Talking to family

★★★★

"Take me home, mom! I would prefer not to remain here. These individuals pose a threat. Mom, they're going to kill me if I stay any longer. This is not a marriage!"

Wiping away her tears, Anastasia pleaded hurriedly, hoping her mother would hear her and take her out of the house.

"Ana, I understand that the current situation may not be ideal for you, but please remember that the house you are currently residing in belongs to you and your husband, Richard Hill. Although your marriage may not be a typical one, with a little bit of adjustment, you can have a better future,” Ana's mother responded steadily despite the fact that her daughter's choked voice indicated that something was wrong. She missed such obvious signs that her daughter had been upset by something.

'or Ana's mother was doing that purposefully.!'

"Mom, no... this is not the greatest place for me to live my life; instead, every day will be awful. They assigned me a dirty store room to dwell in, and Richard's mother threatened me that if my family did not come to save me from there, my death in this room would be unavoidable."

Anastasia informed her mother that her perception of reality did not align with the reality that Anastasia was experiencing. That one day, without anyone knowing, one of the servants would give her something that would end her life.

"My sweet girl, Ana, I understand that you are feeling fearful right now. I want to assure you that there is no need to worry. Your fear may stem from the fact that we are not present with you at the moment, but please know that we will visit you soon at Hill House. As for the matter of the room, let me explain. It appears that there may have been a mistake or perhaps a thoughtful decision made by the staff. They may have chosen not to assign you to a particular room so that they could set up the master suite for you as a surprise," Ana's mother's logic was astounding, as she entirely let go of her daughter's problems, which Anastasia was screaming over the phone.

"Richard Hill sent his man to bring me the paper to sign instead of showing up to take vows. He doesn't give a damn about this marriage or who he married. His mother made it quite evident to me that his grandma coerced him into getting married, which he dutifully did, but there's no assurance that this union will last as long as a conventional one. Therefore, cease talking such gibberish."

Anastasia shouted at the top of her lungs, falling onto the hard bed. Frustration had grown to the point where she wanted to break everything, and the catalyst for her descent into madness was her mother, whom she believed was going to comprehend what her predicament was in this house. And if they carried such thoughts, they would soon learn that Anastasia had died in this house.

"Stop...Ana!" Her mother was insistent about not accepting her words, which upset Ana because she had begun to assume they were aware of everything.

"Mom... Tell me, did they offer you something that makes you unwilling to take me out of this house?" Anastasia’s tone became as serious as ice as she wiped the tears from her cheeks. Although it was difficult for her to believe, she couldn't ignore the obvious answers in front of her eyes.

“Anastasia, stop speaking in this manner. I am your mother," Ana's mother became enraged when the question she was asked generated anxiety in her, and caused brief silence, which squeezed Anastasia's chest as her biggest nightmare became reality. They were impoverished, yet she was dumbfounded that her parents had sold her to this family.

"Mom, just offering a simple answer can put an end to my dread. Please let me listen to the truth," Anastasia begged, her hand crumpling the edge of the bed sheet as her heart began to beat loudly.

"Enough is enough!" Suddenly another voice interrupted Anastasia and her mother's conversation. With a deep, impatient frown on his face, he seized the phone from Ana's mother and placed it on his ear, saying, "It doesn't matter what calculations your mind makes about this marriage, but one thing is certain—no one can dispute that you are Richard's legitimate wife. You have every right to defend your position if there is a threat, so stop wasting time with pointless inquiries. You are not a young child who depends on her parents to survive. And if you trust us then rest assured you will be fine there."

It was Anastasia's stepfather, who was the one to arrange her marriage, while her mother was unaware of it until the evening when her stepfather angrily confronted her about it.

“Father, he has a mistress. The family has already chosen a girl to be Richards' wife, and when she reaches the age of twenty-five, she must marry him. Why don't you comprehend me?" Anastasia remarked, tearing her hair in wrath because no one bothered to listen to her, as if her misery and death were the only way they could know she wasn't lying.

"SO WHAT! Does it matter if he has an affair or if his family has chosen a different woman for him? Nothing can alter your status as his wife as long as you have plenty of time to establish yourself in that household and Richards's life. She won't stand in your way if he falls in love with you."

Anastasia inhaled deeply, peering into space, while her stepfather responded, and her brain went numb simultaneously.

She felt she had nothing to utter, they had answers to her every situation.

"Ana...." her stepfather called her by her name when he heard nothing from Ana for a minute.

"Are you paying attention, Anastasia? You know how busy your mother and I are, and yet you took enough time. Therefore, we are unable to remain in the queue for you to listen to your opinion if you decide to stop speaking."

Once more, her stepfather exclaimed, "Ana...!!" but the call abruptly ended, and he thought this attitude was completely inappropriate.

"Your disobedient girl sometimes makes me want to smack her brutally to teach a lesson on how to behave to the senior!" he said, gritting his teeth, as he turned to face Anastasia's mother.

"Kayton," Anastasia's mother extended her hand to catch hold of her husband, but he swatted her hand away angrily and proceeded to the room. On the other hand, Anastasia's step-sister was beaming as she stood at the door, having heard everything they had said to Ana.

She wasn't going to lie, she was furious that they had arranged Anastasia's marriage to a billionaire's home instead of her, but just now she was unable to prevent herself from praising her father for showing her that he always stood by her, not Ana.

"I can't wait to see your ruined face, Ana. You used to act arrogant in front of me because of your beauty and hair. However, your current condition is no less than that of a servant. I don't see any positive things happening to you due to your appearance. Pity!"

Sonia thought to phone Ana since they were sisters.

"Tsk! Not because I am sad, but because I want to hear your pain."