POV: Selina
"You can't waltz in here and speak to my daughter that way. I don't care who you are, I want you out of here, right now!" Mom warned her, trying to sit up on the bed but ended up yelling in pain as she hurt herself. It was her painful scream that brought my senses back to me.
I stopped thinking the moment Mrs Laura Hawkins mentioned fifty million dollars, my brain had been doing so much calculation, weighing my pros and cons. Fifty million is a lot of money, I could change the life of my family with that money. I could conveniently pay back the money I borrowed from Raphael and I would still have enough money left to get a lawyer and take back what is ours from Dad.
"That's it, dear, that's what I thought. I know you cannot say no to such a huge amount of money. Just take it and go far away from Raphael. Stay away from my family and never show your face in his house again." She told me sternly.
"Shut up, Cindy!
You are such an embarrassment to this family, I'm ashamed to call you my sister." Claire scolded Cindy angrily.
"I'm not your sister, you dumb fool!
So back off!" Cindy retorted angrily.
"She won't take your money, Mrs Hawkins, because we don't need it. Now get out of here, woman. Leave us alone!" Mom yelled at her again. I was deep in thought, and so was Claire. We know how much we need this money, but it's so wrong for Ralph's mother to be treating me like a gold digger.
"Think of all the things you can do with this money, think of all the wonderful things you need that you cannot afford. Raphael doesn't have to find out about this, it'll be our secret." She coerced me, sounding so persuasive.
I thought of all the designer shoes and bags I would buy to upgrade my wardrobe. I could get a better apartment for us, and change our lives. But, I can't do it, I just can't bring myself to accept such money. Raphael can call me a gold digger a million and one times, but I don't have to act like one, do I?
"You heard my mom, Mrs Hawkins. Please take your girl and leave immediately. I do not want to be rude to you because you are my future mother-in-law. But, the next time you try to pay me to leave your son, I will turn on the cameras and have the whole incident recorded. I will drag your rich ass on social media and have you bashed for trying to bully me." I told her firmly, keeping my eyes fixed on her.
"You gold digger!
You ungrateful wench!
I came to you like a mother and I extended a hand of friendship to you like a mother should. And yet you threaten me with such nonsense?" she yelled in anger.
"If you must know, I have a team of qualified technicians that help our HR departments to do damage control when necessary. These guys can make whatever nonsense you post about me and my family to disappear. There is no way you would succeed in posting crazy things about me, I would crush you before you succeed. I can make you disappear without traces, I can make your entire family disappear and no one would look for you." She threatened me angrily.
"You seem like someone who I used to always getting what she wants, Mrs Hawkins. Too bad you won't have it your way this time. If you want to do it so badly, you could talk to your son, Raphael. Only him have the right to end what we have going on. But until then, I suggest you leave here and take your friends along with you as you leave." I informed her.
"You will pay for this, Victoria. I'll make you regret speaking to me in that tone." She told me firmly before walking away.
"I'll make sure Dad knows all about your relationship with Raphael and how you rejected money that would have been put into the company. I hope you remember this day when you are crawling on your knees and begging us for food." Claire let out angrily before storming off with Mrs Hawkins.
I shook my head and scoffed at her threats. If only she knows that I'm coming to seize my mother's inheritance very soon. Charlotte stayed back and glared at me fiercely, her eyes boring holes in my skin. The others have left, but only she stayed back. She took a few steps and stopped right in front of me, her eyes fixed on mine.
"Raphael is mine…
He was mine before you came along, and he will still be mine after you leave. How you leave though is completely up to you, sweetheart. You can leave nicely like Mom asked you just now. Or you can leave in a body bag, I can arrange that for you if you like. You just have to say the word." She threatens me. I did not take her words seriously, so I didn't bother responding to her threats. I just stood in front of her and stared back at her, matching her gaze with mine.
She smile crookedly as she chewed the gum in her mouth like a whore. She chewed it slowly, popped the balloon in my face, and then turned to leave me alone. She walked towards the door and stopped before pushing the door open.
"Watch your back, Victoria, I'll be coming for my vengeance when you least expect it." She told me excitedly, giggling like a child as she walked away. She keeps acting so crazy, one minute she is stern and the next minute she is excited and playful. I wonder if she is bipolar, or even mad.
"What the hell just happened here?
How could you get into this kind of relationship that comes with so much trouble, why didn't you tell me about this, sweetheart, what are we going to do about it?" Mom asked in confusion. I have no idea what I'm going to do, but the last thing I want is to get her upset.
"I will handle it, Mom. I'm sorry you had to see this, I had no idea that his mom did not approve of me, he hasn't even introduced me to the family yet." I told her.
" Let's just forget about it, Mom. I'll get it sorted out, I promise." I explained to her. She nodded in understanding, but she still wasn't convinced that I could handle this on my own. She was expecting me to end whatever I have with Raphael, she knows how much I hate drama in my life.
This is one drama I can not avoid, I have to see it to the end. That's what my contract says. I stayed with mom all day, trying to ease her worries. I tried smiling and acting like my normal self. But inside my heart, I feel so troubled. I may act brave in front of mom, but I have no idea what I'm going to about Mrs Hawkins and Charlotte.
I can easily deal with Cindy whenever I want. But you see these two witches, I have no idea what I'm going to do to get them off my back. I kept thinking about it all day long as I continued talking to Mom. I expected my father to call and scold me about the money. But he didn't, and that surprised me a little because I know how much he loves money. When it was almost evening, I got ready to head home so Claire could take her turn to be with Mom. I had not even stepped out of the room when I received a text on my phone,
"Meet me outside,"