"You know," Mr. Everett started as he cleared his throat, "We have something to tell you, and it's for your good," he said.
"Yeah, your father and I found a perfect suitor for you. You should get married now that you're a graduate. I hope you understand that your father and I are trying to make sure you live well for your good," Mrs. Everett said.
While Mr. Everett added, "Yes, and the man from earlier will come to take you with him tomorrow. Please understand and be with him, okay?" he said.
Ava didn't plan to argue, but she sneered secretly at the two couples who had just claimed to be her parents and wished her to live well for her good. They're lying. It's all a lie.
"They want to sell me off to save their company from collapsing. They're so wicked and hate me this much," Ava thought sadly, not looking happy while Mr. and Mrs. Everett waited for her to say something.
Ava looked at them and knew what she would do, so she nodded her head in agreement, but deep down she was planning her way out to escape this before tomorrow.
"Are you sure? You don't have anything to say about this? Or do you have something in mind already?" Mr. Everett asked suspiciously.
Ava scoffed and stared at him innocently;
"What do I have to say when you have made up your mind to marry me off to that stranger? What if I say I don't want this? Will that change your mind?" Ava asked coldly, but her expression was innocent, trying to leave them with no clue to her thoughts.
"Of course not. You should know I don't only do this for my selfishness but for your good too. That man is stinking rich, and your life will be better, and it will help our family too," Mr. Everett said coldly.
"Exactly, so then, I don't have anything to say about this. You've made up your mind, and I can't change it, so be it. If this will help our family. I'm willing to marry whoever you choose for me," Ava said softly, while Mr. and Mrs. Everett looked at each other with smiles of victory and happiness.
"Okay, that's my girl. I know you will never let me down. Be good while he comes to get you, and then your life will change entirely like a queen, living a good life," Mr. Everett said.
"Okay, Dad. Whatever you say, Dad," Ava said while Mr. Everett smiled and patted her head before leaving Ava's room with his wife.
Mr. and Mrs. Everett got to their room, rejoicing happily.
"Wow, I didn't know it would go smoothly like this. It's good that she didn't argue or disagree, but if she had, she still wouldn't have any choice but to do this for me," Mr. Everett said, smiling.
"She has always been an obedient girl, and tomorrow, she will be out of our lives, and her doom becoming a slave will start in a new home," Mrs. Everett said with a sigh, but happy that their company will be back to normal.
Late at night, after dinner…
Ava was in her room sleeping, not really asleep because she couldn't find rest.
Mr. Everett walked into Ava's room to check if she was still there, and there he found her fast asleep.
He smiled to himself and let out a sigh of relief, walking out of the room back to his own.
"Is she still there?" Mrs. Everett asked worriedly.
"Yes, she is still there. We don't have to worry about anything or about her; she can never run away because she doesn't have anywhere to run to, and besides, she is an obedient daughter who still wants to be a good girl for her parents. Let's go to bed, honey," Mr. Everett said with a smile.
Mrs. Everett sighed in relief and walked to the bed with her husband.
"She must be thinking her life would really change for the better after leaving this house. The poor girl won't know she is not marrying anybody, but becoming a slave to someone," Mrs. Everett said and chuckled while lying on the bed with her husband.
"Let's go to sleep so we can wake up early. Good night, wife," Mr. Everett said and pecked his wife before closing his eyes to sleep, while both husband and wife fell asleep.
4 a.m.…
Ava stood up from bed, tiptoed, and went out of the house without anyone noticing. She made sure she followed the back of the house, trying all she could not to let the few security guards notice her escape.
Fast forward…
Ava was seen running after she had escaped the neighborhood, disguising herself as someone else.
Running along the road, it was already 5:30 a.m. because it was really hard for her to get out of the mansion and the neighborhood.
—————-
"What the heck!" Mr. Everett yelled angrily as he searched all the rooms but couldn't find Ava.
He searched the whole house, the kitchen, the living rooms, and everywhere he could think of, but couldn't find her. He yelled and called out for the security.
"You fools! Where the heck is my daughter?" he yelled madly at one of the guards.
"What! Si… Boss, but we didn't see Miss Ava come out," one of the guards couldn't finish his words before Mr. Everett interrupted with a furious yell.
"She is not in the house! You better search for her, or you're not just fired but doomed!" Mr. Everett yelled madly, causing the guards to panic while the guard in charge of the gate fearfully spoke up.
"I'm sorry, boss; I didn't know Ms. Ava could lie to me. She came to me last night to help her get out through the gate because you approved her to leave the house at 4 a.m. After all, she found a job that was far away from here and needed to be on her way. I didn't know she didn't tell you the whole story. I'm sorry," the guard said, shivering in panic.
"You son of a bitch! How could you allow her to leave? You all should get out and search for her. Don't come back if you don't bring her here for me!" Mr. Everett yelled angrily while all the guards ran out of the mansion in cars to search for Ava.
Mr. Everett stormed back into the house angrily and walked into the master bedroom, where his wife was sitting on the bed with a confused but panicked expression.
"Honey, what's going on?" Mrs. Everett asked.
"Tha… that bitch ran away! She ran away! She deceived us!" Mr. Everett said, gritting his teeth together as he breathed hard in anger.
"What! Oh no! What do we do now? Jackson will never let this slip away," Mrs. Everett said, panicking.
"I had thought I would settle my debt by letting him have that girl in return for saving my company from going bankrupt. If I pay him with the money I have left, then I'll be left with little. That girl needs to be found, or this is not going to end well," Mr. Everett said, panicking too.
Running, tired along the roadside, Ava noticed two cars coming after her.
"Could that be them? Could it be Dad has found out I ran away and sent those cars to look for me? Oh no," Ava thought in panic and started running as fast as she could.
She was tired and couldn't run as fast as she should. With tears in her eyes, she didn't want to stop. She couldn't be caught and sold off. She couldn't be sold into slavery to anyone.
While she was running, she looked back to see the cars almost near her.
All she could think was to cross to the other side to deceive the cars and ensure her escape from these people, from her wicked, selfish adoptive parents, and from the ruthless young man who wanted to buy her.
What would happen to her if she were sold to that ruthless man? Like in the movies and novels she had watched and read—being sold to a ruthless, wicked man as a slave.
She would be a slave forever to save her wicked adoptive parents who have been mistreating her since they adopted her instead of their daughter, Abigail.
"It is okay to become a slave for the rest of my life to my biological parents to save their lives and company because they would never treat me the way these wicked adoptive parents have treated me."
I'd rather become a slave for nothing or die than become a slave to save those wicked adoptive parents of mine. I would rather die," Ava thought, tears streaming down her face as she ran to cross the street.
With a loud thump, she was hit by a car. With tears, she screamed in pain and fell. Everything became dark as she blacked out.