Ch2 - The Collateral

“W-what are you talking about?” Anastacia butted in.

Tears pooled down on her face as she grabbed the knife from Mariane, who was still stunned. She went forward and pulled her daughter into her back.

“M-my daughter… she’s not a thing that you’ll just get whenever you want. My daughter is not her father’s collateral!!! Do you understand that?!” Anastacia exclaimed, as her breathing became heavy with anger.

Her hands were shaking, but she still pointed the knife toward the uninvited visitor. “You better go now before I stab this knife directly in your heart.” Gritting her teeth, Anastacia warned them.

David raised his hands, surrendering. “Look here, Mrs. Ramos… I came here to inform you just for formality. But this agreement has been sealed. If you want to argue with this matter, you can talk to my lawyer. This agreement is legal and with the consent of both parties.” David explained calmly.

“Parties? That’s nonsense! But what about my daughter? She should include in this agreement before you include her name in this paper! My daughter has the right to know what kind of agreement you have.” Anastacia said, which made David raise an eyebrow.

Somehow, he got impressed by how Anastacia knew about laws. “Alright then. Maybe let’s just talk about this tomorrow. You and your husband have a lot of things to talk about.” He smiled at Anastacia before turning his gaze to Mariane.

“We’ll talk tomorrow,” he said as he looked at her and winked.

“There’s nothing to talk about, Mister. So you better not come back.” Finally, Mariane came back to her senses.

“Ting! That’s not the right answer, my lady. You should have read the clause of the agreement on the last page. You’ll see the consequences if ever you refuse to be my wife.” He grinned, which made Mariane’s face turn sour as she got disgusted by him.

“So, see you tomorrow, wife.” he grinned before turning his back to them.

‘Wife, my ass… Pervert!’ Mariane wants to say it out loud, but she rather not. He has no idea who this guy is.

Before David left, he stopped and turned at them. “By the way… I have already paid for your electricity. Your electricity will be back in 5… 4… 3… 2… 1.” Suddenly, their light lit up after David snapped his fingers. “Don’t thank me yet… I just don’t want my wife to suffer from the dark.” He winks again before he and his men leave.

Mariane scoffed at his arrogance. ‘Asshole,’ she muttered in her thoughts.

“Don’t worry, Mariane… I will talk to your dad about this. Don’t worry about it.” Anastacia assured her.

“It’s alright, mom. You can resume eating. I will just fix the door.” Mariane smiled at Anastacia, reassuring her mom that she was alright. But she’s not. 

‘How can dad do this to me? Why did he make me his collateral? Doesn’t he care for me? Why did he agree with this? Do his vices were more important than me, his daughter?’ she wondered.

Mariane was in deep thought and didn’t notice the tears escaping her eyes. She stared at the tear that just dropped on the floor blankly.

‘When will I can feel his love… His love as my father. Why does it feel like dad despised me ever since I was a child? As if I did wrong him.’ Mariane heaved a sigh.

She didn’t notice her mother, Anastacia, was already beside her. “Hey, why are you crying?” Anastacia asked worriedly.

Anastacia sat on the floor beside Mariane. “What’s bothering you, my princess? You can tell me.”

Mariane immediately wiped her tears away. “Uh… It was nothing, mom. There’s… There’s just something in my eyes.” Mariane rubbed her eyes more, and it gets reddened even more.

Anastacia looked at her daughter in disbelief. She pulled Mariane’s hand to stop her from rubbing her eyes. “You’ll hurt your eyes.” She reminded her.

“Come on… I am your mother… Even if you won’t tell me… I can feel.” She smiled at Mariane, which made Mariane groan.

“I just can’t hide it, ain’t I?” Mariane chuckled and sniffed.

“It’s just that… Why is dad doing this to me?” Mariane’s voice broke.

Her eyes started to get water again. “It’s like I’ve done something wrong to him.”

Anastacia sobbed as she felt her daughter was hurt. Who wouldn’t be? Your father sold you to pay off his debts…

“Hey… I won’t allow that to happen. Don’t worry… I will talk to your father. You don’t have to marry that guy.” Anastacia assured her.

Diego, Mariane’s father, went home and saw the two women sitting at the front door, hugging each other.

“Thanks, mom.”

“Hey, You! Why are you still here? You should be with your husband by now?!” Diego asked.

Diego was drunk, and his rage urged as he saw Mariane still in their house. He just signed the contract and sold her daughter. And now, he’s afraid that David will come and ask him to pay his debt with his own life.

Anastacia couldn’t take this anymore. It was her daughter he was talking about. She stood up and attacked Diego, her husband.

“How dare you do this to our daughter, you damn bastard!” Anastacia keeps on punching Diego in his chest.

“Stop it, you whore!” He cursed as he was hurt by her punches.

Mariane’s eyes widened in surprise at what her father had just said.

“Hey! How could you say that to mom?!” Mariane spanks her father.

But the drunken Diego was so strong that he just pushed them. Making Mariane and Anastacia throw and fall on the ground.

“I’m so fed up with you two!” He hissed. 

“You! You ungrateful bitch! You should have been thankful that I accepted you here in my house. But now you hit me?” He pointed his fingers at Mariane accusingly, which made Mariane frown in confusion.

.

'What is he talking about? Ungrateful? Me? How can he say those words?' she wondered.

“And you… I accepted you after what happened to you… Why don’t you tell your daughter how to be appreciative?”

“Why should I be grateful? All these years… You know nothing but hit mom as if she was your punching bag! And now… You even sold me to a gangster to pay your debts?!! Now, tell me… Why should I be grateful?” Mariane burst out her anger and cried.

Anastacia hugged her daughter as if she was protecting her. While Diego scoffed while looking at the two women, who were very dramatic in front of him.

“Will you stop your drama? It’s disgusting. Anastacia… Why don’t you tell your daughter? She’s grown up to know more about this. And don’t let her think of me as a bad guy here. I’ve told you many times… Now it’s time to uncover the truth,” he said before turning his gaze at Mariane.

“And by that time, you should leave here and pay my debts with your life.” Diego spits in front of them, before getting inside their room.

Marriane got confused by what Diego had just said before he left. “Mom… What is he saying… What should I know?” She asked with her brows furrowed in confusion.

“I’m sorry, honey…” Anastacia cried.

“What is it, mom? Why are you saying sorry?” Marianed asked.

“It’s just that… y-your father was not Diego… I-I got raped… while I was in a relationship with Diego.” Anastacia closed her eyes as she didn’t want to see Mariane’s reaction after hearing this shocking news from her.

Mariane got stunned… ‘I am just a daughter of the rapist?’ she thought as tears fell down her cheeks.

It looks like her world spun upside down, and she didn’t know what to do.