Chapter 1

Ann's POV

"What? Did I hear it correctly, Aunt Odeth?" I felt like I was bitten by a snake when I heard what my stepmom, Odeth, told me. We were currently eating dinner when she suddenly mentioned to me about marrying Jordan Sy. Jordan is an American-Chinese with Filipino blood and he owns three grocery stores in our town. He was only in his late thirties and he looks like jeprox when dressed. He always wears a white t-shirt and black jumper with matching sunglasses even when it's raining. And not only that, he never loses a lollipop in his mouth no matter where he goes.  Well, he has a lot of lollipops because he owns a grocery store.  He is like a child in the eyes of many people. Baby big bear is what most people call him. No woman will agree to marry him except for the women who look at the pockets and not the looks and the behavior. But I'm not one of those women. Because apart from having a boyfriend, I also never dreamed of having a husband who was a big bear and his age is twice my age. So I couldn't accept what my stepmom said. She wants me to marry that jeprox. No way! Over my dead gorgeous body!

"Yes, Ann. You heard it right. I like you to marry Jordan Sy. Jordan and I already talked about it. He is rich and single. He also has no parents anymore so you will have nothing to share if Jordan bequeaths his wealth to you," said Aunt Odeth in a normal tone just like she was only telling me a story.

"I am not money hungry, Aunt Odeth. Besides, I never dreamed of having a husband like him, so forget your thoughts about marrying me to him because I won't marry him," I answered her in a firm voice. So it's the reason why she welcomes Jordan with open arms every time he visits our house because she was selling me to him. I always shoo that man away when he comes to our house with imported chocolates and expensive flowers with him. I don't entertain him because I don't want him to give a different meaning once I show him kindness. He might think that I am attracted to his chocolates and flowers and that I like him but no. I will never like him. Just thinking about him makes my hair stand. He is scary to look at.  It's like I'm naked in his eyes every time he looks at me.

"Are you saying that I am money hungry and I am after his money that's why I told you to marry him? You know why I'm doing this, Ann," she said, raising her voice in front of me.

I was ten years old when Daddy brought Aunt Odeth to our house and introduced her to me as his new wife because they were married by a judge. I didn't object to having a stepmom because I knew my dad was sad since my mommy died when I was only eight years old. At first, Aunt Odeth was nice to me but later on, her true nature finally came out. She is a bitch and a materialistic woman. She always scolds and hurts me when daddy is not around. She always asks for some kind of expensive stuff from my dad and he always gives her what she wants. But when I grew up, I learned to fight against Aunt Odeth. I didn't let her hurt and bully me anymore.

"Why? Isn't it true that you are money hungry? Isn't the reason why you married my dad because he has lots of money before?" I asked her with a raised brow. What a thick face woman.

Aunt Odeth dropped the spoon and fork heavily on her plate and then gave me a nasty look.  "Don't talk to me like that, Ann. Even though I'm only your stepmom, I'm still your guardian and I am the one who raised you."

"Correction. You're not my guardian anymore, Aunt Odeth. Maybe you're forgetting that I am already at the right age. I celebrated my eighteenth birthday last month, remember? And correction again, it wasn't you who raised me but I raised myself," I bravely answered her.  My dad was so busy with his work and his wife that he always forgot that he had a child with his first wife. Yes. It was daddy's money that I spent on my education, but I haven't felt the love and care of a father since Aunt Odeth became his wife and especially when Trevor was born; my half-brother who was studying abroad. But I never felt angry with my brother because he is kind and he is not like his mother.

"Your daddy's debts are the reason why I'm forcing you to marry Jordan, Ann. You know the bank will foreclose this house if we don't pay at the end of this month. Where are we going to live? What about your brother's education?" Aunt Odeth said in a gentle voice. Maybe she thought that her strategy of being tough wouldn't work on me, so she changed his tactics and made me feel guilty towards my brother because she knows that I love my brother.

I shook my head at her. I am also impressed by her long patience with me. Even though she was shaking in anger because of what I said, she still managed to lower her voice just to convince me to marry Jordan. But she was wrong. Because no matter what she said, I will not agree to marry that man.

"Daddy's debts are because of your whim, Aunt Odeth. Why don't you sell the jewelry that daddy bought for you when he was alive? That will surely help to keep this house from being foreclosed on so that Trevor can continue to study abroad. Or maybe you'll marry Jordan. You'll definitely get richer because you're the only one who owns his wealth and you have no one to share with it," I told her in a cold voice before I stood up from the dining table and walked to my room. I have lost my appetite.

"Wait a minute, Ann," Aunt Odeth called me. I stopped and waited for what she was going to say but I didn't bother to look back at her. "If you think you can refuse your marriage to Jordan, you are wrong. Because even if I drag you to church, I will do it. Understand?" she warned me.

I didn't answer her instead I just continued walking into my room. Even if she drags me to church, she still can't force me to marry Jordan.

I immediately grabbed my cellphone and dialed Jasper's number when I enter my room.  Jasper is my classmate and boyfriend. But it's been a month since we lost communication. I suddenly can no longer contact him on his number. He transferred his studies to Manila because his family will also live there. He promised me that he will always call and text me but I never received a single call or text from him since he left. I can't help but worry that maybe something bad has happened to him.

As I was thinking about Jasper, I didn't realize that I fell asleep. I woke up around ten o'clock at night because my stomach suddenly growled. I almost didn't eat earlier because I lose my appetite when I'm with Aunt Odeth. That's why I don't eat with her because I don't want to lose my appetite. Buts he requested that we eat together because it was Daddy's death anniversary. My daddy has been dead for two years and he died of cancer. I granted Aunt Odeth's request because I thought she was remembering my daddy on the anniversary of his death and was sad but she wasn't. Because she had a different agenda that was why she wanted us to have dinner together.

I decided to come out of my room and get something to eat from the fridge if there was any. I get out of my room but I didn't bother to turn on the lights because I memorized every corner of our house. Also, the light coming from the moon enters the house from the glass wall. Our living room is surrounded by glass so the moonlight can enter.

When I arrived in the living room, I was surprised to see that the door was open. I cautiously approached the door to close it but I suddenly stopped when I heard Aunt Odeth's voice outside the door and she was talking to someone on her cell phone.

"Yes. You can come here right now and enter her room. Do what you want to do with her. I'm sure that after you get her virginity she will agree to marry you," Aunt Odeth stopped talking for a while to listen to what the other person she was talking to has said, and then she speaks again. "Don't worry because Ann is alone at home. I sent our maid home for tonight and I'm leaving also so she can be left alone. And to make sure that she can't escape, I will lock up the door from outside. You just go through the door that is in the kitchen and then you will take care of the rest so that she couldn't escape from you, okay?"

I felt that my head suddenly grew bigger when I heard Aunt Odeth's words to the person she was talking to on her cellphone and that person was probably Jordan. She really sold me to that man. My body suddenly trembled with the extreme anger I felt towards her. I want to show her and tweak her hair until she gets bald. I want to slap her face repeatedly until it was swollen but I didn't do it. I don't know what else Aunt Odeth could do just to make me marry that creepy man so I shouldn't give in to my anger. I carefully left and hurried back to my room. I will not allow them to succeed in their evil plans against me. And I could only think of one solution to escape this problem that I was in. And that is to get away and go far away from here.