But what she did not know was that when I left before, my father and I set a ten-year agreement.
We made a wager about how long our love could last.
If I won, he would try his best to support our marriage.
If I lost, then I would return and accept a family-arranged wedding.
Because of Eulalie, this marriage, this wager, I lost everything, fully and completely.
While Eulalie was driving, I called that familiar number.
“Dad, I lost.”
“A deal is a deal. In three days, I will go back to Vermont for the arranged wedding.”
My father had never failed at a betting table.
Facing this expected result, he showed no surprise at all.
He only replied calmly and gave a few simple orders. “Valerian, you are my oldest son. This family business will still be inherited by you.”
“What is over is over. I will not argue with you about it, but there is one thing you must keep in mind.”
“What should not be taken, do not take. What should not be left, do not leave.”
What must not be taken was the baby growing inside Eulalie.
What must not be left behind was the wealth I had made for Eulalie.
These ten years of hurt were the warning he wanted me to keep in mind.
“I get it, Dad.”