouds. “Girl, I’ve made this very clear. As long as you’re living under this roof, you’ll do as I say. What I say, goes in this house, do you understand me.”
“Deven, please, you’re being a bit harsh.” Her mother stood.
The sneer he hurled at his wife shocked Samantha. “If I want your comments, Diane, I’ll ask for it. Stay out of this. It’s between me and my daughter.”
Samantha shot him a caustic glare, shocked by his nasty tone. Did money mean so much that he behaved like an uncontrollable freak instead of a doting parent? “You know, Papa, I’ve tried hard to understand you. How you constantly threw yourself into your work with no regard for mother or me.” Her mother’s soft sniffle caught her ear.
“I beg your pardon?” His lips thinned in anger.
Determined, his ire fueled her irritation. The words flowed from her heart. “Your work took precedence over your family.”
“When you run a business, you take on responsibilities.” He stood with evident fury.
“When you marry and have children you also take on responsibilities.” Samantha watched his shoulders stiffen as he crossed the room to stare out the window at the incessant rain. “And every person sets his own priorities. Your work came first. Rajesh is a man of your caliber. I want a devoted husband and children. Unfortunately, Rajesh is not the man to warrant such priorities. Some things are more important than money and wealth. Maybe if you considered this we might be living like one big happy family, not under an overbearing authoritarian for a father or husband and…”
Her father swiveled his head sharply; his face gray and drawn. “That’s enough, young lady—”
“Does the truth hurt, Papa?” She was on a roll. Her anger sharpened with each breath.
Thick, dark eyebrows knitted in an impatient frown. “Your insolence is uncharacteristic…” He hesitated on a sharp intake of air. “Are you willing to throw away your entire life and fortune for one man?” Body held taut, her father strode to the sofa opposite her and sat down.
“Yes. Because I love him and as insignificant as the word may be to you, it is filled with a whole lot of meaning for me.”
“Love? Do you know what the word means to your generation today?”
Samantha rolled her eyes. God, he’s so patronizing. If she didn’t know any better, she’d swear he fathered Cody.
“You young people profess love as freely as if it were candy to a child but trust me when I say this. You haven’t the faintest idea of its true significance.”
“And let me guess, you know what love really is. Does love mean marrying a woman and leaving her and your growing child to concentrate every waking moment on business? Does it mean treating your wife like a patriarchal servant—to speak when spoken to—?”
“Enough, Samantha.” He shot up out of his seat and paced the floor.
Samantha was all too aware of her sharp tongue. Strangely, she felt no regret. Her mother, she noticed, twisted a tissue nervously, her eyes downcast.
Her father stopped pacing. “Rajesh will be here tomorrow, and we will make the necessary arrangements,” he said, his tone remained terse as if daring Samantha to defy him, and then headed for the door.
She gritted her teeth determined to win this stupid war. “Anything is better than enduring a marriage without affection, Papa. You leave me no choice. I won’t be here.”
Her mother uttered a horrified gasp. Samantha directed a glance at her, pleading for her sympathy.
Her father spun on his heels. His eyes flashed warning signals, an indication of his proverbial anger. “You will do no such thing. No daughter of mine will behave in such a ridiculous manner. I forbid you to leave.”
Samantha rose from the divan by the fire, marched past him, and threw over her shoulder, “Watch me, Papa.” She left the room followed by a string of ungentlemanly expletives, another uncharacteristic behavior. Her father may be arrogant, but his character bordered on prim and proper. He never swore.
On the brink of a perpetual brain fry, Samantha’s mind sagged tiredly into oblivion. Two bullies in one week. Really. Annoyed, she grabbed the car keys from the occasional table near the foyer and made for the garage. The icy rain didn’t deter her any less. She needed to think. Clear her head.
Sliding into the bucket seat of her BMW, she inserted the key and took off as soon as the engine roared to life. Samantha floored the accelerator and maneuvered the Sandton roads easily. Picking up speed, she eased onto the N1 freeway, not sure where she intended to go. An aimless drive should help clear her head.
Is this the perspective her life would take? Fighting one man to love her, and the other to let her love. What about her bold declaration about being in love with Cody? Unfortunately, an unreciprocated love at best. Why she even bothered to mention him. The reason eluded her at this moment. He wouldn’t leave everything and rush out here the minute her father agreed to their marriage.
Marriage? Really?
Now there was an even zanier notion. Marrying Cody, hah. The idea of marriage, when there wasn’t even a so-called relationship to talk about? God, this has become painfully complicated.
Frustrated, she prayed for answers she realized wouldn’t come easily.Out of the corner of her eye, Samantha glimpsed the taxi shooting the red robot. Jerking her foot onto the brake, she slammed it to the floor. Praying she’d slow down…she wasn’t quick enough. Her heart raced. The taxi crashed into her car with a crunching force and sent it hurtling into an oncoming car. Her pulse rate soared. Her heartbeat erratic. She grasped the wheel tight. Knuckles bleach white. Her body jerked against the onslaught. The BMW bucked under her as the pressure of the crash forced the car to spin out of control then flip…once…twice…she lost count.
Fear seized her; pumped up her heart rate. Oxygen flooded in and out of her lungs in haste. Her chest tightened. The crunch of metal resonated deafeningly. Samantha’s eyes widened in terror as the gray interior of the car compressed around her body. She screamed. Tossed, her body twitched painfully. Her screams vibrated in her ears. The coppery smell of blood and pungent gasoline wrapped her in its sickening fingers. Her stomach churned. The disgusting taste of puke filled her mouth. Numb, she felt no pain just intense, scathing fear.
Then silence. Blinking rapidly, her chest heaved. Samantha struggled to breathe. As her eyelids closed, she surrendered to the darkness.