SINFULLY YOURS

Chapter 49: Chapter 49. Who Is She?

Chapter 49. Who Is She?

Rosa’s lips shook. The powerful surge of emotions flooding her chest was uncontrollable. She turned her head to the side, feeling her eyes slowly beginning to glisten. She had never felt so trapped in her entire life before. She scoffed and shook her head.

I really do not want to say curses right now, Mom and Dad, but you do know you are the reason for keeping me in this situation, she thought.

Don’t be stupid, a voice scolded her in her head.

She closed her eyes. I am so sorry, conscience, she thought. But they shouldn’t have left me alone. Why the hell do I have to go through this?

How was she going to break the final connection she had with the Lees? There was no freaking way in hell she could afford that, even if she worked her ass off in Mr. Don’s mansion for literally five months. She breathed out.

She heard the clicking of heels amidst the rumbles of vehicles in the city where they stood by the bus stop. Mrs. Lee stepped closer until she was only a few feet away from her. Her arms were still folded, that annoying confidence wrapped up around her like a badge.

”No matter what happens, Rosa,” she said calmly, ”you still belong to us. No matter how independent you think you have become, you are still one of us, registered, signed, and stamped under the Lee Foster Foundation. I don’t give a shit about where you stay, where you live, where you survive. So I can accept if you decide you don’t want to live under our roof. It’s fine. It’s your life, your decision to make, and it doesn’t concern us. But you are still under us, Rosa. Take it or leave it. And according to information I got, your next sponsorship payment is literally in a few days.”

Rosa jerked involuntarily, keeping her focus to the floor. A frown creased her forehead.

For real? she thought to herself. I thought it was weeks away. How the hell are these changes happening in school and she is not aware of them?

Yep, because my life has been totally dramatic right from the moment I resumed. She thought and then closed her eyes once again.

I am really not serious. I never even thought for a second about it. She turned her head to the side once again, feeling trapped, glued to the ground.

Just walk away, Rosa. Just walk away. Don’t engage in this conversation. Forget this ever happened. Go back home, sit down, think, and try to figure your life out. Because there is no living way in hell you can continue to be hitched to this witch, she thought.

But what’s the point? She’s saying the truth. There is no way for her to escape.

”What do you say, Rosa?” Mrs. Lee asked. ”Are you willing to listen to what I have to say? I mean, it’s all in your hands. Your life going forward from this moment henceforth depends on whatever decision you make. And as they say, the wrong ones literally sabotage the life of young talents even before they get to meet the hard part. If you get what I mean. Don’t even know if you are smart enough to adhere to that,” she said.

Rosa clenched her teeth tightly, but she kept quiet, staring towards the side. She ground her teeth.

This is so frustrating, she thought. She closed her eyes and breathed out.

She didn’t know what to say. So many words lurking deep down in her chest. She wanted to pour out her frustration, scream at her, tell her to fucking leave her life alone, tell her to just go. But what’s the point? She’s just going to stand back there with her arms folded, smirking in satisfaction at seeing her riled up, at seeing her weak, seeing her trapped, seeing her lost, and seeing her completely unable to do anything. She breathed out.

”Well, I understand,” Mrs. Lee continued with a heavy sigh. ”Of course you don’t have a reply to give right now.”

Rosa slowly lifted up her head to look at her. She saw Mrs. Lee staring at her with squeezed eyebrows.

”The news must have hit you so hard, your tongue is suddenly lost in your esophagus,” she said. ”Of course anybody in your measly little poor situation will feel that way. It’s a whole lot of a load,” she said. ”Quite heavy news. Something that could weigh you down, you feel like your heart is crushed. But don’t lose hope,” she said, tapping Rosa’s shoulder.

Rosa jerked to the side, keeping her sharp glare planted on Mrs. Lee.

Mrs. Lee chuckled. ”Come on, don’t give me that hard stare. This is me just trying to offer a way out of your situation. If I didn’t care, do you think I would be here relating this news to you? I’m very sure you were not aware of the changes. If I didn’t mention it now, only God knows when you were going to hear about it. But here I am now, humbling myself, despite your nasty attitude a month ago, willing to help,” she said.

”Because you want something in return,” Rosa replied.

She chuckled. ”Obviously, nothing comes for nothing.”

Rosa folded her lips and stared at the ground. How the hell did I ever allow myself to get hitched up to such a wicked family such as this? she breathed out.

”Anyways,” Mrs. Lee continued, ”I do not want to bother you anymore. I’m going to give you time. I won’t give you so much pressure so that you don’t combust before me right now and they claim I have committed murder,” she said with a mocking laughter, adjusting and fiddling her fingers through her hair.

She took out her shades from her purse and slowly unfolded them. ”Whenever you have made up your mind, you know where our mansion is.”

Rosa saw her wink at her and then place the shades back against her eyes. She turned around, swinging her purse and walking back towards her Rolls-Royce that was parked far across the road, attracting countless eyes and murmurs and whispers of anybody else that was still at the bus stop. Rosa’s eyes trailed her.

Mrs. Lee stepped into the vehicle. The door closed as adjusted herself square against the chair, and then looked at her through the window. She gave her a thumbs up, mockingly, as the vehicle drove off.

Rosa rolled her eyes and scoffed, finally staring at the ground. Her eyes glistened. Good Lord, she thought to herself. How could it be true?

She lifted up her phone once again, looking at the news on the school website, the large sum of money, and the rest of the information that had been stipulated.

Yep, definitely a hitched-up plan. Am I really that important? Did they really have to go this far just to make my life miserable? But for what purpose? What did she want? Could what she wants be so important enough to warrant this?

She dropped her hand exasperated and shoved her phone back into her pocket, staring into thin air, forgetting about the fact that she was in public, standing at the center of the sidewalk. Her shoulders felt heavy. She was slumped now, neglecting her bag beside her.

”Rosa,” a familiar deep calm voice called from behind her, making her flinch.

Her eyelids fluttered. She slowly lifted her head, then turned around as gently as she could. Her vision was hazy and she could already feel the water pooling around her eyelids. She tried to blink them back, but a stray tear still made its way down her left eyelid.

She frowned when she saw the tall, masculine, composed figure a few meters away from her in a long, thick coat that fell down his leg, way below his knees. His eyebrows were furrowed to reveal his displeasure. She saw his eyes track behind her, probably staring at Mrs. Lee’s departing car. Then he diverted his focus to look at her.

”Mr. Don?” she called out softly, her voice a little bit raspy.

The expression in his eyes wasn’t calm. His eyes were sharpened into twin slits of menace. His eyebrows, furrowed so hard they looked like they might fall off anytime soon.

”Who is she?” he asked.