Capítulo 26: The little harlot.

ASHER.

I am literally treading on thin line with my patience at this point, out of the corner of my eyes I see Isabelle tense up when they begin to talk about marriage. And even I want to retort but all in good time, let them have their fun I am not going to marry her. As the food comes in I almost sigh in relief, there would be a few minutes where grandmother brags about how good her staff and chefs are so that okay. It is too annoying having to listen to them talk about marriage. Besides at this point thoughts on how best to make Isabelle suffer is all that fills mind. After our last encounter she needs to pay for deceiving my family and disrespecting Sabine. From what I gathered she hates her aunt and uncle, it was brief but I noticed how she stiffened as they walked in, and how she glared at them when she dropped that bomb earlier. Do they not treat her well? Is that it?

The last time she said that she also wasn't interested in marrying me, did she mean it? Looking towards her again her gaze was settled on something I could not care for but I couldn't help but wonder. Is she in the same position that I'm in? Perhaps she wasn't as bad as I thought, or she is. If she wasn't bad then why was she doing all this even bribing a maid just to get my family to love her.

I sighed inwardly and looked away, no matter how hard I tried I knew he wouldn't be able to find an answer this evening. Besides what was with that dress? I never cared for the monochromous dress code grandfather implimented but I completely agreed with aunt today. It was no competition who was the prettiest woman in room especially not in that red dress. She always had that look of innocence and purity, like she was too white for this black world and it made me hate her even more because she couldn't be more different and that was the biggest deception. But today she toned down her innocence by increasing her makeup. Now she was beginning to resemble the darkness she harboured within, and somehow she managed to look even more seductive. Before she pulled you in with her innocence, you'd wonder how can she look so good? She's so pure I want some of that. Now you know she's bad but you can't help but want the bad.

Rrrrrrrip!

"Oh my what to do!" Isabelle gasped beside me. "Um, I'm such a klutz can you please get something to fix this?" She said and my eyes went down to the ripped slit of her dress that exposed more than was decent. How the hell did she rip her dress? For crying out loud we were doing nothing but sitting. The server in charge of both of us bowed and walked away. After a few short moments she was at it again.

"Um… hello can you help me?" She spoke up, gesturing for one of the servers this evening. At first I didn't care what she needed that was until I saw who it was she was gesturing to, not her, not again. I noticed her reluctance, I couldn't blame her I would be reluctant to served the person that called me useless. Besides I was uncomfortable allowing Sabine get close to Isabelle, she was radioactive.

"I need a refill." Isabelle stated tapping the lip of her cup. Sabine nodded and moved to refill the water and because of how uneasy I felt I kept glancing at them. So I saw it when Isabelle pushed Sabine's arm and the jug of water tipped over, all the water emptying all over both women. Isabelle pushed her chair backwards and literally jumped up, knocking a few chairs in her wake. But even before her abrupt raise I was on my feet, so I could easily catch her hand as she tried to hit Sabine. This bitch! This absolutely treacherous bitch!

Her eyes moved to mine and she tried to pull away but I wouldn't let her. The entire table erupted in chaos but we were both lost in a world of our own. Our own chaotic world defined but the intensity of our hate for each other. "What the hell do you think you are doing?" I ask through gritted teeth but she does not response, instead she looks away and bits her lip.

"Apologize" I spit out.

"For what?" She retorts and I thought I could not get any angrier.

"I saw what you did, you'd better apologise, this moment!" I say, my voice rising as my grip on her arm tightens.

"Are you kidding me? She ruined my dress and this dinner and you are asking me to apologise? To her? Why is she your lover or something, the little harlot."

"Isabelle!" I yell, in my frustration I lift my hands to comb through my hair, freezing when I see her terrified expression. She literally melted in my arms and every single intensity in her eyes evaporated into nothingness. She began to tremble and she stepped back, a single tear rolled down her cheek and before I knew it my grip loosened and her hand dropped lifelessly by her side. Do they hit her? Her family, her uncle and aunt? Why does she look like she had just seen death?

"Sit down!" My grandfather's voice booms cutting through the air as he asserts his dominance as the head of this family.

But neither of us comply, Isabelle is still frozen looking at me with those terror filled lifeless eyes whilst Sabine is cowering behind myself and for the first time I hear the rest of the family.

"-pack your bags this instant and leave the grounds"

"She is not going anywhere" I say to my grandmother, "it wasn't her fault, miss Byun was the one that bumped into her."

"Is she right then? Is that bitch your lover?!" My grandmother yells.

And I cannot resist the urge to roll my eyes, although I resist the urge to run hands through my hair. Looking to my grandfather for help, it would be pointless explaining things to my grandmother.

"Sabine" Mrs Marisol calls to her. "Go to your room and wait I will call for you" she says and I watch Sabine bow before she begins to walk away.

Looking back at Isabelle who begins to regain some of her colour I point at her and look at everyone, especially my grandfather. "I refuse to marry her, I don't like her infact I despise this woman so I will not marry her!" I growl admist all the calls not to.

"Everyone get out, if you are not a family member leave! This instant!" Grandfather yells and all the maids and serves scurry out. Looking straight at the reporters "if so much as a single article or picture of this night comes out I will destroy all your companies. Now get out." The entire garden remains quite, even the crickets seem to understand the situation but I refuse to back down and sit.

"Asher Jin Quing" My grandfather began and I shut my eyes in frustration. "Don't you dare overreact, don't push my boundaries, you had better not cross the line." His voice was calm but I felt the anger beneath. "It is my mistake, I have now come to understand" he continued and his statement only surprised me even more, what? "I gave you an option, that was my mistake-"

"Grandfather!" I exclaim.

"Your grandmother has picked a wonderful woman for you, you don't have a choice" He says, his words slicing into me. What is wrong with this people?!

"Grandfather!" I almost scream at this point.

"Do I have a choice?" A soft voice pulls our attention, I look down at Isabelle, her back is ramrod straight and her eyes aren't looking anywhere in particular. But if there anything I am sure of it's her excitement. She is happy? She is pleased, this is making her happy. As I fight with my family over this. What kind of sociopath have I encountered?

"Marriage might not seem like a big deal but it's a big deal to a woman. It determines her happiness in life, I do not want to marry a man that is so aganist marrying me. I have already faced heartbreak in my life after my parents death I refuse to be unhappy in my life." She says getting up. At this point I am sure I look ridiculous with my jaw hanging open like that. Wow… I am honestly speechless at this point, how does she manage to continue to shock me like this. In the midst of my confusion she picks up the hem of her dress and dashes away from the table, disregarding the calls otherwise.

ISABELLE.

Mission accomplished! My goodness I deserve a grand prize for my acting. Should I have gone into acting? I do have the looks, wow! I am so incredibly happy, I think for the first time since I reborn I am so ecstatic. Pulling out my phone I dial a number but only after I have safely entered my car. "Hello? Marianne!" I squeal.

"Hello? Isabelle? What's going on? I told you to stop calling me so often I do have a life as well" she whined but i could care less about her life right now. We were going to live!

"Come on your sister is so happy right now won't you rejoice with me?" I say.

"You do sound ecstatic, what happened and aren't you supposed to be eating some fancy dinner right now?" She asked.

"Oh bullshit, I am so done with that, both eating and the marriage" I say with so much bravado.

"What? What do you mean you are done with the marriage? Are you seriously not marrying Asher Quing anymore?"

"Yes! My plan worked, it worked Marianne. I don't have to marry him anymore I won't abandon you." I add happily, "they can't separate us again."

There is a small pause before Marianne speaks, "i choose to believe you Isabelle but are you sure about this. Entering this family might be beneficial for you when you inherit Byun health plus." She says, "I know you said we died because of your marriage into this family but still you are wiser you can prevent it and still benefit from them."

I shut my eyes and sigh, Marianne my innocent pure sister. I wouldn't want her to change for anything and if not for the fact that she had to live with my uncle and aunt I would never have told her that I was reborn or anything about my past life. But as much as I loved her innocent she absolutely can not be blind when it comes to those two snakes. "Trust me on this one Marianne, your older sister knows what she is doing. I promise I will not let anyone hurt you." Especially not Asher, after all he might no be the one that killed me in my past life. He only delivered the final blow.