CELESTINE's POV

I watched them laugh for a moment before I cut in.

''Where's my money?'' I interrupted their laughter or should I say their daydreaming, and as expected… I was met with a deadly stare from both of them.

They were the ones who offered me this—to disguise as Leina… to make Arnold sleep with me and prove to him that Leina is a virgin and no man has ever touched her before. And if he was convinced, he'd eventually marry my sister.

My twin sister couldn't do it because she was a little bit of a whore who had slept with a large number of men. When they offered me this task, I immediately agreed to it because I needed the money for my mom who was badly ill. I can't let my mom suffer just like that. She had enough with my dad... and I think it's time for me to make her happy.

I still recalled her telling me that when I and Leina were still months old, she found out that dad already had a lover named Ada. She was the woman in front of me, gazing at me with fire in her eyes right now. Since my mother and I were abandoned by our father, he had never provided for our financial needs. He brought Leina with him, and throughout her childhood, she thought of Ada as her mother, while she rejected her biological mother as her own.

This woman here treated both my mother and me like we were nothing more than beggars, as if in her eyes we were nothing more than trash. And this old man has never spoken to me and treated me like I was his daughter. In his mind, I was more of a burden, and I could feel that he sometimes wished that I hadn't been a part of his life. Not sometimes though, but always.

''Your money?'' he spat as he rose from his seat and moved closer to where I was standing. ''Look at yourself! Poverty is written all over your existence!''

I took a deep breath, trying hard to calm myself while clenching my fists on both sides, controlling them not to smack my father's ugly face. The money is not for me but for my mother!

''Honey, don't let your temper flare up with her. What kind of life do you expect if her mother is a beggar as well? Do you ever think that she can compare her beauty with our Leina? She's nothing but a complete yokel. What a disgrace that you have a daughter like her!''

''Yokel?'' I asked through gritted teeth. ''You have to remind yourself that the yokel you're referring to is the one you asked for help yesterday!'' I gradually loosened my fist, aware that it wasn't necessary to go ballistic with a person like her but I couldn't control myself with all their insults towards me and my mother.

''Is this how your mother raised you, huh?'' my father roared in my face. ''By talking to someone who's older than you, especially to my wife?! You're showing me a lack of respect as your father!''

Father?

Since when did he act as my father? And he expected me to treat him as one? Hah!

And respect? He disrespected my mother first! He's not worthy of it.

''Why are you giving me that look, huh?'' he inched closer and my eyes widened when he raised his hand to hit me.

''Do it! Hit me! You have never treated me as your daughter, anyway!'' I was holding his eyes while staring at him with a blank expression, as if he were a complete stranger, and I could sense that he was becoming increasingly uneasy as a result of the gaze that I was sending his way.

His hand stopped mid-air and he only put it down when he heard his wife talk.

''Here's your money!'' she said, throwing the paper bills in my face and my heart thumped with wrath as I glared at her. ''That's ten thousand dollars, bitch!''

I heaved a deep sigh as I knelt down to pick up all of the money that had been scattered across the carpet and checked to be sure that I hadn't missed any bills. My heart was shedding tears of both agony and joy since I could finally support my mother's treatment.

In my twenty-four years of existence in this world, Dad never gave me a single penny but because I helped her loving daughter by pretending to be her, I got ten thousand dollars just like that.

When I was finally certain that I got all the money with me, I stood up and sneered at them. ''Thanks… I had no idea what the value of a virgin was until now.''

I had just finished putting all of the money in my bag and was preparing to walk away with my head held high when all of a sudden, my father's voice stopped me from moving away.

''Celestine…''

I inhaled deeply and came to a complete stop, but I didn't turn around to face them once more. ''I don't want to see your face ever again in this city. Go back to the province where you currently live and stay there until you die.'' My father's voice was cold as ice and I wanted to burst out crying, but I stopped myself. He's not worthy of my tears.

''Right!'' Ada added, her annoying voice echoing in the room. ''Never show your face in this place again! You're as disgusting as shit!''

I tightened my grip on my bag as I slowly walked towards the door. I know the reason why they didn't want to see me any longer. They're scared that I might destroy them and wreck everything. They're scared to be ruined by a beggar like me.

As soon as my mother has fully recovered from her illness... I will bring her back to Staten Island and we'll live peacefully and happily together and forever. Until the day we die…