"We don't have any money, why don't you take my daughter as collateral!"

Emma was shocked when she heard her stepfather words, she didn't quite understand what he meant by his daughter as collateral. 

The family had borrowed money from a well known loaner in the city not knowing there was a hidden clause in the contract, and that clause stated that if a single day passed and they hadn't paid fully, they would have to pay ten million dollars. 

The worst and confusing thing was that they would be paying these hooligans not even the person they borrowed the money from. 

Now the hooligans were here to collect their money. 

She wondered how her stepfather didn't know about the terrible clause in the contract, and when she thought deeply about it, her stepfather came home drunk that night, they must've drugged him, well, it had been done, now she didn't understand what her stepfather just said. 

Just then, Mrs Penelope, Emma stepmom stepped in. 

"Yes, Mr. Jonathan, can we use our daughter Emma as collateral!"

"She is tall and beautiful, you can see for yourself, and she is still a virgin. If you put her in the market, you will make more than this money!"

Hearing her stepmother's words, Emma couldn't help but voice out. 

"I don't understand, why me... I mean... Dad should negotiate with them on how he would pay the money, why are you using me as collateral, is such a thing even possible."

Penelope frowned deeply, She glared at Emma. 

"What are you saying, Emma. What have you ever done for this family since you came into this house? All you and your mother did was eat, drink, and sleep, now she is dead and you are doing the same thing. 

"It's time you repay your stepfather for the kindness he had been doing for training you to this stage!"

Emma couldn't help but frown deeply when she heard Mrs Penelope words, especially the part about her mother, when Mrs Penelope didn't even know about her mother. 

Her mom got married to Mr Jefferson when she was five, Mr Jefferson business was booming then, but even at that, her mom was still working, supporting on the little things the house needed. 

Emma's face darkened. 

'Now she gets ridiculed by this woman that does nothing but eat, eat, eat and sleep, what a joke'

Emma couldn't control her rage anymore, for once she let all she had been enduring out.

She faced Mrs Penelope and roared. 

"Don't you dare talk about my mom! You don't know her, and I have been the one buying all the groceries in this house since I started working!"

Mrs Penelope was stupefied to see Emma was talking back to her. Emma wanted to continue when Mr Jefferson shouted. 

"That's enough Emma.. What she said is true, you are not my daughter and I have been taking care of you all this while, the least you can do now is to help me out of this mess!"

Emma couldn't believe her stepfather's words, how could she be the one to help him with the mess he created himself, and what with her not being his daughter. She had never heard that before, even though it had always seemed that way, nobody had ever said it out. 

Tears was starting to wrap in Emma's eyes. Since her mother died, her so-called stepfather turned into a demon.

He married again, and ever since then they have been treating her worse than a slave, but she never complained, she could endure pain, she could endure anything, but not this, not being addressed as a nobody, and now they wanted to sell her off to these hooligans. 

These local thugs!

How heartless! But there was nothing she could do, unless she beg her stepfather, ten million dollars might be a big sum, it wasn't all that big for her stepfather to pay, he just didn't want to negotiate with the thugs. 

Emma almost teared up as she spoke. 

"Remember the promise you made to mom, how do you think mom would be feeling, seeing how you have been treating me"

Emma turned to Penelope and spoke. 

"Why don't you ask your daughter to be used as collateral.. Yesterday, she stole Raymond from me, and you did nothing, you didn't even question her, now you want to sell me out!"

Violet who had been sitting quietly finally said something and she bellowed it out. 

"Raymond thought you were from this family, he never knew you were adopted, now that he knew, he simply ditched you for me, I didn't steal him"

Emma fist tightened, what Violet said wasn't true, she told Raymond everything before they started dating, Violet had to force herself on Raymond by sleeping with him yesterday, now Raymond was taking her side in everything. 

Emma wanted to say something, when her stepfather shouted. 

"That's enough, Emma. Enough of all these things, you would do as I say, and promises are for those alive not for those that are dead"

Emma felt like she had been stabbed on the chest, she remembered her mom's words during her sick days, that Mr Jefferson would take care of her, that Mr Jefferson was a good man, but everything turned out to be lies. 

She had been living in hell since the day her mom died.

Now she was going to be sold to hooligans, just like that. 

Emma went on her knees and cried begging. 

"Daddy, please. There have to be other ways, you can negotiate with them, don't let these people take me away. I... I am your daughter, you have said that countless times before."

Mr Jefferson shot Emma a cold glare. 

"Don't you dare call yourself my daughter again. You daughter of a bastard!"

He faced the leader of the hooligans and bowed respectfully. 

"Mr Connor, what do you think about this deal, I... don't have any money with me, why don't you take my Emma. 

"She is still a virgin, you can have your way with her tonight, and put her on the market tomorrow, believe me you will make a fortune from her, I swear you would."

"Very well then. We will take her!"

The old looking man sounded.