“You don’t have to do this, Beatrice!” Javier was trying to stop Beatrice.
They were in the hospital’s comfort room. Beatrice was cleaning herself because they were going to Bruce’s mansion. The place where the man who wanted to marry Beatrice lives. Beatrice never minds if Javier is also in the comfort room. She was changing her clothes in the cubicle and Javier was just outside waiting for her. It was okay for her because Javier was a good man. She treats her as the brother she never had. Also, she always felt safe when she was with him.
“Then what should I do, Javier? I cannot let my father die. He is my only family,” Beatrice answered. She grunted when she tried to wear the dress brought to her by their maid. “I need to do this. At least for my father.”
“No. This is never for your father. You know that your stepmother–”
“Mother.”
“Fine! Mother. You know it is her that will be happy only. You don’t have to sacrifice yourself!”
Beatrice went out of the cubicle and examined her face in the mirror. She had bruises on her cheeks and a bandage on her forehead. Even her lips were bruised. Though, she was confident that whoever that man will still want her. Beatrice has gray eyes that she takes from her mother. Her hair was a long and natural blonde. She also has freckles on her cheeks and on her nose bridge. Her skin was fair and had a slim body. She does have suitors but she never entertains anyone because of her stepmother. Plus, she was more focused on building her career than having a boyfriend.
“I need to do this, Javier. Please understand me.” Beatrice looked at her friend. She took Javier's hand and locked her eyes on his. “Come with me tonight.”
“No. I will not let you go there!” Javier took back his hand. He will never agree to her plan. He knew that Beatrice never wanted this.
“Okay. I will not do it. But what about my father, huh? Where will we get the ten thousand dollars we need to pay for this hospital? Then fifty thousand dollars for BMH? Where in the hands of gods will I have that money, Javier?! Even if I sell the resort now, it will still not be enough until my father recovers! And it will be too late!” Beatrice stopped and looked in the mirror. She took a deep breath and tried to control her feelings. “W-We don't have any money anymore, Javier. You… of all people know about it. So if you can't support me, you better go home now,” she said and went out hurriedly.
Javier sighed. He was just worried about his friend. He understood her but doesn't want to force herself into the marriage that she never wanted. Yes, she might look at her as a brother but Javier was not. He adored her secretly.
After Beatrice fixed herself. She went back to her mother’s room. Who was talking to someone on the phone. Clementine smirked as she saw Beatrice. She had been jealous of her since the first day she met her. Though she never admitted it to herself. The truth is, she was the one who should be marrying the wealthy stranger. But she learned that the man was old already. So she begged her mother not to marry her. Luckily, It was Beatrice that he really wanted.
“Go and pay for your sins, Beatrice.”
Beatrice just looked at Clementine and continued walking on Veronica’s side. “Mother.”
Veronica looked at Beatrice. “Okay, sir. She will be out in a minute,” she said and turned off the call. Veronica scanned Beatrice's body and then shook her head in disbelief. “What kind of dress is that? Tsk! I didn’t know what that man liked about you!”
Beatrice tightened her fist. Her lips curled up. She tried to say a word. ‘This is for your father, Beatrice.’
“Luckily he is wealthy.” Veronica puffed a breath. “Go on! A car is already waiting for you outside the hospital. Make sure to make Mr. Bruce adores you more, Beatrice. Don’t disappoint me! This is for your father! Do you want him to die?”
Beatrice's eyes instantly became teary. She never wanted to marry Mr. Bruce. But what can she do? That man was taking advantage of them!
“Huh! Looks like she doesn’t want to help. What a shameful woman! You never cared about your father!” Clementine blurted.
“Beatrice?! Is it true?!’
“N-No, mother. I will marry him. I-I promised you. I will come back here with the money we need.”
Veronica smirked. “Of course! You should. If you don't, you can go to hell and never face us again! I will never let you see my husband again! Alive or dead!”
Beatrice's tears fell down but she immediately wiped them. “I-I won’t disappoint you, mother,” she said in a rattling voice.
“Go now! Time is running!”
She nodded and walked outside of the room. She cannot stop crying thinking that she will be going to a stranger’s home. She instantly felt dirty thinking that she was not like the other people who sell for pleasure to any man. Beatrice was a virgin and she had never been in a relationship. Also, she doesn’t know the man. She just knows that he came from a wealthy family lusting for her.
“Beatrice!”
Javier saw Beatrice near the hospital exit door. Beatrice stopped and looked at him.
“J-Javier!” Beatrice ran to Javier and hugged him. Javier was taken back at first but immediately fixed his composure. “I’m scared. I don’t want this!”
Javier sighed. If only he could do anything for her, he would pay for everything. But he was just a servant to them.
“I can help you run away.”
Beatrice woke up from her senses. She removed herself from Javier and shook her head. “I-I can’t. I’m sorry.” She wiped her tears and turned her back on Javier.
“Okay!” Javier stopped Beatrice. “I will go with you.”
Beatrice looked at Javier with hesitation. She could see the seriousness in his expression. Beatrice smiled. At least someone was with her. She knew that Javier won’t let her be endangered.
They both went outside of the hospital. Beatrice saw a black small limousine that was parked in front of the hospital. It is not right because it was for ambulances only, but guards are letting them park. A man went out from the front seat when they were out already.
“Miss Lichter, the master is already waiting for you at the mansion.” A man wearing a black suit with white gloves opened the back door of the car. There were traces of wrinkles already but his aura was still strong. Just by his look, he could make anyone tremble. “Please get inside now, Miss.”
Beatrice gulped and held onto Javier's arms. She was pulling him to the car too but the man stopped her.
“You are the only one he’s expecting, Miss.”
Javier frowned. “Huh? No! I cannot let her go with you!”
The man looked at Beatrice. “Master will not like it, Miss. This might affect your father’s surgery.”
Beatrice sighed and let go of Javier's arms. “P-Please, Javier. I can do this. Don’t worry.”
“But Beatrice! You don’t know them,” Javier said worriedly.
“It’s okay.”
Beatrice smiled at him and went inside the car. Javier couldn’t do anything but let Beatrice go. He glared at the man. “Remember this. I will come to you if something bad happens to her!”
The man just smirked. Then he went inside the car too. “Drive.”
Beatrice took a deep breath. She tried to stop her tears again as Javier’s figure slowly faded from her eyes. Her hands were trembling and her heart was pounding. What could be waiting for her there? Who was this man wanting to marry her?
The car entered through a tall gate made of steel. Beatrice could see from inside how high the wall was. And she couldn’t help but tremble as she saw men in black suits holding long guns. What would they need it for? ‘You’ll be okay, Beatrice. This is for your father,’ she thought to herself. Beatrice had been trying to calm herself down. Her hands keep on trembling and she keeps on breathing hard because her heartbeats are fast. The car was cold but she could feel herself sweating. She was not crying anymore but the more she was getting near the stranger's house, the more her fears grew. ‘It will be done soon. You just need the money.’ Beatrice closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her father teaches her to take deep and long breaths. He said that it will help her calm and it was true. Every time Beatrice felt scared, or stressed, she closed her eyes and took a long deep breath. She does it until she calms down. Beatrice felt that the car stopped so she opened her eyes. The first
Beatrice felt her time stop. She couldn’t find any words to say to him. It felt like her tongue was cut out and she didn’t know what to say anymore. ‘What was that thing?!’ Beatrice kept on asking herself. She was terrified and shocked at the same time. But this man with his big green eyes was just looking at her as if he was enjoying her expressions. She could see his eyes smiling while he was grinning too. Her heart skipped and her breathing became hard. She wanted to push him but her body was frozen too. Indeed, this man was gorgeous. His nose was pointed as if it was molded. He was like the paintings she had just looked at earlier. His hair was not long, but it was curly and was adding more of his strong features. Too gorgeous for a man to be real. “You look tense, Miss Lichter? What are you worried about?” Mateo asked, not minding their situation. He even looked at Beatrice's lips and his eyes immediately twinkled. He immediately had the urge to kiss her, but he tried to stop hi
After Beatrice and Mateo talked, he immediately ordered Amadeus, his butler, to pay for David Lichter’s hospital bill. That night, David was sent to BMH and started his operation immediately. The surgery will be a long operation. It will take up to twelve hours. “Thank you, Mister. My husband will live!” Veronica said with tears in her eyes. Amadeus smiled. “You should thank your daughter.” Beatrice looked away. “I-I’ll go to the cafeteria.” “Hmph! Yes. You should. Bring mother some coffee!” Clementine's second. “Ah, you don’t have to, Miss Lichter. We have already provided a room for your family. You can rest there, Mrs. Lichter. As you wait for your husband,” Amadeus interrupted. BMH was not just a hospital. It also had hotel-like rooms for very important people waiting for their sick family. Having this, families are one building away from their loved ones. Clementine raised her eyebrows. She never liked it when someone was favoring Beatrice. Veronica noticed it and she stop
After the surgery, David was still unconscious. The Lichter's then never left the hospital for David. Beatrice was at least relieved because Mateo was not bothering her while she was still waiting for her father. It’s as if he was being considerate. And Beatrice was thankful for that because she was not yet ready again to face him. Beatrice was having her breakfast in the room that Amadeus provided her. She had never left the room since she came here. There was an hourly update for the nurses about her father. So, Veronica and Clementine decide to visit her in the room. Beatrice heard a loud knock on her door. She immediately stood up and opened the door. “Mother? Why are you–” “Oh, stop. Let us in,” Veronica said, and did not even wait for Beatrice to open the door. She let herself in and Clementine followed her. Beatrice stood up by her side while waiting for her stepmother's words. She was still holding the bread she was eating. She put her hands behind her to hide them from th
“Thank you for coming here, Javier,” Beatrice said as she took her bag from Javier. When her father woke up and her room was taken out from her, she asked Javier to come and get her clothes. Her father was still weak, so they still needed to stay in the hospital. Javier sighed. He could see the tiredness on Beatrice's face. “You should go home instead of staying here. Your father will be taken care of for sure.” “I can’t leave him.” “Then where will you sleep here? Your father still needs to stay in the ICU.” Beatrice looked around her. They are in the hospital’s waiting area. “I can. Here.” “You shouldn’t!” “Why? This is okay. Look.” Beatrice patted the chair. “It might be hard because it is made of steel, but that will be okay. I have my bag.” “Beatrice. You shouldn’t let them be hard on you. You might not be saying anything to me now. For sure, your mother said bad things to you again.” Beatrice looked away. Her friend knew him well and she couldn’t hide her true feelings f
Beatrice let out a deep long breath when she turned on the left hallway. She rested her back and head on the wall, then closed her eyes. ‘What just happened?!’ Beatrice touched her chest. She could feel her heart throbbing as if someone was chasing her. She tried taking a deep breath again and slowly until she calmed down. “He is crazy,” she whispered. Then she touched her neck, still feeling the goosebump she felt earlier. Why did she have a weird feeling when Mateo blew on her neck? It was like something was crawling from her neck and going through her chest. To her tummy and her… “Urgh!” she groaned and started walking again. She shouldn’t let Mateo get into her system. Into her mind. She must not be scared of a psycho man. Yet what he said was true. She needed him as much as he wanted her. They liked using each other. Thinking about it, they were like partners, so Beatrice hadn’t been scared of the man. “What are you doing here?” Beatrice noticed her stepmother and sister wer
At that moment, Beatrice didn’t know what to say. They were all shocked when Clementine started her tantrums. Well, it was not really that shocking for Beatrice because Clementine was always like that. Every time Clementine saw that Beatrice was being favored over her, she would do anything just to have more than Beatrice. “Is there something wrong, Miss Lichter?” Mateo asked confusedly. Veronica hemmed. “Ahm. I think Mister Bruce should come at another time.” She went to Mateo’s side and touched his arm. “Come. I will guide you through the door.” But Mateo removed her hand and did not move. He sighed. “Okay. I will come back again when Mister Lichter is really okay.” He looked at David again. “You should probably talk with your daughter, Mister Lichter. And I want to remain on what’s on our deal. You wouldn't disappoint me, right?” he said with a tone of menace. David gulped. He knew exactly what Mateo meant. His grip on Beatrice's hand tightened and he then didn’t say any words.
David Lichter’s recovery was fast. After another week in the hospital, he was finally discharged by his doctors. But Mateo still sent them personal nurses for him to be checked 24/7. As the day passed, Beatrice could feel the tension in their house. Clementine and Veronica kept on asking David if Clementine would marry Mateo instead. But Mateo only wanted Beatrice. “You!” Clementine faced Beatrice with tears in her eyes. She had just left David's room. Beatrice was going there to give him juice. “What?”“What did you do to Mateo Bruce, huh?! Did you really fuck him already? That's why he only wants you?!”Beatrice gasped. “Watch your words, Clementine! I would never do that! If only I could stop this, I would!”Clementine smirked in disbelief. “Then prove it. Prove that you didn't want to marry Mateo. Tell him that you will not marry him anymore!”Beatrice was taken aback. She knew it was impossible because Mateo was firm in his decision. Her hands trembled and she looked away from