บท 1: Error At The City Hall
Anastasia stared at her reflection in the vanity mirror in her room. She was all dressed up, ready to head to the city hall to retrieve her marriage certificate.
She stepped out of the mansion's gate to hail a cab that would take her to the city hall. Despite being the first daughter of the Harrison family, she had never been given a car of her own.
It was a daily frustration that she had to take a cab wherever she went, a reminder of how little regard her family had for her independence.
All of a sudden, Anastasia saw a car make a stop right where she stood.
"Hi, Ana. Are you also heading to the city hall? Want me to give you a ride?" Michelle, her younger sister asked her, sizing her up and down with a disgusted look as if she was a pest.
Anastasia was aware Michelle wasn't in fact 'offering' her a ride. She was mocking her since she didn't have a car of her own.
Their relationship had always been an unpleasant one. With Michelle being the favored daughter of the Harrison family, she always got what she wanted.
Even when Anastasia wanted it too, she would be forced to give it up for Michelle. It was the duties of the eldest daughter, they said.
"No, thanks," Anastasia responded.
"Whatever," Michelle snorted before she zoomed off, leaving a cloud of dust behind that made Anastasia cough.
In no time, Anastasia was able to find a cab.
Reaching the city hall, Anastasia found Michelle standing in front of a staff; it was the same staff that called Anastasia to come retrieve her marriage certificate.
It turned out they had registered to the same staff.
Anastasia wanted to turn back and leave to avoid another encounter with Michelle. Unfortunately, luck wasn't on her side.
The staff recognized Anastasia and quickly called her.
"Mrs. Wallace, I have your marriage certificate with me. Please come and get it," said the staff.
Instantly, Michelle turned back with a grin on her face when she saw Anastasia.
"Ana, come and take your marriage certificate," she urged her.
Anastasia read between the lines. She was mocking her for marrying the black sheep while she was married to the CEO of the Wallace enterprise.
Anastasia revealed a small smile that didn't reach her eyes, took the marriage certificate from the staff, and turned, about to leave, but Michelle stopped her.
"Come on, I want to see it. I want to see the useless man you will start calling your husband for the rest of your life," she urged, her eyes filled with mockery and her tone hushed, so that the staff wouldn't hear her.
"We can see it later," Anastasia replied, about to walk out but Michelle grabbed her hand, stopping her.
"Don't make me repeat myself," she threatened with a glare.
In a blink of an eye, Michelle's expression was back to normal, as if she hadn't just threatened Ana.
"Anastasia." Ana heard someone call her. She turned back to find Richard marching towards them.
When they had come to register, he had made it clear to her that he wasn't coming along with her to get the certificates.
'What is he doing here?' She wondered.
"Hi Michelle," he greeted her, while Michelle tried to hide the disgust in her face as she stared at him. She couldn't be any more glad that she was married to Xavier.
Turning to Anastasia, he suggested, "Let's go home and celebrate by having a little fun tonight." He winked at Anastasia with a sly grin on his lips as he chewed a piece of gum. He placed his hand on her waist, making her flinch.
Anastasia ignored him, pretending she didn't hear him speak. She gulped down her saliva, inhaled then exhaled, hoping it would calm her nerves.
"I'm talking to you," Richard nearly yelled at her when she gave him nothing but silence.
"You are hurting me," she managed to mumble, her eyes lowering, unable to make eye contact with him. His grip on her waist had tightened.
"Oh, so you can hear me? I thought you went deaf for a second," said Richard, licking his lips lustfully as he sized her up.
Tears pooled in Anastasia's eyes while her hands clenched on the envelope, the paper that clearly stated she was finally married to Richard, who was the black sheep of the Wallace family.
While her younger sister, Michelle was to marry her first son, Xavier, whom she had only seen once when he and his grandma came to their mansion to finalize a few things with her family.
She knew her whole world had shattered and there was no point in revival. She could have ran away, far away from these people, but she couldn't. Her father had already threatened her that if she did, he would demolish the NGO she owned.
The NGO was a place filled with happy children, a place she worked hard to build with her savings. The center had been spearheaded by her cousin who lived in constant fear of Anastasia's father. So, for the children's happiness, she had to sacrifice her freedom.
Michelle scoffed when she saw Anastasia tearing up.
"Richard, I've been asking Ana to show me the certificate, but she doesn't want to show me. But now that you are here, don't you want to see how handsome you look in it?" She asked him with a bright smile.
"I want to see how I look in the picture, not that I would be surprised by my looks since I've always been handsome. Show it to me, baby," Richard urged her.
'Fool,' Michelle thought to herself.
Anastasia didn't want to delay and make things harder for her. Her hands trembled as she ripped open the envelope that contained the marriage certificate. She could feel the weight of their gazes on her as she spread it open, her breath catching in her throat.
Her eyes fell on the photo attached and the certificate slipped from her grasp, fluttering on the floor. Her heart pounded wildly, her chest tight with a mix of disbelief and fear.
'That's not Richard, that's Xavier.'
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