Two

Chapter Two

Donna’s POV

My fists clenched on the document so much that it crumpled. What was this old hag saying? I should get married like that? Her eyes flared up when she saw my hand crumped on the file.

My eyes were on her and they grew teary because in me, I knew that I had no way to fight this. I was truly all alone in this world and in the palms of my stepmother.

“How dare you treat such an important document that way!” Before I could blink, she raised her hand to my face.

The slap made the stings in my eyes intensify and I held my cheeks. She grabbed the file but it ripped. My mouth opened as she was stared at me like I did it.

“I... I don’t want to get married to some old man. You’d never want this for your daughter so—”

Chris left the couch and my remaining words buried itself in my throat. He slowly walked to me and I backed away, wondering what he wanted to do.

I tried to plead with him. “Please, I am still your sister. You wouldn’t want Priscilla to marry such a ma—”

“You have some guts, you bitch!” he shouted, and pointed at the file. “You will sign that and get the hell out of this house because I’ve just about endured your presence!”

My heart thumped so fast and I felt the wall behind me. He kept coming closer and the fear in my heart heightened. He’d been enduring my presence? Shouldn’t it be the other way around since he was a guest here? “I can’t marry such a man.”

“You can still talk!” My stepmother shouted. “He is everything you can get in a man! We made a deal, didn’t we? So why are you going...”

Her talk of a deal really pissed me off. Deal? She paid my fees and that’s a deal? She paid the burial services of her husband’s first legal wife and her daughter’s mother and that’s a deal? She used a minor in her time of need and that’s a deal? Did she forget that the money she’d living off on belonged to my own biological father and mother?

“If he’d so perfect then why don’t you marry him yourself!” I shouted back when I could no longer feel stings in my eyes. “Get him to marry you, because I’m not interested!!”

I couldn’t see her reaction before a palm grabbed my head and slammed me on the wall. An excruciating pain rang through my body and I felt my head split open.

“How dare you talk to my mother like...!”

I couldn’t hear that other things Chris said as my head felt woozy, and I collapsed unto the ground. Tears streamed down my cheeks. “All I want... is to live in peace...”

“And this is your ticket which you tore!” Chris slapped the wall besides me and I quivered. “Who else do you think would accept a bitch like you, huh! You are an eyesore! If you don’t want to be understanding then I’d not endure it anymore and show you your place.”

My place? As the real owner of this place? My fists clenched but I released it before he saw it, yet I felt his leg stomp on my hand. I let out a scream as his feet crushed my hand.

“Are you still trying to resist, huh!” He pinned my hand as he spoke. “Still trying, huh!”

I lowered my head and pleaded in whispers.

My step mother stooped down and I felt her massage my back. “My dear Donna, this is actually for your good. Why don’t you sign this and live a happier life outside of here?”

Wasn’t it obvious that she just wanted me to live so she’d have everything? I stopped sobbing when I realized something. She wanted me to leave.

I mean, she’d obviously prefer if I left her life and wanted me to be married off, but I never thought hard on why. It should be because of my inheritance.

Chris bent down. “So you’re finally quiet? I hope it means you accept this or you’d make me hit you again.” He finally released my hand.

This suddenly felt hilarious to me. They were desperate for me to leave and I was desperate to stay. I needed them to get out of my property but I didn’t know they were scared.

I struggled to seat on the ground and my dishevelled hair covered the small smile on my face. “If I sign the contract, there’s no going back, is there? I have to marry him?”

Chris groaned . “You still don’t get it? I should drill it in your head with a slap, huh! If you sign that, it’s happy and happier life for you. I don’t know why you’re hesitating.”

Good, but I wasn’t the only one who deserved a happy and happier life. If there’s no going back, then all the better.

I shouldn’t be selfish. “Please, stepmother, get another copy and I’d sign. I’m sorry for the trouble I caused.”

She smiled and left the ground, looking down at me. “You’re finally being a good girl. Infact, I’d let Priscilla handle the chores till tomorrow morning, okay?”

I parted my hair immediately to look at her face. She was serious. She walked out and after a while, I sluggishly left the ground and limped to my room. Chris said nothing and kept on working on his laptop. He only tsked when I left.

I was a different Donna than I had been an hour ago. I now knew why they were so bitter towards me and always wanted me to leave.

I rushed to my room and when I got in, the headache pangs from that head slam attacked me in full force. I held my head and buried it in my bed, trying to ease the pain.

“I have to find my father’s will. Surely, I’m the sole heiress.”

My stepmother must’ve known this and wanted me out of the way without me figuring this out. I just had to comply till I find out how to get my hands on the will of my father.

When I’d get full authority over my properties then, they’d be off my property as soon as possible. Priscilla could work as a cleaner, depending on how good she became.

A full hour later, I fell on the bed with my stomach as the headaches stopped throbbing and only dried lines of tears remained on my face. My eyes spotted the wet letter.

I reached for it on my bed side and tore it open. What fell out, along with a beige letter, was a locket. My eyes tarried on the locket as I tried to remember where I had seen it – of course, I hadn’t. The letter was already opened so I read through it’s content. It was simple.

‘Remember Contract 21, Sir Draven. I hope she’s well.”

I turned the other part of the letter, and there was no other information. There was a contact down the letter.

Checking the time, I decided to try a little dangerous ppay. If I stayed put without making any major attempt to get my hand on my father’s will, then it’d remain the same.

I also had to call this line and ask what Contract 21 was. I was the only daughter of my father and I would be the only one to settle all his remaining businesses.

I quickly washed my face and forced my hair into a cap. I changed to baggy clothes, because I never had any one that was fitting. My only footwear was an old pair of sandals that somehow still fit all those years.

I locked my door and poured a glass of water and kept on my bed with an empty roll of paracetamol. My planned excuse was that I had a headache and quickly left to get medicine because it felt like my head was ripping apart.

The main gate was a meter away from the building. There was a tree by the gate that I climbed into from my room.

I looked left and right before slowly opening the gate and sneaking out. My beating heart slowed down when I made it out without being caught and I turned to behold the sight of the blue sky and tall buildings that I’ve been missing.

That had been easier than I thought but it was also because I never had any reason to leave I the first place. I was in full house-daughter duty.

It didn’t take me long to begin running down the lonely estate. Soon, I was cheering and laughing as I ran and my dark hair kept flying wildly in the wind.

I hadn’t been so happy in a long time and despite the sting from my opened wounds, I felt like I was in my top form.

I kept running till I caught the smell of roses and was reminded of the florist store at the entrance of the estate. I wondered if I should say hi to her or just not.

“Would she know anything about getting my will from—”

Something collided with me. I had reduced my speed or it could’ve been worse when this biker came from the other side and rammed into me.

It threw me back and I saw myself flying, but was what crazier was that the biker suddenly leaped from his bike and caught me before I fell.

He rolled on the ground and protected my head from hitting the ground. I laid there, the pain roaming through my body and the headaches coming again.

“No, why... why.... please, no.” I curled myself and tried to plead with the pain to go away. An hour, couldn’t I have just an hour of happiness without anything jinxing it?

The biker came over me, and opened a part of his helmet, revealing only his deep blue eyes. “A-Are you alright? I’m so sorry, so sorry.”

I diverted my eyes from him when I felt them starting to tear up again. His voice had sounded familiar and those eyes too.

But all I could do was lay there, hoping for the pain to go away, and slowly falling asleep in the arms of this stranger.