Wild Violet (The Vi Trilogy of The Gilded Flower Series Book 1) (4 page)

“Your father wants you to meet him at seven o’clock this evening.” Her father’s secretary’s voice is stern. He has four secretaries. This one manages his family and social calendar, the official and otherwise.

“What if I have plans?” Vi challenges. She resents being on-call for a man who is only her father by blood. He never made an appearance in her life at any major life events, yet he presumes that she should come when he beckons her.

The secretary remains quiet, expecting Vi to take the hint.

“Fine,” Vi finally sighs. “Tell me where.”

“Mandarin Oriental for drinks, followed by dinner at Masa at 8 p.m.”

“Am I allowed to bring a date?”

“Excuse me, Ms. Rai?”

Vi chuckles. She loves throwing this woman off. It’s understood that one does not bring a date or a friend to these outings. This is business.

“It was a joke. Tell my
father
I’ll be there.”

Vi rushes toward the elevators in the Time Warner Center at 6:55 p.m. Her father expects punctuality. And while she would like to think she doesn’t fear him, there’s a small part of her that does.

She arrives breathless at 6:59 and spots her father sitting at a table in a dark corner of the bar.

“Father,” she says. “It’s good to see you.” Vi takes the adjacent seat.

He nods and studies her for a moment. “And you.” He pinches her arm lightly. “You are too thin. Are you eating?”

Vi suppresses a laugh. “That’s very parental of you to say.” She knows deep down he’s criticizing her, but she can’t take him seriously. All of his other children are a bit heavy, being such huge consumers of everything that his money can buy them. Her mother was a model, one of the most beautiful supermodels that defined the early nineties. Naturally, it’s what attracted her father to her mom. Fortunately, Vi inherited her mother’s looks as well as her metabolism.

Her father grunts and sips his beer.

When Vi orders a sidecar from the waitress, he puts a hand on the woman’s arm and says, “Bring my daughter a soda water. She’s too young to drink.”

Vi’s jaw drops. “I’m twenty-one,” she asserts, her voice betraying her anger.
Will he always continue to treat her like a child?

“Fine, so you’re twenty-one now. Good for you. Still no alcohol.” He waves his finger at her.

Vi eyes his beer. “That’s not just a bit hypocritical?”

“Now Violet, let’s not get into this,” her father chides in a condescending manner.

Vi checks her watch impatiently. This is going to be a long night, especially if she can’t drink.

“How’s school?”

“Fine.” Vi shrugs her shoulder

“You still studying math?”

She nods.

“Good marks?”

Vi looks up at him. “Top of my class.” Pride fills her when she notices a slight smile form.

He pats her hand. “Good, good.”

They sip their drinks awkwardly. Vi has never asked about his other children, the legitimate family who are scattered in Mumbai and Dubai. She has two half-sisters, whom she’s never met, and one half-brother she met once when he was traveling with their father to New York. Her father just turned seventy this year, so he’s grooming his one and only son to take over the family business. The takeover is expected some time in the next few years.

As soon as they finish their drinks, he says, “Have you thought about what you will do when you finish university?”

Vi shakes her head. “I thought I would figure that out this year. I just saw my advisor today who assures me that I could get into any top graduate program I’d like.”

“You don’t want to go to graduate school. If you don’t go to medical school, then it’s a waste of your time and my money.”

“What about business school?”

“Everything you need to know about business you could learn working for me.”

“Well, as I was saying, I will figure that out. Finance is always an option, but I’m not quite interested in working long hours at a bank.”

“Hard work is essential. It builds character. Your generation is so lazy,” he says, waving his hand. “You want everything handed to you.”

“I never said that,” Vi replies defensively. “I plan to work, it’s just, I want to feel passionate and excited about what I do. I have classmates from high school who are doing cool things with their start-ups out in California, or working for NGO’s in developing countries. There are plenty of options these days. I don’t believe I need to pigeon-hole myself in a traditional career. I’m young. I’d like to explore my options.”

“Listen to you, Violet. You talk like an American kid now. Exploring your options,” Her father says dismissively. “Options are a luxury most of this world doesn’t have. You should appreciate that.”

“But I do appreciate it. I’m glad I’ve had a chance to study here in the U.S.”

“I don’t know. You are different. Perhaps I shouldn’t have let your mother talk me into letting you come here. That woman, she’ll be the death of me.”

“I’m far happier here than I would’ve been if I had stayed in the U.K.”

He nods. “Perhaps. But your generation and all this happiness talk.” He scoots forward until he’s seated on the edge of his chair. Pointing his finger down at the table her father says, “Happiness is something that can come later. You are a Rai. You belong to this family.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Vi asks.

“When you graduate, you will come and work for me.”

“And what if I refuse?” Vi asks in an even tone. She can feel the blood rising to her face. How dare he make any demands of her.

Her father sits back and adjusts his pink Hermès tie. “Then your trust will be frozen until you are thirty.”

Vi’s eyes widen. As it stands, she cannot fully access her trust until she is twenty-two, the only condition being that she has to graduate college. The interest on it has been more than enough to ensure a comfortable lifestyle, letting her do as she wishes.

“Upon graduating, you will move to Dubai and join my business development group. You are a bright woman. I can see you inherited my business acumen. My company rewards young talent. Perhaps I’ll consider letting you head the company with your brother Azahr.”

Vi gulps upon hearing her future laid out for her. She can feel her body begin to tremble.

Her father doesn’t seem to notice. He continues. “I’ve already met with a matchmaker who has found someone perfectly suitable for you as well. I’ve known the family for years. The third son, Yasir, is in Houston doing his residency in Internal Medicine. He’s been educated here in America too. You two should make a good match.”

Tears prick Vi’s eyes. It’s as if she’s entered a foreign dimension with talk of working for her father and an arranged marriage. She digs her nails into her palms to control the outburst that’s on the tip of her tongue.

“When do you propose this union will take place?” Vi asks, her voice shaky.

“Two years. He has a fellowship he plans to do, then he can join you in Dubai.”

“What makes you think he’ll want to move to Dubai to practice medicine? Has his family asked him what he wants?”

Her father leans forward. “His mother believes him to be a good and dutiful son. He has given no indication that he would do otherwise.”

Vi traces the ring of water left by her glass. “When do I have to give you my decision?”

“What do you mean, Violet? There is no decision to make. These are the conditions of your trust.”

“You think you own me because I have your name and you give me money?” Vi is incredulous. “I have asked for none of it. You dangle money like some carrot, as if I’ll come running just for another hundred grand or so. Well, Father, I’m not that cheap.”

Her father clears his throat. “No, Violet, you are not cheap, although I think all the men you’ve had in and out of your apartment might argue differently.”

Vi stands up, unable to control her temper. He grabs her wrist and says firmly, “Sit down, young lady.”

Vi does as she’s told and looks past him. In her mind, she quickly calculates her expenses and assesses her options. Could she live without his money?

“You’ve had plenty of time to live this life of yours. I let you run wild in this city like a tramp. Your mother assures me that it’s a phase.” Then he points his finger at her so she’s forced to look at him, “I’m not convinced. You’re smarter than your mother, but you also have her fire. I think, perhaps you will waste your potential.”

“That was never going to happen.”

Her father shrugs and checks the time on his watch. “Maybe not. But I’m not willing to take that gamble with you and watch you piss away my money living like a entitled trust fund kid in this city.”

“Isn’t that what your legitimate children do?” Vi retorts.

“Watch your tongue, Violet. I was lucky to marry off my daughters. They are not as beautiful as you, but they’re at least smart enough to listen to me. I secured them good husbands. They are well cared for.”

“So you reward them like your pets.”

“I will take no more of your disrespect, Violet.”

“Fine, then I’ll leave.”

“You will do no such thing until I finish.”

“Oh, there’s more? Lucky me,” Vi replies sarcastically.

“All this talk about exploring your options. I think it’s time you learn what that’s about.”

“What do you mean?”

“For the next year, you will live on an allowance. Five thousand dollars a month. Henceforth, you will not receive any interest from your trust.”

Vi’s jaw drops. “Why would you do that? You can’t just show up and pull the rug out from under me. I haven’t done anything to deserve this. I’m still in university.”

Her father nods. “You talk like an American student, all this idealism about finding your passion. You’re too comfortable. I’ve ensured that your tuition is paid for, and you will send your rent bill to my accountant. Of course your housing will be covered. No child of mine should be without proper accommodations.”

“But I have a home.”

“That home, is mine. Your entire life is paid for by me, Violet, which is something you have taken for granted. So now you can go live like other students, and maybe then you’ll see how good you have it, thanks to me.”

Vi fights back the screams that threaten to erupt. Her throat is dry. Suddenly she feels anchorless, untethered. What is she going to do now?

“It’s just about time for dinner. Shall we go?” Her father asks casually, as if he hadn’t just ripped her entire life apart in the past thirty minutes.

“Hey, why haven’t you responded to any of my texts?” Andrés asks when Vi opens her door. He crosses the threshold and kisses her cheek.

Vi shuts the door behind him and heads to her room to crawl under the covers.

“What the hell is going on?” He asks, taking in the scene of half-packed suitcases and clothes lying around.

“I’m packing.”

“I can see that,” he chuckles. “Where are you going?”

Vi shrugs. “I don’t know. It appears that I’ve been evicted.”

“No shit,” Andrés replies, sitting next to her. He moves aside her laptop and props himself onto a few pillows.

“Want to talk about it?”

“No. I just want to pretend this isn’t happening.”

“Spoken like a strong and independent woman.”

Vi gives him a dirty look.

“What? It’s true. You like to come off all tough and independent. I am woman and that sort of thing. But look at you. You’re all talk. Deep down you’re a daddy’s girl who needs to be taken care of.”

“Far from it. I hate my father. He tries to control me with his money, treats me like some pet.”

Andrés shakes his head. “You’re not displaying the kind of strength I know you have. I’m disappointed, Violet.”

Vi sits up and faces him. “It caught me off guard. First he tells me I have to work for him after graduation. If I don’t, I won’t be able to access my trust until I’m thirty.”

“That doesn’t sound too terrible. You’re intelligent and capable. I’m sure you can support yourself.”

“If it was about that, I could manage. But it’s the arranged marriage thing I can’t cope with.”

Andrés’s expression turns serious. “When is that supposed happen?”

“Two years. My father has it all planned out. I move to Dubai and work for him. Then my future husband, Yasir, a doctor of internal medicine, will join me. It will be a blissful marriage and happy life.”

Vi covers her face. For two days, she’s been an emotional wreck, feeling equally sad, angry, depressed and frustrated. How she could lose a sense of control over her life in a blink of an eye is beyond her. Of course she can live without her trust, she thinks. Life isn’t just about money. But her father’s threat to cut her off has forced her to question the entire purpose of her life. She doesn’t want to admit it, but he’s right. Her comfortable life hasn’t allowed her to confront how she will support herself and ensure her own future. She’s equally angry with herself for not preparing for this possibility.

“I did this to myself,” she whispers. “I should’ve known this could happen.”

Andrés puts his arm around Vi’s shoulder. “Don’t be hard on yourself. Your father is trying to scare you a bit. Wake you up. You can turn this around and see that it’s a gift.”

Vi snorts. “How?”

“It’s a kick in the ass to strike out on your own. First things first,” he says encouragingly, “You find yourself an apartment. That will take a miracle. It’s mid-August so pretty much anything decent near campus is probably already gone.”