ANASTASIA
“What are you doing here?” He questioned, looking into a different direction. “I thought I made it clear that I don’t want to see you ever again?” He raised his voice a bit, trembling all around.
It’s hard for him to express his emotion after all that happened. He’s my father after all.
Holding back mine, I said, ” It’s your birthday. I had to come and wish you well. Happy… Happy birthday, father.”
When I made that regard, father turned to look at me. His eyes couldn’t hold back the tears anymore. They came rolling out.
And the sight of this broke my heart. I couldn’t hold back mine as well.
“Father, I’m sorry for all the things that happened between us. But you need to know that none of this was my fault. It was never my doing.”
“How, Anna?” He asked, wiping his eyes. “The nude pictures of you masturbating, the dildo I found in your room… How is it not your doing when you were caught in that act?!” He sparked, glaring at me.
“You disgraced me, Anna. After everything I did to make you the perfect girl… You broke my heart and publicly ruined my name.”
“No, I didn’t. Just hear me out, please.”
“If not for your sister who took the bold step in sacrificing herself to be Alpha Damian’s Luna, I won’t be here today standing up straight to raise my head up high. You… You almost destroyed my reputation!”
“It wasn’t me!” I raised my voice, stunning my father with my tone. But what can I do? This is the only way to get him to listen.
“Father, what happened to me was a devilish plan. I never betrayed you. It was…”
“Anastasia?”
I paused on seeing my stepmother rushing up to father. She was stunned to see me.
“Anna, my baby girl! You… You came!” She smiled, rushing pass my Dad and straight at me for a hug.
The amount of hate that came engulfing my body when this woman wrapped her arms around me was… Was intense!
I saw my whole past with Linda flashing before my very eyes. This same woman I accepted to take my mother’s place, this same woman I opened my heart to and showed her love… This monster!
“Oh Goddess! Where have you been? I was so worried about you,” She faked a cry while squeezing me tightly.
As my rage for her increased, “Get off me!” I pushed Linda off with my strength, forcing her to stagger right into Father’s arms!
“ANNA!” Father roared at my action, checking Linda’s body. “Why did you push your mother like that?! How dare you?!” He sparked.
I wanted to vent back but held my voice instead. Now that she’s here, I can’t tell father what this woman has done to our family.
She’ll just look for something to counter the truth and make father think I’m lying.
No, I’m going to leave her in thoughts. She’ll crave to know why I did this to her.
“Anna, what did I do?” Linda asked, faking innocence.
She carefully pulled herself away from my father and began displaying her nonsense motherly love!
“My child, aren’t you happy to see us again? Don’t you want us to…”
“Do you mind?” I threw that question at Linda, who looked behind to see who I was talking to.
When she turned to face me, I said, hinting right at her, “I was talking to my father before you showed up. If you call yourself my mother, then why can’t you excuse your daughter so she can have an alone time with her father?”
“Anna,” Linda glanced at Dad then back at me. “What is so important that you can’t say in front of me? Is there a problem?”
“I need an alone time with my father. Can you leave us alone?!” I sparked, startling Linda.
She wasn’t the only one who was shocked. Father was astonished by my voice.
“Anastasia, what kind of attitude are you displaying here?” He groaned at me.
“My love, it’s okay. She wants to talk to you. I’ll just head back inside and attend to the guests.”
“No!” Father refused, holding Linda’s hand. “You are not going anywhere! If she has anything to say then she can say it to us!”
This is exactly what I was afraid of. When this woman starts her drama, father always chooses her side like he’s under her spell!
I should have noticed this trick of hers when I was still living in my home.
Even if I tell father what she did to me, he won’t believe a thing. He trusts her blindly.
“Whatever you want to say can be said in front of Linda. But if you’re uncomfortable, then you can leave the same way you came,” Father said cruelly, tightening his grip on my stepmother.
Linda smiled at his words, but her eyes… They said a different thing entirely.
She had those evil balls called eyes, fixed on me. I could see how they shook out curiously. She wants to know why I don’t want her around.
I won’t speak while she’s here.
Never.
“Father, I have my reasons. I wish to speak to you alone.”
“I said Linda will go nowhere. Say whatever you want to say and leave this place!” He yelled, pointing right at path that led to the exit.
Hearing father mention that word ‘Leave’ , I realized I had no chance in making him send Linda away.
“Anastasia, please just do this for peace to reign. Today is a special day for your father,” My stepmother said, looking at Dad.
“I’ll be so happy if we could just end this and head back inside as a family. Just tell us what the problem is. Are you in need of money? Did something bad happen to you? Please tell us you didn’t get into any trouble?”
No matter the amount of hate I have for this woman, I will not open up to speak. She’s not just my enemy, but my Alpha Lord’s.
And in our eyes, she’s part of the Mafias who are after Diego.
“Thank you for your concern, mother.” I flashed my eyes at Linda. ” But I didn’t come because of all that options you mentioned. Anastasia isn’t suffering, okay? I am just here to speak to my father.”
Linda’s smile faded. She gave me a glare while clinging herself to father.
“Since you have refused to grant me this wish, then let’s just forget about it.” I smiled at my father.
He was still mad at me for attacking the love of his life.
“There’s no need for me to speak anymore because this discussion has nothing to do with her. But it’s fine,” I accepted.
“No Anna, you can’t do that. Just say whatever it is you want and… And then we settle it as a family,” Linda said desperately, trying to get me to open up.
But father accepted my decision and turned his face away. “If you’re done, you can leave.”
“Raymond, don’t! She’s your daughter. She wants to speak to you.”
“And allow her to disrespect you again? No, Linda! If this girl doesn’t know her place before us, then she can leave. Besides…” He glared at me, ” We share no relationship anymore. Why are we stressing ourselves over her?”
On hearing what he said, my heart was struck with pain.
I felt like placing my hand on my chest to ease the hurting sensation, but I boldly held myself, hiding away.
As Linda was talking to father, Cassandra and Damian suddenly showed up.
Their presence brought discomfort to me immediately.
“Anna?” Damian called out in surprise, staring at me.
Only Cassandra gasped out happily and said, “You came! I thought you said you were busy with your Alpha?”
“Alpha? What are you talking about?” Father questioned Casey while looking at the both of us.
That’s how my big mouth of a step sister told father about my relationship with Diego and how we’re leaving a romantic life like we are the only one who exists in this world.
“He’s indeed a romantic man if you see him. Always has his eyes on her, ” Casey spoke with jealousy, smiling at me.
“By the way, where’s Diego? Didn’t he come with you?” She questioned, pretending to search for him.
“Diego?” That name brought a disrupt to my father, who dropped his attention on me and asked, ” Which Diego?”
I couldn’t reply but gazed back silently. My heart was pounding in my chest, making my whole body heat up.
“Raymond, please calm down. Don’t get mad at Anna for choosing someone you don’t approve of,” Linda spoke, pretending to defend me.
“I said which Diego?!” He roared, looking at my stepmother.
That’s when she said, faking submission to my father’s rage.
“My love, please don’t be mad at Anna. I know you’ll be angry with us too but… We couldn’t tell you about it.”
Linda took a look at me and exposed my relationship with Crescent pack’s Alpha. “He’s the same Alpha Diego you warned us about. The same Diego.”
On hearing this, my father flashed his eyes at me in fury!
He was infuriated!
“Father, calm down. Let’s talk about this, ” Damian said, holding him by the shoulder. But his hand was shrugged off by my Dad. He gave no listening ear to the Alpha!
All his attentions where on me.
“I warned her about it, but she refused to listen. She said she loves him and can’t let go, ” Casey added more salt, increasing father’s anger.
And just like that, ” YOU SLUT!!” Father sparked out loudly, insulting me.
Hearing him call me that word, I… I felt a big wedge separating us immediately.
My heart crumbled instantly.
“You shameless, good for nothing brat! How could you?!” He shouted, storming up to me!
“Raymond! Please don’t hurt her! ” Linda begged from behind, making no attempt to stop father.
It’s what she wants. She wants him to trample on me until I’m down to nothing.
When father came close, he grabbed my arm roughly and began to call me all sorts of bad names.
Harlot, Prozzie, Wench, Disgusting, Ungrateful… All these names just because I chose to love someone he despises?
“How many more shameful acts are you going to carry out?! Haven’t you done enough damage to my home?!” He shook me hard, making my back hit the wall many times.
Damian came close to stop this but father rudely pushed the Alpha aside, venting out his anger on me.
“And to think that I was reconsidering my decision, making plans to step out and bring you back, but no! You decided to go extreme and give yourself to that Bloody Mafia!”
When father insulted Diego, I felt a spark inside my head.
I lifted my gaze at him as he delivered another insult at Diego, calling him a monster!
“A devil who goes about killing innocent lives. You have decided to join hands with that monster to bring me more pains!”
“ENOUGH!” I shouted, yanking my father’s hand off my arm!
He was stunned at my roar, looking right into my eyes as I said sternly, “Don’t you dare call my Alpha a monster. You know nothing about him. Don’t you dare!”
“Anastasia… You dare to raise your voice at me?” He slapped his chest, challenged by my action. “You dare to stand against your own father?!”
“And I will do it over and over and over again, Mr Raymond De Great,” I responded, scowling at him.
Father was taken aback. He couldn’t voice out another word due to the shock.
“Anastasia, how dare you speak to your father like that?!” Linda sparked, drawing closer to show herself.
“You have really become the spoilt brat you always wanted to be! You should be ashamed of yourself for defending that devilish man!”
“Oh, look who’s talking about devils. Do tell me what you know about them, sweet stepmother? It seems you know a lot about them,” I threw at her.
She gasped, holding father close.
“Anna… You…” My old man stuttered.
I stared angrily at him and said, “It’s fine if you insult and call me names. That I can take. But I will not allow anyone to call my Alpha a monster or the devil! None of you here are different from him. In fact, you’re all worse than the devil himself!”
“Be quiet!” Father groaned, pushing Linda off. “Shut up your filthy mouth!”
“Why? As far as I remember, we have no relationship anymore, Mr De Great,” I reminded my father, boldly saying it to his face.
“You disowned me, meaning you have no right or responsibility over my life anymore.”
“Anna!”
“Your teachings about Alpha Diego being a dangerous man has been nothing but a bag of lies!”
“Be Quiet!” He pushed Linda once again, coming to my face.
“I’ve lived with that man and I can boldly tell it to you, Raymond De Great… You were wrong about my Diego. You are wrong about him!”
“SHUT UP!”
He lifted his to launch a slap at me!
But before that hand could touch me, father was pulled out of my face and tossed back into Cassandra and Damian’s hold by… “Diego!” I gasped out his name, surprised to see him here.