Chapter 6

"You didn’t tell me you have a daughter as beautiful as this," he said to my father while caressing my face. His touch made my anger grow even more. I wasn’t smiling; my face was twisted with frustration, knowing full well that nobody in my house understood how I felt, even though my mother supported this marriage.

My father is a man who would sell his daughter’s future for the small change he needed at that moment to buy alcohol, which is the only thing he spends money on. They all sat down, and anger gripped me as I looked at the pale face of the old man my father had brought to marry me; he was smiling like a coward.

My mother went straight to the kitchen. She held my hand as I joined her there. I wasn’t happy with her at all. She just killed my emotions today. As we entered the kitchen, she brought out coffee.

"Are we serving the guests with that as well?" I asked myself.

"What will I actually do with this?" I asked her, my voice thick with anger.

"I have the whole thing planned out; I know you are angry with me right now," she said.

She is right. I’m definitely angry with her. I knew it, right from the time she was on my father’s side, remembering how much happier she looked when that ugly, sticky old man was touching me. It pissed me off.

"Why should I be angry with you, Mom? I know you have a reason for everything you do." I feigned a smile.

"Don’t worry, dear; I told you from the beginning that you would never end up like me. When I saw your suitor earlier, I was disturbed; I sensed he was like your father."

Oh, she didn’t show me signs that she was truly disturbed; she was merely masking her rage by pretending to smile. I’m grateful that the universe made her understand that man is too poor for me.

"Now take that scorching coffee; I made it so hot that every slightest drop that gets on that man’s skin will burn him," she said, heating the coffee. I smiled broadly. I didn’t know my mother to be such a person; she wanted me to accidentally spill all the coffee on that old man’s body.

I can’t wait to see how pissed off he will be after I pour him that coffee and how he will swing on his feet to leave. I can’t stop imagining the drama that will take place today. My dad's face will show pure disbelief. I can’t stop laughing.

"When I told you I couldn’t fold my hands and watch you have the same fate as me, I meant it. I hate to send you somewhere, knowing how bitter it is," she said to me while caressing my cheek.

"I love you, Mom," I said to her as I embraced her affectionately.

After a minute, I set four cups of coffee on a tray to serve the guests. My face lit up with a resplendent smile as I came out, and my father stared at me with a twinkle of smiles filling his face.

“She had both eyes filled with tears at first, but the smile she is currently flashing is masking the atmosphere,” I thought my dad was considering, judging by the way he was staring at me.

The old man flashed me a smile while staring at me. I guess in his mind, he thinks he is going to marry a beautiful young lady like me, whose smile can be a killer. I couldn’t stop wondering what their faces would be like and how furious they would be after I poured scorching coffee on my suitor. I pictured my father’s face like an angry bird. “You lack home training. I will send you to where you belong.” He will taunt my hair and hit me so badly that my body will be covered with bruises. I smiled.

Whatever I will face after this, I don’t mind. Looking at that old, pale man, I can picture his face looking like a monster. “You didn’t tell me that’s how your family behaves. I have had enough of this.” He will spring up from his feet and flee from our house instantly, and as long as this will annoy everyone and ruin the day, I don’t mind doing it.

I carried the tray directly to where the old man was sitting. It amused the guests he came with; they thought I had suddenly changed my mind about marrying him but didn’t know I had another plan. My mom is a genius. Standing in front of the old man, my face was beading with sweat. I was so nervous that I thought it wouldn't be easy for me to do that, but if I wanted to ruin the whole thing, I had to go through with it.

I regained my composure as I took a deep breath, my hand still shaking. He noticed how nervous I seemed to be as he held my hand. As I held the tray, it slipped from my hand, and the whole coffee poured on him.

"Ouch!" he screamed and winced. I held my hand over my mouth, watching his face contort like that of a monster. My father glared at me. I could see everyone’s anger toward me reflected in their faces.

The old man sprang to his feet. He lowered his eyes, thinned his lips, and flared his nostrils. I stared at his face, waiting for him to start yelling at me with words full of hatred.

The guests gasped, their eyes wide in disbelief. I felt a mix of fear and excitement. I knew that I had crossed a line, but the thought of escaping this terrible situation thrilled me.

“What will happen now?” I wondered.

“Why would you do such a thing?” he yelled, his voice filled with rage. The way he glared at me made my heart race. I wanted to scream back at him, to tell him how I felt, but my voice was caught in my throat.

“Do you have any idea how much this means to me?” He didn’t wait for a response. Instead, he turned to my father, his face twisted in fury. “Is this how you raise your daughter? To disrespect her suitor?”

My father, shocked and embarrassed, could only stammer, “I—I’ll talk to her.” But I could see the disappointment in his eyes.

I had finally made my mark, but at what cost? The tension in the room was palpable, and I knew I couldn’t stand there any longer. I needed to leave, to escape the scrutiny and shame.

“I’m sorry,” I finally managed to say, my voice barely above a whisper. But my words were lost in the chaos of the moment.

The old man looked at me with disgust. “Sorry doesn’t cut it, girl! You’ve just ruined my reputation in this community!” His voice echoed in my ears, and I wanted to crawl into a hole.

As I backed away, I could feel tears streaming down my face. I had thought I could ruin the engagement and make everyone pay for their decisions, but instead, I had only made things worse for myself.

My mother appeared in the doorway, her face pale. “What happened?” she asked, but her gaze was fixed on the old man.

“Your daughter has no respect!” he shouted, and I could see my mother’s heart break a little.

“I’m so sorry,” she said, her voice trembling. “I’ll talk to her.” But I didn’t want to hear any more apologies.

I turned and fled to my room, slamming the door behind me. I wanted to scream, to cry, to let out all the frustration that had been building inside me. I sank onto my bed, burying my face in my hands.

What had I done? I thought I was being brave, but now I felt trapped. I had to find a way out of this mess, but I didn’t know how.

I could hear the voices of my parents and the old man arguing outside my room. Their words were muffled, but I could sense the tension rising. I felt the walls closing in on me.

Finally, I sat up, wiping my tears away. I had to come up with a plan. I couldn’t let this man control my life. I had dreams and aspirations beyond this marriage. I would find a way to escape this nightmare, even if it meant defying everyone I knew.