THE UNWANTED MARRIAGE

CHAPTER 1: PROPOSAL

She was on her knees as she looked at the altar of the church, begging that God may help her with her circumstance. Her grandma was on the brink of death!

She had heart failure and needed to be operated on right away, but she didn't have enough money to pay for her operation and a donor. She doesn't want to lose her because she was the only one she has got.

Her name was Alyssa De Guzman, 20 years old, a first-year College student pursuing AB Mass Communication. Her parents died when she was a baby, and she hadn't got a chance to see them. So her grandpa and grandma took care of her, but when her grandfather died last year, her grandma was the only person left with her.

"Lord, please have mercy on me! Help me think of what to do to find a way for her operation! You know that she's the only person I've got! What am I going to do if I will lose her?" She sobbed until her tears had gone.

After praying, she stood up and sat down on the pew in dazed when suddenly she recalled what her late grandfather said to her. 'Alyssa, this is what you will remember; if ever someday you may encounter a problem regarding money, never hesitate to contact this person.' Then there was a piece of paper with was name and address written by her grandpa gave to her.

She quickly left the church to go home and immediately got in the cab. "Mr., can you please take me to Wood Peaker Street," she instructed the driver.

"Okay, ma'am," he answered.

The driver quickly drove the cab to her house. Already gotten home, she took her wallet out of the bag and asked the driver. "Mr., how much is the fare?"

"It's only fifty pesos, ma'am," the driver answered politely.

She handed over the money to the driver. "Here is my payment, Mr. thank you," she said to him with a smile. "You're welcome, ma'am," he responded as well and smiled back.

She quickly got out of the car to enter the house. Already inside the house, she went to her room and opened her closet. Then she foraged it to find the box. It contained the piece of paper her grandpa had given to her.

Finally, she found the box! She was so glad to see it. She almost jumped for the happiness she felt. She quickly opened the box and took the piece of paper. Then she read it. "Guang Lee lives in Grandville Subdivision Isabel M city".

After reading it, she quickly went to where Mr. Guang Lee lives.

As she arrived at the address written, she saw a big palace-like house. Although she was so nervous, she still pushed the button on the doorbell. "Ding dong, ding dong..."

As she waited, she closed her eyes and prayed to hope that this was the answer to her problem. Thankfully, the gate opened. A woman in her twenties appeared to her and asked. "May I know who you are and who are you looking for?"

Alyssa's face lit up seeing the woman speaking. She quickly introduced herself to her. "Hello, my name is Alyssa De Guzman, and I'm looking for Mr. Guang Lee. Does he live here?" she asked the woman politely.

"Yes, just wait for a while, Miss," the woman answered her with a poker face.

"Okay, Miss, thank you," she replied to her smiling, at her.

After a few minutes of waiting, a woman returned and told her, "Miss Alyssa, please get inside. Master Guang Lee was waiting for you in the garden."

"Okay, Miss, thanks again," she said still, smiling at her. Then the woman went back inside.

She pursued her to the garden. As they arrived there, she spotted the man in his seventies. He was sitting in a white metal chair holding a walking cane in his right hand and surrounded by six bodyguards. Judging by his looks, Alyssa can already tell that he was the one he was looking for, the man that her grandpa referred to her.

She slowly walked towards him and slightly bent her head, and said to him politely, "Good morning, sir, I'm sorry to intrude onto your house, but please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Alyssa De Guzman, and I am the granddaughter of Arturo De Guzman. Before he died, he told me he had a friend named Guang Lee and that if ever I may encounter difficulties, I can come to him." She explained, still bending her head slightly.

While waiting for his response, her body seemed trembling. It scared her. He might get mad at her and might chase away by his bodyguards. She clasped her hands with her eyes closed, hoping that God may enlighten him and welcome her with both hands wide open.

"Aha hahaha, hahaha...," Master Guang Lee laughed.

She opened her eyes, wondering why he was laughing; she looked at him directly in his eyes, trying to convey a message that Alyssa badly needed his help and that she was serious.

"Don't you remember me?" he asked her, wondered.

She got confused about what he meant caused her to bravely ask him, "Sir, what do you mean by I don't remember?"

He told her to approach him. "Come here, my child."

Even though Alyssa was confused and afraid still, she dared to approach him without hesitation. As she was so close to him, he suddenly spoke. "The thing is, when you were still young, you used to come here together with your grandpa and even played with my grandsons. Your grandpa and I were best friends. I owe my life to him. That is why, when I found out that he had died, I felt dejected and was very resentful towards him because he didn't even tell me he was sick. That's why a few years ago. When he didn't visit me, I thought he got upset with me for an unlikely reason, but I was wrong. He doesn't want me to worry. Instead, he wants me to protect you and be part of my family."

As she heard what he said about being part of their family, she got suddenly surprised! "What?! I will be part of your family?! What do you mean?! I don't understand?!"

He stood up in his seat and said. "Marry my grandson. Then I will help your grandma. I will provide everything she wants and even shoulder all her expenses in the hospital. So you need not worry about anything at all. What you have to do is to pursue your study and be the wife of my grandson."

She was so confused and had a lot of questions. How did he find out that her grandma was sick? That gave her a reason to go to him, but she couldn't afford to lose her grandma. Every second counts, so she answered him abruptly, "okay, I will marry him as long as you will keep your promise to me."

Alyssa's answer pleased him caused him to smile at her and say, "good girl," Then he called someone on his phone.

As she was waiting for his instruction, she did not move from where she stood.

After a few minutes of waiting Master, Guang Lee turned off the call on his phone right there in front of her and then beamed again. "My dear, you don't have to worry about your grandma anymore because she is safe now. I already transferred her to the best hospital in the city and even shouldered all the expenses. Regarding the donor, we already provided it."

She cried out in joy because of what he said. She approached him without hesitation and hugged him as if he was her grandpa. Suddenly, her deceased grandfather crossed her mind again. They had similar behaviors. No wonder they became close friends? By the thoughts of it, she can't help herself tighten her hug to him with tears bursting into her eyes, thinking of her grandpa, whom she missed so much.

He felt delighted and hugged her back too, then said, "It feels good to have a granddaughter: the one who will appreciate everything you did. Arturo was so lucky to have you, unlike my grandsons, who were ungrateful. So from now on, you can call me grandpa, okay? And don't forget what you promise. You will be my granddaughter-in-law."

She was so grateful that he saved the life of her grandma. She doesn't care if the replacement was marriage as long as she would think that everything Alyssa did was for her grandma's sake, so she quickly responded to him. "Of course, grandpa, I will. I owe you a lot. In return, I will do the favor. Please give me one week to prepare everything and time to visit my grandma?"

He patted her head using his right hand and said, "Okay, you can go."

She felt emotional again and hugged him. He agreed to her favor then she said goodbye.