Chapter 2: The Monster-In-Law

In the morning, Daphne found herself in the four-corner wall of the prison cell. She was sitting on the cold cemented floor while reeking of alcohol and god-knows-what kind of horrible smell she had gotten into last night. She barely remembered what happened last night, and all her mind could dig into was that she saw Maverick at the bar with other men who were in corporate suits.

After that, Daphne couldn’t distinctly remember the next events. As she struggled to stand up in her big puffy off-white dress, she grabbed the metal bars of the cell and asked one officer on the lookout.

“Hey, um, what time is it?” She asked while rubbing the back of her neck from stiffness.

“Ah, finally, the prison bride has finally come to her senses! It’s eight in the morning, dear.” The old man said as he pointed at the clock next to them.

Daphne nodded, looking at his pointed hands on the wall. “Er, thanks.” Biting her lips, she asked again, “Do you have some water? I’m kinda thirsty.”

He smiled at her as her question piqued his interest. “So you will not ask me why you’re here?”

She wetted her crack, dry lips and replied, “Nope. I just want a goddamn water.”

“Okay, sweetheart, we’ll get you your drink.” He chuckled, clutching his gun holster, and went to get her a bottle of water.

After a few minutes, he gave the bottle to her, which she hastily yanked.

“Thanks!” Opening the cap, she chugged the water down to her mouth and was relieved immediately when her thirst was quenched.

In just a minute, the bottle was already empty as she placed it in the corner of the prison cell. Getting back to the metal benches, she sat there and slumped her back on the wall as she breathed in and out, as her life had just become hopeless.

When she was about to close her eyes, she heard her friend’s voice near to her. Daphne jolted out from her seat, then ran back to the metal grills as she looked outside where she saw Clara coming towards her.

“Clara! Thank goodness!” Daphne squeaked in elation.

With strawberry blonde hair and a petite, compact figure, Desire ambled toward Daphne, as her concern was clearly etched on her face.

“Oh my God, Daphne! If the bartender from the pub hadn’t told me you’re here, no one will probably get you out!” she breathily replied.

The police officer, on the other hand, unlocked the cell. “Good thing we’ve contacted your friend here Miss Collins or you won’t be out until the next day.”

Daphne didn’t respond to the police officer. However, she greeted Clara with a warm hug after she got out of the prison.

“Thank you so much, Clara! God, My back already aches from the cold floor,” she exasperatingly said as she parted from her.

Clara, nonetheless, was not happy. “Well, yeah. If you’re just not my best friend, I wouldn’t go to this length, you idiot!” she jokingly replied and then added, “And what the hell, Daphne! Did you know that the bar owner wanted to press charges, but the man with whom you just went into a heap just let it go? Gosh, he even paid for your bailout. Good thing that you didn’t meet some crackhead shit there, Daphne. Because that will be worst!”

Daphne was dumbfounded by what she had said. Her eyes blinked twice as she tried to process the revelation she had just heard. “What do you mean? Did he pay for my bail-out? Maverick?”

Her friend’s face scrunched. “What? He’s not Maverick, Daphne? Wait—you thought he was Maverick?” Clara’s mouth went agape. “Oh God, that’s even more embarrassing."

Then it dawned on her. The humiliation she had just done last night and the complete mess she just did that ruined the man’s supposed career. He was with men who looked like some investors, and she just totally ruined the opportunity for him.

‘Shit, Daphne! God, how stupid can you be? Ugh!’ Daphne groaned inwardly.

“So you mean, the guy is here, Clara?” She asked and roamed her eyes in the distance.

Clara was a bit reluctant to answer her question, but then she couldn’t lie to her only best friend. “Yeah, he is. The guy is outside.”

As soon as she heard it, her eyes bulged out. “What? Outside? Right now?”

“You’ve heard me, Daphne.” Clara deliberately sighed. “He’s out there. Although, I’m not sure if he was still there.”

Daphne ran outside of the police station. Desire swiftly ran after her, shouting her name as though she was warning her. “Wait, Daphne! Hold on!”

***

By the time they’ve gotten to the parking lot, Daphne was welcomed by a tall, handsome, dark-haired guy wearing an Armani suit. His back was on the side of his car, while his arms were crossed across his chest.

Daphne swallowed as she felt the awkward presence that was building up between them. “Um, hey.” She stepped closer, a little hesitant. “Thanks for bailing me out . . . and I’m really sorry for what I did. It was not really my intention to ruin whatever you’re doing.”

The man looked at her, deadpan. He leaned away from the car and went toward her. “I don’t know what happened between you and your fiancé, Miss Collins. However, that bailout is not free, if that’s what you think.”

“What?” Her eyebrows raised. "Okay. Then, I'll pay you. Just give me some time."

He shoved his hands into the pockets of his trousers and said, “Not necessary. I’m offering you a job.”

“A job? What job?”

The man pursed his lips. “I want you to be my nephew’s tutor.”

“Your nephew’s tutor? Um, I don’t get it, mister, but why me? I just ruined your meeting last night, remember?” Her eyebrow furrowed. She didn’t know what the hell he wanted from him and she couldn’t help but feel a little sketchy about it.

Daphne barely knew the man and from the looks of him, he might be someone who deals with a lot of shit—like someone who didn’t mess around with anything.

He shrugged from her answer. “Yeah, that’s true, but you also owe me. You won’t be out of the charges if I let the bar owner press charges on you.”

“Which I am grateful about that, sir. However, I don’t see any reason why you’d pick me as your nephew’s tutor,” Daphne explained.

“I saw your credentials, Daphne Collins. You look credible as a tutor. Besides, it is also a way where you can pay me for the fine of bailing you out,” he tried to reason out. “So what do you say? You’re up to it?”

She pressed her lips into a thin line. “Hmm, can you let me think about it?”

He clasped his hands. “Okay. I’ll give you three days to make up your mind.” Then, he grabbed a card from his wallet and gave it to her. “Call this number when you made a decision, Miss Collins.”

Daphne grabbed the calling card and read it. “Nathan Kelly?” Raising her head, she stared at him.

“Yep. That’s me.”

“Mr. Kelly—"

“Just Nathan.”

“Okay, Nathan. I’ll call you by the time I had my decision.” She reassured him.

He grinned slightly, showing the straight line of his paper-skin teeth. “Great! It's nice meeting you, Miss Collins, by the way.”

And before Daphne could say something, he walked back to his car and drove away from them. Clara, who just trotted toward her, snatched the calling card from Daphne.

“You could have answered him right away, Daphne. Don’t tell me you’re planning to go back to your monster’s-in-law house, because that’s bullshit.”

“Give me that, Clara.” Daphne ignored her remarks and just read Nathan’s name on the calling card again.

‘Nathan Kelly? Sounds like another posh.’

***

After meeting Nathan, Daphne reached her fiance’s home. As she went inside the house, she couldn’t shrug off her mind about the man’s offer to be his nephew’s tutor. Despite the oddity of asking her such a question, she thought it was actually a great deal since she was also planning to leave Maverick’s house. More so, Daphne could kill two birds with one stone by landing a decent job and paying her debts to him as well.

Honestly, it was not quite that bad.

Later on, when she got into the living room, Daphne saw her mother, well, more like her monster-in-law, approaching her. The woman was already in her late sixties, and still wore fashionable clothes that were dreadfully inappropriate for her age of sixty-five. Just looking at her made Daphne cringe internally.

God, Tatiana looked like a MILF, who was always parched to get laid.

“You shouldn’t have come back here, Daphne. After that humiliation and stint, you did yesterday, you have no right to stay here.” Her thin-line brow arched so high like it was about to meet the peak of her forehead. “This is all your fault, you imbecile! If you haven’t just pushed my son to marry you, this wouldn’t happen!”

Tatiana had adamantly expressed her hatred toward Daphne. Back then. She had never liked her for her son, Maverick, and would do anything to break off their relationship. At first, Daphne wanted to appease Tatiana, and placate her pre-hatred feelings about her. But then, as soon as the time went by, she gave up on that thought.

Because Tatiana would never like her, even if she knelt down in front of her to please her. The bitch was crazy as hell and absolutely nuts.

Daphne smirked, not minding her predicated anger. “I’m not planning to, anyway. I’m just here to get my things, Tatiana.” She walked towards the stairs when she stopped in the middle to gaze back at her again. “And oh, by the way, it was your son who voluntarily asked me to marry him. Not me.”

Tatiana was surprised by her reaction. “How could you? How dare you insult me?!” she scoffed, batting her eyes in incredulity.

After saying that, Daphne felt instantly relieved. She had never talked back to Tatiana like that. However, since everything between her and Maverick was over, she could finally express her feelings toward that atrocious woman. Good thing that she had broken free from them—from his family. It will just be too bad for Maverick’s next girlfriend to try to handle Tatiana’s bat shit craziness.

‘Yeah, whatever. I’m out of here.’ 'Daphne said to herself, ignoring Tatiana.

“Hey, don’t you walk away from me, you bitch! I’m still talking to you!” Tatiana shouted across the entire room, while Daphne continued to walk upstairs, going to her room.

As soon as she got inside, she grabbed her luggage and opened her closet, grabbing all the stuff and clothes she had. It didn’t take her that long before she was already zipping in all her belongings and placing them near the doorway. Finally, she was leaving this god-forbidding place that she had endured living in for the past eight years of her life.

Daphne had enough of everything. Maverick, her mother, and just everyone in their family. She couldn't take it anymore for too long to waste her time with someone who was just using her to settle with when he was already bored with his whims and childish indulgences.

Because she had realized that Maverick only wanted her for his benefit. He had never loved her and even if she tried to fix their relationship (which she wouldn't do anyway because she was not that stupid), it wouldn't work. And all she wanted now was to give time for herself—to make up for the things she had lost for sacrificing her wants and needs to that piece-of-shit.

She wouldn't let him fool her again. Not this time and not ever in her lifetime. 

***