THE ONE WITH THE ORDEAL
♔ ♛
My father greets me with a smile. It's rather sinister if I say so myself. He extends his arms, directing me to sit on the couch like I was not his daughter. I hear my footsteps echo in the practically empty room as I motion to the couch. Out of spite and to imply that I will stand my ground if I have to, I sit on the other couch.
He doesn't say anything about it. He stands up with a folder in one hand, grabbing a cane from the side of his table with the other. There was a limp in his step. The environment that I grew up in helps me empathize with it but I wish I didn't. I may not have lived here with them for a long time, but I know what happened all this years.
Well, not until I started growing braincells and started understanding happened.
"I'm glad you're here," he begins but his empty gaze says otherwise. I couldn't read him. It means he's talking business — but then again it was rare that he wasn't. I bite my tongue before I could spew out venom that I'd end up being too back up. I hum in response.
He opens the folder as if he was about to make a business proposal. He hands me a some documents about some school along with my files. "I've enrolled you to one of the finest schools here in New York," he says as he watches me go through the papers. He actually did.
I'm confused.
I thought I was here for a different reason. I was prepared to fight for my life. I was ready to say "no" to his face.
"You've finished your high school education in California, correct?" He asks rhetorically. I hate how he could read me. It feels like he can hear the voice in my head. I like pineapple on pizza. He doesn't bat an eye. He can't hear my thoughts. But, he is seeing through my facade.
"Yes," I answer timidly. "Well, this is where you're going for college. It's a great school. It would prepare you for you future. You're going to work for the company someday," he goes on and on about the future he had planned for me. I can't bring myself to look at him in disbelief. This was something he would definitely do.
I mean, I had to leave home because of him.
"... the sooner you'd meet the people you'll end up working with. It's time for you to make a good foundation and network—"
"So I'm not here to get married?" I finally blurt out, staring him dead in the eyes. He needs to stop beating around the bush and cut to the chase. I didn't just spend hours crying because I left home, I thought I was about to completely lose my freedom. After all, that was the deal.
He bursts into laughter. "No, no, no. This is for you, my child. That business contract ordeal? It's all in the past," he chuckles as if I had just said the most ridiculous thing in the world — like I'm crazy for putting the idea in his head. "Women are the future. With proper education, you can be just like Josephine. Maybe even better."
I didn't know what to say. I don't know how to feel. Sure, I don't want to get married to a stranger for the sake of his stupid company, but it's not fair. I lived far away from my siblings for this! My sister had to marry a pig of a man because of this! Why change now? Why only now?
"But what about the deal?" I feel the words scratch my throat on their way out. "It's all in the past, Jianna," he says again. "You have nothing to worry about. Now, go rest and get ready to pack your things," he waves me off like this was just a day-to-day conversation. It's not.
"Pack?"
"You're going to stay at your school."
As soon as I left the room and the doors closed behind me, tears pour from my eyes. I just feel so angry and I can't even begin to explain why. Memories flood my mind and I just feel angrier.
[10 years ago]
Maia didn't come down for dinner so I decided to check on her. She never misses dinner. Maia, Jace and I always have dinner together. Always.
I knock on her door but she doesn't answer. I think about not bothering her because she's a teenager with hormonal problems. It scares me sometimes. "Maia?" I call out as I open the door.
She wasn't on her bed. "Maia?" I call out nervously. I hope she doesn't get mad at me for being in her room. I walk around and find her on the corner, between her bed and the wall. She's crying. "Maia, what's wrong?"
"What are you doing here, Jia?" she mutters, not looking at me. He face remains buried in her arms. I loved annoying her but I don't like seeing her cry. I go to her, pushing aside the nerves. She needs me — she needs someone to make her stop crying.
"You're going to be okay," I say to her even though I didn't know what was wrong. Maybe dad got mad at her. Maybe they had a fight. Maybe that's why he had to call her to the White Room. I don't like the white room. It's scary and cold. I could hear myself breathe in that room.
She snickers. She holds her head up, wiping her tears before looking at me with her very red eyes. She must have been crying for a long time.
"You have to get away from here, Jianna," she tells me, sniffling. "But I didn't touch anything," I reasoned out. She always kicks me out the room because she says I would break her things. She laughs at me for a second.
"You're too young to understand but you have to get away from here, Jianna. Dad is not a good man."
"Did he whoop your butt?"
She picks up the crumpled and torn magazine from the floor, and hands it to me. "I didn't do that!" I argued. She would be so furious with me if I did. She would never let me get away with it.
She doesn't answer me but flips towards a page with a happy family on it. I thought she would tell me that this is what a happy family looks like. We didn't have a mom anymore and dad was around when he feels like it. Even if he doesn't have work, sometimes he doesn't hang out with us.
"This is Caleb Miller," she points to a boy around her age or Jace's age. He had blonde hair and light blue eyes, like his mom, dad, and little sister. "Is he from that boy band you like?" I ask, she shakes her head in response before drawing the magazine closer towards her.
I sit next to her. I want to see.
"I'm gonna marry him soon," she tells me and I roll my eyes. I guess she likes a new boy again, but I don't understand why she's crying. I make a face at her but she doesn't roll her eyes at me like usual. Instead, she hugs me.
"Promise me something, Jia?"
"Okay...?"
"Promise me to live the life you want. Promise me that you'll dream big and don't let anybody get in your way."
"I promise," I say, a little confused. But she's stopped crying.
...
Days later, Maia tells me that she and dad had to talk to me. Jace was there too. He smiles at me and tells me to sit next to him. He even holds my hand.
Dad tells me that I have to move to California with Aunt Margaret and my cousin Marianne. I have never heard of them in my life. "What? Why?" I whine, actually feeling Jace's hand tighten around my own. I hold onto his bigger hand.
"You'll come back when it's your turn—"
"There will be no more turns!" Maia yells at my dad. I got scared that he would get mad at her but he doesn't. He clears his throat. "When you're ready to take your place, you'll come back and see Josephine and Jason again, okay, sweetheart?" he rephrases himself.
Maia was crying again, and Jace holds my hand even tighter. It hurts but I don't want him to let go. He'll protect me, right? He wouldn't let them take me away. "I don't want to go away."
♔ ♛
a|n: okay, that was a lot.
it's a little bit more sappy - a little bit heavier but it had to be done. ngl, i hate writing flashbacks.
i do hope you liked it tho!
if you read the first version of the book, how are you liking the revision so far?