Entangled With You Forever

CHAPTER ONE

The living room was filled with tension. The words that were spoken by Mr. Walter, her dad's creditor, gave hope to their hearts.

It was as if Manna was thrown from above and Mr. Walter was an angel sent from God. As he kept on talking, Ashley moved closer to the last stairs, which were nearer to the living room, hid from their sight, and continued eavesdropping.

"I'm going to forget about the 10 million dollars you are owing me, and I'm even going to help your company get back on its feet." Mr. Walter said, and she could see her dad smiling.

"If..." He summoned his lawyer to bring out a file. "Read it out," he commanded the lawyer.

"Mr. Walter is going to forget about the 10 million dollars you're owing him, and he's even going to help your company get back on its feet and offer you another five million dollars if you allow your daughter to get married to Mr. Walter."

Her smile grew broader and broader until it turned into a quick frown when she heard the word after the 'if' statement. That conditional word alone turned the whole conversation into something unpleasant, something that shouldn't be spoken aloud. She couldn't hear the rest, only the fact that she would get married to Mr. Walter.

"What?!" Mr. Peter, her dad, exclaimed loudly, which shook the whole mansion, clearly showing his disapproval of the whole 'if' statement.

"No... No... Not my daughter, please. Not my daughter. Whatever you're saying, please don't involve my daughter; don't involve her." Her mom panicked, shaking her head vehemently.

"Think about it. Think about what you're going to gain. Anyways, I'm going to give you folks some time to think about it. Let's say for about two weeks and three days, because that's the time I have left. If after that period you haven't come to a conclusion, there won't be any deal between us." He coughed uncontrollably, which made his bodyguard, who was on standby by the side, rush to his side, giving him some pats and some pills.

"Anyways," he continued with a strained voice, "I'll be back in two weeks. I hope you make a good choice." With that last statement, he left, leaving no trace behind-only his voice-for them to ponder on what was said. Ashley ran to her room shivering, not from the cold but from what she heard.

All this wouldn't have happened if her father hadn't been so greedy for more money. All these wouldn't have happened if her dad had continued with his business and had expanded it when he had the money instead of borrowing.

Her father had borrowed ten million dollars from Mr. Walter to expand his business a year ago, and the loan was a one-year Ultimum. The business expansion failed because the goods they were importing from overseas got lost in the sea. The loan had expired three months ago, but her dad couldn't pay off the money, so Mr. Walter gave her dad a one-month grace and threatened to increase the interest by three million dollars if her dad couldn't pay by that time. Her dad had wanted to sell their only property, which was the house they were currently living in. He had gotten buyers that were ready to buy the house for seven million dollars, but her mother had pestered him to stop because if they did sell their house, they would become homeless. Then miraculously, this morning, Mr. Walter came to give her parents an offer. An absurd offer. An offer that sounded so good until he mentioned it. He had offered to forget about his money and even offer them another five million dollars if they agreed to his offer. Marriage.

A knock erupted in her thoughts; the individual who turned out to be her mom didn't even wait for permission before opening her room door. Her mom came in, wiping her eyes off, then smiled at her-the smile not reaching her eyes. She could see on her face that something was wrong. She rose from her bed, shifting to a corner, thereby creating space for her mom to sit. Her mom sat but didn't utter a word.

"Mom?" She called but got no response from her mother. She looked at her and realized her eyes were empty and void. "Mom!" This time she shouted her name forcefully, making her mom forcefully come out of her reverie.

"Yes, my dear." Kate looked at her daughter, expecting her to say something about calling her name and invading her thoughts.

"Mom? What happened? Why the long face?" Ashley asked, pretending to be curious as to whether she didn't eavesdrop. Her mom stared at her with sad eyes. A tear dropped out of her eyes; she cleaned it up and sniffed.

"Nothing, my dear, just know that we love you so much. No matter any decision we make, put it in your heart that we love you, okay?"

"Mom? What happened? What did the creditor say?" More tears dropped from her mom's eyes; she cleaned them, stood up abruptly, stared at her, then rushed out of the room with a bang, not answering when she called her name again.

If Ashley hadn't eavesdropped, she would have been worried, curious, and probably rushed after her, but she did; she eavesdropped. Curiosity, they say, kills the cat, but in her case, it shattered her, drained her, and left her thinking-for hours.

Evening came slower than she expected; it was as if the time had come to a standstill. She was shocked for hours until she realized it was supposed to move. She lazily climbed down the stairs to the dining room and saw her dad sitting on the dining chairs-absentmindedly hitting his spoon on the empty plate before him-while her mom kept going back and forth from the kitchen to the dining room, blessing the table with sumptuous meals.

By the time she was seated, her mom had done her little travel and was also seated while she dished the food for everyone. She prayed for the food, her heartfelt prayer, which didn't deserve the undeserving 'amen' from her parents.

Soon after, the clatter of spoons and forks was heard from the dining room; no one uttered a word focusing on the delicious meal in front of them; they ate till their stomachs were filled, knowing that after the food, reality would dawn. A belch erupted from the throat of her dad, which made her and her mom laugh. The first laughter of the day, which died almost immediately, was born. They looked at each other with sad faces, as if reprimanding one another for laughing.

Not taking it any longer, her dad stood up from his chair, summoning her and mom to the living room. Her mom stood up, following after, leaving her seated on the chair. She shakily stood up and cleared the plates they used to eat, reminding herself to wash them afterward since the maid had already resigned, running for her life.

She sat down far away from her parents, her heart not ready to hear from them, not ready to be termed an ungrateful child if she refused their wishes. She breathed in and out heavily, then opened her mouth to say something-anything-but nothing came forth, so she clamped it shut.

"You look uneasy, dear. Anything the matter?" Her mom asked her, slicing the silence immediately.

"Mom... Dad... I can't. I'm sorry, I can't." She muttered. Already knew what her dad would ask her. She was scared because she didn't want her dad to get angry. Whenever he was angry, he usually turned from the good old dad to a monster-a monster that even beat his wife. Her dad looked at her with a look filled with hatred, and she knew she'd pressed that button already.

"You will, and that's final!" Her dad commanded.

"Dad! I can't do it; why should I? Why should I be the one to pay for your mista-" Her dad didn't even let her finish before landing a resounding slap on her face. She held her face and stared at her dad with pure hatred.

CHAPTER TWO

"How dare you talk to me like that? Who the heck are you?" Her father's voice barked through the air as venom spat out of his mouth.

"Honey, you're being too harsh on her." Her mom inputted, but her father glared hard at her.

"Will you shut up?" Her father interrupted her mother, "You're the reason she's to this extent; just to do one simple thing that will free us from this debt, she's refusing, all because of you, you!"

"But honey." Her mom pleaded.

"Shut up! Shut the heck up before I do something I would regret." He directed his attention to Ashley: "You'll marry him, and that's final, idiot!" With that said, he left the sitting room for his room.

"Mom! I can't! I can't! I have other things to do with my life."

"Honey, just obey your father; he's always right." Her mother said, trying to persuade her.

"Mom, you know he's the one that made us like this, so he should be the one to pay for his mistakes, not me. Mom, I can't; I don't think I can. Can't you try to persuade him?"

"You know your dad; once he puts his mind to something, he always wants to achieve it, and if it doesn't go as planned, you know what can happen."

"I know, mom, see, I can do other things, but this one is too... Too absurd, too demanding; it's my life we're talking about here, you know, mommy."

"I know; just endure it."

"Mom, can you hear what you just said-that I should endure it? Should I endure getting married to a man who's over Daddy's age? Mom, why. At least you're supposed to protect me; you're a woman like me, mom," she said, tears pouring out of her eyes.

"My dear, your dad, he has started drinking again and..."

"I understand, mom; you don't want him to beat you again. Sometimes I wonder, mom, why can't you just leave him? Divorce him or something?"

"What? Divorce my husband? My dear, I made a vow, for better or worse, and I plan to keep that promise until I die. I will endure all the beatings your father would beat me because he is my husband; I married him."

Well, mom, I can't be like you; I'm still too young; heck, I'm just twenty-two years old, and you want me to get married to someone who's sixty-three, sixty-three! No, mom, even though I don't have a boyfriend yet, I know I will still get one someday; in fact, I will get someone who is rich, but maybe this is not my time. I'll sort everything out, but I can't marry that old man! I can't!"

"Well, my dear, I've said my own, and I've tried my best for you."

Ashley ran straight to her room and laid on her squeaky bed. She closed her eyes and cried for the second time that evening. She knew what her dad could do, and she knew that no amount of persuasion could change her father's words. She knew even her mother couldn't change her father's words. She had always persuaded her mother to divorce or leave her father, but her mother always told her the same thing she told her this evening.

She was hopeless; the only person who can change her dad's words is if the old Mr. Walter says he doesn't want to marry her anymore, but she knew that also couldn't happen, and if that happened, then where would they get the money to pay him back?

When she checked her time, she could see that she had cried for over an hour. She wasn't comfortable staying in her room and crying when she could meet her friend, who would console her.

"Have you made up your mind?" Her dad's voice roared.

"No, Dad, I haven't and I won't."

"Then suit yourself; I've accepted his request; he will be coming here tomorrow to meet his bride-to-be, so be prepared and make yourself beautiful as always."

"Dad, I won't marry him."

"Your wedding party will be next Saturday, so be prepared by then; we will rush the preparation." Her dad continued nonetheless, blatantly ignoring what she just said. It was as if she were talking to a basket because everything she told him was falling on deaf ears.

"Me too; I've told my own dad I won't marry him. I'm going out." She told her parents, who were still eating in silence,

"Where to?" Her dad asked her.

"I'll be back before eight thirty." She said this, ignoring the question her dad threw at her.

"You can go."

"I'll go even though you tell me not to." She muttered to herself as she left the house.

She hailed a taxi that would take her to her friend's house, which took about thirty-three minutes. Her friend, Suzy, was living with her mother, who was a single mother who would do anything to make sure her child lived a comfortable life. She loved that about Suzy's mom. She reached the house and knocked at the door, willing it to be opened.

"Ashley!" Suzy called out as she opened the door.

"Hey." She responded.

"It's been a long time since you've actually visited me at my house." Suzy pointed it out as she led Ashley to the living room, and they both sat down.

"I came because there is a big issue." Ashley said she was not wasting time spilling what had been bothering her.

"What issue?" Suzy asked, confused.

"My dad wants me to get married to an old man." Ashley spilled.

"What?! Why?! How come?!" Suzy asked, surprised.

"I don't know; I seriously don't know why my dad would want me to be the one to pay for his mistakes." She explained everything to Suzy.

"I think I understand where your dad is coming from. He doesn't have any other children, and as you said, Mr. Walter asked for you. See it from another perspective: if you agree to marry him, then your dad wouldn't have to pay the money and would even be offered more!"

"Just shut up!" Ashley interrupted, feeling betrayed. Why would her friend take her dad's side?

"Babe, I get you." Suzy tried persuading her.

"No, you don't! Because if you did, you wouldn't take sides with my dad. Suzy, I would be getting married to an old man! A sixty-three-year-old man! And I'm just twenty! Forty-one years difference!"

"But what if it isn't the man? What if-" Ashley raised her palm to stop Suzy from talking, already feeling dejected.

"Just stop! I don't know why I bothered coming to you. I thought you would advise me or something."

"I'm trying to let you see the reasons." Suzy objected.

"What reason? I ran here to tell you how I'm feeling, how I think, no, how I know I'll get married to an old man next Saturday, and you're trying to let me see the reasons? Suzy, I trusted you; I thought you were my friend; I... I came to you for advice, so you can tell me how I can escape from this god-forsaken marriage, and you're taking my dad's side. I don't know what to say anymore. Goodbye, Suzy." With that, Ashley left her friend's house; anger filled her heart. She was confused and didn't know what to do.

As she strolled the community for the next two hours to clear her head, an idea fell upon her, and a wide smile grew on her face.

She was going to escape!

CHAPTER THREE

By 2:35 a.m. in the morning, Ashley woke up to proceed with her plan. She stood up from her bed and walked towards her wardrobe to bring out her luggage from where she kept it. She took it and opened it to remove all the unnecessary dust. Then she began throwing in clothes that she would need for her little escape.

She packed little clothes, so carrying them wouldn't be a problem. By the time she was done packing, she picked up her phone to check the time. Good, it was 3:01 a.m. She quickly changed her clothes, and soon she was ready to depart. She was ready to run away, to escape.

She tiptoed out of her room towards the sitting room. She looked around to be sure that no one was awake. She was sure that no one would be awake by this time. She didn't say anything to her mother, so her mother wasn't aware of her running away; she had already made up her mind, and that was what she would do. She couldn't get married to that old man; now she preferred getting married to any young man. How she wished it was a young man she was getting married to, not some old fool. She won't ruin her life to please her father.

As she was about to open the door for her escape, a deep, angry voice made her stop on her track.

"Where are you going, now?" She heard the voice; the voice sounded so angry that it could kill her if she didn't retreat her steps.

"Dad?" She called out to be extremely sure, but she was sure that he was the one.

"I asked you, Where the heck are you going to this night with your luggage?" Her dad fumed.

"Dad..."

"Get back into this house, right this instant!" Her dad roared, rage sipping out of his veins.

"Yes, yes, dad." She shivered as she entered the house and closed the door.

"Are you planning on running away?"

"No... No... I... I..."

"I would slap the life out of you if you didn't open up and tell me the truth. Do you think you can run away?"

"Dad, why do you insist on making me marry him? I won't marry that old man. I won't, and that's my final answer. No amount of persuasion can make me change my mind."

"He'd spoil you. They're bastardly rich, and they'd save us from the mess we are in. Think about it."

"No! I refuse! You're too selfish, dad!" She screamed out loud, making her mom wake up from her sleep.

"What's going on here?" Her mom asked.

"Your daughter wants to escape. I just can't imagine what sort of child you gave birth to. I tried to explain to her the reason why she'd be marrying Mr. Walter, but she refused to listen. Don't you know that marrying him will enable you to even go to school? Where do you think I'd get the money to pay your school fees when we have a huge debt on our heads? Why can't you be reasonable for once? You should be happy Mr. Walter likes you; if not, it would be another story we'd be talking about; perhaps we'd leave this house and become homeless." Her dad hissed. She looked at her mom, wishing she could convince Dad. Her mom was her only option now since her plan of escape had failed woefully.

"Mom, please...." She held her mom's hand as her mom tightened her robe, looking between her and her dad. She was torn about who she'd go for. She just hope that her father would see the reason why she can't marry an old man.

"We owe them a huge debt. Mr. Walter is doing us a favor, and it's best we grab it now."

"But..."

"I understand why you're scared, my dear, but you don't have to be. Mr. Walter has a young heart, and if you look at him more closely, you will know he's young. If you get married to him, he will also offer our company another chance to bounce back to how it has been. There are lots of benefits you'd enjoy in this marriage. Look at the bright side." Her mom spoke, and her heart tore into pieces; even her mom was in support of her dad. She just couldn't understand why her mom wouldn't stand up for her.

"What, old man?" Her dad asked, quite confused.

"Mr. Walter, I won't marry him." She stated it angrily, which made her dad laugh.

"My dear, sit down." Her dad tried to cajole her into sitting and hearing him out, but she refused. She knows the moment she sits and gears her dad out, he'll convince her into marrying Mr. Walter, so she refuses.

"Dad, I'm not getting married to him. I'm not! Why will I ruin my life to please you? How will I get married to an old man, obviously old enough to be my father?" She spat, which made her father laugh. "Dad, it's not funny; I won't marry him. No never!"

Her dad laughed more loudly this time as he held his chest. She didn't know what was making her dad laugh so hard to the extent of holding his chest. What she said wasn't funny and didn't require any laughter. She wasn't putting on a comedy show.

"Dad!" She screamed, and her dad immediately stopped laughing. "My life is about to be ruined all because you plan to sell me to an old man."

"No, no, my dear, I can't. I'm your father, and even though I don't show it, I love you so much."

"So that's why you want to sell me off to Mr. Walter?"

"Yes, but no. I don't want to sell you; I want to marry you off so we can pay our debts."

"Dad! Why?! And it's not even a young guy that's around my age; it's, it's..." She wondered how she would cope with marrying an old man. Just the thought alone was already making her want to throw up.

"You are not getting married to Mr. Walter; you are getting married to his son, Mr. Michael Walter." Her dad threw the bomb at her, and she became extremely shocked.