Chapter 4 Consideration

The man had zero empathy. He chose the worst moment to bring up something as audacious as marriage to Sabrina. Already in a terrible mood, she had no desire to respond. Thankfully, the police showed up just in the nick of time. Whatever devious means Aaron had used to break into her apartment, he was now going to face the consequences for all the pain he had inflicted on Sabrina. During the entire ordeal, the police were remarkably considerate, asking her only the necessary questions and avoiding any further distress. Aaron was taken into custody, and Sabrina was finally free to go. His sinister plans for the night had been thwarted. At the police station, his profanity-laden outbursts earned him a sharp rebuke from the officers. Finally, as all the nightmarish pieces fell into place, dawn broke. Despite feeling exhausted after an emotionally draining night, Curtis insisted on driving Sabrina back home. "I owe you one. You've been really helpful,” thanked Sabrina. Curtis appeared somewhat sympathetic. "Don't mention it, and don't forget to consider my proposal." Marriage was the last thing on Sabrina's mind. After being hurt so deeply by a man, voluntarily plunging into a marriage with a stranger was the furthest thing from her thoughts. They drove back in silence, and Curtis dropped her off at her doorstep without another word. Feeling dizzy and unwell, Sabrina knew she was in no shape for work. She called in sick and retreated to her apartment, collapsing onto her comfortable bed. As she lay there, Curtis' audacious proposal crept back into her mind. She could not believe she was even entertaining the idea. After a deep sleep, she woke up to bright sunshine and a lighter mood. The cloud that hung over her heart seemed to lift a little as well. Sabrina looked a bit better after a night's rest, although the marks on her neck were still visible. Daniel had also heard about the harrowing ordeal from the previous night. "That was really terrifying last night. Thank heavens you're okay," Daniel said, his face solemn. He could not believe Aaron would go to such lengths. 'No man should break into a woman's home, especially in the dead of night. If Curtis hadn't intervened, who knows what might have happened,' Daniel thought, shuddering at the idea. With a faint smile, Sabrina admitted, "I never expected any of this. I owe Curtis a lot. Things could have ended much worse without him." Furrowing his brows, Daniel weighed his next words carefully. "I know this isn't the best time, but would you consider being with my grandson? Yes, he can be hot-tempered and he's older, but he's a good man. Plus, I'd feel better knowing there's a man by your side." Last night, Curtis had brought up the topic of marriage, and this morning, Daniel mentioned it again. Sabrina had initially been resistant to the idea when Curtis mentioned it, but now, with Daniel's words, her feelings wavered. It had a lot to do with the fact that Daniel was roughly the same age as her ailing grandfather. If her grandfather had made a similar request, she would likely have agreed. "Of course, it's up to you," Daniel said, "but I hope you'll consider meeting him again." He understood he was pushing boundaries by suggesting she meet his grandson so soon after her traumatic experience. But he genuinely liked Sabrina and had enjoyed being her neighbor over the years. His own grandson had a tendency to be overly logical, almost robotic at times. Daniel genuinely believed that if Curtis got together with Sabrina, she might help him become more compassionate. Sabrina nodded appreciatively. "I'll consider it, thank you." Daniel paused for a moment before adding, "I don't know much about that other guy, but let me tell you about my grandson. He works at a tech company in a managerial role and earns a stable income, around 5,000 dollars per month. He doesn't have any bad habits. His main flaw is that he can be less compassionate than most." Sabrina had already felt that. Just yesterday, when she had almost been assaulted and was still emotionally rattled, he had actually brought up the topic of marriage. Only someone lacking compassion could make such a move at such an inappropriate time. "He's straightforward but he generally means well. Trust me, I wouldn't bring this up if I didn't believe in him," Daniel assured her. Touched by Daniel's sincerity, Sabrina promised to give it some thought. "Why don't you come over for lunch later? Hey, don't say no. You could use some company right now," Daniel said, leaving no room for refusal. A warm feeling filled Sabrina's heart. "I'd be delighted, Daniel." Once he left, Sabrina slumped into her couch, her mind a swirling whirlpool. The tumultuous events of the past day had left her mentally drained, her thoughts as tangled as a knotted ball of yarn. Knock, knock, knock. After a while, she heard a knock at the door. Shaking off her thoughts, she went to answer it. To her surprise, it wasn't Daniel at the door; it was Curtis. Standing face to face with Curtis, Sabrina felt a sense of unease wash over her. "My Grandpa has invited you to lunch. By the way, have you given any thought to the marriage proposal?" Curtis inquired. Sabrina recalled Daniel's words about Curtis lacking compassion, but did he really have to bring up marriage the moment they saw each other? "My grandfather's health is failing, and doctors give him a year at best. He'd like me to get married and start a family soon. He chose you because he thinks you're a kind-hearted girl," Curtis explained. Sabrina's mind whirled in confusion. Was Daniel, too, on borrowed time? "Our marriage would only need to last for a year, just to give him peace of mind. After that, we can go our separate ways, and I'll make sure you're well-compensated," Curtis added. Before learning about Daniel's condition, Sabrina would have shot the idea down without a second thought. But now, with her own grandfather's health in jeopardy, she felt torn. Just then, her phone buzzed on the table. "Excuse me, I need to take this call. Please make yourself at home in the meantime," Sabrina told Curtis, then hurriedly went to pick up her brother's call.