Husband For Hire

2. You Destroyed Me

2. You Destroyed Me
Destroying someone and being proud of it only reveals your own character.

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"I'm not apologizing to anyone," I said tersely.

"Just imagine if the video accidentally gets leaked to the media," waiter boy said. "Little Ms. Majhraut caught destructing property. Related article: Another Belieber Attack?" He laughed at his joke but stopped when no one else did.

He might think he had the upper hand.

Wait till I'm out.

"Annie dear, just apologize and let's get out of here," Mom said.

"Why would I apologize?" I asked. She was being absurd. "Your employees dropped soup on my shoes, insulted me, and now sent me to jail. On my birthday! If anyone deserves an apology, it's me."

The serf boy stood up at that statement. He faced my mother. "Your daughter made your employee drop the soup which--by the way--resulted in a burned forearm." He pointed to the waitress's red forearm. "She destroyed my car too while I was in there with Cecily to take her to a doctor."

"She said herself it was her fault!" I retorted.

"What about my car?" he asked.

"That rusty piece of junk--"

"How are you even Ravi Majhraut's daughter?" His face was scrunched up as if he couldn't believe I was related to my own father. He knew Papa?

I stared back into his black eyes and wondered why he dragged my father into this. My mom took me to the side but my gaze wouldn't leave that waiter's. Who did he think he was?

"Annie, look at me," Mom said forcefully turning my face.

"What?"

"Just apologize and everything'll be sorted out."

I crossed my arms. "Make me."

"If the media gets a hold of this--" she said worried.

"I don't care what the media portrays me as." I shrugged.

"Then worry about your father's reputation, Annie!" Mom said sharply. Her pale face turned rigid and those pale blue eyes narrowed down at me. "The first thing everyone will bring up is your father. How his daughter is out of hand, wild etc. Annie, you know he wanted you married as soon as you turned twenty one. If you keep these acts up, no sane boy of our status will marry you!" And I care because . . . ? "Think about your dad."

Every parent had that manipulative side inside them. My mother Alissa Majhraut was nothing different.

Silently, we walked back to the cop and my mom's two employees. I masked my face of any emotion.

"I'm sorry," I said aloud, without looking at anyone except the wall. All for my father's good reputation.

"What?" waiter boy asked.

"I said I am sorry," I repeated calmly.

He gave a satisfied smile. His partner, however, looked skeptical of my behavior. They were going to pay for forcing me to apologize. Cecily and Ashar were two names I wasn't going to forget anytime soon.