Amelia typed, ‘how to run away from home’ on google.  It was getting more difficult to pretend she had no idea about the arranged marriage.  It was in the way her step-sister looked at her and smile all of a sudden, Her stepmother also came back from shopping the other day and brought clothes for Amelia.  It had never happened before, she was always the one to request things before she was given them, and she had to request twice or thrice before she actually bought them for her.  But she was the one to buy this for her, and it wasn’t any clothes.  It was all designers; the type Ava wore.   Amelia had placed them carefully in her cupboard afraid to wear them because to her it seem it was a confirmation that she was agreeing to the marriage. Her father was indifferent to it, to him, Amelia was a mistake and nothing more than that.  

It took a while for the result to pop up on her phone.  She sat up with her jotter carefully placed in front of her.  She started jotting down everything she saw online, but the more she read them, the more it becomes difficult to carry out in her house.  She sighed. What if she faked that she was seriously ill? Will they bother taking her to the hospital or will they just get an in-house doctor to take care of her?  Faking illness was surely out of it.  They will get an in-house doctor.  No matter how seriously ill she was, her parents had never bothered about taking her to the hospital.

Her life to her was in disarray.  The moment she heard a knock on the door, she threw the jotter, pen and phone under the bed.  She sat upright and carried a book opening to any page.  “Come in!”

It was just Loveth. She let out a sigh of relief, “Can you not knock on the door and scare me off.”

Loveth smiled, “It’s ethical I knock on the door and what are you doing that makes you so scared.”

She was silent.  Loveth smile faded easily, “Don’t tell me you are still thinking of running from home.”

She kept quiet.  She was not going to lie.  Loveth seem to know her to answer from her silence, “Don’t tell me you are serious, Miss.  You know that’s impossible and they are going to kill me the moment they found out you are gone.”  She added, “That’s if you are successful.”

Amelia sighed, then went to retrieve her pen, jotter and phone from under the bed.  “What do you suggest I do? Marry some stranger that might end up maltreating me the way they are.  I don’t want to be a secret for the rest of my life.’

Loveth was silent.  She felt her pain, but she had no power in any way. This was what her parent wanted, so who was she to disobey them?   

“How about we run away together? If you aren’t here, they will be no one to kill you once I am gone.”

Loveth eyes widened.  It was certain that the Miss had gone completely crazy.  How could she suggest that?  How would they survive when they ran off?  They don’t have money saved up anyway.  She had barely gone out of the house, so she barely knows anywhere, yet, she was so confident about running away.

“I don’t think running away is the best thing to do.”

Amelia huffed.  Loveth could tell that she was getting pissed off, “You don’t mean I should marry someone I don’t know.”

Loveth nodded her head slowly.  She picked her words carefully, “It might not be as bad as you thought.  He might be better.”

Amelia stared at Loveth as if she had grown two heads.  She couldn’t believe she was advising her to get married to some stranger.  If Loveth wasn’t going to support her decision, then maybe she had no choice but to run away alone.  She did pick running away over marrying a stranger and in secret again.

She was about to say something to Amelia when she heard a knock on the door again.  She hides all her stuff behind her pillow this time around.  Loveth stood up to open the door, but Ava only popped her head from the door.  She refused to enter Amelia’s room.

Amelia stood up to meet her at the door.  “What do you want?”

Ava smiled was wide that anyone would have thought she was paid to smile that wide.  “Oh! I am not the one interested in you.  Father wants to see you in his study.” Then she was gone.

If there was something Amelia hated so much, it was having a conversation with her father.  She promised herself that she was going to run away by all means.

She followed Ava behind. She was expecting Ava to go to her room but she continued moving toward the direction of the study.  “Does he want to see you too?” Amelia asked.  She had a feeling that they were finally planning to tell her about the marriage.  She breathed in.  How was she supposed to react? They must not know that she already had an idea about the wedding. It would only end up in Loveth getting punished and her too for eavesdropping.  She decided to tease Ava, although she knew what she was going to say.

“Do you have any idea why he is calling us?”

She nodded.  “Oh! He is not calling us.  He is calling you.  I’m only going so that I can see your reaction.  And yes, I know why he is calling you, but I am not telling you.”

Amelia frowned, what would happen if she acted a little nice to her?  She doesn’t know why she was acting the wicked step-sister perfectly.  It wouldn’t be that bad if she was a little nicer to her, plus they were both adults.  She decided not to waste her time asking Ava questions and concentrated on forming the perfect reaction in front of his father.

When they got to the study, Ava did not bother knocking.  She opened the door and took her seat beside her mother.  Amelia stood up close to the door and greeted her parents. While her stepmother responded, her father completely ignored her.

“How are studies?”

Amelia had no idea how she was supposed to respond.  Her father had never been interested in her education, so all of a sudden. His gaze bore a hole into her eyes that she had to avert her gaze from him.  She faced the floor, “it's fine, sir.”

“How many years are left for you?”

“I will graduate this year, sir.”

He nodded, satisfied with her response.  “That’s good.  I guess you will have to go complete the rest at your husband’s house.  Be getting ready to get married.”

No matter how she tried to fake her reaction, she couldn’t help it.  She raised her head up, “But, I don’t want to get married now, sir.”

He stared at how like she committed a crime, “Who cares what you want? If I say you are getting married, then you are.  No questions are needed. You can go.”

Amelia wanted to shout that there was no way she would get married.  She wanted to say it was her life.  She was going to get married to who she wanted and not who someone planned for her to get married to, but she couldn’t say anything.  She only nodded her head and moved out of the study.

There were no two ways about it.  She needs to run away.