The past influences the future

18 years ago....

"Malcolm, I just got a call from the Yamamoto family and they said you turned down the marriage proposal that we arranged for you." Merrick Drake, looked at his oldest son, Malcolm, and closed his fists tight, he was furious.This damn kid is going to ruin this deal, and I will beat him bloody until he agrees to marry that girl. His wife, Monica, looks on with a cold look in her eyes. "Dear, I'm sure it's just a misunderstanding, Malcolm is a good boy and he always does what we say, isn't that right?" Monica looked at her husband and her child and thought that they were exactly alike, stubborn, proud, possessive.and extremely intelligent. She knew that Malcolm would turn down the proposal, she had told Merrick that he wouldn't accept and he had stubbornly proclaimed that he would do as he said. Yeah...she knew her son very well and was inwardly amused to see the two men acting like two fighting roosters, both refusing to stop staring at each other to see who would turn away first. "Father, I refuse." Malcom's icy smile made his handsome face look more attractive. He had inherited the best features of both parents, tall, with a strong physique, eyes so icy blue that they almost looked white with a beautiful almond shape, surrounded by eyelashes that most girls are jealous of, plump kissable lips the top slightly thinner than the bottom giving him a pouty look that made you want to bite them, hair as dark as night, skin glowing a beautiful golden color. Yes, he had movie star looks that women and men adored and the attitude of a king, many young ladies lost their hearts and heads after one look.

Merrick roared in a rage as he threw a heavy crystal ashtray at Malcolm who swiftly dodged it, "You will do as I say! You will call Caroline Yamamoto immediately and ask her to marry you." "I refuse." Malcom sat down in a plush chair by his mother, " I don't love her, I won't marry a woman whom I don't care for." Phhh, "who says you marry for love?" Monica stated in a calming tone as she picked up her tea cup and very carefully drank some, "mmm... delicious tea darling, remind me to tell Smith to order more from that new specialty shop." "Yes, dear," Merrick glanced at his son, "your mother and I had an arranged marriage and look at us, we have a successful relationship." "If your relationship is so successful Father, why do you have a mistress then?" Malcolm sneered at the man standing in front of him as he asked. Slap! "You are being insolent and rude in front of your mother. Apologize right now!" Merrick's face was flushed red with anger. Monica sighed, "Malcolm, I think you misunderstand something here. I know about your father's mistress, who do you think introduced them, hmm?" Monica smiled coolly at her son as she put her cup down. " Silly children nowadays think that they know everything." "We marry for power, for social status and politics, not for love." "If you don't love your future partner, just find someone to fill the void discreetly and you will be fine. Your father and I have mutual interests and goals so we got married and it has worked quite well for us."

"Good for you mother, but I will not marry that woman. Why don't you introduce her to Robert, I'm sure he will not disappoint you." Malcom slowly and elegantly stood up. "I will be leaving, if you need me for anything except this matter call me." "Malcolm, I am not going to drop this, Caroline Yamamoto will be part of this family whether you like it or not. Accept it and set a date as soon as possible, I don't want this to delay the takeover of the Yamamoto conglomerate, do you understand me?" "It's funny how you really think I'm going to do this because you say so," Malcolm laughed sarcastically, "I stopped doing what you told me as a kid, what makes you think you can order me around now? I'm not wasting my time, I'm leaving. Good evening mother." Malcom leisurely strolled out of his Father's den and said goodbye to his mother's assistant Lana as he left for his home.

Driving home he was thinking that he would never have a marriage like his parents, cold, lifeless, emotionless, lacking any kind of the softest emotions that make up a loving relationship. "I swear, I will not disappoint myself and my future wife, I will love her and our future children selflessly and with all my heart. Whomever you are you will be adored and loved for infinity."