Prologue
Prologue
"Mariyah, can you please give this to your Aunt Helen?" my mother requested and handed me a slightly bulky white envelope and a soft, folded white handkerchief. My gaze automatically set on the things she has just given me. The handkerchief piqued my interest, the unusual symbol embroidered at the corner made my brows furrow in curiosity.
“What’s this for?” I asked. My mom wasn’t able to answer immediately. I lifted my eyes back to her and caught her staring at me, standing still in her place like she was in deep thoughts.
“Mom?” I called and snapped my fingers in front of her face. She jolted a bit then locked her eyes to mine.
"J-just bring it to your Auntie Helen, Maria,” she said, her voice was shaking a bit. “They’ll take care of the rest…" then her words faded into a whisper.
My brows furrowed as I looked back at her. She quickly turned her back to me. But it did not escape my eyes on how her hands trembled as she directed her attention back to what she was doing before she called me here. I let out a deep breath before looking back at the bulky envelope she also handed. I flip it and saw it was sealed with a rose emblem, the same as to the handkerchief.
The rose is encircled with thorny vines with a double-edged sword behind. I had seen it multiple times now, after being with my mom this past month. It was a crest of an old-rich family here in our town.
I looked back at my mom and caught her stealing glances at me. And when she saw me looking, she quickly averted her gaze and continues on what she was doing like nothing happened.
I sighed in slight exasperation. I know my mother. She tends to borrow money from her friends and acquaintances, especially Aunt Helen. She handles the expenses in our home, the things that we needed, food, in our school, everything. I know we were always short on money, but she finds ways for us to survive. I don’t have the slightest idea where she gets the money to pay our debt back, and sometimes I have no choice but to let her be.
I shrugged her trembling hands; maybe it’s just her usual spasms from hard work.
I didn’t try to peek at what was inside the bulky envelope, thinking that it’s just probably the money that she was going to pay to Aunt Helen. I safely put the handkerchief inside my thick coat, thinking that I only need to give it back to Aunt Helen.
But I was wrong, way too wrong for thinking that my mother would actually pay her debt with the money inside the envelope.
Mom literally paid her debt.
But it was not through the money, nor even a letter that’d say a plea to extend her p*****t.
It was me.
I was the p*****t.
I became her p*****t to the people she was indebted to.
And now, I am here, standing before him in his wide balcony. And I am married to him.
*
