Chapter 3: I'm going to sell the apartment

While in the car, Amber broke the uncomfort silence.

"So... what are you gonna do now? she asked.

Elena sighed before she answered, "I don't know. As you just heard, I no longer have a home or a job. First things first, I'm going to find a new job, then find a place to rent."

"Why not live in the apartment you gave to Alex?" Amber asked, giving Elena a quick glance before going back to focus on the road.

"I bought that place for him, Amber," Elena remarked while holding the sapphire necklace in her hands tightly. "I was hoping that one day, he would propose to me and we would live in that same apartment. Well, he was the one who gave that idea. Plus, Dad's company owns the building, so..."

"Ok, Ah... Never mind about living in that apartment," Amber said while grimacing.

Just as she said this, a man in his beat-up car tried to overtake her but failed. This causes him to start screaming profanities at them. "You f**king b*tch."

Amber semi-sticked her head through the window and screamed back, "Oh yeah. I hope you get a flat tire."

After saying this, Amber pulls her head back in. Just then, Elena heard a boom and screeching noise, which spooked her. She looked in the rearview mirror and saw that the beat-up car's tires had exploded.

"Amber, are you a witch or something. All four of that car's tires exploded," she said.

"Karma is a witch," Amber said while smirking. "Let's not pay attention to that idiot and focus on your situation."

"Ok." Elena hesitantly stopped looking at the rearview mirror and continued. "So, yeah. I'm going to sell that apartment, find a job, and then get a place where I can rent."

Elena paused to look out the car window, then said, "I've been relying on my father since I was a baby. I'm all on my own now."

"Don't worry, Elena." Amber said, her eyes still focused on the road, "As I said before, no matter what happens, I will always be there for you. There is an empty apartment room just right beside mine. You can move there."

"OK, I will think about it. And thank. That means a lot to me right now." Elena said as she looked at the scene outside the car.

Two weeks had passed since Elena had walked away from her old life, and now she found herself in the kitchen area of the apartment she had once bought for Alex.

As she looked at the furniture she had purchased with her own hard-earned money, she felt a bitter taste in her mouth, remembering the time she and Alex were at the furniture store. Alex purposefully picked the most expensive ones out of all of them, knowing she was paying for them.

"I'm such an idiot," Elena said as she touched the blender on the container.

While reminiscing, her phone rang, interrupting her thoughts. She looked at the phone, sighed, and braced herself before answering the call. It was a call from one of the interviews she did, which was the last one to call.

"Hello?" Elena's voice was tinged with uncertainty as she answered.

"Hello, Elena," came the voice on the other end of the line. "I just wanted to let you know that after the interview we had with you, we'd have liked to offer you the position. However."

Hearing this, Elena's mood drooped even lower because she had heard this line countless times already.

They hesitantly continued, "There have been some... concerns raised about the background check we've done on you. I'm afraid we'll need to conduct a more thorough investigation before we can finalize the offer."

"Of course," she said with resignation. "I understand."

As she ended the call, Amber walked into the room with a paper bag with donuts and a cup of coffee. She took one look at Elena and immediately understood what happened.

"Let me guess. Another rejection," she said as she placed the food in the container.

Elena sighed and ran her hand through her hair as she explained.

"Yeah," she said, her voice bitter with frustration. "Dad wasn't kidding when he said he would make sure I never got accepted into another company."

After saying this, Elena placed the blender in a box and sealed it shut, then continued, "Five interviews, and all of them rejected me." She then walked over to the living area and plopped down on the sofa. Amber followed her and gently sat beside her.

Elena continued, "I wonder what rumors he is spreading about me."

"1) You were the cause of his company losing a $10 million contract last year. 2) You demanded that your salary be $100,000 a month; he refused, and you threatened to lick the company's data. 3) Anyone who hires you will become an enemy of the Dawnfire Family," Amber said all of these while counting on her three fingers.

Elena let out a long sigh when she heard that, then said, "I expected as much. How did you know about those?"

"I tried to use my connections to get you a job, and, well, you know the rest," Amber said.

Disappointed, Elena looked down at her phone and remembered something.

"Oh, that's not all. He also gave my number to your dad," she said while looking through her phone.

"Really? Did he send you a message or try to call you?" Amber asked while gently clutching Elena's free hand.

"Both," Elena said while holding out her phone. "He tried to call early this morning but I was asleep so he texted me. I haven't read it yet, too scared to."

Amber grabbed the phone from Elena's hand and clicked on the text. Frowning her brows, she began to read, "Dear Elena Dawnfire... What the hell? Are you sure this isn't from another one of your interviews?"

"Yes, I'm sure. Continue reading," Elena said, confused as well.

Amber continued to read, "Dear Elena Dawnfire. As you already know, your father proposed marriage between you and me, which I accepted. However, I heard that you didn't take the news well because of a breakup with your male friend... So do not waste any time I have already booked a venue and allocated a budget of $200,000. I also found out that you're from your stepmother and sister and that your favorite color is brown. (Wait a minute. Your favorite color is blue. Those two she-devils," she continues. "Even though it is unsightly for that to be a girl's favorite color, I made it the theme of the wedding as a way to welcome you into my family. I also used the measurements of the clothes you left at your father's place to get a wedding custom-made for you. By the way, please lose some weight before the wedding so that you can fit in the dress. The wedding will take place in 2 months, which should be enough time for you to cool off from your tantrum. But before then, I would like for you to visit xxxx hospital for a checkup to make sure you are healthy enough to be my wife... Oh wow. I... I don't know what to say."

Amber clutched the phone in her hands and looked over at Elena, who was too shocked to utter a word.

She then looked at the phone screen again and said, "There's more. By the way, I want to cut contact with Amber... She is my daughter so I know very well she can be a very bad influence. She has already influenced you to disobey your father, which means that she could cause trouble in our marriage. Her mother and stepmother already failed at raising her properly, which is why she has become that way. I know that you are a good girl, Elena but you need to stop talking to her. Best wishes, your future husband."

"Psychopath," Elena muttered. "My dad is trying to marry me to a psychopath."

Amber turned off the phone and placed it on the coffee table, then started patting Elena on the back, "There, there, Elena. I will make sure that creep doesn't come anywhere near you. And remember this: that man is no longer your dad anymore. You disowned him two weeks ago."

As she said this, the doorbell rang.

"Oh, the buyers!" Elena exclaimed, then jumped out of the sofa and rushed to the door.

Amber followed behind, "Buyers. But you're not finished packing the furniture yet." she said

Elena placed her hand on the doorknob and said, "I'm selling the apartment with them. I don't want them. I was packing the kitchen utensils because I like those."

"Ahm... Ok, then I will just continue packing them while you talk to the buyers." Amber said this before walking to the kitchen area.

When Elena opened the door, standing behind it were Sophia and Alex. Sophia's hair was done up in a way to find the bold spot done by Amber and Alex was behind her carrying a lot of shopping bags.

Before Elena could comprehend what was going on, Sophia pushed her out of the way and walked into the living room area, then sat on the sofa.

Elena manages to overcome her shock and exclaims, "What are you doing here?!"

This got the attention of Amber, who stopped packing to see what was going on. She walks over to Elena and makes eye contact with Sophia.

When Sophia sees her, this makes her tense, then she mutters, "Daddy said that I can get this apartment."

"You want to buy the apartment?" Elena asked, a bit confused.

Sophia looks at her and then sneers, "No, you idiot. Dad's company owns this apartment complex, so he is giving it to me for free."

"So he is buying this apartment for you?" Amber asked, also confused.

"No. He is taking it from you and giving it to me." Sophia rolled her eyes when she said this.

"No. Nonononoooooo. None a dat. Get out!" Amber screamed before pointing to the door.

Sophia became a bit fearful, but when she remembered that Alex was there, she mustered up the courage to say, "But my dad's company made this apartment complex, so I can get it if I want."

"Will I ain't your dad? You are not getting this apartment for free. Either you buy it from me or get out." Elena was starting to get angry.

Sophia looked at Elena fiercely, then let out a breath. She then adopted a gentle demeanor and said to her, "Elena, honey. I know that you are upset that me and Alex are now together, and I get it. But please be happy for me. Alex and I have a baby on the way, and we are going to get married. So as a wedding gift, why give me this apartment. Please. Pretty please." She clasped her hands together and blinked her eyes when she said that.

Elena looked at her with a mixture of shock, horror, and disgust and said, "No."

"Then I will just call my dad then. Let's see what he'll say about this." Sohia said.

She reached into her handbag and pulled out her phone. Before she could dial Mr. Dawnfire Amber with lightning speed, she grabbed the phone out of her hand. She then grabbed Sophia's hair, and she began to scream because of the pain.

Alex dropped all the shopping bags and reached to grab Amber's arm, but she was much faster than him. She tossed Sophia's phone to Elena, who confusedly caught it, then grabbed Alex's hand and twisted it. This causes him to scream and drop to his knees.

Amber lifted Sophia's head up so that their eyes could meet, and then, in a menacing tone she said, "Elena and I are playing games with you and your dad. Since you want this place, then buy it. Elena, give her the phone."

Elena hands over the phone to Sophia, who still has her hair held by Amber.

Amber pulled her and Alex to the kitchen where the deed transfer contract for the apartment was, and then she said, "Sign the contract and then transfer the money to Elena's account, and if you dare try anything fishy, I will pull every single hair out of your head."

Crying, Sophia did as she was told, and when she was done, Amber let them both go.

"Good girl," she said, then she turned to Elena and said, "Let's get out of here before she gets re-enforcement."

She and Amber gathered up all the packed boxes and ran out of the apartment complex.

In the car.

"I can't believe you did that. What if she calls the police on you and presses charges." Elena said she was very worried.

"Oh, relax already. She won't do it," Amber said while driving.

Elena, still on edge, exclaimed, "And how would you know that she won't."

"Trust me, she won't," she said, trying to reassure her.

"Why?" Elena asked, confused.

Amber continues while focusing on the road, "Because I have a lot of dirt on her."

"What is it?" Elena curiously asked.

Amber whispers, "I will tell you when we get home, but let's not focus on that right now. What's next on your to-do list ?"

Elena paused to think, "I already sold the apartment and got a potential place to rent; the last thing to do is find a job."

"Oh, I forgot. There is no need to worry about that. I already have."