The charge leveled against me by my father was the most absurd thing I had ever heard in my life! His demeanor revealed a great deal about him, and I couldn't believe he was my father and shook my head in amazement.
”Scammed? He is not a con artist!” When I stood up for my boyfriend against his charges, he burst out laughing in response. The fact that he doubted my ability to assess a person's character was insulting to me!
“So, who exactly is he? An opportunistic gold-digger?” He shouted.
Despite my best efforts, he continued to degrade the man I loved the most, and every time he opened his blasted mouth, I wanted to slap him in the face to silence him, but I couldn't be violent towards my father.
“I recently found out that you took a sizable sum of money out of your savings,” he added.
“Dad, you're harsh and judgmental, to say the least! Just because someone is not well-off does not imply that he is an opportunist!!” Upon hearing my explanation, he grinned.
“Wait till your bank account balance is zero!”
The sound of his yelling resonated around the room, and I was shocked when I heard it for the first time. After that, he took a big breath and looked at me with the eyes of a worried parent.
“You’re young and naïve, and that man used you to his advantage! You shouldn’t see him again,” he warned me.
“But I love him, Dad,” I explained.
“Love will not feed you,” he said.
“I know. Your money feeds me, but I am barely alive! There’s no love in this house, Dad!”
“My God, Selena! You’re no longer a child to have this kind of tantrum! Get a grip of yourself and abandon him while you still can,” he suggested.
“I can't bear the thought of abandoning him!” Even though I remained solid in my determination never to betray our relationship, my father was enraged and refused to let go of my hand. He clung to me as if he was afraid I was going to evaporate into thin air!
Felix Montes looked at me with a frown and narrowed his eyes. “Are you certain? Is it better for me to let him suffer then?”
My father was a terrifying figure, and when he threatened to punish my boyfriend because of my stubbornness, I closed my eyes before sending a message to his phone. “Don't you think it's a little late to be a good father at this point? You never cared for me since I was a child! I despise you!”
“Can’t you understand why I’m doing this, dear? It’s to protect you from an opportunist like your boyfriend,” he insisted that my boyfriend was a gold-digging bastard, and his accusations hurt me.
“He is different, Dad,” I informed him, but he just snorted. Then he called one of his men to show me something, and I was dumbfounded to see my boyfriend with another woman.
“His wife is pretty, isn’t she?”
“His wife?” I was shocked to hear that the woman was his wife. I assumed that it was just a fling or a close acquaintance or a friend, perhaps. A wife was something I hadn’t expected. I shook my head in disbelief that for more than two months, he was only fooling me. “It’s not true,” I refused to believe the footage that was shown to me.
“His wife is ill, and last week, she had a major operation,” he continued to smear my boyfriend’s name.
“Last week?” Last week, he borrowed a huge sum from me because of his parents. No, he wouldn’t do that to me, right?
“Why don’t you call him Selena? I heard that the operation was successful,” he challenged me.
“I will,” I took up the challenge and immediately dialed his number. I couldn’t reach him on my first attempt, so I tried again. I kept on trying, but his number was unreachable. “I can’t reach him,” I whispered.
“You already know the reason why. It’s not the first time that someone duped you after using your kindness,” he reminded me of another failed relationship.
For a moment, it seemed like half of my body was numb, and the other half screamed in anguish. I tried to remain calm, but suddenly, my entire body was shaking. I was weak and weary, and it took all of my remaining strength to continue fighting.
Before giving up, I tried one more time, but it has the same result. I couldn’t reach him, and when I glanced at my father, he looked at me with pity in his eyes. I averted my gaze because I was ashamed that someone dared to dupe me again!
“I want to be alone,” I told him as soon as I realized that he was never wrong in his judgment towards the man that I have been dating for two months.
“Take your time, Selena. Go on and take a rest,” he suggested.
When they leave me alone, I tried calling my boyfriend’s number again, but it’s still out of the coverage area. I kept on trying until I realized that I didn’t deserve to be played like a fool!
I’m Selena Montes, and my father’s wealth could make anyone appear poor, including the entire Salcedo Family! Why should I keep selling myself short? I deserved someone better! I deserved someone who would be loyal and true to me!
I deserved the best!
I was deep in thoughts when my nanny walked through the door with a tray of food. “Aunt, from now on, I will have my meals in the dining room.” She was shocked to hear my announcement because it has never happened before. ”Just take it back, and I’ll be there in a minute.”
“Are you sure, Selena?” She inquired.
“Yes,” I replied. “However, you have to prepare something tastier for me this time.” Although she scowled at my remark, and I felt horrible for making her feel uncomfortable, I had no desire to eat the food she prepared for me.
“Are you still heartbroken?”
My life would be a living nightmare if it weren't for my nanny’s kindness. When I expressed my dissatisfaction to the older woman, she smiled. “He's a jerk, and I despise him to my core!”
“Is that for your boyfriend or to your father?”
“Daddy is so overbearing lately, and I hate him! Why can’t he just let me have fun and live my life according to my wishes?”
“Your father wants to protect you from that man, Selena. You won’t be able to notice it, but it was obvious to us that he’s only after your money,” she sympathized with my father, and I didn’t like it! “Your boyfriend was a hustler, and Felix is correct in his assessment of your boyfriend’s ability to seduce an innocent woman.”
I arched my brows towards my nanny for being nosy about my business. “I don’t think I like your opinion, Aunt Jenny.”
“Are you upset with me, Selena?” When she inquired, her voice became shaky.
“What do you think, Aunt Jenny? I didn't expect you to be the one to let me down, given your reputation around here!” Aunt Jenny only glared at me with a blank expression on her face as I confessed my genuine sentiments to her.
“I'm leaving right now,” she said, and I didn't say anything back to her.
Sleep has always been my preferred method of escaping from reality, and as soon as Aunt Jenny departed, I closed my eyes and forced myself to sleep as quickly as I could.
However, I was awakened by someone a few hours later, and as I opened my eyes, I saw my father standing beside my bed, which I immediately recognised. I scowled at him before closing my eyes for the second time, but he didn't move and stayed still!
“Just leave me alone,” I begged him before wrapping the coverlet around my entire body.
“I have arranged your marriage to my friend’s son,” he suddenly announced.
For a moment, I stared at my father, but the blank expression on his face made it impossible to decipher his true feelings about my arranged marriage to his acquaintance.
“No, you are not serious, are you?”
“Unfortunately, I am. The wedding is set three months from now,” he continued.
“Dad! How can you do this to me?” I expressed my protest about the arranged marriage because it’s so ancient! “I want to marry for love!”
“That’s bullshit, Selena! Whether you like it or not, you’re going to marry the man I’ve chosen for you in three months!”
