A decision to make

Ashely’s pov

“What!?”I thundered, as my heart suddenly beings to palpitate as though threating to jump out of my chest. Breathing so fast, I raised my head gradually in surprise, uncertainty and anger and meet his cold stern glare peering directly at me. His words thundered into my ears like distorted sound of frequency, making the environment sound noisy and rowdy despite it being dead silent. I turned my gaze towards my parent expecting them to say something or rather call the cops on the monster standing in front of me but that looked impossible because, they both had more fear and confusion clustered on their faces. The environment is for real, tensed. And all I can think of at the moment is to eliminate the cute monster who is trying to shatter my family, my dreams to pieces. “This has become my battle, and I am going to fight it to the end” I braced up and faced him, but at first glance, I looked like a baby mouse at the feet of a giant elephant. That didn’t have so much effect on me because I was already burning in range and determined to give him his own share of his trouble. I folded my hands into a fist, looked him straight into his cold brown eyes that had my reflection roaming in it. “Hay monster,” I called out without any iota of fear, “I am not going to marry you and you dare not touch my family and everything that has to do with us” I bellowed, with my voice going slightly above normal, Stood firm and looked straight into his eyes waiting for his responds. A spring of confidence and happiness sprouted from my belly and circulated round my body, the moment I stood on my feet without being scared of his physical physique, cold stern glare and his multiple facial expressions. But all of these came to a fall the moment he guffawed at me pathetically. I couldn’t help but accept that I was fighting from a place of defeat, especially for the fact that my parent wasn’t saying anything. Notwithstanding, giving up wasn’t an option. Cladded in uncertainty and fear, I turned my back to meet my parent when he immediately held my wrist dragging me back to himself in a very harsh and mannerlessly way so tight and didn’t leave it until I winched in pain, he looked at me in a very sarcastic manner, let out a wicked smirk and threw a small paper card he got from his back pocket at my face “I don’t have all the time to watch you rattle your little imaginary powers to me. You have just thirty minutes to make your decision. On that card, is my number when you have decided, you call immediately, if the thirty minutes elapses without you getting to me, I would be forced to make my own decisions.” He spoke in a very low, calm and intense voice turned his back and left without showing any sign of human empathy.

I watched as his receding figure stunt slowly and calculatedly towards the door. Every steep he took had a toll on me making tears roll down my cheeks uncontrollable. I sat with my head buried in-between my legs on the floor and allowed the truth to beat me to pulp. I searched my mind trying to recall everything that has happened in the past, to know if I offend anyone, or if I had anything to do with him in the past, but I didn’t get an answer as his look and voice sounded foreign to me. I couldn’t tell why his anger was channeled to me, and why he decided to marry me instead of going ahead to take the wealth he wanted to take at least that will make him richer. But then, he wasn’t just going to take the wealth alone, he was going to kill my parent and still make my life a living hell. It was At this point I knew that the only option for me was to marry him leaving all the good stuff I have worked for over the years and suffer torture and humiliation in his house for a crime I don’t know about. I was so engrossed in my thoughts that I didn’t notice that my both parent were standing at my back.

“Ashely, you know you don’t have to do this” I had a familiar voice speak in a low-teary tone making me jerk out of my thought. ‘We can take care of ourselves and get things right in due time, all we need from you is to stay save. This town is no longer good for you to live in, because of Nathaniel and his evil deeds. So hurry up now to your grand Ma. Place and stay there till we are able to pull ourselves off this mess we got into with Nathaniel.” My father spoke in a certain and assuring tone.

I knew things weren’t alright, and as much as he was trying to sound so confidence and in control of the situation, he still spoke like someone burning with fear and uncertainty,

Without uttering a word, I paid keen attention to everything my father had to say, lots of question pooped on my head to ask him. But that wasn’t the best time to do so, as the environment and our heart was heavy in grief and sadness.

“Ashely, you have to listen to us and don’t act stubborn now. Nathaniel is evil and would stop at nothing in carrying out his plan, if you go to your grandmas place now, you would be free from his trouble. As a matter of fact there is no much he can do to me and your father, but with you, he would make sure he tortures the living hell out of you until he is satisfied. His anger is transient and would not last forever, when it’s over you would come back. But for now darling, we need you to run as fast as you can.”