Chapter1:Cruel Revelation
Celine's POV
"What the f**k?!"
This is the first time I'm using a cuss word on my parents, and in my defense, this is the first time they are driving me this crazy.
"Language, young lady." My mum scolds me.
I heave a soft sigh, trying to be calm as best as I can. This has to be a dream, right?... Or even a prank.
I just got back from work to this stern news, and I'm standing toe-to-toe with my parents, bitter, but anxious still, because I've never in my whole life been in a situation as cruel and dumfounding as this.
They've raised me to be a responsible lady, pretty conservative, educated, hardworking, and contented, even though we are obviously struggling to stay above water.
I work as the personal assistant to the richest CEO in Colorado. It's safe to say that I'm independent to a fault.
"You should be delighted that Mr. Donovan finds you worthy of his favorite son." My dad bluffs.
"Honey," my mum leans closer to whisper to him. I guess she also finds his tone disapproving.
"Find me worthy as a toy, you mean?" I scoff. "Are you serious?"
"Tomorrow, you get to meet your husband, and in three days, you tie the knot. Serious enough?" He replies in sarcasm.
I laugh wryly. "This has to be the craziest skit of the century."
"You appear to be the only one laughing young woman, don't be silly." He warns me. "Your groom is the heir to Don Donovan."
"Don?" I stutter, lacking words. I'm not only being sold out, but to the son of a Mafia boss?! "How much were you paid?!" I scream at the top of my lungs.
"How dare you?!" He slaps me flat across the face, causing me to stagger backward.
"Honey..." My mum tries to intervene but he stops her.
"She's not a child anymore, and should tell a favor when she sees one!" He groans, angry to his bones.
"My baby," My mum goes to where I'm standing and nursing my cheeks. "We're in big debt, if you decline this offer, our lives will be ruined." She cries. "They can be brutal to their debtors..."
Still overwhelmed, I take a few steps backward, and in the spur of the moment, I turn and run out of the house, with nowhere in mind.
"Celine!..." My mum screams after me, her voice vanishing in minutes.
Outside of our yard, I flag down a taxi and barely mumble Anna's address. On arrival, I pay the driver and drag my feet along the tarred road.
"Celine?" Anna gasps once she opens the door, her look and tone, inquisitive.
Unable to hold it in, I burst into tears, slightly falling on her as she holds me to herself in a firm hug. I continue sobbing like a child on her shoulder.
I remain in her arms for a while and as soon as I'm stable, I head to her mini bar, and take out a bottle of vodka and a glass.
"Celina, what happened?" Her stare is out of this world.
"You're right, good girl doesn't pay." I agree with her for the first time in my life.
You know what? f**k everything! I slam the glass on the bar, almost breaking it in halves, as I transfer my aggression to a safer object. Instead of drinking in bits, I gulp from the bottle that's already half gone.
"Celine." She attempts to get rid of the bottle. "What are you doing to yourself?"
"You're not the one they're giving away to pay up debts!" I yank the drink from her hand and take another greedy swig.
"What?!" She stops dead on the spot.
"My reaction exactly." I snort. "It even gets more interesting, he's the heir to a mafia lord... Like they freaking run a cartel and all of that s**t!" I take a swig, the drink sipping out and messing up my dress.
"What's your father doing with such dangerous men?" She finds her words.
"I guess poverty takes you places after all."
She giggles and instantly covers her mouth, sad to be making fun of me right now.
"I'm thinking," I pause to assume the character. "perhaps it's because I obey them, all my life, I dance to their tone..."
"I doubt..." She refutes but stops midway.
"Ain't seeing no one shipping you off like a parcel." I scoff.
"Perhaps I will make a terrible bride..."
"Right there," I call her attention. "No offense, if I'm as notorious as you are, he'd have asked for his money instead."
"Being me is hard too, yunno."
"I'm done being a good girl." I drink again, everything gets blurry.
"Just talk to them, I could join you if you want." She proposes and succeeds in snatching the bottle from me.
When I attempt to take another, she guides me out of the bar.
"Anna." I groan, needing my bottle.
"One step at a time, Celine." She encourages me.
My phone buzzes in my bag. I pull it out to see it's my boss, Mr. Jayden.
"Hello, sir." I try to be composed.
"The flash with Lucas's pitch is not here!" He thunders, his baritone reverberating in my ear and causing my head to bang.
Lucas is the manager, and he gave me the flash when he was done compiling his presentation for the pitch. I thought I kept it in my boss's bag... But I...
"If I don't get it in less than an hour, consider yourself fired!" The call ends.
I paused to replay things. I remember holding the flash and...
"Who's it?" Anna draws closer.
I dip my hand in my bag to search for the flash. If I didn't keep it in his bag, then I should be with it.
"Just great." I sighed, staring at the small flash.
Anna's house to my workplace is like I'm going on a trip. First, I'm being sold out, and now I'm about to be jobless. How worse can things get?
