(Jonathan's POV)
I sat on the edge of my bed as I dial the caretaker's number, my mind filled with the events of the past hour. Dealing with Bryan is always draining. As the phone rang, my eyes drifted to the framed photograph on my bedside table. It was a picture of my son, Bryan Jr's father and his wife, smiling and happy. They were the picture of perfection, the embodiment of everything I had worked for. But all that had been taken from me in an instant, in the blink of an eye, in the crash that had claimed their lives and left me a broken man. "Good afternoon sir." The caretaker's voice echoed through the phone. I swallowed hard the rising thoughts of my dead son, recollected my thoughts and focused on the task at hand. "Good afternoon," I replied, my voice terse and businesslike. "I need to discuss a matter of some urgency." The caretaker, accustomed to my no-nonsense tone, quickly agrees to meet with me. "Of course, Mr. Rodriguez," he answered. "Is there anything I should be aware of?" I hesitated as my hand gripped the phone tighter. "My grandson will be staying at the townhouse for an undetermined amount of time," "Oh!" He uttered softly after a brief pause on the other end of the line. I could almost hear the unspoken questions. Why is Bryan staying at the townhouse? What's going on? But the caretaker, a devout and loyal employee of mine for many years, knows better than to ask. He always left me to my discretion. "The townhouse will be ready for him," he replied instead. "I will ensure that everything is in order for his arrival." I nodded, relieved. "Good. And please make sure that the security is increased. I want to ensure that my grandson is safe and secure while he's there." "Okay sir," The caretaker voiced in agreement, just before I hung up the phone. As I sat in the silence of my room, my thoughts raced. Was I making the right decision? No! I was. I reaffirmed myself. Bryan Jonathan Rodriguez was my only living descendant, and is my last chance at carrying on the family name, the family legacy. And I will do whatever it takes to make sure that legacy is preserved even if it means subjecting his spoiled self through a hard life and even getting him a wife. But as I stared at the photograph of my son and his wife, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was betraying their memory, sacrificing their son for the sake of the family name. **** I sat in the back of my limousine, gazing out the window as we drove through the city streets. Beside me, Bryan fiddles with the buttons on his jacket, his face a mask of annoyance and displeasure. "This place is a dump," he grumbles. "You really are not serious about me living here, right?" I turn to face him, my expression steely. "Unfortunately, I am." "You will live here, and you will learn to appreciate it." "Yea, right!" he answered with a sneer on his lips. "One more thing," I added, my voice low and serious. "The girl you're marrying, her name is Emelda and she knows nothing of your family or your wealth. As far as she's concerned, the man she is getting married to is a regular man, living a regular life. Bryan scoffs. "Why the secrecy? If she knew who I was, she'd be begging to marry me." I shook my head. "You've missed the point, Bryan. I'm tired of the numerous ladies you bring home every night. They are obviously all mongers. I want a lady who would love you genuinely, not for what you have. Bryan rolls his eyes, unconvinced. "Whatever," I smiled, my expression grim. "Remember, getting married to Emelda is one part of the deal. The other important part of the deal is to get me an heir." "How am I to do that? What if I don't find this so-called wife attractive?" Bryan asked, rolling his eyes. "Then you will have to learn to find her attractive," I replied, my voice sharp and clear. "And if you can't, well, that's when the real test begins." Bryan looks at me, his eyes narrowed with suspicion. "What are you getting at?" I ignored his question, my gaze steady. "I'm leaving you here to settle in." "Settle in?" Bryan exclaimed. "There's nothing to settle into! This place is a dump! Just look at the environment." I reached for the door handle. "Be that as it may, this is your home now. You better begin to love your new life, if you don't, you will remain in it for a long time. Bryan glared at me through the opened door. "I'm not some prisoner," he said. "You can't keep me here against my will." I smiled again, my lips curling into a cruel, tight smile. "Oh, but I can, Bryan. And I will." "I'm going to pick up Emelda," I announced, my voice hard and unforgiving. "And when I bring her back here, I expect you to behave like a gentleman. Show her the respect she deserves, and some light affection. Remember, your inheritance is on the line" I added. Bryan's jaw clenched, but he said nothing. "Good," I replied, just before turning to the driver. "Take me to the bus park where I can take a commercial bus. Then afterwards, you can leave. I will call you when I need you." The car engine roared smoothly as the driver turned on the ignition. As we drove away from the neighborhood, I glanced back at the townhouse, a cold satisfaction filled me. Let the game begin, I said softly with a smile on my lips.
(Jonathan's POV) "You can stop here," I uttered softly to my driver, who like the caretaker had served me for years. "I wouldn't want to draw any attention to myself." "Okay sir," he responded, parking the car a few meters away from the bus stop. My skin was instantly grazed by the hotness of the sun as I stepped out of the limousine and began to walk towards the commercial bus that was still taking in commuters. "You can sit over here sir," a young teenage boy gestured towards me as I scouted for a seat. "Oh, thank you." I nodded, a faint smile visible on my face. As the wheels of the bus began to move, my mind wandered back to that fateful day when I met Emelda. It was one year to the day since I'd lost my son and daughter-in-law in a car accident, and filled with grief and sad memories of them both, I'd sought solace in the bottom of a bottle in a bar which I later found out was owned by Emelda's stepmother. The liquor had numbed my senses, dulled my pain, but only fo
Emelda's POV As I walked into my room, my stomach gave out a rumbling noise, accompanied with a sharp pain. It was obvious; hunger pangs. I hadn't eaten since the previous night and it was past noon already. Holding my stomach so tightly, I collapsed onto the bed as my aching muscles due to cleaning and cooking yearned for rest. I was exhausted and it was clearly visible on my face. Just as I'm about to drift off to sleep, the door opens, and my stepsister, Natasha, barged in. "Emelda," she snapped, her voice shrill and accusatory. "Why haven't you cleaned my room yet?" Rubbing my eyes, I sat up, "I was busy," I replied, my voice quiet. "Busy?" Natasha repeated, her voice dripping with disgust. "Busy doing what, exactly? You're just simply lazy, Emelda, a worthless little servant." I bit my lip as I tried to hold back the anger rising within me. "I'm not lazy," I answered back, my voice stronger now. "I work hard for this family, and I deserve some respect." Natasha's
Emelda's POV It was two in the afternoon when the cab which carried us from the bus park came to a halt in front of an old dilapidated apartment complex. "We are home, " Jonathan announced before stepping out of the vehicle and walking over to the other side of the car to help me out. As my silver sandal heel kissed the floor, a knot of dread tightened in my stomach. I stood still for some time as I looked around what was now my new environment and new home. I was jolted back to reality immediately Jonathan who had been talking to the cab driver tapped me softly on my shoulders. "Shall we?" He beckoned, a weathered smile on his wrinkled face. He was a good man, but I couldn't help but feel disgusted that he had gone past me and made a deal to marry me, like I was a property easily sold and bought. Still overwhelmed, I only nodded as I followed him. As we made our way up the stairs, the stairwell leading up to his unit reeked of stale cigarette smoke and mildew, and t
Emelda's POV The world stood still as Jonathan's words rang in my ears for the upteempth time. "I'm going to take a quick nap. I would leave you two to solve your father-in-law and Daughter-in-law squabble." Bryan who had been on his phone uttered as he let out a scornful laughter. Ignoring Bryan, my mind focused on Jonathan's words which echoed in my head, a deafening buzz that drowned out all rational thought. Bryan. Not Jonathan. My husband. My mind reeled, struggling to process the new information. As I stood staring blankly at Jonathan, anger and betrayal welled up like a tidal wave, sweeping away all reason and sense I had. I lashed out, my words hot as the flames as I accused Jonathan of treating me like a possession–a property he could just toss around. I poured out the resentment I had held up inside, letting my raw emotions flow like an untamed river. Suddenly, I realized what I was doing and I caught myself, my voice softening. I had gone overboard with my w
Emelda's POV I jolted awake by the sound of a loud voice and a sharp tap on my shoulder. "Hey, Sleeping Beauty!" The voice called out. It was Bryan's, his tone mocking and aggressive. Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I sat up, the room still swimming in a haze of grogginess. "What's going on?" I asked, my voice thick with sleep. "Is this how you sleep?" Bryan smirked, his voice dripping with contempt. "Wow, you sleep like the dead. Guess that means you won't be nagging me in the middle of the night, huh?" I ignored his jab, climbed out of bed and smoothed down my hair. "It's late," I said, glancing at the clock on the wall. "Dinner should be ready soon." Bryan scoffed. "Yeah, well, I'm starving. What is there to eat?" Swallowing the retort rising in my throat, I headed to the kitchen. I opened the old wooden cupboard to find a bag of rice and some tinned vegetables. Not exactly a five-star meal, but it'll have
Bryan's POV My teeth clashed in anger and my mind seethed with rage as I stormed out of the house, leaving Emelda still standing in shock. I knew my words cut through her but I didn't mind. It was a dumb idea agreeing to whatever my grandfather had told her. I pushed the door leading to the stairs open with such force that it slammed against the wall, sending a reverberating noise across the empty stairwell. Still enraged, I take the stairs, two at a time, my footsteps echoing in the dank and dingy stairwell. As I rounded the corner to the ground floor, my hand brushed against something sticky and rough. Realizing it was a cobweb, I let out a cry of disgust. The cobweb dangled like a ghostly specter from the ceiling. Filled with disgust, I furiously shake my hand, wiping the cobweb's residue on the almost rusted metallic rail. "Disgusting," I muttered under my breath, my irritation boiling over. “This place is a dump, just like everything else in my life right now.” I
(Bryan's POV) As the car pulled up at my destination, a deep feeling of joy and excitement washed over me. I was ready to party and get wasted. I had had enough for the day, and this was the only way I could release all the piled up stress. "Have a great night, Sir." The driver uttered, his face beaming with joy as he counted the money I paid, including the extra tip I gave him. As I stepped out of the Uber, I tried my best to hide my embarrassment. I couldn’t let anyone know the real reason why I wasn’t driving my own car. Immediately I dismissed the driver, I caught sight of my friend, Luke, strolling towards me. “Hey, Bryan! Where’s your ride at?” he asked, jokingly. “Thought you’d show up in your flashy car. I know how you love her so much and always want to show her to the world.” I let out a forced laugh. “Oh, she’s getting some TLC at the mechanic’s,” I lied, trying to sound casual. “Just giving my baby a treat.” Luke chuckled. “You and that car of yours, man. It’s lik
(Emelda's POV) I was still standing in shock at the piercing words Bryan had hurled at me, when I heard a knock on the door. The dinner I had labored to make earlier and served to Bryan still sat on the table, the food barely touched. I quickly wiped the stray tear that had escaped my eye. Thinking it must be Bryan, I ran towards the door. Maybe he’d come to apologize, or perhaps he’d forgotten something. But when I opened the door, it was his grandfather, Jonathan, standing on the other side. My face flushed with embarrassment as he looked around the messy living room and the untouched food on the dinner table. “Emelda,” Jonathan said, his eyebrow furrowing and his voice calm but firm. “Is everything alright?” I swallowed hard, fighting to keep my emotions in check. “Yes, everything is fine,” I lied. “Bryan was just here, he left a few minutes ago.” Jonathan raised an eyebrow, stepping further into the apartment and staring long at the dinner table. “Really? It doesn’t