Unknown Number
I'll see you again, my wife.
I frowned upon reading that. I chose not to reply and instead glanced at Elena, who was engrossed in her phone. It was our lunch break, and she was accompanying me since Ares couldn't make it due to an important commitment.
"Do you know how much an annulment costs?"
"Holy shit!"
Both Elena and I were taken aback by her exclamation. I saw her defeated expression on her phone screen, which made me laugh.
"What? What annulment?" she asked in shock. "I lost. Tsk!" she added, sounding disappointed, leaving me perplexed.
I bit my lower lip and recalled what the mysterious man had said yesterday. I thought he was going to take me somewhere, but he simply took me out to eat because he wasn't accustomed to dining alone. Ares didn't return to the boutique that day, so I headed home alone.
"What annulment? Why? The cost depends on whether you have a child or not. Or if your husband disagrees—wait! You're going to get an annulment?"
She was still in shock as she asked, her loud voice catching the attention of those nearby.
I lightly tapped her arm. "Don't be so loud. Ares wants to rush our wedding for next week. I'm still married, Elena," I explained, feeling unsure about what to do.
That man was right. I was barely getting by. My mother and brother had accumulated significant debts, and I was the one responsible for covering Agatha's tuition fees. How could I afford an annulment that cost almost a million?
I noticed Elena grimacing at me and signaling as she looked behind me. When I turned, I saw Ares entering the coffee shop where we were, his gaze fixed on me. I felt a rush of nerves at the intensity of his stare. He didn't smile—this was serious. Was this the feeling of having a secret kept from you? I couldn't bear this for much longer...
As Ares approached, he briefly looked at Elena before turning his attention to me. His face was stern, making my chest tighten even more.
"What's wrong? I thought—"
"Dad wants to see you tonight. At our house," he said coldly, furrowing my brow. "Why..." He scratched the side of his forehead, his expression a mix of a frown and a forced smile.
"Let's talk."
That was the last thing he said before he led me back to his office. I could feel the tightness of his grip on my wrist, and fear began to creep in as I looked behind him. I couldn't find my voice. Did he already know? If so, what would I tell him, Ana? How would I explain everything to him?
As we reached the office, he released my wrist. I stood there, rooted in place, as he sat in his swivel chair and ran his fingers through his hair.
"Um..." That was all I managed to say before he looked at me directly again.
"Why didn't you tell me? Why did I have to hear it from other people? I thought we don't keep secrets in this relationship, Anastacia?" His voice was stern and angry.
My entire being trembled. I felt like I could faint at any moment due to the overwhelming nervousness and fear. My knees and hands were trembling, and my chest was tightening with extreme anxiety.
He knows...
"A-Ares... I'm so sorry..." Damn it.
"Just answer me. Why didn't you tell me? Your mom told me you needed money. Why? Isn't your salary here enough? Do you want me to triple your pay so that you can give them everything and have nothing left for yourself?" He asked, frustration lacing his words.
I was stunned by what I heard. My shoulders sagged. I couldn't tell if it was a sense of relief or the realization that he didn't discover the real secret. I didn't know if I would ever feel gratitude again.
"W-what?" I stammered, my lips trembling. He suddenly stood up and swiftly closed the distance between us.
"I met your mom earlier. She came to me, asking for a loan. It's for you. Why? Is there something I don't know? Are you sick? Because after finding out the amount of money she was asking for, I'm concerned you might be..." he told me, genuine worry etched on his face.
My mouth hung open in disbelief. I felt like I was melting with embarrassment. What was I hearing? Why? What was going on?
"H-how much..." I almost whispered to him because I couldn't bear it.
"Money isn't a big deal to me, Love, and you know that. I can give it to you—"
"How much were you asked for?" I interrupted him, needing to know.
He scratched his neck and looked straight at me. "One hundred thousand."
My jaw dropped, and my eyes widened even further upon hearing that. I felt like my soul had escaped my body. I was filled with anger and shame. It was almost too much to bear.
My mother and brother had done this several times, but this was the first time they had asked Ares for so much. For what? Why?
Later, Ares gently touched me, and I looked at him. His expression was gentle, and his eyes were filled with concern.
"Are you sick? What's this for? Why didn't you tell me?" he asked, and I quickly shook my head.
"N-no... No, I'm not, Ares. I didn't ask for that. Did you give it to them?"
When I saw him nod, it felt like a bucket of cold water had been thrown over me. I didn't wait for him to answer. I immediately ran out of his office, grabbed my bag, and heard Ares chasing after me, but I ignored him.
A few minutes later, I was home. I slammed the door, and my mother immediately appeared, a wide smile on her face. I glanced down at the money on the table; she seemed to be counting it.
I wasn't playing games anymore. I quickly approached her, intent on returning the money to Ares, but she snatched it from my hands.
"What are you doing? Why are you here? It's still early—"
"Ares told me. Why, Mom? What's going on? For what? I already gave you money, didn't I?" I asked her calmly, but she ignored me and quickly stashed the money back into her bag.
"Because you didn't give enough. I have to pay Martina. Don't be so selfish, Ana!" She yelled at me.
I laughed, feeling a painful twist in my heart.
"A-Am I still selfish? Do you hear what you're saying, Mom?" My voice trembled.
She glared at me and concealed the bag completely. I could still hear her muttering.
"Why? It's true! You're not giving enough money. Do you know how much it costs to run this household? What you're giving isn't sufficient. I have to pay Martina, or else we'll lose this house!" She shouted at me.
I felt even weaker hearing that. My hands were shaking badly. I watched as she avoided looking at me, scratching her head. Later, she lit a cigarette and glanced at me again.
"I mortgaged this house because your older brother needed the money. You didn't give much, so I approached Ares. You're really lucky because you'll marry a rich man," she said, laughing, and I almost lost it hearing her words.
This house... we've only had it for five years. It was the first house I bought before I left my previous job at Aragons. And now they've mortgaged it?
I collapsed into a chair because my knees were trembling so badly. I closed my eyes tightly, attempting to calm myself, but I couldn't. I felt like I was going to explode, especially when I saw my older brother Matthew suddenly arrive and approach our mother.
"Did you ask him? Give me 50 thousand..."
I sighed heavily and stood up again. I quickly approached my mom and grabbed the bag with the money, surprising both of them.
"Ana! What the hell! That's mine. Ares gave it to me!" My mom shouted angrily, but I ignored her and walked straight to the door.
"And you used my name! Aren't you embarrassed, Mom? Even Ares is sympathizing with the fact that you're the only one benefiting—"
Before I could continue what I was about to say, I felt my world suddenly shake, and I fell to the floor. I held my cheek, feeling blood coming out of my nose due to the force of Matthew's blow. I couldn't hold back my tears, especially when I heard them hurling insults.
"You fool! You're ungrateful! Just because you're the one bringing money into this household doesn't mean you can disrespect everyone here. We're still your family! What's wrong with asking Ares for money? Aren't you getting married? You selfish bitch!" He shouted angrily at me.
During those moments, I didn't know what to say. I felt like I was deafened by the force of his blow. I couldn't stand up and couldn't bear to look at them. I dropped the bag and just turned my back on them.
"That's right! Get out of here! Ungrateful, selfish bitch. Pwe!" I even heard my older brother yell, making me feel even heavier.
I clutched my chest and gently tapped it. I swallowed and swallowed, just trying to suppress my anger and emotion. I wiped away my tears firmly, along with the blood from my nose that was still coming out, then walked away from that place.
While I was walking, feeling like everything was falling apart, the rain suddenly started pouring, making my mood even worse. Memories of that fateful day rushed back. I gazed up at the sky and met the raindrops.
"Dad... I miss you so much..." I murmured to myself, and I just sat down on the ground, letting go of all the anger I held toward my family.
I didn't understand why it still wasn't enough. I didn't comprehend why they treated me like this. We were a happy family when dad was alive. It's been six years since he passed away. It's also been six years since they wished I had died instead of him. Am I the one they blame for his death?
"Hey!"
I stopped sobbing when I heard that shout. I looked up at the road and saw a car parked in front of me. The window on the passenger side was open.
"What on earth are you doing?"
I squinted, trying to see the man speaking from inside the car, but I couldn't make him out. I attempted to stand, but my trembling legs wouldn't support me. I felt like I could faint at any moment because of the shock.
A while later, I saw the man swiftly get out of his car and approach me. When I looked up at him, my forehead creased as I recognized him. I even heard his strong curses before he knelt in front of me.
"What the... what happened? Who did this to you?" He exclaimed, touching my cheek.
"You're fucking bleeding, Anastacia!" He yelled, and I only just realized he was lifting me as I could feel the blood still coming from my nose.
"It's you again..." I whispered before losing consciousness completely.