A business proposal

Freya's heart pounded in her chest as tears rolled down her eyes. The words of her father echoed through her ears, creating a livid expression on her body.

What her father had just asked her to do was the most terrible and forbidden thing to do. Mr Barriet looked at his daughter in pity; he regretted what he was asking her to do and wished he didn't have to do it.

"My dear daughter, you must understand that this is beyond my will. Mason is not a bad person. He's been married to your sister for years, and now that your sister is dead, you have to take her place as his wife."

Freya shook her head, her dark brown hair falling across her face with a thud. "I can't marry Mason, Father. It's only been one week since Isabella's death." Freya's voice quivered as she spoke, the emotions swirling within her were too overwhelming. "I can't get married to her husband; people will think I killed her just because I wanted Mason."

Mr Barriet rubbed his hand against his forehead. He knew he was putting a lot of pressure on his daughter, and it was taking all of his strength to convince her. "Freya, you don't have to care what people have to say. This is more than you think; this is for our family."

Freya took a shaky breath before responding. "Father, why do I have to do this? I don't love Mason. How can I spend the rest of my life with him?"

A tear escaped from her eye as she let out a shaky sob. She felt so angry that she could barely speak, but her voice still sounded shaky. "Father, this means more to me than to the family."

She wiped her tears away with her fingers before standing up and turning away from her father, who sat on the bed.

Mr Barriet felt bad for his daughter. He wished there was another way he could do things. He wished his first daughter hadn't died. But there wasn't another way for their family.

"I know how this must be for you, but if there were another way, then I would have done it. This family had an agreement with the Wayne's family," Mr Barriet explained.

Freya turned toward her father, her anger dissipating slowly. Her blue eyes now held concern instead of anger. Her heart dropped to the pit of her stomach when she saw concern in her father's eyes; the last time she had seen them like this was at her sister's funeral.

"What deal, Father?" Freya whispered.

Mr Barriet lowered his gaze. "Before you were born, the Wayne's family and this family made a business deal. The Wayne's family were the first to discover the marketing method behind the creation of new products that can sell more efficiently."

Mr Barriet sighed and continued. "I decided to partner with them to make the production in our company effective and unique. It was the best. Mr Wayne and I became close friends, and because of that, the company is where it is. Mr Wayne was pleased and asked if we could be partners forever, and the only way that could be possible is if we passed it on to our children."

"Mr. Wayne suggested that our agreement for being partners should be something that would last forever, so he put it on the paperwork that our children should get married."