FOUR YEARS AGO

Flash back

***

That morning the dead silent in the dinning room is just like that of the grave yard. The atmosphere is so tensed that everyone keep silent not to get in trouble with Mr. Audrel.

As usual, Ashara have to help serve the food with the maid since she work together with the maids. Her father sit at the dinning looking so perforated like his going to burst at any time. Ashara's brother, Ashley, the so call perpetrator is not even at home to face the wrath of their father and no one is saying anything about that.

Ashara put the plates on the table gently. She knows that she have to be careful not to make her father resume his lectures on her, because any slight mistake from her, will make hell break loose. She has heard an earful of her father's hateful words already, she want no more. 

Moreover, she has test at college that day and don't want anything to spoil her mood. As she was trying to carefully place the last plate on the table when she caught a glimpse of her father's eyes looking sternly at her, which makes her shudder and the plate mistakenly drop from her hand. The plate shatters and the deafening sound could be heard across the room. She close her eyes and move back quickly, because she knows what will come next since she have awakens the lion.

"I knew it!" Ashara's father voice comes after.

"I know nothing good can come out of someone like you!" he yells. 

"Just to serve some food. You want to destroy the things that are left in this house!" he angrily stand up from his seat sending daggers to Ashara through his gaze. Ashara step back far from her father and just bow her head sadly. She knows her father might slap her since she have just touch the tail of the lion.

"You have always bring bad luck to this family and your bad luck has spread all around" Mr. Audrel said breathing heavily.

"Did you see how you have destroy the company now?" He start sprouting his hurtful words again. Ashara wonders how the plate that drops have to do with what happen in the company.

She stare at him since she use it, though Ashara's father words are like spears piercing her heart every moment. But she behaved like it's nothing, she don't want her father to think that his words gets to her. To Ashara, if she behaved like she is hurt before her father, her father will think he won, she rather keep it in, than show how hurtful she is.

"She is still staring at me with those evil eyes" Mr. Audrel charge at her wanting to slap her, but her mother quickly stand up to hold her father's hand.

"I'm sorry on her behalf" her mother said feeling guilty. Ashara wonders why her mother is always acting guilty whenever her father start lashing at her like that. Shouldn't she stand up for me? At least to let her father knows that his hurting her feelings, her mother will rather beg her father instead.

Ashara sighed angrily and turn to leave for her room devastated, though she could not cry in front of her father, but the moment she enters her room and close the door. She could not just hold it in anymore and start crying silently. She thought she have over-grown crying since she is used to those things but she think she can't just take it anymore. Thinking that they are her parents and they treat her like an out-cast makes her feel like her heart will burst out at any time, so she cried.

After she had cried like forever and trying to calm down, she heard knocks on her door.

"Ashara, come out, your father has something to say to you" her mother said and leaves immediately.

Ashara felt some surge of hatred raise in her heart, but she quickly suppress it and breath in to calm herself down. She expect that her mother will at least say something to her after what happened. But her mother just leave like that and don't even bother to check on her feelings, which makes her wants to hate all of them, but she knows she shouldn't hate them since they are her family.

"What a mother!" Ashara mutters angrily.

Ashara's mother has always been like that. After each of her father's drama. Her mother will just act as if nothing has happened. Ashara comes out of her room slowly and went to meet her father who is now in the sitting room preparing to leave for the company.

"Since you are the reason for our misfortune right now" Mr. Audrel looked at her like she is some evil.

"Prepare yourself. Did you hear me?" He ask sternly.

Ashara wonders what she should prepare herself for after everything she has gone through in their hands. Could there be anything more worst? She hissed secretly.

"I'm giving you away to redeem my company back" her father look nonchalant with his words even though it concern her daughter's life.

"What!" Ashara almost let out as she did not seems to understand what her father is trying to say. She frown her face trying to understand what her father meant by giving her away.

"Wanton's family is selecting a bride for their only son and heir, Shawl. They want him to get married quickly since he is the only child they have" Mr. Audrel look at her with all seriousness.

"I heard that all the elite families are already sending their daughters to them to see if Shawl will like any of them. Thankfully he has not chosen any of them" he adds.

"I talk to Mr. Wanton about you. He said whoever his son chooses he will marry" Mr. Audrel continues as if talking about a business.

"If his son likes you and chose you. He will help the company gets back. You will be able to use yourself to redeem the company by then" he eye her badly.

Ashara looked at the person who call himself her father, she fold her hands to my chest angrily and wonders if she has become a commodity for an exchange.

"You better do everything to make sure his son agrees to marry you. If not, forget about been part of this family" he hissed and take his suitcase then leave Ashara standing. Ashara just stand staring blankly at the space.

"Marriage!" She sneered angrily. She is still in the university but he wants her to get married.

"After I have been used as their slave enough. They want to use me as an exchange to redeem one damn company that I know nothing about" Ashara feels betrayed and hurt knowing she means nothing to the ones she call her own family. Her heart feels so heavy like it's full of heavy rocks, tears already well up her eyes. This time, she could not stop the hot tears streaming down her cheeks as she stand folding her hands to her chest not knowing what to do.

"Can today be anymore worst?" She tries to calm down but everything was just too much for me. She turned slowly and her eyes caught her mother's eyes, her mother Instantly avert her eyes the moment Ashara's eyes caught her eyes.

Ashara's mother has been standing at one corner hearing what her father is saying but she just don't feel the need to stop him. Ashara slowly walks past her mother with heavy steps into her room to cry her eyes out.

 "I cannot take their unfairness anymore" she thought wanting to cry more, but she couldn't even start crying before her phone rings. She manage to see who the caller is and it turns to be her father.

"What is it again?" Ashara thought of not picking the call but she want to hear what he have to say. She slowly pick the call and place the phone to her ear gently. 

"I forgot to tell you. Mr. Wanton's son will be coming this evening to pick you up" her father said.

"Be ready and also dress to impress him. Do you understand me?" He adds sounding so serious.

"But I have test in school today" Ashara manage to say with her choked voice. 

"So you are still thinking about such nonsense. When you cannot even garantee if you will still be part of Audrel's family after today" her father hissed.

"You better forget those rubbish and make sure Mr. Wanton's son approve of you for marriage. I don't know why I send the idiot to school anyway" Ashara heard her father say before he ends the call angrily.  She looked at the phone after her father ends the call, closing her eyes tightly trying not to cry, but her heart hurt so badly.

"He wants me to impress him!"she feel like an harlot with those words, bitter tears fills her eyes making her drown in tears.