"You dared to sell yourself? Aren't you ashamed of yourself?" however, as a mother and a woman, she hated her daughter doing such a disgusting thing for money.
what was the difference between this and those girls who wandered in the streets sleeping with everything that gave them money?
She might not like her daughter, but having a daughter who carries the title of a prostitute was too much of a disgrace for her.
It would have been better if she married herself off to an older man than selling her body for money. Just how many men did she sleep with for her to receive so much money?
The more she thought about it, the angrier Mother Grace became.
Even Father Newman looked at Briar with disgust. This was the most disgracing thing that he had heard in his life. To have a prostitute as a daughter, he would rather marry her off to a widower in the village. At least she would have her reputation intact, but now, what use was she?
As for Belinda, the worship that had once been in her eyes for her sister completely vanished.
Her sister despite the friction between them. Briar was still a person who lived in a big city and worked for a rich family. Even the clothes on her body spoke volumes. Who would have known that in the end she would be reduced to this?
In her mind, she was laughing hard. What was the point of working in a big city, driving big cars when you end up getting reduced to that state?
She would rather have nothing than carry the label of a prostitute. That was the worst career a person could carry?
Briar felt hurt seeing how her family reacted. Rather than feeling guilt for what they made her do, they were looking at her as if she was the most disgusted thing that they had ever seen. On top of that, it was as if they would retch at any second if they continued to be with her.
How could they not feel sorry or remorseful?
At the same time, she felt relieved. With them like this, she would no longer need to worry about them at all.
They won't pressure her again, knowing that by doing so they would be associating themselves with the kind of person that they hated the most. It wasn't just them, but everyone in the villages.
Just losing one chastity was already frowned upon. Imagine how they would treat a girl who sleeps around with more men for money.
If it was in ancient times, they would drown her in the river to appease the ancestors for having such a disgrace of a child.
It was because of this knowledge that she used that as a reference when dealing with them. At least for the period to come, she won't be hearing from them. She could use that peaceful moment to nurture her marriage with her husband.
"Haha, if I didn't sell myself, what did you want me to do? Sell my organs? If you could get that kind of money, why didn't you gather it? It was your son who made Benjamin be in this state in the first place. Have you forgotten?" Briar bellowed at her mother, pissed off at how shameless she could be.
"Hah, so what if Brian was at fault? This time, it's you who had let our ancestors down with your behavior. There were so many ways you could have used to gather the money, but no, like a bastard you are you dared open your legs and let the wild men have a go at you! Shameless! I don't have a child like you! Ptooey!" Mother Grace spit in shame as she looked at Briar with a detached gaze.
That gaze alone was enough to tell Briar that the woman wanted to cut ties with her. What did she expect from such a person?
Just wait until the day she gets the heart of Logan. She was going to make these people regret and bow to her repeatedly for everything that they had done to her.
Briar turned to look at her father, wondering what he was going to say or if he had something to say. And his response was the most hurtful.
He looked at her with a disappointed gaze, as if he never raised her that well in the years she was born. With a click of his tongue, he shook his head as he dragged Belinda away, and the two of them disappeared from the staircase.
It could be seen that he didn't even want to bother to waste his saliva on her. Was that really how a father reacts?
With her father and Belinda gone, Briar, whose fury was already at its maximum, looked at her mother and coldly said to her, "Since I am such a disgrace to be your daughter, then fine. We will do it that way. You love the kids who make you proud. I will find my own way!" before bumping shoulders with her as she left.
Mother Grace looked in the direction where Briar left and clicked her tongue in frustration.
"What a waste of money! What a pity! I don't dare touch such dirty money!" she said frustratingly, before following Briar, curious as to what she would do.
With her gone, a shadow flickered several stairs above where the Newman family was arguing before an intrigued female voice sounded. "This is quite interesting. I wonder how famous I can be if I use this?"
Unfortunately for Briar, she had no idea that her altercation with her family was seen, heard, and recorded by someone.
At that moment, she was back in the ward, sitting with her brother and talking to him affectionately.
"You must come out of that place alive. Who will protect me from your brother-in-law if you aren't here?" she threatened her brother, but her voice was tinged with warmth.
The two men she cared for the most, she didn't want to lose them. She didn't want her family to learn that she was in marriage with Logan. If they did, there would be no rest, but her brother was different.
She didn't mind letting him know. Besides, without something to look forward to, what if Benjamin loses hope and decides to let everything go?
He had suffered so much in years; that he might end up having different thoughts.
Benjamin nodded with a smile as he held Briar's hands in his.
"Don't worry, I will not die that easily. How can I leave you behind?"
Briar grinned as she listened to her brother making such a promise.
"Since you promised, you aren't allowed to go back on your word!"
"I won't. When have I ever?"
Belinda watched enviously as the two chatted with each other as if there wasn't anyone around. However, when she thought of how broken Briar was right now, her mood was uplifted.
Briar and Benjamin unfortunately didn't have time to chat for long before the doctors came for him. It was time for him to get the surgery done.
Briar escorted him all the way to the theatre room before waiting patiently outside.
The four of them didn't say a single word to each other. Or rather, the three talked with each other, leaving her out of it. But she didn't mind, as her mind was busy thinking of other things as well.
When she thought of how she managed to earn herself a cool-off period from her parents, Briar couldn't help but feel victorious. Although her heart was hurt in the process, the freedom she received made her feel so happy.
The marriage initiation ceremony that her parents were so angry about was the ceremony she did at Mammy Adonai's place.
It was a rite of passage that every girl who was getting married was supposed to follow, especially in their village as well as the other sister villages who shared the same customs as them.
When a girl is born, at the age of three, she would have her ears pierced, once. That was a must for every girl. Before getting married, all maidens could be recognized with their one pair of earrings, which they were supposed to wear whether they liked it or not.
Maidens weren't allowed to wear a lot of jewelry on her. In fact, except for the earrings, the rest were forbidden. However, she didn't exactly follow that system when she started living in Stardale City.