Celine excitedly but slowly opened the door to see if Joseph has already climbed the stairs, with the smile fixed on her face.
But her face turned sour when she saw Joseph carrying a woman in his arms. 'How dare her', she angrily mumbled to herself. Before Joseph can see her, she quickly went back to her room and gently closed the door to avoid making any sound. She waited for Joseph to pass her door before she opened it again. Her eyes so red with anger and her hands trembled.
"who was that?", she asked herself. She was pacing back and forth in her room, her hands clenched into a fist, her nails digging her palms and her knuckles turning white.
" I thought I have already driven them away, it cant be happening", she angrily muttered. She faced the mirror and a devilish smile appeared in her face. "No woman has been successful so far, no woman is as good as you", she said to her reflection in the mirror like she was crazy.
She took a lipstick and started applying it making her lips so red. At age 50, she still has a well proportioned body, curve and bulges in the right places, she would still pass as a woman in her thirties. Her skin so supple and white, her voluptuous lips is so inviting that would make any man want to kiss it. Her nose is pointed and her eyes is brown that would always look sleepy. People admired her for taking care of herself even after she has given birth to Joseph and Jolo. People would always say that when the three of them are together, they are just like siblings.
But it is also noticeable how overprotective she is with his first son Joseph even when her first husband Greg was still alive. Celine cant help but ponder on her life and how she got this far in life.
Celine came from a poor family and although they were poor, she looked and act as if she was from an aristocrat family. Her parents Orlan and Adela did everything they can to give her anything she wanted. They were the tenants of the Arante family. They worked so hard that the Arante family trusted them and even entrusted them the hacienda and the mansion whenever they go on vacation abroad. They have an only son Greg who was at that time 18 years old and was in his 2nd year in college in M City.
Greg would visit their farm every school break. Celine at that time was 14 years old, on her 2nd year in high school. At that time, Celine was already a stand out beauty in their school or the whole town to say the least. Every time Greg would visit, she would volunteer to do the household chores at the mansion which was not usual. It was so obvious that she was trying to get Greg's attention. At a young age, she was already certain what she wanted in life and one of them was to marry Greg.
Greg looks ordinary, with thick and big eye glasses. He got a prominent nose and a deep seated eyes which was brown but one would not appreciate it due to his glasses. He is tall at 5 feet and 11 inches. He is not the athletic type and he is rather the skinny type. He is not outgoing and would rather read a book than go out with friends. His classmates would call him nerd secretly, afraid that they will offend his family.
So if one would think about it, Greg is far different from Celine. Celine was tall at her age and was the cheerleader in the private school she was enrolled in. Her best asset would be her full pouting lips and her brown eyes. She was the outgoing type, outspoken and so sure of herself. It was clear to her that she will become the matron of the Arante household and the hacienda will be hers.
Celine would take the initiatives and Greg, just like any other guys fell on Celine's spell. They started dating eventhough Mr and Mrs Arante were a little bit reluctant about it but just let it be seeing that their son was happy and they also have respect towards Celine's parents.
Everything was ok until that one faithful day that changed everything. It was Celine's 18th birthday and no matter how her parents tried to convince her not to throw a party due to financial constraints, she did not listen.
"Celine, we cant afford to have such party", her mother was almost begging with tears in her eyes. Her father was clenching his fist, trying to control his anger. They were torn between giving their daughter what she wanted or not.
They dont have money left eventhough they are paid well by the Arantes but due to Celine's high end lifestyle.
"You really dont care do you? You dont care if my classmates would humiliate me for not having a party", Celine shouted. She looked at her father with hatred in her eyes. Eversince she was a child, her parents, especially her father never said no to her. She got everything she wanted which includes being in an exclusive school.
"You are useless and I regret being your daughter", Celine said furiously and looked accusingly at her mother and father.
"Pak", the sound of her father's palm hitting her left cheek. Celine was in shock while holding her cheek, she almost fell on the ground with the intensity of the slap. The physical pain is much but what hurts most is that for the first time she was denied of what she wanted and worst she was hit by her father. She cant believe it, her parents never lifted a finger in het, not even once, no matter what she did before.
"wahhhh", cried Celine still holding her left cheek which is now swollen and red. She slumped on the floor, clenching her firsts and looking furiously at her parents.
"You are too much, we have done everything for you and this what we get in return? You have no respect at all", said his father with a quivering voice who was trying so hard to control his anger. He was also shocked and regretted hittting his precious daughter for the first time and it pained him but he cant show it now. This has to stop and he has to start imposing discipline on Celine.
Her mother Adela was already crying and tried to approach her but was stopped by his father.
"She will not learn if we will not do this, " warned his father.
Celine got up from the floor, looked angrily at her parents and turned away. She run towards her room without looking back. She was very certain of what to do. She cant stay the way she is anymore, she has to do something to change her destiny and secure her future.