CUTTING TIES
"And that gave you the right to trade me off to a stranger like I am mare garbage?
Selling me off like trash? You could have asked me to leave your house if you did not me here anymore. That would have been perfectly understandable. I mean, it's like you ever wanted me from the start. But this, mother? What gave you that ? What gave you the audacity, the fucking guts, to do this despicable act, huh?
Tell me. Is it money? Wasn't I the one who has been feeding you ever since..."
"Shut your trump, you who're!" She shouts, cutting me off. Whore? She must be to herself, not me. Her face is burning with anger. Truth hurts, huh? That is great to know because I intend to spill all that she has made me feel throughout years. Nothing will be left unsaid. We are lying about it all . She points a finger to face. If it was before now, I would be cowering in, trembling with fear, but not . Today my guards are all on. "What am I to you, little witch? A child that you talk to however you want? Better shut up before I do it for you. You are right, I 't want you. I never did. Now hand me my money and get out of my sight."
"Is that why you tried so hard to starve me to death when I was just a baby until I had learn the means of survival when I was barely four years? Is that what mothers do?
And you ask me what you are? Do you want to know what you are? You are they say you are, Gracia! Every single name they call you outside, you are that, even worse than that. Thank God I respect myself, else I would have you all those names right now. You know what, there is something else very that nobody has dared to tell you, but I will do the honours. I want you to it straight from me because I believe I am the right person to tell you this. You 't deserve the title of a mother. You are a disgrace to both parenthood and ." I close my eyes, waiting for her well-launched slap to land on my , but her hand must have been hooked somewhere in the air by some kind of because her palm has not come into contact with my cheek. I open my eyes, to see Jerol holding my mother's hand.
Oh, wow! Husband defending the wife? Saviour of the oppressed? I don't know which which.
"You don't get to hurt my wife in my presence. It's unacceptable." His voice is calm, cold and commanding. It holds such authority that nobody would want to dare or question, well, except this woman.
"Then tell your wife to show some respect to her mother! Don't tell me you like how is talking to me. Or worse, do you believe what she is saying?" She finishes , and Jerol lets go of her hand, his eyes on her. He might be thinking this is a soap opera, little does he know, this has been my life.
"What I believe doesn't matter. As she said, I am a total stranger to both of you.
Maybe you can clarify if there is any truth in what she is saying."
"I have nothing to clarify. This girl is a snake. A dog that bites the hand that feeds her.
Don't say I didn't warn you. You better be strict with her if you don't want her you like this." She never lacks something to bark about. Is making me so bad her hobby?
"Until you can confidently prove that all she is saying are nothing but lies, then don't your time telling me how to handle my wife."
"It's your call." She murmurs.
"You and I know that you don't deserve even a single cent from me because you have absolutely nothing for me aside from bringing me to this world. For that reason , I have tried to be as much generous as possible. Here," I hand her the envelope she grabs roughly, "five hundred thousand, as compensation for giving birth to and torturing me all my life."
"I knew it." She laughs sarcastically, then she turns cold at once. "Your greediness 't let you give me my full amount. You are such an ungrateful bitch. And you," turns to Jerol who sneaked his hand around my waist without my knowledge until . "Didn't you make a promise to me that I will get the full amount? What is this?
What happened to your promise? All you wanted was for the deal to go through, huh?
You fooled me!"
"Don't blame this on my husband. He made sure to give me your full amount, but it's me who knows your worth. Thank God I didn't bring that envelope with nothing but your pathetic ID because that is what you deserved - absolutely nothing!"
She rolls her eyes, glancing at the nincompoop relaxing comfortably on the sofa. If thought she will automatically become rich by trading my life, she better think thinks again. I can be such a fucking bitchy when I am pushed to the wall, which exactly what this woman did.
"What exactly do you expect me to do with this change?"
The audacity of this arrogant ungrateful woman! Forgive me if I go overboard with for this woman today. Did she say, change? She opens her mouth and regard a five hundred thousand as mare change! May thunder fire her mouth! May break her tongue if she ever repeats that? LMAO! Has selling her body earned her a quarter of this "change" all her entire life?
"I don't care whether it does something or nothing for you. Make a life out of it or it in alcohol as you have always done. Better still, buy yourself a sex toy and disgracing yourself being fucked up by penniless street dogs like the one behind . All the same, whatever you choose to do with that change is none of your business. It does not matter to me anymore. What I want is for us to part . I am giving you what you have always wanted - to get rid of me. You never me, you still don't want me. I also don't need you, Gracia Motero. There is no for me to stick around anymore. There is no need for us to continue hurting each anymore. I am done forcing myself on you. This is where things end between . I don't ever want to see you in my life again. Thank you for nothing, and goodbye ."
I look at her, and for the first time in my entire life, I think I saw her eyes soften, but I not fall for deceit. She knows I have money now. I am stinking rich. She might try deceive me with a few crocodile tears. Before that happens, I pull my husband, and walk out, his hand holding me by the waist. I don't know what he makes out of all insanity, but someday, if I will get a chance, I will explain.
"But he is your temporary husband, Angeline! Why do you need to explain ?" My mind screams at me, and I mentally smirk at myself.
We pass by the people again. They haven't retreated to their houses, and I know some eavesdropped on us, but I don't care. I rummage through them as we pass by. For that treated me like a street dog, I don't look at them twice. For the ones that me once or twice or countless times, I can still manage to spare them a smile my heavy heart for what happened back inside. I said I don't care, that is why I 't shed even a single drop of tear despite all that. And this lamp stuck on my , I will keep pushing it until it goes down my syndrome.
We get back to the car, and the car turns around, speeding off, leaving this cursed and all its memories behind.
Goodbye, the old, and hello, the New!