2

CHAPTER TWO 

 

"How dare you talk to me like that? Who the heck are you?" Her father's voice barked through the air as venom spat out of his mouth.

 

"Honey, you're being too harsh on her." Her mom inputted, but her father glared hard at her.

 

"Will you shut up?" Her father interrupted her mother, "You're the reason she's to this extent; just to do one simple thing that will free us from this debt, she's refusing, all because of you, you!"

 

"But honey." Her mom pleaded.

 

"Shut up! Shut the heck up before I do something I would regret." He directed his attention to Ashley: "You'll marry him, and that's final, idiot!" With that said, he left the sitting room for his room.

 

"Mom! I can't! I can't! I have other things to do with my life."

 

"Honey, just obey your father; he's always right." Her mother said, trying to persuade her.

 

"Mom, you know he's the one that made us like this, so he should be the one to pay for his mistakes, not me. Mom, I can't; I don't think I can. Can't you try to persuade him?"

 

"You know your dad; once he puts his mind to something, he always wants to achieve it, and if it doesn't go as planned, you know what can happen."

 

"I know, mom, see, I can do other things, but this one is too... Too absurd, too demanding; it's my life we're talking about here, you know, mommy."

 

"I know; just endure it."

 

"Mom, can you hear what you just said—that I should endure it? Should I endure getting married to a man who's over Daddy's age? Mom, why. At least you're supposed to protect me; you're a woman like me, mom," she said, tears pouring out of her eyes.

 

"My dear, your dad, he has started drinking again and..."

 

"I understand, mom; you don't want him to beat you again. Sometimes I wonder, mom, why can't you just leave him? Divorce him or something?"

 

"What? Divorce my husband? My dear, I made a vow, for better or worse, and I plan to keep that promise until I die. I will endure all the beatings your father would beat me because he is my husband; I married him."

 

Well, mom, I can't be like you; I'm still too young; heck, I'm just twenty-two years old, and you want me to get married to someone who's sixty-three, sixty-three! No, mom, even though I don't have a boyfriend yet, I know I will still get one someday; in fact, I will get someone who is rich, but maybe this is not my time. I'll sort everything out, but I can't marry that old man! I can't!" 

 

"Well, my dear, I've said my own, and I've tried my best for you."

 

Ashley ran straight to her room and laid on her squeaky bed. She closed her eyes and cried for the second time that evening. She knew what her dad could do, and she knew that no amount of persuasion could change her father's words. She knew even her mother couldn't change her father's words. She had always persuaded her mother to divorce or leave her father, but her mother always told her the same thing she told her this evening.

 

She was hopeless; the only person who can change her dad's words is if the old Mr. Walter says he doesn't want to marry her anymore, but she knew that also couldn't happen, and if that happened, then where would they get the money to pay him back?

 

When she checked her time, she could see that she had cried for over an hour. She wasn't comfortable staying in her room and crying when she could meet her friend, who would console her.

 

"Have you made up your mind?" Her dad's voice roared.

 

"No, Dad, I haven't and I won't."

  

"Then suit yourself; I've accepted his request; he will be coming here tomorrow to meet his bride-to-be, so be prepared and make yourself beautiful as always."

 

"Dad, I won't marry him."

 

"Your wedding party will be next Saturday, so be prepared by then; we will rush the preparation." Her dad continued nonetheless, blatantly ignoring what she just said. It was as if she were talking to a basket because everything she told him was falling on deaf ears.

 

"Me too; I've told my own dad I won't marry him. I'm going out." She told her parents, who were still eating in silence,

 

"Where to?" Her dad asked her.

 

"I'll be back before eight thirty." She said this, ignoring the question her dad threw at her.

 

"You can go."

 

"I'll go even though you tell me not to." She muttered to herself as she left the house.

 

She hailed a taxi that would take her to her friend's house, which took about thirty-three minutes. Her friend, Suzy, was living with her mother, who was a single mother who would do anything to make sure her child lived a comfortable life. She loved that about Suzy's mom. She reached the house and knocked at the door, willing it to be opened.

 

"Ashley!" Suzy called out as she opened the door.

 

"Hey." She responded. 

 

"It's been a long time since you've actually visited me at my house." Suzy pointed it out as she led Ashley to the living room, and they both sat down.

 

"I came because there is a big issue." Ashley said she was not wasting time spilling what had been bothering her.

 

"What issue?" Suzy asked, confused.

 

"My dad wants me to get married to an old man." Ashley spilled. 

 

"What?! Why?! How come?!" Suzy asked, surprised.

 

"I don't know; I seriously don't know why my dad would want me to be the one to pay for his mistakes." She explained everything to Suzy.

 

"I think I understand where your dad is coming from. He doesn't have any other children, and as you said, Mr. Walter asked for you. See it from another perspective: if you agree to marry him, then your dad wouldn't have to pay the money and would even be offered more!"

 

"Just shut up!" Ashley interrupted, feeling betrayed. Why would her friend take her dad's side?

 

"Babe, I get you." Suzy tried persuading her.

 

"No, you don't! Because if you did, you wouldn't take sides with my dad. Suzy, I would be getting married to an old man! A sixty-three-year-old man! And I'm just twenty! Forty-one years difference!"

 

"But what if it isn't the man? What if—" Ashley raised her palm to stop Suzy from talking, already feeling dejected.

 

"Just stop! I don't know why I bothered coming to you. I thought you would advise me or something."

 

"I'm trying to let you see the reasons." Suzy objected. 

 

"What reason? I ran here to tell you how I'm feeling, how I think, no, how I know I'll get married to an old man next Saturday, and you're trying to let me see the reasons? Suzy, I trusted you; I thought you were my friend; I... I came to you for advice, so you can tell me how I can escape from this god-forsaken marriage, and you're taking my dad's side. I don't know what to say anymore. Goodbye, Suzy." With that, Ashley left her friend's house; anger filled her heart. She was confused and didn't know what to do.

 

As she strolled the community for the next two hours to clear her head, an idea fell upon her, and a wide smile grew on her face.

 

She was going to escape!