Chapter 2 - The Answer is NO

Luca Bianchi

Days later...

I was awakened by the flash of daylight entering my room. I whimpered a little and tried to cover my eyes, but felt my sheets being pulled away.

“What hell!” I put the pillow over my head.

“Get up!” My father's shrill voice came ripping through my ears.

I sat up in bed and pulled back the sheets to cover my nakedness. My head was burning from the hangover of the night before.

I looked at the elegant figure of my father in front of me. Well-fitted suit and the posture of an English lord. He was the older version of me. Looking at him, it was like knowing what I would look like in a few years.

He walked across the room and threw the empty whiskey glass, which was on my bedside table, on the floor.

“Aren't you supposed to be working?”

“Today is Sunday! Who works on Sunday?”

“Today is Friday! But even if it were Sunday, a man committed to his work is not bound by dates.” I got up and put on a sweatshirt.

“I am an extremely committed man at work, Dad. Everything is organized in the company and the documents you requested are signed. We also have a great team, closely monitored by me.”

“While drinking and having sex with random women in your house?”

“First, I don't drink during working. Second, I don't bring women into my coverage. I fuck them where I find them.”

“In a whorehouse, I guess.” I couldn't control my laughter. My father loved to be hard on me.

“You'd be surprised to know where I get women, Mr. Bianchi.”

“Is dad to you, son. I'm still your father, and I haven't given up my position. Even if sometimes I wish I could disown you. You are concupiscent and extremely reckless.”

“Maybe you should disown me and put your youngest son as CEO of the company. I would love to see your empire destroyed at the hands of your beloved model son.”

“I must remind you, I don't need any of my children. I am not dead. And as you said, we have a good team. I can very well find another CEO with more competence than you.”

I was overcome with anger. My father could say what he wanted, but he couldn't doubt my work. I was carrying that company on my back. I was responsible for the company's high profits and growth over the last few years. I would not allow my professionalism to be put at stake.

“Dad...”

“Enough, Luca! I don't want to hear any more. Now you're going to listen to me. Sit down.”

“I'd rather stand.”

“Whatever! “He sat down in the chair in front of me. “I'll get right to the point. I don't know if you remember, but I gave you until you were 27 to find a good wife. You are already 28 years old, about to turn 29.

“It is not so easy to find a good woman to marry, it doesn't mean that I haven't been looking.”

“Having sex with the first available woman is not exactly looking.”

“You really misunderstand me, Daddy.”

“I understand what you convey to me. But anyway, now your search is no longer necessary, I have already found a good wife for you.” I stared in amazement at his last words.

“I really hope that this is some kind of figure of speech.”

“No, that's exactly what I mean. I have set a good wedding arragement for you, with a good girl.”

“You're kidding, right?“ I smiled, more out of fear than anything else.

“No. I'm saying what I really mean. I fixed a wedding for you.”

“Like, arranged marriage?

“Call it whatever you like. I've arranged an engagement dinner for tomorrow night.” I laughed out loud.

“You've got to be kidding.”

“The only one adept at living with jokes here is you, my son. I'm very serious.”

I went to the bedroom window, trying to digest the matter and control my anger. My father had crossed all the limits with this arranged marriage business. I was a grown man and I wasn't going to admit it.

I turned back to face him.

“I respect all degrees of madness and all the fools on earth, but you have crossed the line with me.”

“I'll say it again, the only crazy person here is you. And a marriage will bring stability to your life. A family, children, and a good sex with just one woman.”

“I don't want to have sex with just one woman, kids, family, dog, or an SUV. I want to have sex with whom I want and am attracted to. And, for sure, it is not a wife chosen by my father.”

“I am sure I can choose a much better woman than you.” Well, that I couldn't deny. My mother was a model wife and a very beautiful woman. They had been successfully married for years. The kind of rare thing that only happens once.

“Ouch, you really know how to touch a man's wound, Mr. Bianchi. But the answer is still no.”

“Son, I ask you to get to know her, she's a good girl.” His voice softened.

“Not that I mind, but just to clear my conscience, who is the chosen one?”

“Sofia Morelli.”

“This name is not strange to me.”

“She is the daughter of Giuseppe Morelli, who worked for me for many years.”

“A simple maid?”

“She is not a maid. I'm very fond of her and her father.”

“Not that I mind your charity work, Dad. But we are one of the richest families in Italy. Strange that you want to marry your heir to a maid.”

“Not that you deserve an answer, my son. But know that she is a good girl and I have her as a daughter. I owe her father my life, you know that. If it weren't for him, I would have died in that accident years ago. He is terminally ill and I promised him to take care of his only daughter.”

“And you're going to take care of her by giving her to me?” I looked at him incredulously. “I'm sorry, but I refuse to participate in your charity work.” My father snorted and got up from his chair.

“I'm sorry, son. But this is going to be the hard way.”

“What are you going to do? Tie me up and marry me by force?” I smiled.

“You signed the papers I sent you yesterday, didn't you?”

“Yes, I did.”

“Did you read them?”

“Well, I don't read them when the order comes directly from you, for me to sign.”

“But you should.” He went to the table beside my bed and took out a folder of papers. “It says that you renounce everything you enjoy with the company's money, including the position of CEO, if you don't agree to get married before you turn 29. Since your birthday is in a few months, your time is running out, my son.”

“DO YOU KIDDING ME!

“As I said before, I am not joking. Here are the papers, you can look at them and you'll see that everything is within the law.” He threw the folder on the bed. “Oh, I still have a document signed by you, where you agreed to marry by the age of 27 to continue leading the company, remember? You're more than a year late, son. You'd better hurry. Well, I'm sorry it has to be this way, but believe me, I do everything for your well-being.”

“You should take less care of my welfare, Dad.” I looked at him with all the fury he had aroused in me.

“Maybe when you have children of your own you'll understand.” He walks to the door. “Oh, I'll send all the information about the engagement dinner to you. I hope you will decide to do what is best for you and show up.”

“Don't count on it.” He leaves and closes the door.

I spent the day going through the documents I signed. I even contacted lawyers, but nothing seemed to be able to get me out of my sentence. My father included everything bought with the family's Money; cars, apartments, and even what I bought with my working years. He was disinheriting me, or rather, I did that when I signed the damn document.

Even if I tried to get it annulled, claiming that I signed it without knowing it, it would drag on for years. It seemed that the only way out was to marry that girl and then divorce her when I got all my inheritance back.

I had a standard of living, which I didn't want to give up at the moment. I liked to live in comfort and with money. I had always lived that way. Sure, I could get a job in another company and make my name, but that company was my legacy, my name, my family. I would only need to marry an insider to secure everything that was rightfully mine.

The idea was strange to me, but it didn't seem like something I wouldn't be able to adapt to. Arranged marriage was not that far removed from our culture. My parents had an arranged marriage, although my father had chosen my mother among several proposals for him. He was extremely passionate about her and they had a successful marriage.

I had met Sofia years before. She was a beautiful young woman full of life, as far as I could remember. It would not be such a sacrifice to have a beautiful woman in my bed every night for the duration of our marriage.

Maybe I could do that after all. At least until this absurd situation was reversed.