Chapter 3 - Thirty Thousand Dollars
"Lena," my father’s voice barked, cutting off a guest's congratulations. Instantly, his rough, calloused hand gripped my elbow, squeezing so hard I could already feel the bruises forming beneath my skin.
The smile on Daniel's face vanished instantly. Recognizing my discomfort, he stepped forward, subtly placing himself between us. "Is there a problem, Frank?" he asked, his voice calm but sharp with a clear warning.
My father ignored Daniel entirely. He pulled me closer, his breath reeking of cheap whiskey and cigar smoke, hot against my cheek. His eyes were bloodshot with absolute greed.
"Your husband can easily afford this," my father whispered, his voice gravelly but distinct.
Daniel furrowed his brows, making no effort to hide his disgust. "Afford what?"
Frank still didn't look at Daniel. He leaned in closer to my ear, hissing: "Thirty thousand dollars. It’s the down payment on the brand-new Cadillac Escalade I saw this morning. You’re going to open your mouth and ask him for it right now."
I froze, blinking rapidly, wondering if I had somehow misheard over the swelling music. I stared at his wrinkled, deceitful face. "At my own wedding reception?" I asked, my voice trembling—not from fear, but from the sheer disbelief that their shamelessness truly had no limits.
"At a reception paid for by people who are better than you," my mother, Patricia, chimed in as she appeared from behind him. She hissed the words softly through her teeth, her polite, fake smile glued to her face while her eyes remained as sharp as razor blades. "Don't embarrass this family, Lena. You owe us."
I turned to look at Daniel. Yes, he came from wealth, and his bank account had numbers my parents couldn't even dream of. But he was not a walking wallet. He was the only person who actually respected me.
May you like
I took a deep breath, lifting my head to look my father dead in the eye. Unlike the hundreds of times I had bitten my tongue in the past, my voice was steady and absolute.
"No."
