Married To The Monster

A happy day in the Jandro family meant a sad one for Dahlia, the youngest daughter of the household. A one-night mistake, and a damaged commodity who had brought nothing but disgrace to them.

A brief family meeting was held the night before, and in that meeting, Dahlia had been strictly warned not to show her face outside her room today. More importantly, she had been threatened to keep her baby from disturbing them when their prospective in-laws would come today to seek her elder sister’s hand in marriage.

They were expecting the visitation of the supreme authority in Zala. A marriage that brought many benefits to Philip Jandro, the father of the household.

Complying with their instructions, Dahlia rocked her daughter to sleep, different thoughts flashing through her mind. Her gaze remained on her baby, a single mistake that had cost her the whole of her life.

At twenty, she never imagined her family would loathe her this much, and she would be a mother to an eighteen-month-old toddler.

Her lips softened into a small smile as she looked back at all the happiness her child had filled her with ever since she had her. She might have the whole world as her enemy, but her daughter's love was enough to sustain her, to push her to always be strong for them.

She was still smiling when the door to her room yanked open, revealing Tricia, her elder sister, whose beauty was a sight for sore eyes. Tall and elegant, she would have been an A-list model if her father hadn’t fought against it.

Women in their world were trained never to rebel against their fathers.

“Hello, mother to the bastard.” An amused laugh escaped Tricia as she strode into the room, her steps sleek and balanced. She scanned the room before turning a withering glare on her younger sister.

Dahlia’s chest tightened. She knew what to expect whenever Tricia burst into the room like this. Waves of insults, followed by unending mockery that always left her broken for days. Even though her father and stepmother hated her so much, she at least expected that her only sister would be on her side, but Tricia seemed to despise her even more.

“How are you, and how’s your bastard daughter?” Tricia halted in front of Dahlia, her eyes drinking her in awkwardly.

“She has a name, Tricia,” Dahlia muttered in a low voice, anticipating the series of hateful words that would follow her response.

“Baby?” Tricia pressed her palms together dramatically. “Is that even a name?”

“What do you want?” She asked, wondering why she was not in the meeting with her prospective in-laws.

Tricia scoffed, batting her eyelashes as she glared at her sister with disgusting eyes. They looked almost the same, like their father, but Dahlia was smaller and more fragile.

While Tricia’s hair was short and chestnut brown, Dahlia’s curls were dark and long, sweeping beautifully across her shoulders.

“This is my father’s house. I should ask you what you are still doing here now that you have a child. Aren’t you supposed to be living with the father of your daughter?” Tricia’s lips curled slightly when she noticed that she had touched a nerve. “Oh, I forgot your baby does not have a father. Oh, poor little girl. She will be so sad to grow up without a father.”

Dahlia was getting impatient, but she knew better than to react. The last time she did, Tricia had made sure that her weekly allowances were withheld for two good weeks, leaving a severe impact on her baby.

She didn’t want to risk it anymore, so she just kept quiet and let her sister match on her whenever she wanted to vent. She was the damaged daughter, and Tricia was the golden daughter, after all.

“Well,” Tricia settled on the second couch in the small room, crossing her legs atop each other. “I came to tell you that the most powerful man in Zala is about to become my husband.”

The excitement was evident in her eyes. Dahlia looked at her sister. She was deeply happy for her, but there was no need to make that evident. Not that she’d appreciate it. Dragging her eyes back to her sleeping toddler, she said no word.

“And what would become of you? Nothing! You’ll forever remain here as damaged property. Rotten, and will never be accepted by anyone. While I live in my husband’s mansion as his spoilt princess.” She giggled as she straightened up from the couch, closing the distance between her and Dahlia.

Dahlia lowered her head. Her sister’s hot gaze was burning her down. She didn’t dare to speak a word.

Tricia’s shoulders were lifted in pride as she strutted around the room. “I’m glad you made the mistake of getting pregnant at seventeen. You’re just a whore like your mother.”

Dahlia was compelled to lift her head at once. Her mother? That was the last she could take from her sister.

Her fingers trembled, but she smothered every sign of weakness behind a composed expression. Tricia would not see her break today.

She tipped her chin and held her sister’s gaze. “Are you done?

Tricia huffed, clearly not the reaction she was expecting from Dahlia.

“I guess you’ll have to come ask me that question in my husband’s house.” She snatched a book from the table, rolling her eyes at Dahlia before storming out of the room and slamming the door behind her.

Baby stirred in her sleep. A whine left her, but Dahlia was quick to rock her back to sleep before she opened her eyes and tore the house down with her piercing cries.

She didn’t want to deal with that now. Her father would punish her if her baby messed up things for them tonight.

-

After a while, she tucked her daughter back into her cot. Tricia’s words resonated over and over again, leaving her wounded each time she thought of them. She moved towards the door, but stopped in her tracks when last night’s warnings rang in her head.

Curiosity got the better of her. Eager to know what was happening in the living room, she dashed out of her room, taking quiet steps towards the hallway, where she could catch glimpses of the visitors and maybe hear fragments of their discussion.

She saw her stepmother, Bianca, welcoming some impeccably dressed men into the dining room.

She watched them. Her father was bumping hands with them, and Tricia had changed from her pants and shirt into a long, classy dress that hugged her perfect, slender curves. Her grin was big as she walked beside the suited men.

Tears gathered in Dahlia’s eyes as she watched them. She knew that could never be her.

In their world, she was damaged, and no man would deem it fit to take her as a wife.

Tricia was right. She would forever remain in her father’s house. Old and broken with a toddler who had no father.

Author’s note.

Tell me, what do you think about the first chapter?

Please drop your comments.