MARRY ME NOW

•••

“Uh… Uh..” I stuttered, at loss for words. I couldn’t get my brain to work, everything in me suddenly froze, and my nerves shut down.

I felt someone grab me by my arm, waking me back up, it was Austin’s mom. “I said, get out of here, you peasant!”

She was dragging me out of the room. “No, please! Let go” the way she was dragging me was humiliating.

“Ma’am..”

She stopped at Jake’s voice. “Shut up, Jake, I do not want to hear a single word from you! What has this witch done to you?! She bewitched you and Austin! She’s got to leave us alone! She needs to get out of our lives for good! I promised your mother that I would take care of you, treat you like my child, protect you, especially from witches and whores like this thing!” She said referring to me.

I took in a deep breath, refusing to let it out. “Ever since she came into our lives, it’s been nothing but bad luck, troubles… Can’t you see?? The ‘thing’ is of no good, I’m sure if your mom was here, she would have been so disappointed about all this, she… Jake, I want you to snap out of it, if you have something for her, she’s a whore, a manipulator, she tried to seduce Austin and then my younger son, thank goodness they didn’t fall for her trick.” She continued.

I noticed Jake freeze.

“Come here!” She continued dragging me, I shook my head, Jake couldn’t possibly believe this woman, could he?

“No, please, let go of me. I swea-” before I could finish, she already dragged me out of the hospital, pushing me to the floor.

“Let this be the last time I see you near any of my family or I swear to God, you wouldn’t like what I would do to you.” She spat out before turning back to the hospital.

Tears unintentionally flew out of my eyes.

•••

“What happened? Why do you look so down?” Kara asked the moment I stepped into the house. I was going to answer her but I couldn’t even open my mouth.

“Tessa, what happened?” she asked again. I stared into blank space. It took about a minute to speak.

“Austin got into an accident.”

She gasped. “Oh my God, is he okay?”

A tear rolled down my face. “He doesn’t remember me… He doesn’t know who i-i am..” I stuttered.

“oh my God, what of Jake, does he know about this?”

I scoffed. Does Jake actually believe what Austin’s mother said? If he does, I can’t believe he would be so quick to believe what that woman said after what she did in the past.

I can’t believe he let her drag me out like that… I can’t believe I let her drag me out like that.

“Yes..”

“well, wh-”

“I do not want to talk about it..”

“Tess..”

And then I told her everything that happened… Her mouth hanged opened. “That witch..” She muttered.

“How can he just believe whatever she says… But I don’t think he actually believed, he might call you later on..”

I hope he does…

Kara went back home afterwards.

It was soon evening and I was yet to get a call from Jake. I got up from the chair to go prepare dinner. “Where are you going, mommy?” Anne asked.

“To go prepare dinner,” I replied.

“Oh okay, but Sofia is going to sing soon, you’ve to come dance with me, mommy,” she said, giving me the puppy eyes. I smiled. “Sure baby”

I went over to the kitchen and began cooking dinner. I looked at my phone literally every to see if Jake called.

I sighed.

•••

I looked at the time which reads 9 pm. I decided to call him instead, at first it rang… I think he cut it off, the second time, it went to voicemail.

It hurts… It really hurts…

What should I do now? Just forget about them? The threats Austin’s mother made were still fresh in my mind.

She had money, She had power and she could easily do something to harm me and my daughter.

I just wanted to know if he’s alright…

‘Are you sure that all you want to know?’ a voice in my head asked.

I shook those thoughts out. The wind blew through my house. Oh, I think it’s going to rain. I stood up and locked the windows.

I came back and dialled Celina’s number. She picked on the third call.

“Why are you calling me, Tessa? I was going to call you tomorrow but since you already called, I will just tell you what I was going to say. I would no longer be involved in your fashion brand… I want nothing to do with you, it’s-”

“What are you talking about?” I asked.

“Oh don’t pretend that you don’t know what is going on..” She sneered. I couldn’t believe it was Celina saying all this, the Celina, I knew, or I thought I knew.

“What’s going on?”

“You’re a very good actress… You should know that you should go for an audition..” And the line went off. I tried dialling back but it went to voicemail.

What was happening, why is everyone suddenly against me?

•••

Kara’s POV

•••

I felt so bad for Tessa, she is going through so much and she doesn’t deserve this, when a problem seems to have been solved in her life, another one comes up.

I didn’t have Jake’s number, I would have called him as soon as I got home. Who is close to Jake that I know… Celine!

How could I have forgotten about her? I dialled her number and she picked up on the 2nd ring. “Hey, have you heard from Jake, Tessa has been trying to reach him..”

“She didn’t tell you what happened?”

“Who?”

“That Tess girl, she’s been caught.” she continued as she told me what happened. It was hard to believe, there was no way Tessa could have been doing all this.

There’s just no way she could have been playing us all this while. Why would she act like she was kidnapped what almost a month? What was her gain?

She wasn’t really homeless when my mom brought her in.

I didn’t believe it until I saw proof.

•••

Tessa’s POV

•••

I couldn’t sleep the whole night. It was around 6 am when I heard my phone ring. Just when I was about to sleep… I looked at the caller’s ID… Kara.

I picked it up. “How could you?” That was the first thing I heard.

“How could I?”

“Oh don’t act fucking stupid! I heard everything. You’ve been acting this whole while… The truth is finally out, just admit to it.”

“Kara..”

“Don’t even say my name! Now I want you to listen, do not ever try to reach out to me ever again, an innocent man died because of you! You’re disgusting.” and with that, the phone went off.

What was happening?! Why was all this happening to me, what have I ever done to deserve all this? I cried out.

•••

Third person’s POV

•••

“It’s easier than I anticipated.” She said with a smirk.

“Yeah, so what’s next?”

“Austin would be getting married in less than a month, I want her there..”

“Wouldn’t that cause problems?”

“I’ve got everything in control, he wouldn’t even see her… And then after that, you can do whatever you want with her.”

“Living in the same country as them..”

“they would move back to the US after the wedding, like I said, I’ve got everything under control. You’ve been the best accomplice I have has. Here’s your reward.”

It was a check of 50 million dollars.

•••

Tessa’s POV

•••

My life was torn apart. I had nothing except my daughter, and my business, literally, everything was gone. I ask myself every day, what I did.

I’ve got to be dreaming. I- my thoughts was cut off when I heard a knock on the door.

Nobody has come to visit me for the past 2 weeks. Who would come now?

I got up and walked towards the door, I looked through the peephole. My breath seized at who I saw.

Austin’s mom… What was she doing here? She had that sinister look on her face.

It’s hard to believe she was the same lady I met at Austin’s first engagement party.

She changed so much. It’s like she’s suddenly possessed by a very evil spirit. And it was like, I was her target.

She was onto me for literally no reason. I won’t let that witch oppress me anymore. No doubt in my mind that she’s the one behind all that has been happening in my life.

She wanted me out of her life, then why is she here? I should probably just ignore her.

And then I heard another knock. Annoyed, I opened the door. “Just what do you want?! I thought you wanted me out of your life, I’m out and here you ar-”

She cut me off before I could finish. “Would you shut up and listen.”

I laughed, bitterly. “Why would I? I swear to God if you knock on this door one more time..”

Before I could finish, she raised an envelope for me to take. I was going to throw a load of insults at her until I noticed it was an engagement invitation envelope.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

My heart almost dropped when I read Austin & Laura’s engagement invitation.

Don’t let her see that side of you, Tessa, That’s what she wants.

“And why are you giving me this?” I asked.

“It’s an invitation. I think you should be there, after all, you are one of the people who made this possible. Thanks for being so vulnerable.” She said with a smirk.

I grind my teeth. “Leave my house,” I said. Her smirk only grew bigger.

“Oh, and how is your daughter? That poor girl, she has to grow with a whore like you. I bet sh-” I cut her off trying to slam the door shut right at her face but somebody blocked it with his/her leg.

I looked up to her side, there was a huge man. This motherf*ckers.

I turned around into my house. I went to the bathroom and ran the water. When the bowl was full, I carried it.

Reaching the door, I pushed it wide open and poured the full bowl of water on them.

I heard her scream in agony. I smiled at that. The dude tries to come at me. But I had already locked the door before he could.

“I would make you pay for that, you hear me? Do you think you’re suffering now? You would know the true meaning of that word by the time I’m done with you!” I heard her say. I blocked my ears blocking out what she was saying.

I slide down slowly against the door, crying. Yes, I was crying. Tears flowed freely out of my eyes. Crying at what has been going on in my life.

Crying for him. Has he forgotten about me? About what he said to me? Life is not fair.

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……..