# Chapter 3: Walking into my new beginning
As I stepped out of my room, my parents were waiting for me in the living room. They looked relieved to see me okay, because I never been put on a room arrest before, but I could sense the tension in the air.
"Michelle, we are so glad you are okay," my dad said, pulling me into a hug.
"Thank you, Dad," I replied, feeling a mix of emotions.
"Now that you are back to normal, we need to talk about something important," my mom said, her voice serious.
"What is it?" I asked, my heart racing.
"It's time for you to think about marriage," my dad said, looking at me with a mix of pride and concern.
"Marriage? But I'm only eighteen!" I protested.
"Yes, but you are also a young woman now. We believe Andrew is a good choice for you," my mom said, her eyes hopeful.
"Andrew?" I echoed, feeling confused. Just days ago, I had pushed him away even they were against our marriage in my previous life, and now my parents wanted me to marry him?
"Yes, he saved your life. We want to show our gratitude," my dad explained.
"Gratitude? But you were suppose to be against it! You said have said I can't marry a maid's son! Am I really myself? Is this my parents?" I exclaimed, feeling frustrated.
"We were never against it, if there is something you don't like about Andrew, people change, Michelle. We see how much he cares for you," my mom said gently placing her hands on mine as Andrew was standing across me with his head bent.
Just then, a ball flew over the fence and hit Andrew right on the head.
"Ow!" he exclaimed, rubbing his head.
Moments later, Craig Duckwhale a half Africa guy walked into our compound, looking for his ball. He was a tall, rude boy from the neighborhood, known for his troublemaking ways.
"Hey, I just came to get my ball!" Craig said, looking around.
"Watch where you throw that thing!" Andrew snapped, still annoyed.
Craig shrugged, a smirk on his face. "Whatever, man. It's just a ball."
I watched the scene unfold, feeling a mix of annoyance and amusement. Craig had always been a pain, he was also someone I had known since childhood, he was my enemy who pushed me down from stairs in school and lied it was a mistake.
"Why are you here, Craig?" I asked, trying to keep my tone light.
"Just getting my ball. But what's going on here? You talking about marriage?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Are you eavsedropping? Yes she is getting married to Andrew," my mom replied, her voice filled with pride.
"Seriously? You? With him? A maid son?" Craig laughed, shaking his head.
"At least I'm not marrying a loser like you whose mom is into fraud," I shot back, feeling bold.
"Loser? Look who's talking! You think you're better than me just because your parents have wealthy? Because you to mannerless." Craig sneered.
"Maybe I should just marry you instead of Andrew," I said, surprising everyone in the room.
"Marry him?" they all said in unison.
My parents looked shocked, and Andrew's face turned red with anger. "What? You can't be serious!" he exclaimed.
"Why not? At least Craig is real. He doesn't pretend to be someone he's not," I said, feeling a rush of defiance.
Craig looked confused, his eyes wide. "Wait, are you really saying that?"
"Yes! I have admire you since years ago," I said, feeling a strange sense of clarity.
Everyone in the room was silent, shocked by my words. They all knew about Craig's past how he lost his dad when he was young, how his mom was known for her fraudulent ways. Most kids avoided him, but I saw something different.
In my previous life, Craig had become a wealthy CEO, competing with Andrew for contracts. I remembered how he had died two months after his company's success without people knowing the cause of his death, and his mom had ended up back in Africa.
"Why would my precious daughter marry someone like him?" my dad said, his voice filled with disbelief.
"Because I want to!" I shouted, feeling the weight of my decision.
Andrew, trying to hide his anger, turned and left without saying a word.
Craig looked even more confused. "What just happened?"
"You should go," my dad said, his voice firm.
"Fine, whatever, I hope you guys settle this in your family" Craig said, turning to leave.
"I mean it."
As he walked out, I felt a mix of emotions. I had just made a bold statement, but I also knew it would come with consequences.
I went back to my room, expecting another round of room arrest. My dad was angry, while my mom tried to calm him down.
"Michelle, you need to think about this," my dad said, his voice raised.
"I know what I want," I replied, feeling determined.
As I sat on my bed, I realized that