Sold into Marriage

Chapter 3: Lunch

Jane was the oldest at twenty-two. She had a few other siblings that Dan was covering their college education and living expenses. A fire killed her dad in the line of duty, fighting it six years ago, and her mom started drinking her life away. Jane quit high school to work, helping her siblings complete high school, keep out of trouble, and nobody figured out her mom’s problem. She started working for a company Dan owned, so he set it up for her to get home schooled to finish high school.

Elaine was next at twenty-one. She was a junior in computer science, so she helps Dan upgrade the AI. She was from New York City. Her dad is a police officer and mom died in the line of duty in the same job at different precinct. They met as partners and mom switched precincts so they could go out. She died just prior to their marriage. She was in the late stage of pregnancy with Elaine so they could save the baby.

Tom was twenty and a sophomore. He was majoring in physics and from Pittsburgh. He grew up in foster care, as his mom was a drug addict and overdosed. Dad was never in the picture.

Alex was nineteen and a freshman. He was majoring in history and from Buffalo. He ran away from home and lived on the streets before Dan found him. His dad abused his mom and siblings physically. Dan helped him earn his general educational development (GED or high school equivalency test) so he could enter college after dropping out.

Betty was eighteen. She lived with her grandmother and has never met her parents. They were teenagers when she was born. Mom left grandma’s, so she could have met up with dad and they both vanished. They heard from neither parent since.

About forty minutes later, people excused themselves for class or other reason. Jane was cleaning up the kitchen, leaving Dan and I left at the table. We have had no genuine conversation as yet so I blurted out, “why did you marry me?”

He smiled, “I own all this because my magic gives me glimpses of the future. My future without you is bleak. With you, there is the possibility of great joy.”

I respond, “do I share in that joy?”

He laughs loudly, making me smile despite myself. “You and your children create that joy to share with me. However, I can not predict my seeing that day. I may still die, even with your help. You survive and get all this either way.”

I ask, “Betty stated I would have a job to do. What is it?”

He gets very serious, “yes, learn magic. Perfect magic, and that joy is ours. Fail and I am gone.”

“How old are you?”

Chuckling, he states, “I look younger than your dad’s forty-one, closer to your mom’s thirty-three. Actually, I was born over five centuries ago. I am five hundred and twenty. I’ve seen girls younger than you die giving birth. You would run and hide if you saw evil I’ve fought. I’ve fought for those less fortunate, for my mother’s sake, after my father killed her because he wanted an innocent girl younger than you for his wife instead.

“This entire estate is in your name, in trust, until you are eighteen. Our lawyer is your legal guardian if I die. As needed, he will maintain the estate. He will continue to replace college graduates with new freshmen to continue the staff here. He will protect your siblings from your father and keep you up to date on all of your family’s life.

“There are only two rules: you must not contact your family until you are eighteen, and you must never give your parents anything, unless they apologize and agree to live here under your orders. They refuse and they deserve their fate. They decide to ignore your orders and our lawyer will have them arrested, so you do not need to.”

I look at Dan with shock written across my face. I had no issue with the rules or the existing policy continuing. Having a lawyer between me and dad was a good thing as right now I wanted him arrested.

I had asked Debbie for more details about the teen sex trade, as I learned it was called from her, and he definitely deserved jail. However, becoming a multi-billionaire a few hours ago made me wish to thank my lucky stars. She had told me most of the legal stuff already, so I understood it. I could kick everyone out of this place, including Dan.

Dan owned another property plus many businesses I could not touch until his death. The contract with the lawyer required him to obey all my orders, without consideration of Dan’s feelings on the matter, for this property and a hefty set of accounts.

Dan placed a debt card on the table, followed by a smart phone. “There is ten thousand available on this card. If you need more, call our lawyer Zack and he will fix it. This phone has everyone’s number pre-programmed,” he stated, placing the phone on the table. They were too far away for me to reach.

“Debbie, as you called her, got installed on it. She will keep track of your spending and warn you, when you do not have enough funds, so need to call Zack. I want you to buy four more dress outfits with jewelry to match and enough casual clothes for three weeks. Do not forget a purse or wallet to hold your phone and debit card. Jane knows the routine, as she has helped many others through it.”

Jane came back to the table having started a dishwasher, grabbed the phone and debit card, and placed them in front of me. She gave me a pen to sign the back of the debit card. “It’s a good deal, June. I spent fourteen thousand on my first day and felt like a million. On my second day, I bought my car you will see shortly. You ready?”

I look up and ask, “do you trust him?”

Jane smiles, “with my life. He has only ever hugged and kissed my cheek like my dad did because I did it first. There are hundreds he treats, the same as his children each year. All have a job offer they can accept after college is done. I am taking mine. He has offered me the chief financial officer (CFO) position of one of his smaller business units. He plans a three-month training by the current holder of the job. They are moving up to a bigger business afterwards.”

As she talks, she leads the way to the garage right past my room. Since it appears she was not waiting for me to answer whether I was ready, I get up, wave goodbye to Dan, collect both phone and card, and follow her. Once we pass my room, we go through the door at the end of the hall. Beyond that, there were stairs to the second floor, similar to those at the other end. Directly in front was a second door.

Inside the garage (about 20x25 M or 65.5x82 FT) were many vehicles, including a helicopter and recreational vehicle (RV.) Those two were at the far end, behind the two-story garage door. The helicopter was closest to the door. Jane leads me to a Mercedes-Benz. “My dream car from all the TV ads.”

Elaine was performing some kind of work under a car lifted high in the air above her near the first garage door. They parked many cars behind that lift, including Jane’s. Every vehicle in the garage looked brand new, though some were definitely antiques.

We got in Jane’s car and she drive towards the second garage door. She hit the remote button to open the door. I look around the car, impressed by what I see. It is likely three years old, but it looks like brand new. I ask about it and Jane responds, “Elaine takes her job seriously. She washes and cleans every car that got used. Usually, she gets it done the same day. However, it will happen the next day for sure.”

As we got closer, I could see Elaine was performing an oil change. Something I have done on my dad’s pickup many times over the years. My dad had taught me many things about taking care of that truck because he was better at other chores than me and I had proved I was as good as him handling the truck once taught. Overall, more got done this way versus the reverse.

The fact I enjoyed working on the truck made me faster and better than my dad. I fixed some things he was at a loss to do after a web search at school. During my study periods over the last seven years, I started spending them at the library reading or watch Internet instructions on mechanics. The librarians at my elementary and high school ordered books on the topic for me. If it were not for me, dad’s pickup would never survive the last five years.

We turn right as we exit the garage. She presses the remote button to close the door behind us. After following the driveway to the main gate, she presses a different button to open the gate. She stops at the driveway end and looks both ways as she presses the button to close the gate. With nothing coming, she turns left.

A few minutes later, we pass through the village of Cherry Valley. Definitely bigger than my town. Multiple stores we do not have. Those we have were much bigger here. At some point, I need to come here and explore, given how close it is to the house.