Chapter 4 FAMILY TIME

Tessa’s POV

Miss Swan took me to a high-end restaurant after that for the lunch and she ordered in fluent French, I have no idea as I ask the waiter to bring me the same.

When the dish finally arrived, only then did I realize that Miss Swan had ordered Fish, I hate fish, I don’t like it at all but still, I try to finish it while keeping a neutral expression.

After lunch, Miss Swan drops me back at my home.

“Tess, how did it go?” The excited voice of my mother came as soon as I entered home.

“Tess, you didn’t make her unhappy right? Did you?” It was my father’s anxious voice.

“Mom, Dad, calm down. Nothing happened.” I told them and then sat on the sofa in the living room. My father followed me and sitting beside me, he asked, looking anxious and concerned.

“What happened, Tess? Didn’t you like Miss Swan? Are you unhappy with this proposal?” He asked very slowly, I could feel the slight hesitation in his voice.

“Uhmm... No, dad. It isn’t like this... I just can’t believe it, I, am going to get married with Andrew... The only heir of Jack and Swans Company... It’s... It’s just too much to swallow at once.” I told my dad, the twisting knot again coming in my stomach making me feel restless, again.

“Tess, Forgive me...” My father suddenly held my face and apologized, his eyes were filled with guilt and tears. I was dumbfounded by his sudden change of behavior.

“D..a...D...” I stuttered, shocked, wiping his eyes with my fingers, “I am happy, Dad, and everything will be fine...” I told him to comfort him. He passed me a look that I couldn’t understand at all and then said, “Whatever I did was for our family, Tess. For Cyril, please don’t hate me.”

OK, now it’s getting too much. I don’t know why my father is reacting too loudly now. I looked at my mom, just like me she also looked completely blank.

“Dad, please don’t cry, I know whatever you would do is for the good of us. I trust your decisions.” I told him firmly as I hugged him and finally, he calmed down as he hugged me back.

“Is Cyril still sleeping?” I asked after pulling out of the bear hug from my father.

“He’s awake, go and tell him the great news. We haven’t told him anything yet.” My mother said and I with full excitement climbed up the stairs to his room to reveal the biggest news of my life to him.

**

“Cyril...” I called him and he looked at me from his book. The wide grin on my face made him look at me with curious eyes and then closing the book, he asked,

“What is it?”

“Guess, who’s going to marry your beautiful sister?” I asked as I pushed my hair away from the side with an overconfident look.

“Any beggar...” He snorted and I laughed, “Jerk... It’s Andrew...” I told him and suddenly he was quiet and then with a disbelief look he raised his brow. I nodded in response.

And then, “Ahhhhhhhhhhh....” We both yelled like crazy and there came my mother’s scolding.

“Stop yelling, you both are going to give me a heart attack someday...” Mom’s voice came from the living room.

“Hahahaha...” At which, we both burst into laughter.

“Is it true, sis?” Cyril asked me once I sat beside him on his bed.

“Yes, it is.” I told him with a smile on my face but I still felt a bit worried as the words of my father rang into my ears, ‘IF EVERYTHING GOES WELL.’

“But how... sis?” Cyril’s question brought me out of my mind, and he looked confused.

‘Well, I don’t have a clear answer, either.’

Looking back at him, my eyes softened. Cyril was still young; this was not what he should worry about.

“How would I know?” I shrugged, “Maybe it’s time for my dream to come true and my true fairytale is going to begin now.” I said with a wide smirk and he passed me the same one.

“Hahaha, yeah, finally your dream is going to turn true...” He laughed out with excitement but slowly his eye turned sad.

“Would I be able to attend your wedding, watching you being a bride?” He asked with a low voice, which shattered my heart instantly.

Cyril had been on the bed since he got his surgery, he had a kidney tumor and it was life-threatening.

Thankfully Miss Swan had helped us on time and we were able to save Cyril, but his condition is still bad as he is not able to leave his room. He stays in his room 24-7 and is not allowed to go into any gathering, because doctors are worried that he might get infection easily by someone as his immune system is very weak.

“I won’t leave here until you’ll watch me as a bride.” I hugged him tightly and said with deep emotions.

“Don’t worry, I will get better by the time you become a bride,” Cyril said in his childish tone and that made me remember that Miss Swan had not bought the wedding dress for me today.

The panic in my heart again started to rise with this unknown feeling.

Seeing me lost in a daze, my brother joked, “Hey, don’t forget your sick brother after becoming Mr. Andrew Jack’s wife…”

“Oh, but I don’t even know you…” I teased him.

“I knew it, ungrateful woman…” He scowled and then we both laughed, heartily.

We talked a lot about the wedding, how it should be and my wedding dress, Cyril’s dress, everything. We discussed everything and finally, when Cyril fell asleep, I went back to my room.

KNOCK… KNOCK...

Just as I had taken shower and changed into my pajamas, a knock on the door came.

My mother entered with a tray of chicken pies and my favorite peri sauce. My mouth watered at the sight of it, that fish tasted really awful and had completely killed my appetite for food. I grabbed the tray from her hand and hungrily started eating the chicken pies while dipping them in the sauce.

“Slow down, woman...” My mother scolded me but I just grinned in response while chewing my food.

“Tess,” Taking a deep sigh, my mother sat beside me, her face showing concern, and I immediately sobered up.

“Mom, everything is fine,” I told her so that the wrinkles on her forehead would disappear but no it seems to appear more.

“Your father... he seemed to be hiding something from me…” My mother spoke with worry, “Think yourself, how could a woman like Miss Swan ask the hand of yours for her only brother, and also if you passed her tests? Like we are marrying you to someone or selling you?”

“Mom, what tests?” I asked and my mother shrugged uneasily.

“Dear, I wasn’t supposed to tell you this but…” My mother bit her lips looking guilty because she had spoiled something that she shouldn’t.

“What is it, mom?” I asked, my heart started to get anxious bit by bit.

“I heard that Miss Swan took you to do a medical checkup today, right?” My mother took a deep sigh and then finally revealed, “It seems that she wants to see if you’re a virgin and capable of carrying Andrew’s heir.”

BOOM

‘Having a baby for Andrew?’ My face blushed at once.

Wouldn’t it be too fast?