MARIBELLA

“Francis!” I felt my father’s hand on my right cheek, it was hard, and I felt how mad he is. I held my cheek as I felt the pain. My mom immediately ran to me as she tried to covered her body to me just to protect me from dad. “Enough, Francis!” She raised her voice in frustration. Dad suddenly sat down from one of our couches as he massaged his temples in disappointment, trying to calm himself down from my situation.

“I don’t want to see your daughter, Emilia.” Dad couldn’t look at me. He was too angry. He was shaking his head in full of disappointment, “I couldn’t believe this! I raised you and gave everything that you needed here, there, and this is how you’re gonna repay me? Being pregnant with the man who just fell out of the business industry?! What were you thinking Maribella?! How can I entrust you to the company?!” He said with mixed emotions in his eyes, his voice almost broke. I just realized how much he loves his company more than to his child, poor me.

“You took away everything from me, Dad! Even my freedom! I didn’t even get the chance to see the world myself!” I couldn’t control my anger anymore, and I just burst out from madness that I've kept in so many years.

“What did you just say?!” Dad stood up angrily, and point out his finger at me. “You wanna see the world? I’ll let you then.” He told me after he left us dumbfounded.

Mom quickly looked at me with concern in her eyes as she was checking my cheek, “Just don’t mind about your father, let’s get you some ice, dear,” Mom said softly as she guided me to our kitchen. All of a sudden, I felt myself crying silently.

I should feel happy that I have finally disappointed them, but why am I feeling so guilty and wanted to regret everything that I’ve done?

“I’m sorry, Mom,” I broke into tears as I fell from the ground.

“Shush baby, don’t cry... I’m not mad at you. We should be the one who needs to say that. I’m sorry, sweetheart, stop crying, it’s bad for the baby,” She replied softly, as she hugged me.

“I promised, I’ll be good now,” Mom sighed heavily, as she caressed my hair.

“You already are.” She said.

The issues about my pregnancy almost put us in the end line in the business industry, but our family was powerful enough to make them all shut out about it and eventually gained again what we just lost because of me.

Antonio and I continued the arrange marriage because of my pregnancy, and it wouldn’t be good if I’ll keep it alone. And ever since then, we’ve been supporting their family financially, and Antonio suddenly changed after we got married as if my friend in him got vanished and distant himself from me.

I carried our child because she was innocent into this mess, I just felt horrible that I would bring her to not so good world and to the family I have. It’s hard to fake everything when you can’t even feel yourself anymore at the same time.

Until my due date came, when I delivered Abriana to the world was the best day of my whole existence. I suddenly became alive again and have a chance to live my life again. It was because she came into this cruel world. She’s my everything.

Antonio was around, but I couldn’t even felt his presence. He was like a walking dead man. He tends to ignore everything around him, but when he saw Abriana, it brings some life to him. He suddenly smiled as soon as he reached out his arms to the baby girl.

“What’s her name?” Antonio asked softly, and he was teary-eyed. I chuckled before I answered his question.

“It’s Abriana,” I smiled at him, and he smiled back.

After I gave birth to Abriana, I quickly took over the Golden Company from my Dad, because he suddenly got sick and my Mom was the one who’s taking care of him. It was hard for me at first and still adjusting at that time.

Eventually, all my free time was all on the Company when a big crisis came into our Company, and it was huge for me to take. I couldn’t take care of Abariana anymore. She was always left alone with the maids, and her nanny ever since then.

I feel so horrible, but I could not leave the company in that state. Dad worked himself out just to make it successful, and I don’t want to put it all in waste.

When Abriana’s growing up and I couldn’t watch it, and even on her special events, I always tend to forget all about it just what my parents did to me when I was young, and it was painful for me.

I sighed heavily when I realized that I’m slowly turned to be like my parents. Antonio wasn’t there either, well sure, he’s there in her special events. He’s also working at Golden Company, as one of the Directors but we barely see each other at the office. He’s always making trouble, and I’m just the wife and the boss who’s cleaning the messes for him. He became worse and worse as the years passed by.

“What the fuck, Antonio? Your secretary?” I even caught him cheating with his secretary inside of his office.

But all he did was to always sighs and leave me alone after. He didn’t even care at all. He is always wasting my money as if it was his hobby after I’ve finally decided to leave him. He was a pain in the ass.

My Dad eventually died in cancer that he got from our family history. I was sad but also felt a kind of happy, because of a strange achievement, something that I’ve finally got for myself.

Freedom.