Share

Chapter 2

Author: Reidpurplelh
last update Last Updated: 2024-08-21 10:14:27

“What’s on your mind, and you managed to run away just to party? My God, Bettina and Zariyah!”

Yup. They found out. Bettina and I didn’t realize someone saw us sneaking out earlier. I was still dizzy from the alcohol, and to be honest, I couldn't get the guy I kissed out of my head. I didn’t even get his name.

I didn’t want to make Mom’s headache worse. I knew she had enough on her plate. But even if we had asked permission, we both knew they would never let us go.

“How many times have you done this, huh? I don’t know what to do with you two! Especially you, Bettina. You’re the eldest!” Dad’s voice was even louder.

Bettina had her head down, staring at the tiles. I knew how much she hated disappointing them. But I also knew how much she just wanted to live her life.

“I didn’t even know you girls learned how to fool your parents like that,” Dad continued. “Do you really want that? To lie and sneak around behind our backs just so you can party?”

I fought the urge to roll my eyes. This again.

“As long as you live under my roof, you have no right to lie to me.”

That’s when I chuckled. I couldn’t help it. Bettina turned to me, shocked.

“Z,” she said under her breath, warning me.

I thought I’d already made Dad mad enough, but then he dropped the bomb.

“And because of that, you’re both grounded.”

“Dad!” Bettina cried.

“What now, Bettina? Another excuse?” he snapped.

I looked at Bettina. Her eyes teary and lips her trembling. I couldn’t take it. She didn’t deserve this.

“It was me,” I said, standing up. “I’m the one who asked her to come. If you’re going to punish someone, let it be me.”

“Sit down and shut your mouth, Zariyah!”

“No,” I answered, meeting his glare. “What are you going to do, Dad? Keep shouting? Only you get to talk? Only you get to be right?”

Mom reached out to stop me, but I stepped away from her hand.

“Stop pretending you don’t know what’s going on. You know he’s been lying. You’ve just been choosing to believe it.”

“Zariyah!”

Her voice cracked like thunder, but I didn’t flinch.

“How dare you accuse me like that?” Dad asked, voice low and deadly calm.

I knew that tone. It was the one he used when he wanted to scare people into silence.

“I’m not afraid anymore. I saw you. I saw everything.”

He didn’t respond right away, and Mom just kept calming me down like nothing happened. As if I hadn’t just exposed a truth we were all trying to ignore.

“I don’t care if you punish me. I didn’t believe the rumors before, but now I do. Because I saw it myself. You’re a cheater.”

Dad shut his eyes tight like he was about to explode. I didn’t care. Maybe I should have, but I didn’t. The alcohol gave me courage, or maybe it just revealed the one I’d kept hidden for too long.

“Z! That’s enough!” Mom warned.

He took a long breath, opened his eyes, then pointed straight at me.

“From now on, you’ll continue your studies in the province. Start packing. That’s your punishment.”

I froze.

What?

I slumped down on the sofa in disbelief.

“What did you do, Z?” Bettina hissed, pulling me aside. “I told you not to answer back!”

“What did you expect me to do? Just sit there and stay quiet? I saw him! With that cheap woman!”

She shook her head at me, helpless.

“You know Dad’s serious about that punishment. You think you can handle studying in the province?”

That finally hit me. The weight of what he just said. A quiet province, away from everything and everyone I knew? No friends, no freedom, no escape?

“Do you think Mom can change his mind? No, Z. You pushed him too far.”

I rubbed my face with both palms and walked away. I didn’t want to argue anymore. My head was already pounding.

The next morning, knocking on my door woke me up. My headache was worse than last night.

“Z, open the door,” Bettina said from outside.

I forced myself up and opened it—only to be greeted by Mom, Dad, and Bettina.

“Z, you should apologize to your father,” Mom said softly.

“Whether she apologizes or not, the punishment stays,” Dad answered coldly.

The memory of what he said the night before hit me again like a slap. He was serious. He was really sending me to the province.

“Zandro, don’t do this. Not to your daughter,” Mom pleaded.

“She needs to learn. And you, Bettina—you’ll stop with that cheer dancing. Focus on your business classes instead.”

“Dad, no!” Bettina nearly cried.

“You can’t do this!” I finally burst out. “I’m sorry, okay?”

“My answer is final. You’ll face the consequences. You, Zariyah—pack your things. You’re leaving tomorrow.”

He turned and left without another word.

I dropped onto the edge of my bed, stunned.

“Mom, please. I can’t go,” I said through my tears. “I don’t want to live there.”

Mom sat beside me and held my hand. “Just go for now. I’ll talk to your dad every day. I promise, I’ll convince him to bring you back.”

“I don’t want to go,” I whispered.

“I’ve already arranged everything. Sister Gina will take care of you there.”

And just like that, the next day, our SUV was waiting to take me away. My sisters tried to cheer me up before I left.

“Call us every day, okay?” Bettina said. “Maybe in a week, Dad will let you come home.”

I just nodded, too drained to speak. I didn’t even see Dad that morning. If it weren’t for Mom insisting on sending the car, I probably would’ve collapsed from stress.

I kept thinking maybe this was freedom—but the kind that hurts. I hated the idea of being far from everyone, but maybe I deserved it.

All my gadgets were with me. I knew Dad probably already arranged for me to continue my studies out there. He’s not the type to make empty threats.

I stared out the window for most of the ride. The longer the drive, the more I realized how far I was going—not just in distance, but from the life I used to have.

When we arrived, my bodyguard handed me the keys. “Here’s your car key, Ma’am Zari.”

“Thanks,” I said, looking up at the wooden house.

It was beautiful in its own way, but quiet. Almost too quiet. No neighbors. Just trees and air.

“Your room’s ready, and I made you a snack,” said Manang Gina, who greeted me warmly.

“I’ll rest first. Let the bodyguards eat. They’ll be leaving soon anyway,” I told her.

She nodded and led me inside. The house was huge, all wood from floor to ceiling. I didn’t even know we owned a place like this.

And now... this would be home.

The province might be peaceful, but I could already feel my anxiety creeping in. I wasn’t used to this kind of silence. But I’d have to learn.

Because this was my consequence—for being a daughter of del Real.

Continue to read this book for free
Scan code to download App

Latest chapter

  • Two Hearts Victim of Lies   Chapter 59

    I stopped eating and barely pushed my food away as I picked up my laptop again. "You haven't finished your food yet," he said. "I'm already full," I replied, even though I'd just lost my appetite. "You just ate a little bit. How can you be so satisfied?" he asked. Annoyed, I turned to face him. "I already told you that I'm not hungry. Next time, please don’t buy me lunch. I was hoping you wouldn't get me anything to eat either because I have a secretary for that. You should give all your attention to that girl who was talking to you earlier," I told him. His laughter filled the room, overwhelming me again. I knew I wouldn't be able to focus on my work if I stayed there with him, so I closed my laptop and placed it on the table. "Oh, why?" he asked. I ignored him and stood up from my chair. "Are you jealous?" he probed. I smirked, returning his question with one of my own. "Of course not. Why would I be?" I replied, then let out a sarcastic laugh. If he was trying to push

  • Two Hearts Victim of Lies   Chapter 58

    "Meeting adjourned. Thank you, everyone!" Daddy said. I could finally breathe freely; our meeting was over. I immediately turned to River, who had been teasing me earlier. "I know what you were doing," I said to him. He raised both hands as if to defend himself. "I just wanted to see his reaction. He's been staring at you since our meeting started," he explained. I stared at him, unsure of how to feel. I didn't know if that would affect Brandon significantly since we had no relationship. I left River in his chair as someone approached him to talk. All our companions said their goodbyes. Some were still chatting, while others began to leave. I noticed Brandon, in my peripheral vision, engaged in conversation with someone, so I took the opportunity to approach Daddy. "Z, are you surprised?" he asked with a smile. "Surprised by what?" I replied, my forehead wrinkling in confusion. Daddy laughed and pulled me in for a hug. "About Brandon. I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but when you

  • Two Hearts Victim of Lies   Chapter 57

    I turned again to go inside, but he stopped me once more. "Did you really move on from me?" he asked. My heart raced at his question. I felt speechless, and to my surprise, I realized that I hadn’t really moved on from him. He stepped closer and grabbed my elbow as he stared into my eyes. I stopped when I felt the cold wall behind me. "Do you still love me, Z?" he asked. I could almost feel the warmth of his breath on my face, mingled with the scent of the wine he had been drinking. I just stared back at him, my heartbeat quickening; I feared he might hear it. "If you asked me that question, my answer is no because I never moved on from you. Even though I thought you were gone, my love for you didn’t fade. You remained in my heart because I promised myself that you would be the last woman I ever loved. Now that you are back in my life, my love for you has only grown," he said. I could see the seriousness in his eyes as he spoke those words. I swallowed hard when he gently

  • Two Hearts Victim of Lies   Chapter 56

    I shrugged again. "Why not? Your relationship has been going on for a long time, and it's been five years since-" I stopped when he suddenly interrupted me. "Z, George and I didn't get back together. In these five years, no one has intervened between us," he explained. I hesitated to respond, unsure of whether to believe him. What if he was just denying it? "But she said that you two got back together," I insisted, feeling a slight twitch in my forehead. "You called George crazy, so why do you believe what she says?" he challenged. I took a deep breath, feeling exhausted. It seemed George wasn't just crazy; she was also delusional. "So, let's get back to you. When are you planning to settle down?" he asked. I laughed. "Me? Why is that question coming my way?" I replied. "Because why not? The river looks good, and what about your boyfriend?" he said, then glanced away. I nearly spilled my drink at his comment. Why did he think River was my boyfriend? "Come on

  • Two Hearts Victim of Lies   Chapter 55

    Tosmiled and tightened my grip on her. I couldn't forgive myself for anything that went wrong with her because of me. We released our embrace just as the bedroom door opened. We turned and saw Brandon enter. “Papa!” Sky called out. Brandon walked toward us, handed me a bottle of water, and smiled at Sky. “How are you?” he asked. “I feel better, Papa. I’m sorry for eating ice cream. I really wanted to know what it tastes like,” she explained. I watched as she spoke to her dad, her friendly demeanor shining through. Brandon sat on the other side of Sky and gently caressed her head. "It's okay, baby. Just don’t do it again, alright?" he said. He handed her some fruit, which she eagerly began to eat. Brandon and I exchanged glances, and I smiled at him. “I met your boyfriend, and he’s waiting for you outside. You can go now; let me take care of Sky,” he said. I furrowed my brow slightly. His mention of a boyfriend puzzled me. Then I remembered River, and a smile almost

  • Two Hearts Victim of Lies   Chapter 54

    Just then, Brandon returned and said, "Girls, is it okay if I leave you two for a while? I have an urgent meeting to attend." We turned to him together. "Oh, yeah, sure. So, you won’t be with us for lunch?" I asked him. He nodded and shrugged his shoulders. "Yes, I guess," he replied. I took a deep breath and nodded at him again. Brandon turned to us and gently held Sky's head. "Behave, okay? Don’t stress out your mom," he told Sky. "Okay, Papa! I’ll behave!" Sky replied. Brandon nodded and looked at me again, prompting me to get up from my seat. "Don’t worry about us. I’m just going to agree with Margot. They are at the mall with her kids, and it’s time for Sky to meet her cousins," I explained. "Alright. Just call me if you need anything. I have to go for now," he said. After Brandon left, I immediately called Margot. She arranged for her driver to pick us up from the park, and thankfully, the mall wasn’t far away. Sky and I waited just a few minutes, and s

More Chapters
Explore and read good novels for free
Free access to a vast number of good novels on GoodNovel app. Download the books you like and read anywhere & anytime.
Read books for free on the app
SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP
DMCA.com Protection Status