SHATTERED EGO.

AT THE MANSION.

Don Richard Rochester stood in front of the whole guest. He wasn't the tallest, but his aura made him the most visible, and his presence commanded respect. His face seemed to have a permanent smirk on his lips, and the scar on his face must have a lot to say about him.  

Anthonio watched from behind the crowd of elites, adjusting the pants he was wearing as they were slightly tight for him. His body mass and muscles were bigger than those of Damien, and he was also taller.  

"I am so glad you all are here to celebrate with me and my family," Don Richard spoke plausibly, and the crowd cheered.

"It’s been eighteen good years, and I have perfectly managed everything. I don’t like to go down that lane, and we shouldn't, so we should enjoy the night. I have two special announcements to make." He paused again, waiting for their roaring cheers and applause, like he was giving a life-saving speech. It annoyed Anthonio, and he wasn’t having any of it.  

"The first, my daughter Mariana and her best friend Isabelle came back from the states as scholars and did us proud as ambassadors of our country; no one dents Rochester’s name," he uttered with pride.  

"Synonymously, our university has bred the best business moguls in the country, and I can boldly say in the world—"  

Anthonio slowly faded out of Don Richard’s  self appraisal and speech, full of nothing but showing off his pride and money.  He sought his way through the crowd to meet Isabelle, but she was directly in front of Mr. Valdez, and next to them were the Rochesters.

"That woman is not here, and she’s not in the family picture either; it's just Omarion, Mariana, and their mother—what’s going on? Who si she?"  he pondered as he tried to meet her.  He waved at her, but she ignored him purposefully.  

"My friend Valdez has his own announcement that will meet you all as a shock! Come up, Mr. Valdez; he’s my longtime friend and business partner." Don Richard’s pronounced, and Anthonio came to a standstill.  Part of the crowd were some of their mates at the university, announcing the marriage would be nothing but a slamming shame to him.  

"Come up, my love," Mr. Valdez said to Isabelle. Omarion, Don Rochester’s son, held her hands. He was tall and handsome, just like his father, but majorly different as his face beheld a dark, musty smile. He walked with her to the center like the groom to be, and she unhappily went, forcing a grin that looked awkward and dried up real quick.  

"My daughter is getting married; I am looking forward to your support. Thank you, he announced, cutting off  Anthonio like he wasn’t the groom in mention.  

The crowd cheered and congratulated Omarion Don Rochester’s son and Isabelle. They seemed to be a couple that they were conversant with.  

"How far will they go to drag me into the mud  and show me that i am not welcomed? I don’t mind." Anthonio swallowed and tried to meet with Mr. Valdez after the announcement. He finally got to see him after futilely moving through the crowd that pushed him aside once they couldn’t recognize him.  

"Sir, I need to speak with you."

Mr. Valdez checked the time on his watch and answered without looking at Anthonio’s face. "You have two minutes,"  

  Anthonio dragged his leg on the floor as he spoke up to Mr. Valdez. He had done his own side of the bargain, and they hadn’t done theirs. "Your grandmother will get the heart tonight; it depends on her health now or the surgery to take pace, is that all? You will be moving into our mansion tomorrow with my daughter; it’s not like you have a place to live, or do you?"

Anthonio nodded in the negative. "But tomorrow is our graduation—I have to."

Mr. Valdez dammed him. "From this moment on, you have no say; move into our mansion this night; you don't have to come with any of your insect-invested clothes; just make yourself available; you’re making me feel heat; just go." Mr. Valdez said to him ruthlessly, and Anthonio despondently took steps away from him and went to the kitchen, where some of the servants stayed.  

"Hey—you look familiar; have we met before?" A feminine voice asked, tapping him lightly as he laid his head on the table.  

He raised his head, swept with sadness. "No—yes, Mariana? We went to high school together until you left for the states for university," he responded calmly, thinking about shaking hands with her or just greeting her without any physical contact. Marianna surrounded him tightly, shocking everyone who saw them.

"I knew it was you; wow, you’re so big now, like a man; look at your muscles. She touched him playfully. "You’re different from them," he muttered. She asked, flinging her long auburn hair. "What did you say?"  

"It’s nothing; welcome back home," he responded awkwardly as she wouldn’t stop peering at him.  Mariana wasn’t gorgeously dressed; her make-up was mild, and she still looked ravishing with a banging body.

"I have been meaning to ask, how did you and Isabelle—?" she asked, making hand gestures.  Anthonio didn’t know how to respond, so he mused with a mild smile.  

"I get it; you’re a bad boy, my crush." She blushed, flirting with him passionately before leaving the kitchen. Anthonio roughed up his hair. "All of this should end soon; in just a span of two days, my life has taken the worst turn!" he lamented. Poverty was nothing new to him, but being enslaved was a whole new level of new.  

"Hey! Don Richard Rochester wants to meet with you. I’ll take you there. I don’t want you snooping around!" Mr. Valdez’s right-hand man picked on him. 

Anthonio heaved. He took a glass of champagne and poured it down before following him. Another guard ran after them; he caught up with them and passed a note to Mr. Valdez’s right-hand man, who read it and hooked Anthonio. His heart skipped again. "Look here, don’t mention anything that happened in the room; Don Rochester doesn’t know; if you do, you will answer to the madam!" he threatened.  

Anthonio heaved a sigh of relief. "I wasn’t going to say anything; I am not a toddler or a fool!" he remarked angrily, smoldering his suit. "Could the madam be that deranged woman I met—no, she can’t give orders; they sedated her already; this house is complicated; I just want my simple life?"

Arguing voices grew louder as they drew closer to the room. "Should we come in, sir?"  The right-hand man asked via a pod on his ears.  All the guards had one, and they communicated with it. He proceeded to open the door and push Anthonio in.  

"Father! You can’t let this happen; this fool will never have my sister! He’s a low piece of sh*t! He’s been living off Don Richard’s charity since we were in elementary school, and no, he's not marrying my sister. Hell NO!" Damien let out a rude roar and gave Anthonio a hard shove.  

"Is this how you raised your son, with no respect at all?" Don Richard thundered, and silence filled the room. Damien sucked in his pride and sat. No one dared speak while he was talking, not even Mr. Valdez.

"My word is final. Isabelle is married to this man; he’s an asset to us. In that German contract, not even the best men in our field could please them, but he did—not even you—mind you, both are in the same class? Money and power come first, and I think your father should have instilled that in you. I have no use for any one of you; if you're not pleased, my door is always opened!"  

Mr. Valdez's face was squeezed. The disrespect was gross, but none of them dared speak against him,  Anthonio observed quietly. "Omarion, I want you to oversee the new project and work with Anthonio; from now on, you work hand in hand. Happy married life to the couples! I paid for a honeymoon to any country of your choice after you pulled off this contract!" He walked out of the room and paused just beside Anthonio. "Please stop beating too fast," he said to himself, holding his heart. Don Richard walked past him after looking.  

"Damien! What is wrong with you? Even your sister wouldn’t dare bring that much pain to me; look, you made him talk to me," Mr. Valdez purred out angrily to his son.  

"You are a coward! And you too, Domingo! Bunch of cowards, come with me, Marianna!"  He pulled her out, angrily bagging the door and almost pulling it off.  

Isabelle rushed to meet her father, who was boiling.  "I’ll talk to him, father; please don’t take it to heart; we are here, and we know what to do," she consoled her father.  "What can I do without you, princess? I don't know what has gotten to that boy; stand up, young man!" Mr. Valdez yelled, transferring his anger to  Anthonio.  

Mr. Valdez asked, "Have you called to confirm with the doctor about the heart?"  Anthonio responded calmly. No, sir, I will head there after leaving. Thank you,"  he uttered forcefully.  

"I thought you wouldn't mention it; it cost me twenty million. That proud man who sees himself as a god took it all out just because of you!"  He yelled, spitting on his face.  

Anthonio was surprised to find out that Don Richard was the one who did such evil to him. "Father—you caused it; just stop; I need to sleep." She held her father and hugged him goodbye.  Domingo followed her after shaking hands with Mr. Valdez and shooing Anthonio away from his sight.  

"Now we’re alone, that contract, make sure we get it at all costs; I have saved your grandmother’s life, not fully, though; Be obedient; I want you at my mansion first thing tomorrow morning before your convocation ceremony; your stupid friend can come too; do you have parents? I bet not!" he arced mockingly.

"Yes sir, I should leave too," Anthonio voiced. "One more thing—you saw Valentina; it should die with us here. If he finds out, your head will be on a plate; you’ve seen him; he wouldn't even remember how important you are to making money for him," Mr. Valdez viced with his words full of intimidation.  

Anthonio shook his head in anxiety. All he wanted to do was get out of the gigantic mansion. Beautiful and magnificent, but filled with hatred, discord, and selfishness.

He made eye contact with Damien, and he came down to meet him. "We need to have a word together, don’t we, gold digger?" He harnessed his fingers on Anthonio’s shoulder, pulling out his muscles, but he didn’t flinch.  

"Okay—we can’t talk here; the people are watching." Damien pulled him out aggressively outside the mansion. "Look here,I will not allow you to have my sister because of anything; from this moment onward, watch your back, because I, Damien Fernandez, will kill you and nothing will happen because you are wretched!" he cussed, pointing to his face.  

Anthonio cleaned his face, staring into Damien’s eye tenaciously."Don’t worry about me; I will be fine—"  he responded, sending a fuzing, twisted face at Damien. Anthonio walked down in the rain, removed the suit, and threw it on the floor. He unbutton the tight shirt and yelled out,

"Hey—how did it go? These men wouldn’t allow me in." Santiago rushed out to meet him in the security room. His eyes flickered with turmoil, desperately yearning to know everything that unfolded inside the perfectly dazzling mansion.  

Anthonio’s heaved another fatigued sigh and blurted. "Let’s go home. I mean, the hospital. Do you have a place to stay now with your family?"

Santiago placed his hands on his shoulders and raised his chin. "What’s wrong? You didn’t answer any of my questions?" "Did it go bad? You’re still married to her, right?"  

Anthonio pushed his hands down from his chin. "Yeah, I am still enslaved to them, and there’s a heart for my grandmother now, and it cost him twenty million American dollars."

Santiago’s eyeball bulged out astonishingly. "Damn—wow, you see, I told you it’s better off; we should go; it looks like you want yourself teleported; why am I not the one who saved her?"  

Anthonio’s phone beeped, and he took it out.  He unloaded the screen and saw that it was a message.  " it might be those network providers or someone to whom I owe a debt," he said, slotting the phone back inside his pocket.  

"You see, I know it’s a debtor or a loan shark; you should be happy about this man. Get out of the rain—what’s your freedom worth if you’re not rich? Santiago questioned him furiously, picking up the suit he threw on the ground and shaking his head in dismay.  

Anthonio’s veins slowly became visible and strenuous as he bolted out on Santiago. "I don’t care about their money! I am a hardworking man; with time, I’ll make some; it might not be as rich as they are,but I will be comfortable! I don’t want to be a slave and a man who will be ruled and stepped on by his in-laws; I don't want it!!!"

Santiago's shoulder dropped sadly. "I don’t know what to say to you; why so much ego when you’re poor? My father took out another loan to help us get a small place to stay, and it’s all because of you! Where did you keep your clothes? Were you even able to take anything out of the slum before it was demolished? Can you fight against them?" He inquired vilely.

Anthonio swallowed again, poised with pain and confusion. "I see. It’s all about money for you. I’ll like to let you know that this man standing before you will become a live-in son-in-law as of tomorrow morning. Are you happy now?"   

His phone rang again, and he took it out violently. "Hurry, let’s go; it's from the hospital. My grandmother’s health is unstable—"