章 2: Marriage Talk

"Hey best buddy!" Edilberto surprisingly runs like a puppy and hugs him, "ahh best friend! It's great to finally see you again after 25 years." Reuben happily pulls away, "yeah buddy shh you're making me feel old! Were still young! We're both in our fifties!" He shows him inside his house, "Come on in!"

He humbly appreciates it, "Aww please call me Reuben, I have yet to hear great stories about you."

She exits the office when Reuben grins at him pointing to her wife walkout, "wah buddy you got yourself a nice wife there. But um if you don't mind me asking what happened to Ernestina?" Edilberto is uncomfortable suddenly hearing her name.

He knows how to hide his expression. "Ernestina and I divorced, 13 years ago, do you wish to hear the reason?" Reuben somehow understands the situation when he smiles, "not really, all that matters now is the fact that you're happier than before!"

Edilberto laughs. Reuben feels relieved he didn't go any further to ask about his ex-wife and instead changes the topic.

"I got to give you props buddy the company has grown since I gave it to you! It was smart to call it A Star Is, when you say it all together it sounds like your last name. But the name changed three years ago to A Star Mall? Why is that? And not only that but it's spread far and wide, I read many great reviews! And what shocked me, even more, was the fact that you even expand it overseas, to South Korea! Wow! I'm impressed! How did that happen?"

But strangely after hearing Reuben's compliments, he does not feel the slightest happy or proud. He is disappointed in himself because he knows Reuben deserves to know the truth.

He sighs and does his best to be sincere, "actually that was not my doing…"

Reuben is taken aback and confused, "w-what do you mean not your doing?"

Edilberto is having a hard time speaking when he sighs and bravely continues, "what I mean is, the mall's success is all because of my daughter Belen."

But Reuben is still confused when he asks, "yeah but don't you and your daughter co-work in the company together?"

He hangs his head low and he loses all confidence, "that'd be a nice way of running things, though it's not in my case. Belen is the Head of the company, CEO, all of my rights, shares, and assets are all under her name, nothing belongs to me anymore."

Reuben is in disbelief, his eyes widen and his breathing is cut short, he begins to panic, "what do you mean you gave her the company? You let her have it? And erased your name?! is that it?!"

He senses anger in Reuben's tone, he knows the reason for it, but retaliates, "after I signed all authority over to her, she changed the name to A Star Mall."

Reuben angrily shouts, "but she's your daughter! Your own blood! How can she do this? Then what do you do now?"

He accepts his friend's anger. "My daughter and I don't communicate at all, and well she's managing the mall far beyond better than when it was under my name. I don't work now. I saved enough before I gave her the company to buy a house here in Palmdale, it's not bad. Extending the mall to South Korea was her doing. I have no part in anything anymore."

Reuben is simply speechless.

"Sorry buddy I'm just, I can believe this… you're not playing a prank on me are you?" he looks around hoping for it to be a prank but due to Edilberto's expression, he realizes it's the truth. "Fine then let me get this straight. You had a fallout with your daughter. And now she owns the company and everything that comes with it. So nothing belongs to you, but what happened to your first daughter?"

"My eldest daughter chose to study abroad. Now she's traveling around the world. I don't know where she is because she's always moving from one place to another. And as a father I couldn't force her to stay so I let her go."

Reuben asks again, "wait how many children do you have? I'm confused!"

Edilberto laughs breaking the icy tension, "I have three daughters and a 13-year-old son."

Reuben is perplexed, "that's a lot of children! Ah sorry, it's just, wow! I only have 2, my eldest daughter is 27 and my youngest son is 25. I can't imagine having that many children."

"My eldest daughter, Mabel is 30 years old, following her is Iris she's 29, and then Belen she's 24." Reuben sighs, "ahh look at us, it feels like just yesterday you and I created that mall, our hard work really paid off didn't it?"

He agrees when he curiously asks, "and what happened to you? Did you start a company overseas as you got offered to?"

Reuben feels somewhat hesitant to reveal, "unfortunately it turned out to be a complete failure. I was unable to come up with ways for my company to survive. Though fortunately with my wife's help we were able to maintain it and move the company to the U.S. That is why I'm here! And well the other reason why I came was to fulfill the promise we made, 25 years ago, remember?"

Edilberto is shocked, "ah yes that promise, uhm well I can only offer you two options."

Reuben looks at the time and realizes it's gotten late "oh by the way buddy, my birthday is coming up in two weeks. I was wondering if we can have dinner together, so I can meet your children and you can meet mine, so what do you say?"

He does not hesitate to answer "sure I'd love that! I'll pick the restaurant so don't worry about a thing!"

But after he drove away, he stopped at a faraway street and looks around to see no one. His smile disappears, and his eyes filled with anger emerge, "damn it all! That bloody stupid man!! He just gave our company away to his daughter like it was nothing! I never expected he'd give EVERYTHING to his youngest daughter. Damn! damn! damn!" he whispers under his breath with malice "I'll have what's mine back!"

***

Belen somehow calms down after seeing Noah when she tries to control her anger, "these old Presidents just know how to get on my nerves! Why are they so slow to sign on a proposal and yet fast to make a new product without caring about the negative outcomes!"

Noah picked up her broken phone and slide it into his right pocket, when he whispers under his breath, "now I have to go downstairs and program her a new phone."

***

Belen rummages through her purse and finds it strange that her personal phone is ringing.

She sighs knowing it's most likely Iris calling her again and checking the caller ID. Her expression widens in disbelief, "f-father? My dad is calling?" she stares at it for a few seconds and snaps back to reality. And answers confidently "Hello?"

"Belen, I'm calling to ask to meet with you, it's urgent. If you'd like I can come over to the office right away."

Surprisingly Belen responds with a mellow tone, "don't! I'll come over, by what time?"

"anytime but it has to be today."

Belen glances at her watch, "I understand, then I'll be there before 7 pm."

***

In Beverly Hills California there is a two-story house where Reuben arrives, parks his car out in the driveway. He opens the garage door and there are two more cars parked. He enters from the garage door into his house when he hears clacks of plates and cups. He enters the kitchen to see a beautiful tall fair skin, a woman with short golden wavy hair and blue eyes. "hi dad!"

Reuben is happy to see his daughter and pats her shoulder, "you're washing the dishes, why are you home so early?"

Leena stops washing the dishes and removes her gloves when she turns around, "things are going smoothly nowadays since you came back, so I'm able to come home early. Did something happen with your friend?"

He throws himself on the sofa, "nothing I'm just tired from the long drive, oh! Don't plan anything for my birthday, we're going to have dinner with my buddy's family."

Leena walks to the sofa to sit down, "we're going to have dinner with them? What will you do about Everest? I doubt he'll show up."

Reuben stands up in a panic, "where is Everest? I need to tell him something!"

They both look to the front door open when a tall man with fair skin, blue eyes, golden hair enters his house arrogantly "what do you want now?" he indifferently talks back to his dad who is standing next to the sofa.

"Where have you been since the last few days I came back? This is the first time I see you!"

Everest walks over to his dad and hugs him tight, "there you happy now? I'm tired I'm going to sleep?"

Reuben grabs his wrist so he cannot escape and pulls him down onto the sofa. "sit your ass down! We have to talk!"

He arrogantly brushes his dad off, "man what is it this time? You always want to talk!" "where have you been? Why have I been receiving messages of your transactions always in hotels? What are you doing wasting money on hotels?" the air turns cold and quiet when Leena comments "probably sleeping with any women he can get."

He explodes, "is that true Everest? Do you want to get some type of dangerous disease?! You're a man and you have desires but you can't be doing that sort of stuff to just any girl!" Leena is shocked to hear her dad only encourage him, "dad! That's not what you should be saying to him! You should scold him for sleeping with women!"

But Everest coldly glares at her, "yet if you women sleep with other men it's no big deal right?"

Leena glares back at him, "I am not like those desperate prostitutes who sleep with just any man! I have a fiance! You have no right to judge women based on your experience!"

Everest gives up and pouts like a child who just got scolded by his mother. She gets up and hits him upside the head, "don't talk down to me like that ever again!"

But this does not surprise him instead he looks used to it and shouts back at Leena but he sees her return for a second hit and he backs away, "damn Leena calm down I wasn't saying you,"

"When are you going to work? You're the vice president of Fox Cinematic Theaters! Dad and I are counting on you to work!"

Everest is so annoyed at the thought of working, "I don't want to be cooped up in that small place office! It's boring always having to read and deal with customers day after day!"

Reuben hits him upside the head, "You didn't have a problem before! why now?! Don't you care about your sister?! She's getting married in 6 months! She should be planning her wedding right now! But she's working in your place!"

Everest complains, "well what about you? Isn't that why you came back?"

Reuben smirks, "Now that I'm back I better see you come into work at least three times a week or else… well, you'll see for yourself."

Everest does not take heed of his warning and walks away.

Leena mentions, "just let him be dad, I don't think he's gotten over what happened to him."

"Leena that happened over 2 years ago! He should be over it by now! He's wasting money from the company, he's irresponsible! Argh! What he needs now is someone who will straighten him out!"

***

Edilberto is waiting for Belen, but at the same time Iris is curious "dad who are you waiting for?" "your sister, Belen is coming."

Iris's eyes almost pop out from shock, "B-Belen is coming! Here! Today!? Why didn't you tell me sooner!" she runs upstairs to get ready. He hears a car in his driveway and figures it might be her. She wears the highest jewelry brand on her neck, ears, fingers, and wrist. Dressed in a gorgeous rose gold business suit and beige 4-inch stiletto heels. Her long black wavy hair is brushed to the side when she elegantly walks up to the house door but notices her dad standing outside. Impressed by her appearance, he compliments her, "nice car. I see you've been well."

But she coldly stares at him with lasers almost shooting out of her eyes. "I didn't come for small talk."

He's taken aback by her sudden attitude but is used to it when he shows her inside the house. She glances around and notices Leah from the corner of her eye and instinctively knows she's going to be introduced to her. "come follow me."

He shyly explains, "This is my office. It's well a replica of the office in A Star Is, I mean A Star Mall."

Belen looks at the office in disgust. "Pitiful, you actually copied the office's design! It's a great thing I made new renovations to it. You should really get over this sad obsession! Your only making yourself look like a fool."

Her harsh comments hurt his pride when he finds it difficult to make a smile at her and simply says, "Please sit down, I won't take much of your time before I start, I can't help but ask, why did you come all the way over here? You do know I could have gone to your office instead of interrupting your busy schedule."

Belen coldly sighs, "I don't want to see you anywhere near my mall."

"why is that?"

She responds with such a cold glare, "because your mere existence embarrasses me."

He feels a tight squeeze in his heart, a burning sensation yet guilt fills his mind when he tries to respond as if her words did not offend him. "I-I see, I'll remember to keep that in mind."

"The reason I called you here was to tell you about a promise I made with an old buddy of mine. You will marry his son, Everest Fox, as of this moment you two are betrothed to each other. The wedding will be held in autumn of next year."

"I decline! There is no way I will get married!"

"Think of this as an arranged business marriage! You'll gain from each other and better yet use it as a stepping stone to help the mall."

"What exactly do you know about A Star Mall! Upgrade? What kind of child's play are you thinking about?! This promise has nothing to do with me!"

He takes a sealed document and hands it to her.

"What is this?"

"My will and a copy of my promise, you will marry Everest Fox within the next year! If, for whatever reason, you decline, then I will disown you as my daughter. And you will be stripped of your position."

"Dad! Why!"

"And the company will be handed down to Leah's eldest son, he's currently in the army right now but will be coming home next year just in time to attend your wedding."

"You can't do this, dad! What about the deal we made four years ago!!"

"That has nothing to do with this. Either you marry Everest Fox, or I disown you as my daughter and everything you own will be taken!"

"You're doing this on purpose aren't you! Revenge?! Is that what it is? Or do you want money?! Which is it?!"

"Belen! Meet him first! If he turns out to be a burden to you then I'll have him marry Iris instead."

She is so agitated that she storms out of the house but he stops her, "Please Belen, just meet him for now, I'm not asking for much, please! I beg you! This is my best friend! He's very important to me I promised him!" She turns back with her eyebrows furrowed in, "again it's all about you! Why can't you see past your greedy irresponsible ambitions! This promise was made between you two, not me! I will not be part of this!"

"If you step outside of that door right now you will lose the company!" as he said this Belen freezes and turns around to see him handing her the document sealed in a file, "take it and meet him for now, as soon as possible, please Belen I'm begging you!" he makes a desperate expression hoping to convince her.

Leah and Iris are shocked they have no idea what is going on, they are both lost. "fine! I'll consider it, for now, you better be alert at all times, I'll call you back to let you know when I'll be able to meet him." She walks out of the house with heavy angry footsteps.

As she left silence fills the house when Edilberto collapses from stress when Leah and Iris help him on the sofa.

"Yes, darling what was going on? Did she do something to you?"

"Daddy, what did Belen do to you?"

But he protects her when he shifts the blame to himself, "it wasn't Belen, I am the one at fault, pay no attention to it, ah I'm tired."

As they both left the living room, Iris makes a bitter expression of jealousy thinking, "ugh, Belen! Even now, he still protects her! What did she do to him?"

***

Meanwhile, Noah is in Belen's house cooking dinner. But he worriedly looks at the time on his phone. "It's already 10 pm… she should be here by now." The door unlocks when he runs to surprise Belen but is flustered when she enters the house crying. He quickly rushes to hug her, "What's the matter? Are you hurt anywhere?! Belen! Belen!" She falls to the ground crying like a baby. Noah is so worried he does not know what to do, so he squats, "Did you get hurt or?" but she softly wraps her arms around him and nuzzles her head on his chest. His heart flutters but suddenly sinks when she says in a delicate trembling voice, "I don't want to get married, Noah! I don't want to get married!! I can't get married!! I don't want to get married!" she cries while gripping onto his clothes. Noah's eyes are filled with sadness yet curious to know what she means by marriage, "her whole body is trembling, her voice is so fragile, if I hug her too tightly I'm afraid to break her… she needs me right now… all I can do is comfort her."