The Convenient Marriage

Chapter 4:

Matt

My smile froze. "What?" I surely didn't hear the word M coming from this woman I despised in high school just now.

She moved closer to me as if we were sharing a secret. "Do you want to get married?"

"With who?" Dumb question I know especially from someone like me who had a master's degree on hand but was she seriously proposing to me?

She looked at me like I was really a dumb person. "With...... me..." I saw her throat moved as if she just swallowed some big solid food.

"What makes you think I am not seeing anyone at the moment?"

"Oh." She sat back and then her cheeks were suddenly beet red. She found this question embarrassing yet her proposal wasn't? "A..Are you seeing... seeing someone?" She was stuttering.

I paused for a moment. I suddenly thought of Shelley. "No. No, I am not."

She exhaled really loud. She found this a relief. "Then, good."

"Are we seriously having this conversation? Because one minute over there you were showing me how much uncomfortable you were around me and now you're proposing me a marriage?"

"Well, that was before things got comfortable with us. I mean we're totally okay with each other now right?" No, we aren't especially when you are now acting like a lunatic. "I just figured we would be the best business partner in this marriage." Huh?

I wanted to shake this woman right now to get herself together since she clearly had lost her mind. "What?"

"No, no listen to this. I had an epiphany. I should get married." Okay? "I am already at the right age and I need a man to stand by me, who'll be there for me all the time."

"Sounds like a man you'll be in love with."

"No! not love. I don't need love to get marriage." Okay this woman had seriously been scarred by a man. Women love fairy tales and happy ever afters. They don't marry without love.

"I thought you were the perfect husband I could have. I don't love you and you don't love me. And..." She paused for a moment. I had the feeling she was thinking of a better way to say what she'd got to say next. "I think you would gain a lot too in this marriage."

"What?" I did not like the sound of this. At all.

"Well one thing, I could give you the job you wanted all your life. You could work in my company as my director or vice president or something you like........... And you could give your mom a better treatment......." She let her words float in the air as if to just get me the hint.

A frown started to form on my forehead. This is why you don't deal with the likes of her. "Are you patronizing me?!"

A shocked flashed through her face as if that wasn't really her intention. Nice one kid, you could pass up as an actress. "Patronize? What! Matt, no." She touched my arm try to soothe my upcoming rage.

I started getting up and leave this woman as far as I could or I wouldn't know what to do. I might end up slamming her face to the wall.

"Matt! Matt!" She followed me as she tried to keep up with my strides. "Wait, listen to me. I didn't mean.."

I faced her around. I was bursting in anger. "Look!" I grabbed her arm raised it up levelled to my chest and I knew I was hurting her. "I knew I was right making your life hell in high school. You fucking deserved that. And I see you still haven't changed. I thought I was wrong about you. You just proved me right. You proved me how the people like you are so fucking condescending to people like me!" I dropped her arm and walked out of the hall. I knew it made a commotion over there. The silence was deafening as I was yelling at Gracie. There goes the end of my 10 year high school memory.

I shouldn't have come here. I knew it was wrong to try to talk to her in a civil way like we were some 28 year old adults. I thought I was wrong about her. That maybe she wasn't as spoiled, treating people beneath her like dirts, as I thought she was. I was completely, entirely wrong.