He drove me back to my house, but I couldn't bring myself to get out of the car. I sat there longer than expected, staring ahead, lost in my thoughts. It wasn't until Donovan finally spoke that I snapped out of it.
"It's late. Your family must be worried," he said calmly, his eyes fixed on the road.
I looked at him with a mixture of resentment and gratitude. I had offered myself to him so easily, practically throwing myself at him, and he could have done whatever he pleased. There would have been few consequences for him. But instead, he brought me back safely. It irritated me—the more time I spent with him, the more of a gentleman he seemed to become. I hated it. I didn't want to believe that a man who looked so rough could be kind, especially when someone like Leo, with his angelic appearance, had proven to be so two-faced. The thought twisted my stomach in discomfort.
"Thank you for the ride," I murmured, shifting off the seat and stepping out of the car. But as soon as I turned to walk towards the house, I froze. A couple was approaching from up ahead, and they stopped dead in their tracks when they saw me getting out of the car.
I almost froze in place, too.
"Josephine?!" My mother's voice sounded flustered as she rushed towards me. My father, a step behind her, looked like the ground had been yanked out from beneath him. I realized, too late, that I was standing there in an unpresentable state, my disheveled appearance at this time of night, emerging from a strange man's car, was more than enough to send alarm bells ringing.
"What have you done?!" my mother cried, her voice shattered with distress.
"What do you mean?" I asked, confused. But when I saw the flash of disappointment in my father's eyes, the disdain with which he looked at me, my heart sank.
"Mom, let me explain!" I started, but they wouldn't listen. Donovan, sensing the tension, got out of the car to explain the situation, but it only made things worse.
My father, in a blind rage, stormed towards Donovan and, without warning, slapped him hard across the face. I gasped, my hands flying up to cover my mouth in horror.
"How dare you touch her with your filthy hands?!" he growled.
"Dad!" I yelled, horrified by his actions. I rushed over to Donovan, cupping his face in my hands, checking to see if he was alright. "Are you okay?!" I asked, my voice filled with concern. He looked at me briefly before turning away and walking off, his expression unreadable. A thick knot formed in my throat, choking me with guilt and frustration.
"What is wrong with you people?!" I shouted at my parents, anger boiling over. "He brought me home safe, and you hit him? What kind of people are you?!"
My father's voice cut through the air like a whip. "Go back to your room!" he commanded coldly.
"I hate you!" I screamed, watching Donovan's car disappear into the night, the wind from his departure whipping my dress around.
"Get inside!" my father barked again, but I could barely contain my fury. Stomping my foot in defiance, I turned and stormed inside, feeling utterly defeated and alone.
I threw myself onto the bed, my chest feeling heavier than ever. What was his fault? Jo cried inwardly. The warmth of Donovan's face lingered in my mind, the redness from the slap still vivid in my memory. I bit my lip hard, trying to hold back the tears, but they burned at the edge of my eyes. I pressed my hands against my face, feeling like everything was spiraling out of control.
"Everything is a mess!" I shouted into the empty room, my voice muffled by my hands. The confusion of it all weighed down on me. I didn't even realize how much time had passed until I noticed the light of dawn creeping into the room. I hadn't slept at all, my mind tossing and turning just as my body had done.
I have to see him! I have to apologize! I suddenly sat up in bed, my decision made. But just as I was about to act, a knock came at the door, making me pause.
Who could it be? I wondered, my confusion growing as the door slowly creaked open. My mother stood there, a soft smile on her face.
"You're awake. I'm glad," she said, stepping aside to allow someone else to enter the room. It was Leo.
"Leo said you two haven't seen each other in a while, and he's missed you. Today's your day off, so I thought you might like to plan a date," she said, her voice unnervingly cheerful.
A shiver crawled up my spine at the sight of Leo, and disgust churned in my stomach.
"Get out of my room. This instant!" I said coldly, barely controlling my emotions. I didn't know what I might do if he stayed.
"What's gotten into you all of a sudden? Are you upset because I haven't visited in a while?" he asked with a smirk, stepping closer to me. His presence felt suffocating, and as he reached out to touch me, I slapped his hand away.
"Get out!" I screamed, my voice filled with all the anger I had been holding back.
"Josephine, what has gotten into you?!" my mother scolded, her voice sharp with disapproval.
"What's gotten into me? Ask him!" I spat, my eyes blazing. "He's the one cheating on me with other women, and I'm the one losing my mind?! I want nothing to do with this man. Get him out of here!" I shouted, pointing accusingly at Leo.
Leo's face paled as his eyes widened in shock. "That's not true!" he protested, turning desperately to my mother for support.
"Josephine, that's impossible. Leo loves you!" My mother's voice was filled with disbelief, as though I were the one in the wrong.
"Okay, if that's not the case, how do you explain this?!" I grabbed my phone, pulling up the damning pictures I had been sent. "And yesterday! I saw him with my own eyes, all over some woman at the club! Are you still going to deny it?!" I threw the phone at Leo, the images glaring back at him like accusations. His eyes flickered with panic as beads of sweat formed on his forehead.
"Auntie, this is a misunderstanding. It's not what it looks like," he stammered, trying to sound confident. If I hadn't seen it myself, I might have believed him. He was that convincing.
My mother's gaze grew heavier, her expression unreadable as she asked Leo to leave the room. Her voice was calm, almost too calm, and I was left reeling with confusion. Once he was gone, she shut the door behind her, turning towards me with a seriousness I wasn't prepared for.
"Josephine! don't make a scene out of this. Our families have deep ties, and this could ruin everything," she said, her voice grave.
I stared at her, incredulous. "What the hell? You're telling me not to react, but what about him?!" I snapped, unable to hold back my anger.
"You need to understand, he's a man. He has desires, and sometimes you have to ignore them," she said matter-of-factly. Her words were like a slap to the face, leaving me momentarily speechless.
I couldn't stand it anymore. I pulled my hand out of her grasp, giving her a look of pure disgust. "I can't believe you would say something like that to me. I'm so disappointed in you," I whispered, my voice shaking with disbelief. Those were the only words I could manage before I slammed the bathroom door behind me, curling up on the floor, tears flowing freely. The weight of my mother's words crushed me as I sobbed into the silence, disgusted by the reality I was being asked to accept.