Maria:
I noticed everyone was suddenly surprised. This hot handsome man was Daniel Thompson. Daniel wasn't one to take pictures, which is why no one knew how he actually looked.
"What? What! It can't be. You're Daniel Thompson. How? I thought. I thought. No way! " You can not be Daniel Thompson, for God's sake, you're supposed to be ugly and outranked. " She cried bitterly as fear consumed her body.
Daniel chuckled and clicked his tongue in disgust.
"Let me guess, you thought I was an ugly fat pig. "I have heard that it's not new. " Well, it's about time you all stopped recording, don't you think?" he said, looking at everyone.
And just like that, they all put their phones away in seconds. No one wanted to mess around with the notorious and dangerous Thompson, but they were still all over us. "Won't you offer us a chair?" Daniel asked with a straight face, not minding the tension in the room.
Without any hesitation, the lady showed us to a nice chair where we sat. It seemed like they were all afraid of him. Mainly because of all the rumors they had heard about him.
No one wanted to be part of his bad side or even his good side.
"How did you find me?" I asked. I meant to ask him all along.
"You were trending on X," he said. I knew it was a blatant lie because he appeared just immediately after the matter escalated. He saw the curiosity and doubt in my face. "And I was around the area, so I figured I should come clean up your mess." He continued coldly.
"Okay," I replied slowly. I would have thought he would follow me here, but who was I kidding? There was no way he could. Why would he? My overthinking mind wouldn't let me see reality.
As I was looking around the store, my eyes caught some very beautiful shining red bottom heels, definitely a limited edition.
"Do you want it?" Daniel asked, snapping me out of my imagination.
"What? Want what?" I didn't realize he had been watching me closely, and he also noticed my attention was on those heels.
"The shoes, you seem to be invested in them," he replied.
I tugged my hair strand and my cheeks flushed red. "Well yes, but I could never have it. I can't afford it. I will have to work for a year to be able to get it. I just fantasize about having it."
"Uhmm"
The woman from earlier finally came to where we were seated and handed over Daniel's card back to him and wanted to walk away, but Daniel called her back. "Hey hey hey lady, I didn't say you could leave. You're not done attending to us."
Gosh, what does this guy want from this woman? Can we just go already? I thought.
"Those heels over there," he said, pointing in the direction where the heels were beautifully placed. "How much for them?"
"Those heels are the finest and, as you can see, they are limited editions. They are worth a whopping sum of ten thousand dollars," the lady announced.
I was shocked when he asked about those heels. Was this guy crazy? A shoe that is literally worth a fortune. "Daniel, you know we can't afford it. " Why did you ask?" I queried quietly.
He turned to face me, gently brushing the hair off my face. "Wifey, you don't have to worry about money. I see you love it. Just take it as a wedding gift from me to you."
"We will take it. " Here is my card," he said, handing over his card again to the lady and she walked away.
"Daniel, you don't have to waste money this way. I don't even have where to go to wear those heels. It will just absorb dust at home."
"Wifey let me worry about that."
Realizing he had called me wifey for the second time made my face hot so hard. "Okay. ok, Thank You."
"What's your shoe size, Mrs Thompson?" the lady asked.
"Oh I wear."
"She wears size six." Daniel immediately chipped in.
"How do you know that?!" I was amazed and filled with curiosity.
He chuckled. "Let's just say I'm very observant."
They brought the shoes and, to be honest, looking at them up close was breathtaking. It was very beautiful. As I wanted to take the heels from the lady and put them on myself, Daniel stopped me.
"Uh. Uh no, no, let her put it on you instead."
The lady hesitated for a second. "Hmmm? "Do I have to tell your boss that you refused a customer who came to buy ten thousand dollars worth of heels service?" Daniel threatened.
Without a second thought, the lady quickly wore the heels for me, but with disgust in her eyes. "Thank you," I said.
Daniel and I left the store for home. In the car, I received a message from the hospital that my mother had been admitted. My mood changed immediately. The message stated that the payment for her medication was yet to be paid and was overdue.
Dad did not pay for the hospital bills after I had done what they asked. I needed to go see them. They need to explain why the bills haven't been paid yet. "Daniel, please, if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to stop here. "I have some things to do. " I'll be home in a few hours." I said to Daniel in an unusual tone.
He had a questioning look. And I knew he wouldn't ask because he had earlier said we should banter about our separate affairs. "Okay then." He said and dropped me off and zoomed off.
I went to my dad's house only to find Diana with people in the house. They all seemed like they were doing their usual modeling shoots. I found Diana with a thirty-thousand-dollar limited-edition handbag from Hermes.
Ignoring everyone, I tried reaching my stepsister but an overly colored lady blocked me. It must be one of her minions. " Step aside, " I said sternly.
"And who are you?" She questioned, her eyes blazing right at me.
"Diana, where's Dad?" I questioned, ignoring the minion completely and the bag.
She gave a cold stare and continued taking videos of her new bag. "I know that you can hear me, Diana?" I pressed.
"Oh, Jesus Maria, he is your father too. " Why do I have to know? " Shouldn't you know where your father is too, huh?! Now run along but hold on. "By the way, why are you here?" She asked.
I blinked my eyes twice, unbelievably. "Why am I here? Are you seriously asking me why I am here? " You all told me to marry Daniel Thompson in order to pay my mother's medical bills, only for me to find out now that it hasn't been paid."
"So? No one threatened your life. " You had your choice," She replied.
" Excuse me? " I growled.
" Can you imagine what you're saying, Diana? "You didn't give me a choice. "It was either I married Daniel for you or I didn't get my mother's medical bills. " You were there, don't act like you are not aware. "You literally brought up the idea, " I yelled at the top of my voice. I wasn't having this ill-treatment.
Just then, Lucia's voice sounded from the stairs. "And who is shouting in my house that wants to bring down my building?" Lucia walked into the room where me and Diana were.
I faced Lucia, hoping to get a better reply from her. " All of you promised me, you gave me your word when I did what you asked, you would pay the medical bills. " Lucia, don't do this to me, " I pleaded. I could feel tears already filling my eyes.
They both looked at themselves and laughed mockingly. "Maria, I know I assured you I would pay the medical bills, but I didn't say when that would happen. It could be in a year or two. " You know business isn't doing well as it always does," Lucia explained.
I was speechless, trying to find a word to say. "A year or two? My mother would have died. She wouldn't make it. She would not."
"Well, if she dies it's not a bad thing really, it will save us money. She will be doing the family a good thing," Diana chipped in.
My blood was already boiling, my heart was beating at a thousand beats a second. " You are so pathetic, heartless and evil! You can't tell me that. Diana just got thirty thousand dollars worth of a single handbag. And you're saying there isn't money. "
"I have never come to you to ask for money. Ever since my mom and dad separated, she has never for one day asked for child support. I struggled all my life to even graduate from college. My life has been hell Lucia. You destroyed my home! " The last thing you can do for me is to pay the medical bills," I retorted.
"Enough! " Maria Falcone! You evil child, " Lucia screamed.
As Lucia called my name in full, alerting everyone that I was indeed Matthew's daughter, everyone in the room gasped. They murmured and spoke to themselves. " So Diana has another sister? She looks older. Isn't she supposed to be the heiress? " I thought she was some maid or a crazy person at first, but is she really Mr Matthew's child? "
They all continuously muttered.
Lucia's face grew red because of what they were saying. She signaled Melissa to dismiss her guest, but I didn't even care who was watching or what they were saying.
All that was on my mind was the fact that they had used me. I bowed my face only to see Diana laughing uncontrollably as she tried to explain to her minions and keep them calm. "Oh, nothing to see here. Family drama. " You all need to leave right now," she said.
"Is she really your sister, Melissa?" They asked and Lucia growled wildly at them. " Leave my house!" She shouted and Diana felt embarrassed.
"Mother!" She pouted at Diana's sudden outburst at her friends.
They quickly took to their heels and I chuckled dryly. "Keeping a happy family picture to the world I see. Do not worry, I don't have the time to blow up your fake perfect little life. Just pay me what I am owed, and I promise I will leave without any pressure. " Don't test me, Diana." I threatened, and her eyes grew wide in shock of my sudden confidence, only for her to give me a resounding slap on my cheeks.
"How dare you."