The Billion Dollar Girl

(Chapter 4)

ῼ Ash Castillo ῼ

She glared at me, untrustingly. Whatever. Not all marriages were based on trust. Most marriages were based on hatred and revenge.

“No,” she said, simply.

“But why not, darling? He says that –”

Ella looked at me. “Outside,” she snapped, wrinkling her freckled nose, pointing at the door. “I need to talk to my family.”

“Sure,” I said, smirking.

***

Ͼ Ella White Ͽ

“I’m not going to marry him!” I screamed, jumping up. “What the hell are you two thinking?! I don’t even like him!”

They were both silent for a minute, looking down at their hands.

“Is it the money?” I yelled, tears forming in my eyes. “Is it that you need money? I told you, I got a job at school!” Just as these words left my lips, I remembered…I was probably fired. I pushed this thought down.

“Are you selling me? Just for a stupid pile of money?! Is that the kind of parents you are?”

Slap.

I froze for a second, shocked. My Mom had just hit me.

She’s never, ever hit me before.

“Who do you think you are?” my Mom whispered, her voice trembling. Tears spilled out of her eyes, as she glared at me. “Yes, I want to live happily. I want to live peacefully. I want to live without having to worry about the next time the landlord comes around. Who are you to judge me?!”

She turned away, her hands hiding her face. Dad put an arm around her waist. I was suddenly alone, standing against my parents. It made me feel small.

“There’s something your Mother and I need to tell you,” Dad said, looking at me. His eyes were empty of emotion, completely detached. “Your Mother is pregnant.”

Air pulled through my lips, and dragged against the skin. My eyes were wide with shock.

“We wanted to tell you…but we didn’t want to worry you, and everything. You had your exams, and you were so busy…But the fact is, we don’t have enough money to raise this child happily.”

I swallowed. I knew it was true. My Dad was a physicist, but he didn’t get paid enough. My Mom didn’t have a job, but mainly because of her pampered upbringing – she’d been rich, when she fell for my Dad, her chauffeur. She left that world, and her parents, to live with Dad. It was like a love story. It was like a fairy tale.

But now…

“We were even considering… ab –”

“No!” I screamed. My vision blurred, and it took me a while to realize it was because I was crying. I wiped away the tears, annoyed. “No! I…”

I looked at my parents, and was suddenly struck by how old they looked. They’d been through so much, just to get me to a good school. Mom even tried to get some money from her parents – my grandparents. They humiliated her, and made it clear she was no longer part of their family.

“It’s my life!” I yelled. “I can’t – I can’t…”

I turned around, and ran away.

***

ῼ Ash Castillo ῼ

“Hey,” I said, trying to grip onto her hand. She jerked her wrist away. “Where are you going?”