CHAPTER 5: THE PROPOSAL

Alynna suffers under her stepmother's cruelty, but when her fiance-to-be visited her in their mansion, she was shocked to discover that he knew him after all - and that he has lots of plans for them.

Chapter 5: The Proposal

 

Cullan Rothschild cannot believe the news. He even eyed the article and pictures to make sure that this Alynna Hall is the same Alynna he had met and rescued two months ago. The black, curly hair as dark as the night and the bright blue eyes are so familiar Cullan cannot deny it anymore. It is the same woman who made him sleepless every night for the past two months.

Cullan read the article, unable to contain his curiosity.

 

Allan Bach, the heir of Zest Incorporation, is engaged to Alynna Savannah Victoria Hall, daughter of the famous businessman, Mr. Marcus Hall of Hall Enterprise. Miss Hall finished studying Business Administration in Sapienza �" Universita di Roma in Rome, Italy. A sister to the Victoria’s Secret model Bella Hall and to the F1 racer and businessman Rhys Hall, Alynna Hall led a very private life with their uncle, Father Fabian Hall, a parish priest in Via Ardeatina, Rome.

No specific wedding date has been announced yet, but reliable sources said that it would be on the earliest time possible.

Allan and Alynna’s marriage will be a great opportunity for any ideas to improve both the Zest Incorporation and Hall Enterprise.

 

Below the article are separate pictures of Allan and Alynna, a perfect example of a modern Beauty and the Beast. Alynna looked like a princess from a fairy tale, whereas Allan Bach looked like Homer Simpson.

They are using Alynna to pay off their debts, Cullan thought, and this Allan Bach was just one of the nerd, no-one-knows-about-his-existence type of person when they were both studying in Harvard University. Now, this douchebag will be marrying Alynna?

Crap! Cullan thought. He could have been in the place of Allan Bach now, if his family had not called the merging off.

Do something, Cullan’s mind dictated. Offer bigger benefits. Anyway, who are the Bachs compared to the Rothschilds? Surely, Marcus Hall will prefer a merging with them than with the toss-around Bachs.

Why are you so insistent on keeping her away from her marriage? He asked himself for hours. Why can’t you bear the idea that her family is using her as a pawn and that another man would soon have her? Why do you care?

I don’t know, Cullan finally said to himself.

It was what just felt like the right thing to do.

*

 

Alynna was close to crying. She was confined only for a few days in his father’s house, but it felt like eternity. She cannot stop thinking of her Uncle Fabian, though she calls Sisters Theresa and Marian multiple times a day to check on her uncle’s progress.

If there are things that she should be happy about, those would be her uncle’s continuous medical support and recovery, and that is the only reason why she needs to stay and do every bidding of her father and Isidore.

That includes giving a massage to Isidore, scrubbing her perfectly manicured feet, brushing her hair until she thought all hair strands will be uprooted, and the worst is listening how much Isidore hates her.

Alynna forced a smile and thought: I will soon have a talent of not listening to anything anymore.

She was about to leave her room to visit the library when a knock came from the door.

“Please come in.” Alynna said.

Lyn entered the room, panting, and she looked slightly nervous and happy all the same.

“Miss…Alynna…”

“Is everything all right, Lyn? Catch your breath!”

“Miss Isidore has a visitor…he’s so handsome…and she will be coming here any second now to have you prepared to meet him!” Lyn said in a fearful yet excited voice. It was obvious that she was blown away by Isidore’s visitor.

“Could it be Mr. Bach?” Alynna wondered. She had never seen Allan Bach, but she knows that he is the man she has to marry.

“I don’t know, Miss Alynna. Now please…dress your best! The witch will come any time soon!” Lyn said, opening Alynna’s cabinets and looking for a decent dress to wear.

“But I…I don’t have any beautiful dress…”

“Of course you don’t, darling.”

Lyn almost toppled into the cabinet when she heard the monster’s voice. She regained her stance and bowed low.

“Miss Isidore.”

“Get the keys and open Bella’s room. She surely has something pretty we can lend to this doormat.” Isidore said, causing Lyn to rush outside the room to fetch the keys. She opened Bella’s room and called her two mistresses.

“Miss Isidore, the room’s ready.”

Isidore held Alynna’s arm and half-dragged her to the other room where Lyn had already opened the closets. Isidore let go of Alynna as she looked for Bella’s dress that will fit her stepdaughter.

“No plungies, your breasts are like raisins.”

“You can’t wear a short dress; your knees look ugly and wobbly.”

“No not this one; it’s too expensive for a rag girl like you.”

Alynna kept herself silent as she listened to more of her stepmother’s cruel comments about her. Did Isidore really think that she wants to use Bella’s clothes?

“I can just wear what I’m wearing now.” Alynna finally said. Not that she was excited to meet Allan Bach, but she did not like to keep him waiting. After all, he is a visitor and as much as she is not welcome in this home, she still has to act as a good host to any visitor they might have.

“That?!” Isidore exclaimed and then continued, “You really want to blow this marriage off, don’t you? Why, even a blind will be repulsed by you!” Isidore said, pointing at Alynna’s plain white shirt and knee-length pencil skirt.

Lyn broke the fiery atmosphere.

“I think Miss Alynna will look good on that dress, Miss Isidore.” Lyn volunteered, pointing at a midnight blue dress that was an arm’s length away from Isidore. Isidore threw a deadly look at her stepdaughter and grabbed the dress Lyn has pointed.

“Wear that, you brat, and come to the library quickly.”

Alynna stared at the dress. The front is okay, and the length is just above the knee, but it was backless.

“I can’t wear…”

“You don’t have the right to say ‘no’ to me, young lady. If you want me to continue paying up for your uncle’s medical expenses, do as I say or our deal is off and you can go back to Rome to watch him die!” Isidore said in a very loud voice. Alynna was angry at Isidore. How could she threaten someone’s life over some dress?

“All right.” Alynna answered in a resigned voice. Isidore exhaled angrily.

“Now, try your best to look at least human and go to the library in 10 minutes!” Isidore said and stormed out of the room. Alynna sat weakly on the bed.

“Miss Alynna…” Lyn began.

“Thank you for helping me out, Lyn.”

“It’s nothing. Though I know you’re my mistress, I’d like to think of you as a friend.” Lyn said. Alynna smiled.

“I am your friend.” Alynna answered. Lyn’s eyes lit with happiness.

“I’ll help you get ready.” Lyn offered. “I used to assist Miss Bella when she dresses up so I know a little about her ‘make-me-impossibly-stunning’ process.”

That made Alynna laugh.

*

 

Cullan is using all his patience not to yawn or give a bad comment about Isidore’s one-sided conversation. The woman bored him out of her stories about her summer escapade in Tahiti last year, shopping trips in France, and of course, stories (much more like exaggerated, unbelievably positive sugarcoating) about her famous daughter Bella Hall. Cullan expected her to sell off Alynna by telling nice things about her, but all she can say about Alynna is that she “looks okay, and does household chores very well”. That remark irritated him. What was he here for �" a housekeeper?

“Bella and I even went to a trip once and visited the Stonehedge; the stones are crude and without any paint on them, and there isn’t any Starbucks nearby! I mean, what kind of tourist attraction was that?” Isidore tooted, and drank her ice-cold orange juice. Cullan was not able to put up with her anymore.

“Oh, you mean Stonehenge?” Cullan innocently asked. Isidore coughed and spilled some of the orange juice. Cullan tactfully pulled out his handkerchief.

“Are you alright?” Cullan said in a feigned concerned voice. Isidore murmured a thank you. Cullan was laughing on his head as he helped Isidore wipe off the spill when a knock came from the library door.

“Come in.” Isidore called out.

Alynna entered the room and Cullan forgot how to breathe.

She looked stunning in a midnight blue, knee-length dress that accentuates her small waist and fine legs. She looked simply spectacular, with her long and curly black hair, free from any clips, flowing down on her back like a cascading waterfall. Her makeup was very lightly done and she wore no jewelry, except for a ring.

Her hypnotizing blue eyes are wide with innocent surprise.

If this is what Isidore calls, “looks okay”, she surely does have a very serious eye problem.

“Ahem. Cullan, this is our daughter, Alynna. Alynna darling, this is Cullan Rothschild and he’s here to finalize your marriage.” Isidore said, looking sick of having to call Alynna her ‘daughter’ and ‘darling’. She held Alynna’s arm and squeezed it tightly, silently commanding her to speak.

Alynna cannot think of anything to say. She expected someone with the name of Allan Bach, and who should it be, but Cullan? The man she was dreaming of?

“I am pleased to meet you, Miss Alynna.” Cullan said politely and held his right hand. Alynna remained rigid and stared right to Cullan’s eyes, not believing what she was seeing.

Isidore was already annoyed. Aside from the fact that Cullan was obviously smitten, her dumb stepdaughter seemed to have swallowed her tongue. It took all of Isidore’s self-control not to b***h-slap her. Instead, she pinched Alynna so fiercely Alynna suddenly moved away from her.

“I…I am happy to see you too.” Alynna answered and took Cullan’s hand. It was very big and warm.

Cullan was tempted of not letting go of her hand, but he did.

“Well,” Isidore said, breaking the silence, “Let’s get down to business.”

*

 

Alynna was like in a faraway place, and the only thing that she can do is to look at her future husband. She caught bits and pieces of Cullan and Isidore’s conversation, and it involved the merging of their businesses and finalizing the papers. It was as if the marriage was just a mere subtopic included at the end of the conversation and not the main reason why Cullan was there.

“I do hope this merging and marriage are for real now.” Isidore said. Cullan smiled.

“I can assure you that, ma’am.”

“All right, I’ll leave you two here for a while to get to know each other, then.” Isidore said, and left the library. Before she went out, the witch left Alynna a long, hard look, which practically means, “Don’t mess this up!”

 

Alynna was feeling awkward. What should she say to him now?

“Why are you here?” Cullan asked. Alynna was a little taken aback. Shouldn’t she be the one asking that question?

“I came back…at my father’s request. How about you? Why are you here? I was expecting Mr. Allan Bach.” Alynna said.

“Oh, your parents turned Bach down.” Cullan answered with a smile and stood up, pacing the room and checking on the books. Alynna watched him like a cat watching his owner.

“Why should they do that? It was what they planned all along. And why…why are you…”

Cullan took pity on her. Alynna was obviously in shock and he knew that what her stuttering meant was ‘why was he replacing Allan Bach?”. At least, she deserves an explanation for all this crazy turn of events. He turned to face her.

“The truth is, I intercepted the negotiation between your parents and the Bachs. I offered your father an even greater business deal, which would make the money he can get from the Bachs look like cents. Of course, your parents cannot resist the call of greater wealth, so they called off their negotiation with the Bachs. So, from this moment on and until our wedding, I will be your fiancé.” Cullan explained in a tone like he was just talking about the weather. Alynna’s face was getting red. She must be angry with him when he told her that her parents ‘cannot resist the call of greater wealth’.

He was wrong.

“Why would you even do that?” Alynna asked instead. Cullan was surprised. Why did he, really?

“I guess…I don’t want any other man to marry you.”

It was Alynna’s turn to be surprised. What is happening to the world?

“Why?”

Cullan was engaged in an internal debate. His mind tells him that it was because of his interest in the Hall’s loyal partners, yet there is this small voice telling him that that is not the only reason.

“There are a few reasons. First, I want to have the loyal business partners of Hall Enterprise. Second, I know that you want to be a nun. So here am I, on the process of saving a damsel in distress for the second time around.” There, at least he is closer to the truth.

“How could you possibly save me, when you are to marry me? Of course you know that a married woman cannot be a nun.” Alynna asked in a low voice. Her mind is reeling with questions and all she wanted are answers.

“Now that we’re there,” Cullan said as he moved closer for them to avoid being overheard, “I can offer you a deal, Miss Hall.”

“What deal are you talking about?” Alynna asked in a much lower voice they are on the point of whisper. Somehow, she trusts that Cullan’s deal cannot be worse than the kind of deal Isidore offered her before.

“We just have to be married until I succeed in gaining the solid support of your father’s business partners, and once I am done with that, we can file a divorce and then you can go back to Rome and be a nun. I heard that some nuns are formerly wives.” Cullan answered, but at the back of his mind, he knew that he will be breaking off the deal he made himself.

He promised himself before going to the Halls that they will stay married for a very long time.

Alynna abruptly stood up, anger in her face. How dare he?

“How can you say that? You cannot just break up a marriage! God binds it and only death can separate a married man and woman. You cannot use marriage to acquire the loyalty of others!” Alynna blurted, her hands wringing. Cullan remained cool and composed.

“Why are you here then, if not to be married? Are you not going to use marriage too?”

“I have my own reason, and that is far more respectable than yours. I am sure God understands why I’m doing this.” Alynna answered in a low voice. She cannot ever tell him why she’s into this kind of horrible thing. It was a part of Isidore’s conditions, which she agreed upon.

“You understand that unless we divorce, you will never be a nun.”

“I know that, and I have already chosen my path. I…I don’t want to be a nun anymore.”

Cullan knew it was a lie.

He already had her whole family investigated before he intercepted the negotiation between the Halls and the Bachs. No matter how much Alynna tries to hide it, Cullan already knew beforehand why did she return and why did she resign to the married life he knew she had never dreamed of. He even knew her whole life’s story.

He will protect her from her money-hungry family and help her fulfill her dream of being a servant of God even if it means marrying her and divorcing her afterwards.

Author's Note

Thank you for reviewing Marrying A Wannabe Nun! All reviews, feedback, and suggestions are welcome, although I am requesting that your review be published after finishing my book. Marrying A Wannabe Nun is on Goodreads too, if you want to drop by and post your review.