Mary Johnson ~ The Paid Bride

~

Lora were back in school, their tuition fees finally sorted, while I s

I'd transform into a savvy market vendor, haggling over the price of veg

lk in the park. Let's just say,

y-well, at least in my eyes. I could tell when the soil was just right, spot a ripe

nder the sun. I was convinced it was up to me to keep everything running smoothly. Mom and Pa

to grow on me-or maybe I was just too stubborn t

new there was no turning back. Pretty soon, I'd be looking like Mom and Dad: old, dirty, and rocking th

twenty, while Lisa and Lora scored scholarships to f

was more like a glorified fruit stand where I'd set up my farm produce at the

owners were regulars at my stand, chatting me up like I was some sort of produce celebr

y I made went straight into his medical bills, and as much as I loved my little stand,

orld was supposedly my oyster... thoug

produce. I asked if they needed an extra hand, half expecting him to laugh me off because, let'

me around. Not that they had much of a choice. With them taking over the veggie stand, I started working at the restaurant. It wasn't exactly glamorous-clean

t should I d

late evening, after my shift, lost in thought, whe

ee a young, neatly dressed lady giving me a curious glance. There was something familiar ab

urted out. "Racha

nd I couldn't

e-polished, perfect, and definitely not sweating over carrots and cucumbers like th

ight hug. "You're the only person I know whose sad

ing my head. Leave it to Rachael to find beauty

en, she just up and vanished after her birthday party, leaving me with more questions than answers. "Where did you disappear to

on the creaky wooden bench beside me. "My father came for

something like that," I nodded

family drama going on, like a

m said, he was dead set against it. So, my dad swooped in from London and took me with him. It all happened so fast I didn't eve

Honestly, I just thought my best friend had a

back, her face suddenly serious

the only way I could sleep at night without spiraling in

referred you to worry yourself sick and lose sleep rath

.. I said I was

and asked about you. She mentioned something about you dropping out of college. Why? I mean, come on, yo

ortant; you don't hav

y? Back in grade school, we used t

ickname like that." I laughed, but it was the

t?" Rachael grinned proudly, like she'

h does being called a 'Freak' tra

ng, Mary. You were clever, brilliant even, to the point where you'd give teachers a headache with all your corrections and questions. So now, you expect me to believe that someon

persistence could be. It was no wonder she didn't get along with the

her arms over her chest; which by the way, had definitely grown since the last time I'd

ntil I spilled every last secret. "Seriously? Fin

ng with anticipation like she was a

n't that I was ashamed of my decision back then-okay, maybe there

up my education and my dreams so my siblings could continue theirs. I wasn't e

s crept in, that nagging feeling of being a fai

done anything remarkable with my life. I wanted to change things,

of putting on a fake smile, pretendi

s, twenty years old and feeling like a failure with nothing to my name. No m

a lot," she said, her voice filled with sympathy. "I'm really so

t off with a half-hearted smi

everything. Not everyone can do that. I'm not ev

d, I don't feel ashamed of the decision. But, yeah, maybe I should'

what are yo

ged to scrape together enough to own a little vegetable stand at the counter market. A

nt. "Oh, that one? But how come

You only caught me today because

ucky me, then. I'm gla

xt time you'll spot me doing my next big career move

going, you'd probably be the best napper in t

Finally, a dream that's

t, it felt like old times-two friends, figur

*

ind was racing with a flurry of thoughts-it was hard to believe that Mary Johnson, standing before her, was only twenty. She looked years older, almost like someone's

together. Life on the tough streets of Chicago had clearly left its mark. "I can't believe I'm actually seeing you right n

pside down, doesn't it? One minute you're winning spelling bees, and the next, you're haggling

st, her different. "If I'd known something like this was happening, I

battles to fight, Rachael. Besides, I might have looked li

d have," Rachael blurt

austion. "Seriously, you haven't cha

lourish. "It's not too late. I have a proposition, a way out for yo

"Propo-what now?" she a

hat could Rachael possibly have in mind that she hadn't already considered