Losing Control

Prologue

"Dad, you cannot be serious," Stephanie Asuncion rolled her eyes and placed her hands on her hips, her stance angry and frustrated.  "Ma, please.  Pagsabihan mo si dad," she looked pleadingly from her dad to her mom and back again.

"Steph, kailangan mo nang matuto.  Puro na lang party ang inaatupag mo.  I didn't send you to school to earn a bachelors and masters degree in business administration just so you can party your life away," Rafael told his daughter calmly.  He loved his daughter, loved her too much, even.  Only daughter nila ni Eva si Stephanie at sobrang na-spoil ang kanilang unica hija.

"Dad, honestly, I thank you for sending me to school and all that, pero I'm still young.  Matataas naman yung grades ko in school.  Summa cum laude naman ako.  Di ko naman sinayang ang education ko.  Pero please, dad, ibalato mo na lang sa akin to.  I like what I'm doing.  I like party planning for my friends.  Minsan nga iniisip ko, maybe I can start a business with this.  Hindi lang naman ako nagpaparty just to party."

"Steph, pakingan mo muna ang daddy mo," Eva told her daughter and reached for her hand.  "Ikaw lang naman ang magmamana ng business natin pagnagretire na kami ng daddy mo.  We just want you to prepare for it."

"Ma, come on.  I know that being hoteliers mean everything to you and dad.  But that's for you and dad, not for me.  It's too big.  It's too much."

"Steph, kaka-25 mo na.  You are not getting any younger.  And like you said, you graduated with honors.  Kaya mo yan, anak.  Please take our family business seriously," Eva continued to plead with her daughter.

"I can't, Ma.  I'm sorry.  Dad, please understand me."

"Please understand me, Stephanie," her dad said seriously.  

"Dad, this is my life.  Buhay ko to.  Yes, I owe you a lot, pero dad, can't you let me find my own way?"

"I'm sorry, Steph.  Hindi pwede.  I can't take that risk.  By hook or by crook, you will work for me and take over our family business."

"What do you mean, dad?" Stephanie's eyes grew large as curiousity and fear took over.

"Hindi mo ito alam dahil wala kang pakialam sa business natin pero...we've been losing money Steph.  For a few years now."

"That can't be true, dad.  Ma?" she shifted her gaze between her mom and dad again.

"It's true, S," Eva said sadly.

"Well, what are we doing about it?  Are we closing down branches?"

"We already did," Rafael sighed defeatedly.

"What?  Kelan pa?"

"We've closed one once a year."

"I'm sorry, I didn't know," Stephanie hugged her mother.

"Kaya nga we need you now more than ever, before we lose everything, everything we worked so hard to build up from the ground up." Eva tucked her daughter's hair behind her ears.

"What do you mean?"

"We're getting bought out."

"No!" Stephanie said, shock coursing through her veins.

"But there is a way we can still hold on to our hotels."

"What is it?"

"Steph..." her mother looked at her with sad eyes.

"You have to get married," Rafael interrupted Eva.

"What?"

"You have to marry the Benitez heir."