4. YOU WENCH!

There was an usual silence in the car as Callan and his mother journeyed back home. He knew she was mad at him for not heading to her advice of choosing Mia.

After so much contemplations, he dared to ask her. "Mom, what's wrong?"

Elizabeth shuddered, glaring at her son. "I have always been proud of all the decisions you make in life, Callan." She heaved a long sigh and lowered her gaze on him, "But tonight, I am disappointed,  so disappointed in you."

"Mom, you wanted me to choose a wife, it doesn't matter who I choose, does it?"

"It does, Callan. It does! You could have chosen Mia, she was all over you and getting married to her would be advantageous to you. She's the first child of Arnold Sullivan, the vice chairman of one of her Father's companies, she has a lot to offer to you. You two could merge your businesses into a large empire, but you went ahead to choose a lowly girl who looks malnourished, someone who has absolutely nothing to offer and you seem so cool about it? Don't you know that the rich get married to the rich for benefits?" She yelled, her eyes fiercely strumming every part of the car. She really was mad at him.

"Mom, I work hard to progress and I am very successful in my business. I don't need to merge business with anyone to be rich! I am made, mom!" He stated to her. "Why are you so worried and worked up about this? I have chosen the woman I want to marry and that's final."

"I hope you don't regret your decision, Callan. That lady isn't any good for you and I will never accept her as a daughter in law." She leaned back on the seat, her eyes focused on the highway as the chauffeur drove through the streets illuminated with bright white lights.

Callan didn't argue words with his mother, he stared at the screen of his phone and dialed Rosa's number. She picked up the call and he said, "Hey, are you sleep?"

"No, I am going to bed now though." She retorted in a fatigued voice.

"I need you in the penthouse now, I will send my chauffeur to get you. We have to prepare for the meeting with our clients by 2am." 

"But sir,"

"There are no buts, Rosa. If you can't do this, let me know and I will hire someone else." He said angrily, ending the call without waiting for Rosa's response.

Working was the only way to get out of the reality of life. He just made a lifetime decision out of extempore and he really didn't want to think about it at all. He wanted to occupy himself with work, and work until he could no longer go on.

His phone beeped, and it was a text from Rosa, apologizing for complaints. Callan felt bad when he read the text, Rosa was hardworking, she always did her best, but he transfered his aggression on her by yelling. He sighed, kneading his long lean fingers against his creased forehead. Perks of being a boss, he didn't have to apologize to her because he paid her well and she signed to effectively perform her job.

-

-

-

As Orla descended the stairs for the second time tonight, she knew that her father would call her, at least to talk about what happened. He couldn't just give her to a man without talking about it. Bruises were scattered across her face, she had locked her cat in her room to avoid scurrying after her again.

She became the cynosure of all eyes as she arrived in the living room. She stood there in the centre of the living room, her eyes on the floor. "You called for me, Father." 

"Yes, I did. Why did you have to leave your room at that time? I warned you, didn't I?" Arnold spat angrily, causing tension to build up in Orla's mind. "Now, you've seen what you've caused, right? Callan was meant to choose your sister, but you chose to interrupt our dinner and he ended up choosing you, you lowly wench!" He said pointedly.

Orla looked at Sophia and she pretended not to know about what was happening. She was about to talk when Mia attacked her.

"He will never love you and I promise that he will treat you as the trash that you are." 

Arnold didn't say anything to Mia bullying her younger sister. Instead, he nodded his head, agreeing to Mia's words to Orla.

"No one would ever love her, she's a witch, a child with a bad luck!" He yelled.

Orla trembled where she stood, her eyes blurry due to tears that formed on them. 

"He wants to get married to you," Emma laughed, clapping her hands. "I am sure he'd return her home a week after getting married to her." 

"A few days is enough for him to realize how ugly she is." Amelia chirped in. "Dad, I would love to attend to other things that require my attention." She got off the couch and walked out of the living room. All the other five sisters followed after her, muttering hateful words at Orla as they headed towards the staircase. As usual, only Sophia didn't say anything to her, she just glared at her before walking away.

Orla was left alone with her Father, the air was tense and she could feel a lump in her throat. She looked away from him and tears dropped to the tiled floor.

"Now that you have gotten what you want, I hope you are fine and happy with it, huh?" He straightened up and moved closer to her. She shifted away before he could get too close to get.

"You are getting married to Callan Barlowe and I don't care what he does with you." With that said, he walked out of the living room, leaving Orla to her fate.

She stifled tears from falling from her eyes. She had cried so much crying had become something she did all the time. All she ever wanted was to be accepted by her family, but that was never going to happen. Sometimes she wished she was never born, maybe that would have been better than living with people who hated her to the bones.