~Agathe~"Seduce an old codger with heaps of money so that you can, at long last, fund your mother's surgery."Settling down the emptied platter of highball glasses on the countertop, I glanced at Grazie to show her my baffled expression. "You are in desperate need of cold cash, aren't you? It's all over your pretty face."I looked down, choking sorrow radiating from my sapphire eyes. Grazie must have detected that something was rattling me ever since this morning.My mind is in utter shambles. I received a call from the sole hospital in our village.The chief doctor told me that my mother's condition had gotten worse. Her medications aren't working anymore and she needed to have her surgery as soon as possible. And, it must transpire tonight or it would be too late for my poor mother. The sole complication was, I still don't have the ready money."I don't know what else to do, Graz." I muttered, and a lone tear fell from my eye. I hastily wiped it. Working in a teensy restaurant l
~Agathe~"Where is my mother, doctor Farah?" I inquired as soon as I arrived at the Snowflake Hospital fifteen minutes later.I almost forgot to pay for the cab. Good thing the cab driver knew me and let me off the hook. Sprinting inside the hospital's premises, I was an utter mess. Still in my waitress uniform and my long, wavy reddish locks were disheveled all over my face.A runny nose and dried tears adorned my cheeks but I couldn't care less. I was shaking like a leaf, utterly frightened that something unacceptable happened to my mother. "For now, she's stable, Miss Capucine."Thank god. "We did everything to stabilize her condition. But, I'm afraid that one final attack and your mother won't make it again." I unconsciously dropped my knees on the floor. I sobbed, crying my heart out. Bawling like a wee child. Shoulders trembling from too much weeping. "She was at her limit. Her fragile body can't take the medications anymore. The surgery she needed cannot be performed here
~Gunther~"Could you clarify that for me? I don't think I understand, Atty. Schneider."I was having a light breakfast on the front porch of my villa together with my deceased grandmother's most trusted lawyer, Atty. Spencer Schneider. It has been two months since my grandma passed away at the age of eighty one. It was a very grim moment for my family, especially for me. It took me weeks to recuperate. Mind, body and soul. The most unbearable time to bounce back to my old self after my cherished Abuela had crossed the Styx. Under those circumstances, Atty. Schneider had been patient with me. He had been dying to read me my grandma's last will and testament. "You heard me right, Gunther." Atty. Schneider took a sip of his piping hot coffee. Panting merely because I just finished working out, I rested my head on the back of my seat. I was sweating hard, in spite of the frosty weather. "I can't claim my inheritance if I am not married. Yes, I heard you. Loud and clear, Attorney."
~Agathe~"That bellend! What a stony-hearted imbecile! Such a nincompoop! I hated his guts so much! Argh!"I should have done more than slapping and pouring cold water on his face!How could he humiliate me like that? Does he own my body or something? I was inside the lift. Weeping in the corner, hugging my knees. Like a wee lassie whose sanity had gone astray. I am so terrified. I haven't got the faintest idea of how I can acquire the bloody cash for my mother's surgery anymore. I was so sure that I would get that sponsorship no matter what. Yet the exact jiffy that bastard asked me to get undressed, like a whore he picked up on the streets, my stomach turned upside down. Who cares if he was a tycoon and must have been rolling in money all his life? Who cares if he was handsome and totally my type? "He should rot in hell for being the male chauvinist pig that he was!"The lift dinged and opened, silently apprising me that I had arrived on the ground floor. Enfeebled, I almost st
~Gunther~"Sadly. I don't give second chances to people who wronged me, love." I couldn't care less if she was an important key for me to claim my inheritance. She slapped me, she is deserving to shuffle off this mortal coil. No woman had ever put me to shame like that. That, my bruised ego couldn't forgive. Cocking the hammer of my special revolver, the sound of the cylinder rotating is like music to my ears. I stared back at the woman kneeling in front of me. "Any last wishes?" She closed her tear-stricken eyes as if uttering a prayer to her God. Holding my horses, I waited for her. Until I got bored. "Nothing? Alright, then." Positioning my revolver near her head, I was about to pull the trigger, almost. But, she murmured something that had me blown away. "Can I get a kiss?" Flabbergasted, I asked. "What?" She opened her eyes and gazed directly at mine. "Kiss me, Mr. Silvestri. That is my last wish." What the fuck? What is she playing at? I lowered my gun and contemplate
~Agathe~Damn that voice. Shoulders slouching, I looked behind me and gasped softly. It was the bellend! A tall dog was wagging its tail beside him. "Right. This is Mishka. Mishka, meet my bride."Mishka wagged her tail more. As if she was thrilled to bump into me. "She likes you already? Strange." The bellend patted his dog's head. I groaned in frustration. "I am not going to be your bride." He stood up properly and stared back at my weary eyes. "Why not? I don't think you have a choice." His gaze shifted to my body, blatantly ogling at my exposed cleavage. "Hmm." "Sicko." I uttered, crossing my arms over my chest. His eyebrows arched. He was offended. Well, serve him right. "It's all greek to me why you act like that when I was certain you fell in love with me at first sight." Dang it. Here I thought he didn't notice that. Whatever. There was no point in denying that now. "I did. But, my attraction to you merely lasted for a second the moment I realized how obnoxious you are
~Agathe~"After we get married, you are not allowed to go back to Snowflake Village for the time being. Furthermore, you are not allowed to see your mother. You will be staying at my side. Rain or shine, day and night for the next three months." The nerve of this guy. How could he have the pure talent to annoy the hell out of me? He is so good at this. "If you're asking why? We have to make our setup much more believable to my parents and my grandmother's attorney. Any more questions?"My hands nearly dropped the pen he provided for me. I was right. From this moment on, I am his prisoner.It would be sealed once I sign this marriage contract."Nothing at all, your highness."My voice was hardened by sarcasm, and could not even conceal my resentment. Upon scribbling my signature above my name on the document, I tossed the paper and pen back on the table. It was his time to sign it. I watched him do it like a hawk, his hand gracefully moving up and down. When he was finished, he de
~Agathe~"We are gathered here on this night to witness the union of Mr. Gunther Percival Silvestri and Ms. Agathe Clementine Capucine in holy matrimony. A night of great celebration and blessing."Blessing, my ass. Bad luck? One hundred percent. "Take each other's hands and get ready to exchange vows and rings." Vows? The bellend grasped both my hands, tight and firm, while we were staring into each other. His dark amber eyes were shining, and his pinkish lips curved in a gorgeous smile. He was playing his part as my loving husband. Can't deny he has dazzling skills in that specific area. "Mr. Gunther Percival Silvestri." "Yes, father?" "Do you pledge to love this woman, to be loyal and truthful to her, and to comfort and keep her, to cherish and accept her, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, for as long as you both shall live?"I can't for the life of me understand that standing in front of a priest, declaring lifetime vows, was so nerve-wracking.I am not in
~Agathe~I scoffed when Gunther ignored my question as if I was not there. He didn't even flinch, and kept doing whatever the hell he was doing.The nerve of this guy. Am I a joke to him?He bent down a little to sign some documents on the coffee table, holding a pen in his hand. When he was finished, he stood up and casually slipped his hands into his pockets.Afterward, I saw Atty. Schneider gathered the papers and carefully placed them inside his attaché case. Then, he stood up as well and casually shook Gunther's hand as if I had not just threatened his client.“Congratulations, Gunther. You are now the rightful owner to all of Madame Hester's three hundred fifty billion dollars worth of wealth, assets and properties.”Atty. Schneider was smiling from ear to ear. He seemed genuinely happy for Gunther.“Thank you very much for all of your help, Attorney Schneider. I owe it all to you. Without your assistance, I would be unable to claim what is rightfully mine.” Gunther said in his
~Agathe~[Present Time]I could hear faint voices talking around me. I looked around the darkness that surrounded me but saw no one.I felt like I was floating, but my feet remained on the ground. I felt hopeless.I want to go back to my mother because she still needs me. My father just died, and I am the only one she has left.“Her finger moved, Doctor Wright!” I heard someone say something beside me, but when I looked to my side, I saw no one.“Hello? Who are you? Where exactly am I? Where is my mother?" I asked in a loud voice, without even opening my mouth.“She's regaining consciousness. Quickly, call Gunther.”“But, Doctor. He is downstairs, discussing something important with his family. What are we supposed to do?”“Check her pulse. Check everything.” Before I could respond, I felt something powerful catapult me through the air.“Arghhhhhhhhh!”Before I knew it, I opened my eyes again to see a bright light aimed directly at my eyes. “She is awake! The patient is awake, doctor!
~Agathe~[Flashback, fifteen years ago]It has been a week since the incident happened and my mother has never been the same. She tried so many times to end her life and I will always be the one to witness it all.I haven't slept a wink since last night, and my stomach is growling for food. The food in our fridge and pantry were already gone by the third day.I had been begging my mother for food, but she would always kick me out of her room and lock herself in there for the whole day.To ease my hunger, I would curl up and hug my knees on my bed while crying myself to sleep. This is the fourth day that I can't tolerate my hunger anymore, I am beyond starving.My legs wobbled when I got out of my bed. My vision was blurry, and my head felt as if a hammer was constantly pounding on it.I feel so sick and helpless but I refuse to take this nonsense any longer. If my mother is unable to provide for me, I will have to do it myself from now on.My father did not sacrifice his life for me o
~Agathe~[Flashback, fifteen years ago]What I saw next in front of me wasn't what I expected, as everything happened so suddenly.Three strong, consecutive punches landed directly on the tall boy's face, and I was too stunned to even react."Do you think you can fool me, dumbass? How many more beatings do you need to understand? I can see right through your idiotic mind!”The tall boy collapsed to the ground, but the old man continued to assault him, kicking his stomach and his back numerous times.My mouth dropped open as I watched the horrifying scene in front of me in sheer terror. It was like I could feel every painful hit and kick from the old man in my own body.But, I couldn't understand why the tall boy never cried or shouted for help. He only kept his eyes closed and silently endured the pain.I stood there quietly, rooted to the spot where I was standing, not knowing what to do. Once the old man was satisfied, he lifted the tall boy's body from the ground and forced him to
~Agathe~[Flashback, fifteen years ago]I tried to calm my racing heart by tapping my chest a few times and taking a deep breath. I almost got caught!But, why is my heart racing so much?Perhaps, my heart was racing from the pain of witnessing the wild boars being killed by my father and his comrades.Perhaps, it was beating fast out of nervousness because some strangers had appeared, and they seemed very intimidating.“A pleasant morning. I am Clermont Silvestri, current chief executive officer of Silvestri Group of Companies.” I heard someone say in a deep, scary voice.All of a sudden, I could hear curious whispers from my father's comrades. I frowned because I don't know what a chief executive officer is all about.“We are from Stonewood City.” Gasps from my father's comrades suddenly echoed through the air once again. Stonewood City?I am not quite sure where that is. I have only known our village my entire life."I have recently bought this entire village, including all its es
~Agathe~I could hear Gunther's screams ripping through the air. He sounded so desperate and nearly begging.It was so heartbreaking to hear him like that. I wanted to open my eyes and comfort him, but I couldn't.Then, out of nowhere, I felt powerful hands gently lift my body onto something. Afterwards, I was hoisted into the air and was transported somewhere.I could hear the sirens of the ambulance nearby. I could hear everyone shouting and barking commands.But, Gunther's desperate voice stood out to me the most.I knew that I was fighting for my dear life. But, somehow, everything felt surreal that I felt like I was merely dreaming.Then, from the absolute darkness that surrounded me, I heard a faint voice. "Agathe.”It sounded so familiar and soothing, I suddenly yearned to hear it again. I looked around the darkness that surrounded me, but I saw nothing.As I wandered around, tears began to form in my eyes. “Who is that?” I asked in a loud voice, without opening my mouth."Swee
~Agathe~Being in Stonewood City for almost a week has made me realize that I can also love this kind of life, with Gunther and Carlyle.And, when I finally accepted that Gunther had managed to sneak into my heart, I never anticipated the pain of repeatedly witnessing his mother's disdain towards me.Seeing her eyes full of disgust and hatred directed towards me made me feel hurt, beyond my understanding.Deep within my heart, I longed for her acceptance of me, perhaps echoing the desire of every daughter-in-law out there.I was about to turn around and walked away from there as quietly as possible but I was taken aback to see both Peter and Calixto standing behind me.As if it wasn't enough, both of them moved and stood on my left and right side. It was as if they were silently telling everyone that they are going to protect me no matter what.And, it didn't matter to them that it was their boss's mother they might have to confront. I was even astonished by how quickly Calixto had fo
~Agathe~It was lunchtime when I noticed something peculiar. I was having lunch with Carlyle as Gunther had left for the office earlier in the morning."Belv." I called Belvedere's name, who was standing beside the dining table.I had invited them to join me and Carlyle on the table, but as usual, they strongly declined. I had already given up on persuading them, as they are deeply committed to their job."Where is Yesenia? I don't recall seeing her all morning." I remarked, even noticing Carlyle furrowing her eyebrows at me."I checked her room, Mommy. Yennie is still fast asleep." Carlyle mentioned casually and then continued to devour her food.I noticed something on the corner of her lips and gently wiped it away with my finger. "Be careful, sweetheart."Afterward, I turned to Belvedere with a worried expression in my eyes. "Is she still sleeping, Belv? In all the days I've been here, I've never known Yesenia to sleep in. Is everything alright? Could she be unwell?”"I'll have a h
~Agathe~"I was wondering what took you so long, love.” Gunther's voice was cold and threatening, sending an instant shiver down my spine.“Carlyle and I were waiting for you in the entertainment room. She had already fallen asleep while waiting. While here you are, talking with some motherfucking bastard behind my back once again.”Gunther stressed the final words, his tone clearly laced with sarcasm. I noticed Thaddeus let out a deep sigh as if he was growing weary of his cousin's drama."You mentioned it yourself, dear cousin. We were just talking. When did having a conversation with someone become a criminal offense?”I turned to Thaddeus, feeling the urge to scold him. "Goodness gracious, don't provoke him. He might end up hitting you again." I whispered, recalling the incident that occurred at his boutique.However, Thaddeus smirked at me, showing no signs of being affected in the slightest. I clenched my teeth in pure annoyance towards him.I suddenly gasped so loud as I felt G