Antonio couldn't believe his ears. Not for once had his mother shouted at him because of someone else. It was all new to him. He couldn't believe it. He just stood there with tears in his eyes, staring at his mother like he didn't know her at all.
Everyone's mouths were gaping. They couldn't believe what they were hearing.
"Mom!" Andrea gasped, looking at her as if she had just said the most abominable thing. "Marriage? What is going on here and..."
"Shut up, Andrea!" Emilia said without even looking at her. "I think it's better if you just don't talk right now. This doesn't concern you."
"But mom, I..."
Before she could even finish her sentence, granny held her hand, squeezing it to stop her from talking. She got the signal but God knew she was pissed. She had heard what her mother had just said to her brother and she was concerned.
"So are you..."
"Mom, I have already told you my mind," Antonio said, looking away. "I don't care what you and father had promised. I am not going to marry some stupid boy." He said with a warning in his voice. "If you want me to marry, I am fine with it. I am ready to get married even now but to someone that I love. I have a boyfriend and..."
"I don't care even if you have a fiancé." She retorted, signaling him to stop talking with her hand. "I have told you exactly what happened and..."
"Why mom?" Antonio couldn't hold himself anymore. A million tears flooded his face. "Why are you doing this to me? It's me..." He pointed at himself with more tears going down his face. "It's your Antonio, your little boy, mom. You used to do everything that I wanted, mom. What happened? Am I not your son anymore? Don't you love me anymore?"
"Of course," She sighed, getting a little broken. "I love you so much. But this is something that I have to do. Vows in Ashton are of great importance and they must be fulfilled no matter what? We made a vow and it must be fulfilled." She started getting closer to him. "I know that this boy will make you happy. He is a good boy and I promise you will like him. The priest had even confirmed years ago that you are destined to be together." She touched his hands softly.
"Please, agree to marry him and I will start making marriage arrangements as soon as possible." She pleaded. "You will do this for your mother, won't you, my love?"
Antonio remained quiet just crying softly. His mind was only on one person, Bruce! He loved him so much and the last thing he wanted to do was hurt him. That was gonna mean hurting himself too. He wasn't gonna do it.
"My love, will you..."
"Fuck them all!" He cursed, furiously releasing his hands from his mother. "Fuck all those vows you made and..."
Before he could even finish his sentence, Emilia raised her hand furiously and smacked him across the face hard. Antonio had never expected that and it hurt like hell. He felt as if his cheek had just been set on fire. It was his first slap from his mother and he couldn't believe she did it.
The entire family had their hands on their mouths, surprised by what Emilia had just done. She always treated Antonio like a prince and now she had just slapped him. It was a great surprise for everyone. They couldn't still believe it.
"I will not have you use such language in front of me, young man." Emilia was furious. "What about everything that I have taught you, uh? Is this the son that I raised? Maybe I am to blame for all this because I spoiled you too much and I am warning you never to use such language with me."
"Wow mom," Antonio said with a billion tears following. He was super mad. "You should clap for yourself for this. And here I was thinking that I was coming back to my mother, the woman that loves me so much. I was happy to be home and to see you but you have changed so much.
I can't believe you are still the same woman that used to sacrifice everything for me." The pain in his voice couldn't be masked. "I shouldn't have come back. I made a really big mistake and..."
"Antonio..."
"No, Eduardo!" He stopped his brother before he even finished calling him. "Mom has changed. And now she is using father to blackmail me but I shall not be moved and I will not marry that boy." He warned, pointing at her. "As for father's wealth, I shall find a way to get it without you, mom. I can't believe this." He furiously rubbed his tears. "As soon as I get everything, I will go back abroad and leave you alone. I will live happily without you in my life because it seems you've gone crazy."
He angrily shook his head and quickly turned. But before he took even a single step...
"I think you are right," Emilia said with tears following behind. "I have changed a whole lot. I have changed so much that I have even lost the love my son had for me."
Hearing what she had said, Antonio turned and looked at her.
"I am crazy but I have also failed." A tear went down her cheek. "I have completely failed in everything. I was given a really simple task and yet I can't even do it." She cried. "I have failed Harvey completely. I promised him with my life that I would make sure his vow is fulfilled but I have failed,"
Suddenly, Emilia started laughing bitterly. "You know what," She quickly rubbed her tears. "I don't care if you go back abroad or do anything you want. But I will not stand here and watch with the thought that I failed my husband, my life partner. Go!" She pointed towards the door. "Pack your clothes and go back to that man you claim loves you more than me. Go!"
With those words, Emilia furiously turned and started going away. Everyone was expecting her to go to her room, lock her door, and come back to her senses. But what she did surprised and scared everyone in the living room.
"What are you doing?" Granny gasped, quickly rushing to the dining room. "Are you crazy?"
Everyone rushed to the dining room including Antonio who was no longer mad but scared.
Emilia was standing near the dining table with a big fruit knife in her hands which she was holding firmly with her right hand. She had the sharp edge resting on her left wrist ready to slice it open. Everyone was scared.
"Emilia!" Granny shouted. "What do you think you are doing?"
"What do you think, mother?" Emilia said softly with tears following. "What can I do when I feel ashamed? I don't think I can continue living with so much shame and humiliation. I have failed my husband. I have failed to fulfill the promise I had made to him and..."
"Mom!" Eduardo gasped, trying to get closer but his mother stopped him. "Please, we can talk about this. My brother just came home and we should all be happy right now and..."
"Happy?" Emilia chuckled bitterly, shaking her head. "All of you will be happy without me in your lives. Let me die and be with my husband and..."
"Mom!" Antonio quavered, feeling scared. "Please, don't do this and..."
"What do you care?" She yelled. "Go back abroad and live happily with that man you love. Why do you care if I live or die?"
"Because I love you," Antonio said softly. "Please, I love you so much and..."
"Oh! Now you love me?" She laughed. "I don't need your fake love, Antonio!" She yelled. "You have just proved that you neither love me nor your father. But it's fine. Just turn around, get out and go back abroad and..."
"How can I?" Antonio quavered. "What you are about to do is wrong."
"You have your life to live and I have mine." She said simply. "Why should you make decisions for me? Get out and..."
"Mom, please..." Andrea pleaded, putting her hands together. "...please, don't do this." She rushed to both her brothers. "Do something please..." She cried. "Don't let anything happen to mom."
They all started begging her to think twice before she did anything stupid but she had decided to end her life. She couldn't live in a place where no one understood her, especially her son. Celine and Eduardo begged her to think twice and at least see her grandchildren being born but she didn't want to hear it.
Antonio had never been so scared in his life. He had lost a father. He didn't want to lose a mother also. He loved her too much but she didn't want to hear anything.
"I am just a mother who is trying to do what's best for her son." She cried softly. "I am a wife that is trying to fulfill her husband's wish and protect his dignity but it seems you don't understand anything. It's better if I die so that I won't be here to see you go astray. I am sorry but I have to do this."
Emilia added pressure to the knife, ready to slice her wrist. She wasn't gonna back down but suddenly...
"Okay! I will do what you want." Antonio yelled, pleading with her. "I will marry the boy you want me to marry. Just don't hurt yourself."
Emilia felt a cold wind blow on her face. Her heart stopped beating for a second. She held her breath and her tears stopped flowing. Her strength left her and she slowly raised her face to stare into her son's eyes. She still couldn't believe it and she thought she was dreaming but...
"I will do what you want," Antonio said again. "I will marry him. Just drop the knife and I promise to marry the boy. I promise you, mom..."
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