Chapter 5 Not yours to decide

As they pulled up to her place, Noah's eyes narrowed, watching from the window as Eden leaned in, his lips brushing against his daughter's in a gentle kiss. Noah's grip on the windowsill tightened, his anger simmering as he saw Eden get down and open the door for Abigail, his hands on the small of her back. The gesture was intimate; it made Noah's blood boil. He could feel his face growing hot and his heart racing as Eden stood near his car, waiting for Abigail to reach the door before driving off.

Noah quickly moved away from the window, his footsteps quiet on the carpet. He settled onto the living room couch, his eyes fixed on the door, waiting for her to come in.

She pushed the door open, surprised to find it still hadn't been locked. She had expected her dad to be asleep after the last missed call, not waiting up for her. She tiptoed inside, hoping to slip away to her room unnoticed. But before she could escape, her dad's angry voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Where have you been, Abi?" Noah thundered, his face red with rage.

"D-dad, I...I went out," she stuttered.

"With who?" he bellowed, his anger escaping. "Eden?"

She nodded, taken aback by his fury, "Y-yes".

She had gone out with Eden before, and her Dad knew about their relationship. But this time, his reaction was different.

"Did you sleep with him?" he demanded, his voice trembling with anger.

She looked down, surprised at his question and unable to meet his gaze. The silence was deafening.

"I'm disappointed," he said, his voice cracking with emotion. "I expected more from you."

"I'm sorry," she whispered, her eyes fixed on the floor.

"You didn't answer the question, Abi," he said, still angry and demanding.

"Dad, why?" she asked defensively. "That's too blunt, I can't," she stammered.

"You'd better not," he snapped, because you're getting married soon."

As soon as the word left his lips, he regretted saying it. He wasn't supposed to reveal the marriage plans yet. Not this way.

"Getting married?" she repeated, her eyes wide with shock. "Was he aware?" she questioned her thoughts. Had Eden told her dad about the proposal before telling her?

"Yeah, you're getting married soon," Noah said, his tone slightly softer.

"You're aware?" she asked, still trying to make sense of it.

Noah stared at her quietly, wondering what she was talking about. He hadn't told her about the marriage plans before, and he wasn't supposed to reveal them yet. But now that the cat was out of the bag, he had to explain.

Surprised, Abigail continued, "He told me last night, and I said yes."

Confused, Noah asked, "Who? Eden, I presume?" his eyes narrowed, and his face darkened with anger.

"Was that what this outing was all about? Getting married to Eden?" He chuckled. "It's a joke."

"I-I thought that's what you were saying," Abigail said, confused.

Noah's tone turned serious again. "Hell no," he exclaimed.

"Andrew Williams spoke to me about getting you married to his son Brian, and I thought that was a great idea."

Abigail's eyes widened in horror. "Dad, you're kidding me, right?"

Noah turned his face sideways, avoiding her gaze.

"No, no, no, no, no, you're joking, Dad?" she said, pacing back and forth.

She rushed to him, grasping his hands.

"Dad, tell me it's a prank."

Noah turned to face her, his voice barely above a whisper. "It's not a prank, Abi."

She jerked her hands away, stepping back and looking pale. "How could you, Dad? She demanded, her face turning pink with rage.

"How could you decide my life for me like that?" she yelled, frustration etched on her face.

"It...it was the best decision for the business and you, Noah stammered.

"Best decision for the business?" she cried, her voice cracking. "That's on you, not me!"

She spun around and ran into her room, slamming the door behind her.

Noah stood there, frozen in place. He hadn't expected Abigail to blow up. He exhaled deeply and collapsed onto the couch, feeling frustrated and defeated.`

He had never seen his little girl so angry, her face twisted in rage and hurt. She had never yelled at him before, and the sound of her raised voice echoed in his mind.

What had he done? He thought, rubbing his temples. He had only tried to secure her future, but now it seemed like he had made a terrible mistake.

Abigail locked herself in her room, shutting the door firmly behind her. She dived onto her bed, burning her head under her pillow as tears streamed down her face. She cried uncontrollably, her body shaking with sobs.

The event of the previous night flooded her mind: losing her virginity to the love of her life, his proposal, and now her father's shocking revelation. It was all too much to process. Everything was happening too quickly, and the emotions were overwhelming.

She felt like her head was spinning, like it might explode from the pressure. Eventually, exhaustion took over, and she cried herself to sleep, her pillow damp with tears.

She woke up hours later to the sound of knocking on her door.

"Abi, open the door, I brought your food," Noah called out. But she remained silent, just staring blankly at the door.

"Abi, please open up. It's past 2 pm, you need to eat something," he pleaded. She continued to ignore him, her stomach growling with hunger, but she had no appetite.

"Abi, I brought your favourite cereal, please open up," he tried again. But she wouldn't budge. She was overwhelmed, her mind reeling with the shocking revelation.

Her father had arranged a marriage for her without her consent. He knew about Eden, yet he had agreed to marry her off to Andrew William's son. The thought made her feel sick to her stomach.

She heard the knock several times more, but she deliberately ignored it. She wasn't in the right frame of mind to talk to anyone, especially her father.

After what seemed like an endless knocking on the door, there was silence, and then the soft clatter of the tray set down outside the door. She knew her father had left the food for her in case she changed her mind. But she wasn't willing to forgive him that easily.

She cried some more, her eyes swollen and pale, with dark circles forming under them. Eventually, exhaustion took over, and she collapsed onto her bed again.