Beautiful and Better (ENGLISH)

Nine

I didn’t know what to say to my Dad. I don’t want to add to the lies I told them. 

One by one, I picked up the pictures scattered on the floor. There are other shots there, as well as the two of us kissing are there. I should not be surprised that they have such evidence. Because no matter who they are, they do not trust people easily. 

Today my happiest day with Matthew has been replaced by the anger of my parents. 

"We have given you all the trust you want, Tally. But in the end, you will still choose to disobey us." Dad shouted furiously as his hands landed on my cheeks.

I almost jumped in shock at its big voice echoing throughout the house. This is the day I dread. But I was more afraid for Matthew. He could not protect himself. In an instant, my family could destroy him.

"Dad, please forgive me!"  I begged as tears poured on my cheeks.  

“I already gave you my trust, Tally, and just like before, you’ve wasted it. Forgive you? I’ve already done that before, and now you’re asking that on me for the second time? Leave that bastard and marry Pendleton. I may forgive Tallulah!” He ordered and left.

I hugged myself while I broke down crying when Mom and Dad left me. I never thought all my smiles and pleasure of that day would be taken away so quickly. The stolen moments of the two of us will also immediately be noticed.

I slumped to the floor. It was as if my knees were weak, and I could no longer stand. I blinked as I felt something cold touch my cheek. Ari gave me a sad smile before hugging me. I was waiting for her to say that she warned me. But as usual, she just quietly accompanied me until I got tired of crying.

I fell asleep, but I still feel numbness on my cheek when my Dad slapped me. But I need to act and do something and think about what it will do to help Matthew. I can't just cry here.

I tried to call Matthew several times, but no one answered his phone, so I was even more nervous. Maybe later, Dad found him, and I don’t know what he will do with him. But I was relieved when the phone rang, and a message came in. It’s from Matt. He said he was on the taping, so he could not answer my call. He said he would call me after he was done with his job, but I told him to send a message because Dad already knew about the two of us. A few minutes later, my phone rang because of his call.

"What happened? Are you okay? Did they hurt you?" he bombarded me with questions. I could feel the concern in his voice.

"I'm fine. But I'm worried for you may be what they will do--"

"Don't worry about me. I can handle myself. I'll come after you. Take care of yourself, ah! I love you," he said before hurriedly turning off the phone.

Then after I talked to Matt, I took a bath and left my room. Our home has many bodyguards, and it has increased even more. My parents were gone when I came out. Ari said that they had left because they were going to the party.

"Are you alright?" Ari asked worriedly as she sat down next to me. 

We are here in the living room now because I do not know what to do. I might cry if I stayed in my room. Even if I wanted to go to Matt, it was not possible because of my guards. And Dad is watching over him, so it's even more dangerous. I may even bring him disaster, and that is what I don’t want to happen.

I answered Ari with a small smile. Even if I say I'm not okay, it won't help. All I want now is to see Matthew and talk. I don't know how to escape here.

"Whatever you are planning, stop because we are both dead to your Dad. I’m sure of that," Ari frowned at me.

I pouted and leaned on Ari's shoulder. Every time I think about how many times I prayed for Matthew to come into my life, I can’t help but cry. Then soon, he will leave immediately and take away from me. I want to be with him for a long time.

"Can I run away with Ari?" I winced when she hit me.

"You think that he's worthy enough to do that? That man is not worth it for you to elope," she growled.

For them, someone like Matthew is not worth it for me. But someone like him is already too much for what I ask. "I don't need a man who can surpass me or equal me. All I need is a man who can accept and love me despite my flaws."

"There is nothing wrong with you, Tally. You are just fat, but you are still human," he slapped me with a pillow.

"I love him, Ari."

"Oh my gosh! I don't know about you, Tallulah! You're going crazy because of love. What if your siblings come here? Are you going to cry pretentiously? You know--" she paused for a moment before sitting down again beside me and whispered. "Speaking of the devils! They look like they are going to start a war. Oh, Tally, I don't want to die yet."

Ari almost squeezed her body behind me to hide from the siblings when they approached. Even I did not know what to do while sitting there. In the distance, I can see how they look at me. The three of them are adding to my problem here, so I'm even more restless.

"Tallulah!" I almost jumped in my seat in shock.

"Thorion ..," I whispered to my older brother.

Dad hates me that he doesn't want to see me calling them here and telling everything about me again. I am the only girl in the family, but he always says that I am the most stubborn. Even the truth is that I am not doing anything wrong.

"What is Dad saying that you have a problem?" he asked immediately in a serious voice.

Before I could weave a new story into my brain, another of my siblings disturbed me.

"How are you, Tally? Are you grounded? What a pity we will take you to the beach," my brother Tate teased me with a smile for the third time.

"Don't mess around, Tate!" I waved his arm around my shoulder.

"You're naughty, so you have a boyfriend!"

I stared at him badly because what he said hit me. Sometimes the mouth of my brother comes from a female. You never know when it will be serious and when it will be a joke.

"Stop it, Tate! Did you miss us, Tallulah?" Thorin asked me.

"Why are you all here? Daddy is mad at me enough, don't add up anymore," I frowned as I turned my back on them.

But before I could step away, Thorion pulled me to sit down. That means I can't run away from them. To make matters worse, they will ask me to tell them what happened, and that is what I don’t want to happen.

"Nanny, get us an ice pack," Thorin shouted at one of our housemates.

"I'm fine. I don't need your help--"

"That's not what we can see right now, Tally. You need us because if not, why did your cheek look like that. Or maybe your boyfriend did that to you?" my brows wrinkled when Thorion turned to me, accusing Matthew of something he can do.

"Matthew is not doing anything wrong to me," I turned to him.  

"So, his name is Matthew? Sounds like a playboy!" Tate teased me again.  

I was so annoyed with him that I threw a pillow at him.  So I don't want them here because they are so chaotic and nasty. My head hurts with problems, and they were adding more.

"I hate you!" I shouted here, but he just stuck out his tongue at me. He acts like a child! 

"You two stopped. Put that on your face, and when I get annoyed at both of you, I will add more bruises on that face, Mary Tallulah!" I pouted when I heard Thorion called me by my full name.

"Where did you get it? I mean, you met your boyfriend's baby?" 

"Tsk! Baby? Could you stop calling me that Thorin? I’m big enough for that pet name of yours,” I hissed at him. But as always, the more I ask them to stop, the more they’ll keep doing it.

“Why don’t you want to be called  Baby anymore? You’re still our baby, Tally. No matter what happens, even if you find someone that will take care of you, I think nothing will change your still our baby.” I can't help but roll my eyes at Thorion.

Thorion is the eldest among us, the serious type, and a huge brother next where Thorin has his world outside, but here at home, he is the geeky and very naughty second brother of mine. The last one was Tate, who kept on annoying me since childhood, but he's also a big brother vibe every time other kids will bully me. And I was the youngest and the least in the family. They were a heartthrob, and girls were lining up to sleep with them, unlike me. 

“You're giving me a hard time, and you knew that?” 

“At least we're here to bother you and make you busy in the meantime.” 

I must be busy with Matt now. But here I am, and taking care of my siblings is more stubborn than I am. I tried to call Matt, but he did not answer me. And I can't seem to breathe thinking about how I can get to my boyfriend because my Dad might have done something about him.

"Would you like me to call him maybe just in case he answered?" I turned to Thorin, who was sitting next to me. 

"Thorin, don't bother me." 

"What if Dad took him and now tortures him. He might not come back to you," I was annoyed at Tate that I threw him the grapes I was eating. 

"You're annoying! Can you leave?" I scowled at them.

"We're just helping you, Tally. Did you know Dad was furious when he called us? He wanted to send you to Switzerland if you didn't marry Pendleton," I was momentarily taken aback by what Thorion said.

"I don't want to marry him. I don't even know that man. Why do I have to get married? Can't you do that for me?" I almost cried while begging on him. 

Because honestly, I was so frustrated to think that I would need to break up with Matt. And I need to marry that man. Now I wouldn't say I like the name, Marciu Pendleton. 

"You know we don't have to marry someone else. And you know Dad's reason why he does it, Tally,” Tate said.

Maybe Tate was right. Dad was like this because of me exactly. And that's what I can't accept. I don't need help with that kind of thing. Because I knew that if I got hurt again, I knew I could get up also. 

"I don't need any protection, and you know that. So I will accept if I get hurt in my relationship with Matthew and what we have. But what I can't accept is marrying the man I don't love to make Dad happy." 

"He would not be happy to give away his daughter, Tally. It's because he knew that you were in good hands with Pendleton," Thorion said like he was so sure about what he was saying.

“Thorion's right, Tally. Dad is doing that for a reason. Maybe you should look at the bright side,” Tate said as if what he was saying would help. 

I do not know how I will react while listening to their reasons. Suddenly I stood up when Dad came in, and I almost fainted at who was with him. 

"Matthew ..." 

"So that was Matthew, he looks like a gigolo," Tate whispered beside me. 

"Dad, who’s with you?" Thorion started. 

"Your sister can answer that, Rion,"

And everybody’s eyes turned on me like I was in a hot seat. As if they were expecting me to say the truth now. 

“Family, meet my boyfriend, Matthew Ventura.” 

“Nice to meet you, Matthew, but you're not welcome in our house,” Tate mocked him, making everyone laugh. But I knew that would hurt Matthew. 

It was as if I was an audience while listening to them mock the person I love. One by one, they judged Matt as if they knew him. 

"I love your son," Matthew said boldly while looking at me. 

"Really? How can you love to feed my child? Do you see where you're standing right now? Do you see what my child has that you don’t have?" 

"Dad, please." 

"I will work hard for your daughter. Everything is possible if you work hard." Dad's loud laughter filled the whole house. Laughs, you know, are sarcastic. 

"Break up with my daughter, and I will give you everything you want. Matthew Ventura, right? Gigolo, a Part-time entertainer with the elders and a model anywhere, can not be obtained except with my daughter's help. So how will you fight for My daughter there? My daughter gave you everything you had right now," Dad shouted. 

"Dad, right please," I begged him. 

But as before, it seems that no one hears all my pleas. I almost fell, and my siblings grabbed me. I tried to get Matthew’s attempt to approach them to approach me, but my siblings just stopped me. 

"My brother does not deserve you. Because we will not be surprised if you like him because of his money, but you will never shake him like everyone else." 

"Tate!" I shouted as my brother punched Matthew. 

"Dad, please! Rion, please stop them!" I beg them. But instead of listening to me, they kept beating up the man who was essential to me. 

"Matthew, I’m so sorry! I’m sorry!" I was crying silently as I watched Matt almost faint at what my siblings had done. 

I thought everything, when you loved, was okay. If you fight for everything, you want it to be okay. But while looking at the man I love who is almost paralyzed by my siblings, I wish I had just avoided him like how you fight for an initially forbidden love.