Waking up the next morning was a difficult task. My head felt like it weighed a ton and my eyes just didn't want to open and welcome the bright rays of today's sun. I groaned and face planted into my soft fluffy pillow as I tried to phase out the loud echo of my alarm.

Well Sky, we had a fun twenty-four hours don't you think? My inner self relaxed down on the bed with me, her face full of amusement.

"This sucks." I said, my voice muffled by pillow.

Now, now, let's not judge the situation so harshly. Shall we recap?

I'm starting to think really I am crazy.

You keep thinking that. She smiled. So, in twenty-four hours you have broken a man's nose and seriously burned his crotch, cut your finger and completely ruined the spaghetti, met a super cute doctor and got his number, and of course let's not forget the whole arranged marriage issue.

You had to remind me.

What are inner selves for if not to remind of your demise?

I sighed and kicked off my blankets. Time to get up.

With a quick commando roll out of bed I stumbled my way over to my wardrobe and pulled on my black pencil skirt, my silky, purple coloured blouse and my black cardigan ready to tackle the day ahead. Looking over my schedule I saw I had to stop by Lila's Café and run their numbers - they suspected one of their staff of pinching from the till so they had me coming in more often than usual.

With a smile on my face I made my way out of my building and down the street until I found the small corner store café. It's lovely, petite, vintage style always made me feel oddly comfortable and cosy - but I suspected that, that had more to do with the amazing service of the owners. Pushing open the heavy white panelled door I looked up hearing the small chime of the bell as I entered. The interior of the small café was very practical which was refreshing from all of the upper class restaurants my father mostly associated with, everything in this room had a purpose, there was no unnecessary and ugly, disturbing statues or fountains splashing water into your coffee, it was just small chairs, tables and couple of run down couches in the corner for small gatherings. I liked the intimacy of the place.

"The usual Sky?" The sweet, soft voice of Kathy - the main barista - greeted me.

"Yes, please." I smiled at her as I made my way over to the office and sat myself down in the small cluttered desk just opposite the storeroom. My smile fell the moment I laid eyes on the unkempt stack of loose-leaf papers scattered around. What the hell happened to my organisation system?

It went on vacation?

Clearly. I rolled my eyes and focused down at the mess. This is going to take awhile.

Two extra strong coffees later and my blood was pumping with energy. The work was finally on the verge to being finished and the office looked once again organised.

Don't you think it rather ironic how your job entails so much organisational skills and you can't even organise your thoughts correctly.

Maybe the coffee was a bad idea; the delicious liquid seemed to only fuel my inner self.

That's right, I'm still here! She waved at me with a creepy smile on her face making me flinch back, wide eyed.

Defiantly too much coffee for one day.

Rolling my eyes I pushed up off the desk and made my outside the office, quickly ordering a small muffin as I waited for Kathy to finish the busy rush so I could give her back the key to the office. Shifting my attention I let my mind wonder to the recent events that have rocked my life in the last two days. I still hadn't decided if I was going through with this so-called 'proposal'.

My eyes drifted to the older couple sitting by the window, their skin wrinkled, their smiles bright and their eyes full of love as they stared at each other with so much love and affection that it almost melted my heart.

Ugh so much love, I think I'm going to be sick.

Shut up, it's cute! I scolded myself.

Hypothetically, if I were to go through with this shame of a marriage, what would it be like? Would we grow to like and appreciate each other, love even?

I frowned at the sudden thoughts. Mothers sat with their sons and daughters, sharing a muffin, mothers with their coffees and the children with their small cups of milk. Would we have kids? Would he want them? Like them even? How could we have children if we didn't get along?

I want this. Happiness and children, I want it all. Surely I would love my children regardless of the man who father's them but I didn't want to be one of this women who's life didn't expand beyond their child and no-good-rotten-cheating husband.

"Sky." Kathy's sweet voice pulled me back to reality.

I shook my head and turned to see Kathy greeting me with a kind smile and my muffin in bag. "Sorry, phased out for a moment." I waved her off and gratefully took my muffin from her small hands.

Quickly getting home I felt my thoughts begin to depress me. The uncertainty of the current predicament was eating at me, slowly causing my anxiety to build and bubble up like an erupting volcano.

I needed wine.

Yes! When in doubt, drown your sorrows in alcohol!

Throwing open the door to my apartment, I dumped my bag by the door and mindlessly pulled out the bottle of cheap wine that, honestly, tasted terrible but it numbed all emotion in only minutes.

Half an hour and half a bottle latter, the lights were starting to dance out the macaroni just behind my eyelids.

This was the life.

I jumped at the sound of the door opening and closing. When did that get so loud?

"Sky," Jessie began as she entered the house, her eyes immediately finding my seated figure on the couch. "What are you doing?"

Ugh Drinking? What does it look like?

"Hi Jess!" I beamed at my friend as I went to stand up but realised I would have to put down my glass and bottle. I think I'm good here.

"Sky," Jessie started as she rounded the couch, reached out to me and took my wine glass off me.

No not the Wine! Anything but the Wine!

"Stop drinking your problems away and go talk to your dad."

"But..." I started to complain but Jessie quickly cut me off.

"No but's." She huffed and placed her hands on her hips, assertively. "Unless of course, it's your butt moving off that couch."

I groaned loudly and held my hands out to her. "Up, please."

Rolling her eyes, Jessie helped me to my feet and threw my jacket at me before she shoved me out of the door and closing it behind me.

She could have at least given us the wine. Inconsiderable friend.

I scrunched up my nose and smacked my lips together, the taste of the raspberry wine, still fresh on my lips. "For once, I actually agree with you."

After a quick shower, another cup of coffee and two bottles of water, I was as sober as I was ever going to get. The cab stopped just in front of my old family home in the upper class part of the city, the black bared gates and tall, perfectly trimmed hedges that I used to call home did nothing but annoy me. Paying the taxi driver I began the long assent up the unnecessarily long driveway - seriously, why does this need to be so long? You're only wasting more petrol!

The house was far too big to be comfortable, the rooms to large to be warm and cosy. The house itself was coloured with sandstone rendering and black shutters with a large patio and porch over the dark, double door entrance.

Walking into the house I saw my half sister cuddled up on the couch with a blanket and a box of chocolates. "Hey Jaz," I greeted my half sister as I sat yourself down on the couch next to her. Jasmine looked a lot like Charlene, although there were hints of my dad in her. Unlike me Jasmine was more proportioned than I was, she had long light brown hair and, like me her eyes were a mid tone brown - nothing too special.

"Sky!" She was surprised by my presence. I couldn't blame her; I wasn't around much after I moved out. "I didn't know you were stopping by today."

"Yeah, I need to have a chat to dad. Is he home?"

"I think he has just pulled up, I thought I heard him in the garage."

You thought you heard him? You didn't check? What if it was some criminal and not our father huh? What then little sister?

"Alright. Thanks." I smiled at Jasmine and picked myself up from the comfortable couch and made my way over towards my father's study. If he was home, that's where he would be.

Opening up the study door I peaked my head around the corner and saw my father sitting down, behind his desk with papers in his hand. Here goes nothing.

Throwing open the door I made sure to make an entrance, catching my father's attention as I purposely stormed into the room.

How many times do I have to tell you to flip your hair back when you make an entrance?

Not now.

"Is it true?" I asked in a quick breath as I stormed into my father's office, my steps slowing as I came to reach the centre of the room.

"Hi honey." My father gave me a small smile while his eyes flickered anywhere but at me.

"Don't you, hi honey, me!" I narrowed my eyes at my father and started forward until I was just in front of my father's desk. "Is it true?"

"Is what true?" He tried to remain clueless.

"Are you having 'tough times'?"

My father dropped his gaze, his fingers fidgeted and he looked almost ashamed of himself. "Yes," he spoke quietly. "Yes, it is."

I stared at him in complete and utter surprise. How am I only just hearing about this now? "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want you to worry." He shrugged but his eyes were still glued down on his desk. Was he lying to me? "And besides, I know you are busy looking for a job outside the company and that is a good thing, so I didn't want to discourage you and bring you back."

"How can you be going bankrupt dad?" I moved my head to the side as I studied my father. Was he lying to me?

He's not looking you in the eyes. He's acting like a hermit crab trying hide in his non-existent shell, he is lying.

"The mortgage, credit cards," he waved me off. "It's not important."

"Not important?!" I screamed at him making him flinch back in surprise at my forceful tone. "Dad, she is trying to force me to marry some rich pompous ass."

He chuckled. Actually fucken chuckled! This wasn't funny!

Does this look like a laughing matter? Does she look entertained to you? Personally I think she looks more like a bubbling volcano than anything else.

"Honey you don't have too." My father said but in his eyes, you could see his plea. His words said 'no' but his eyes were screaming at me, 'yes'.

"Dad, is it that bad that you need me to marry?"

My father looked down completely ashamed by the answer. "I don't know what else to do, they'll take everything and I won't be able to work with my bad back, no one will look twice at me." He paused as his eyes began to swell with tears. "I don't even know how we'd pay for Jasmine's schooling."

I paused as I thought about my sister. Jasmine was only fifteen, to lose everything at such a fragile stage in life I didn't know how I could subject my sister to such hardships – especially when she wasn't used to them. All I had to do was marry someone I didn't know. Could I do it? For them?

Think of it this way, if they piss you off too much then all you have to do is divorce them right?

I frowned in deep thought. My inner self was right – for once. Sure there will be a prenup in play and other arrangements but if I just give up a year or so of my life to marry this man I could save my family.

"Alright." I nodded to my father gaining his attention. "I'll do it."

"You will?" His eyes widened in complete shock.

"On one condition. I get full control over the agreement."

"O-of c-course s-sweetie." He stuttered.

"Right. Bye Dad." I spun around on my heel and walked out of his office. My heart racing a million miles an hour and my chest tightening with anxiety.

So you're actually going to go through with this?

You were all for it before.

Yeah well, I'm nuts, I thought you knew that?

I groaned as I stepped out of the house and started down the street towards the train station.