Chapter 5

At the Montez residence,

Maids are busy cleaning the entire mansion while the gardeners trim the plants and roses in the garden. A party organizer is busy giving out orders to put all the decorations needed for tomorrow night. It was D.A's mother, Aileen Montez's birthday.

"Mom, why are you out here?" D.A immediately attended to her mother. Having a digital wheelchair made her life easier. She can go almost anywhere in the mansion without disturbing anyone.

"I'm getting bored inside that ginormous house. I need fresh air." Aileen stated.

"I know. I just don't want to get hurt," D.A responded. "What's the sense of getting a private nurse for you if you let her do her job?"

"Divina, I can handle myself. Besides, operating this digital wheelchair you bought for me is not that hard." Aileen answered, teasing her lesbian daughter using her first name.

"D.A, Mom. It's D-A." D.A said, irritated.

"Why are you changing your name?" Aileen said, trying hard not to laugh.

"Mom, I'm not changing my name," D.A answered back. "I just don't like being by it."

"Hi, Mom! Do you like the decorations for your party tomorrow?" Jillian, D.A's eldest sister, asked. "I love every single one of them." Aileen happily.

"Mom, do you remember when we used to celebrate this kind of occasion with just a few sticks of barbecue, cheap rice, and a pitcher of water?" D.A bent down to level herself with her mother.

"Those were the days that I am the happiest." Her mother honestly said. "Because back then, I just have to yell your names, and you will be there. I can stare at the two of you while you sleep. Even if the food on our table were barely enough for two people, we were always together. Now, I can barely see any of you. Every day, I only see the maids and the gardeners, my private nurse. I miss those days."

D.A and Jillian looked at each other. They didn't expect their mother's answer. They both thought that she would be happier now that they have a better life. But in reality, all she wanted was to spend whatever time she has left with them. It's true; even though they were poor, they were happy and together as a family.

------

D.A needed to talk to Marionne, so she decided to come to the Castello estate. But when he got there, Marionne's car was in the garage. Nevertheless, she went in. The maids are the first to greet D.A and offered her drinks. Not moments later, Crisanto Castello slowly descended from the stairs. He looks better than how he was twelve years ago.

"Hi Tito Crisanto, is Marionne here?" D.A politely asked her best friend's father.

"I don't know, hija. He was supposed to be here two hours ago." Crisanto replied. "Didn't he have a business meeting?"

"No, I don't think so, Tito. His schedule was clear for today," D.A responded. Thinking about where his best friend could possibly be.

"D.A, I'm worried about Marionne," Crisanto said out of nowhere. This made D.A confused. "I've never seen my son happy again. He buries himself to work, had few temporary relationships, but he was never happy. Not like how he was before the two of you graduated." Crisanto's voice was full of sadness. He truly misses the old Marionne. The bubbly kid, that is full of hopes and dreams.

"I don't know if Marionne wanted to be happy ever again, Tito," D.A said honestly. "He's still imprisoned by his hatred towards Ava and her father. I mean, Ava was the first woman to break her heart, and her father almost got you killed."

"I was a long time ago." Crisanto became more concerned about his son. "He can't live in the past. He's not even the same man as he used to."

"I think it's because regardless of what twelve years ago, Marionne never stopped loving Ava," D.A said, more to himself. "He put all his time and attention into our business because if he won't, he will end up remembering her. Ava might have broken him, but I think he still loves her," D.A said while remembering those times when Marionne got drunk and talked about how much he hates Ava.

-------

Marionne was pleased with Ava's reaction. She remembers him. It's Gregory who's still don't who he is. The young man he humiliated and threw to his bodyguards to get beat up. Marionne is starting to have fun as he watches Gregory's carefree expression and Ava's tense reaction.

"Marionne, this is my eldest daughter, Ava." Gregory obliviously introduces Ava to him. "Ava, this is Marionne Castello. One of the owners of Montez and Castello Industries."

"Uhm—hi," Ava hesitantly extended her hand. But Marionne just looked at it like a dirty rug.

"Surely, you don't want me to invest in your eldest daughter." Marionne's eyes are on Gregory. "If you want to do business with me, you have to offer something I can't refuse."

"What?" No! Dad, you can't let it happen." Ava immediately disagreed when she understood what Marionne was implying.

"Why? Do you want to marry me?" Marionne said, testing Ava. "Because I don't want to marry you. I want someone younger."

"Ava, I need you to shut up now," Gregory warned Ava.

"Why are you doing this to us, Dad?" Ava protested, almost crying. "We're not some pre-used items that you can sell to anyone. We're your daughters."

"Stop being melodramatic, Ava. I'm doing this for both of you. To ensure your future." Gregory responded emotionally. But Sophia scoffed, not believing what his father just said.

"You want me to marry him?" Sophia asked him meaningfully. "Fine, I'll marry him. I'll marry Marionne. But you're not giving even a single centavo to this man." Sophia then said to Marionne.

"What are you saying, Sophia?" Gregory's eyes widened in shock.

"What? You said you're doing this for our future, right?" Sophia looked at her father. "That's what I'm doing. I'm securing my future." Sophia said with finality.

"That went well," Marionne exclaimed before standing up. "You heard her. She's going to be my wife. I'm supposed to grant my wife's every wish, right?" Marionne tapped Gregory's shoulder. "Don't worry; I'll pay what you owe from that syndicate. But that's it, like what you said to my future wife said, you're doing this for them."

Gregory was left dumbfounded. His plans backfired because of his greediness. He wasn't expecting his daughter would do such a thing to him.

"Not what you expected?" Ava said mockingly to her father before getting out of the mansion.