I wasn't sure I heard right. I blinked a few times before breaking into a bout of laughter. I stopped when I saw how serious they were, particularly my father, and schooled my features. I looked at my sister who winked and wiggled her fingers at me. My tongue felt too heavy to form a sentence as my mind was going through a lot of transitions due to what I had just heard.

"What?" I finally spoke with a heavy heart. Never in my life did I think I was going to hear such news, especially in a condition where we could not survive the hardship, speak more of a marriage.

The man before me nodded. I furrowed my eyebrows and parted my lips to speak but my tongue felt heavy and my heart was burning from confusion and anger. I took in a deep breath and exhaled. I believed that he was joking with me and would tell me something insulting like he usually did. I was certain but the other part of me knew how truthful he sounded and it irked me to my bones.

"What the fuck did you just say?" I asked through gritted teeth. "What do you mean I'm getting married? We are facing so many issues and the only solution you have is marriage?"

"Can you let me explain?" He asked, sounding as if he was going to be sensible if I let him speak further.

"No!" I retorted. "I don't think anything you have to say will be sensible, dad."

"Do you want to save your mother?"

At that, I froze. I blinked once, then twice in added confusion. I looked from him to Macy before looking at my feet in more confusion and shock. I could not believe what I was hearing.

"What are you trying to say?"

"I met one of your mother's elite friends earlier today and she asked about your mother," my father said and smiled. "The way she spoke about her travels, expenses, and shit made me feel the urge to lie."

"What. Did. You. Do?" I demanded with eyes narrowed at my father.

"When she asked where your mother was, I told her she's been here and there, working… You didn't expect me to tell her how pathetic we've become? Pfft. I told her a few lies, making it seem like we had status and that ended up favoring us, dear."
This had to be another dream. I dream so much these days, nightmares included, that I can no longer tell which one is real life and a dream but I was certain this was a dream. I wanted to pinch myself so badly, but the added shock didn't let me.

"Yes, dear sister," Macy said in a soft voice. "Her friend wants a daughter-in-law for one of her sons. You want to help mom, right? Why don't you marry one of her sons and give us the money that will come from this business marriage."

I could not believe what I was hearing. I felt ashamed of being related to the people standing before me. In my head, I began to question their intelligence and their morality.

"I will not—"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk… don't even dare," my father said in a threatening tone. "That nice lady begged me to coax your sick mother into accepting this marriage. It seems they're both close for her to present this deal. She is willing to pay $5 million just for you to say yes to this marriage."

As much as I hated what my family was doing, I began to imagine how the money would save my mother. How it would cover every type of treatment she needed. The deal was the greatest thing that could help mom but I knew there were dangers on the other side of the deal.

"You two are sick," I said. "What will happen once she finds out that mom is sick?"

Macy scoffed. "We'll use the money to give her proper treatment before the lie comes out."

"And mom? Don't you think she'll be devastated when she realizes that you are taking advantage of her friends and her health for your selfish desires?" I questioned them in anger.

"If anything, you're the selfish one," Macy said.

"I am selfish?!" I asked at the top of her voice.

"Yes! Stop thinking about your morals for once! You've been nagging about me not helping! Now that there's hope to save your mother, you are thinking about yourself and how it's going to ruin the reputation we do not have!" My father hollered in my face.

I took in some shuddering breaths and stepped away from him.

"I'm not doing this," I said. "I can see you two don't see the trouble that will come out of this. Count me out of this fraudulent plan."

Without saying anything else, I walked out of the living room and went straight to my room. I sat on my bed and clenched the sheets hard while glaring at the hardwood floor. My mind was full of how evil my father was. I wondered how he could not see the result of such a level of deception. They were in no position to pay back anything if the truth came out and I could see shame dwelling in my mother if she found out that they were taking advantage of her friends.

"It's not like they are even interested in taking care of mom," I said. "All they want is the money!"

I growled and tossed one of the pillows to the floor.

"Why couldn't a miracle come differently? Why did dad have to lie instead of telling the truth? Maybe this lady would've helped, seeing how she's willing to let someone marry her child."

I lay on the bed and stared at the discolored ceiling. As I stared at the stain patterns, my door opened, making me sit up. When I saw my father, I rolled my eyes and went back to my position on the bed.

"Are you here to tell me how ungrateful or selfish I am? If that's what you're here for, I already accept what I am… You can now leave."

When five seconds had gone by and I didn't hear a word from him, I shifted my gaze from the ceiling to the man standing by my bed with a blank look on his face.

"Why aren't you saying anything?" I asked.

He smirked. "I came to let you know that you were right."

I sat up and gaped at my father. I took in his demeanor, which ended up being hard to read.

"What are you planning?" I suspiciously asked.

"Nothing," he said and turned around to leave but stopped with his index finger raised. "Ah, I almost forgot."

I watched as he turned back around. Instead of a blank face, he now had a sinister smile on. A smile I was used to yet scared of. Nothing good ever came out of him whenever he smiled this way.

"Dad…"

"Listen, since you refuse to marry her son and give your mother her treatment. Don't you think it is time to end your mother's misery, just as the doctors and your mother wanted?"

I slowly stood and swallowed some of my salivae. My heart started to beat at a fast rate as his words echoed in my head.

"Choose, Angie… Your mother dies to put an end to ours and her suffering or you get married to save her," he said, smiling wider than before.

A/n: Her dad is evil.