IV - Jana

As Jayla stormed away, her mother, Janella, followed close behind, her expression a mix of sorrow and anger. With a heavy heart, she grabbed Jayla's arm, spinning her around to face her.

"Jayla, listen to me," Janella's voice was tinged with bitterness as she struggled to contain her emotions. "This marriage is not just about business. It's about saving our family from the ruin you helped bring upon us."

"What ruin?" Jayla snapped, "Oh yes! If it's about bad luck, it's always me, right mother."

With a swift motion, Janella's hand connected with Jayla's cheek in a resounding slap, echoing through the hallway. Jayla recoiled, her eyes wide with shock and pain at her mother's action.

"You think you can just run away from this?" Janella's voice was filled with accusation, her anger boiling over. "Your reckless behavior put us in debt to the Lopez in the first place. It's because of stubbornness."

Tears started to well up in Jayla's eyes as her mother's words struck a nerve, each accusation like a knife to her heart. "And what about Nolan?" Janella continued, her voice trembling with emotion. "He died because of your carelessness, Jayla. Because of that hard head of yours." Janella pointing to Jayla's head.

Jayla's breath caught in her throat as memories of her beloved big brother flooded back ten years ago, the guilt of that fateful day weighing heavily on her soul. But before she could respond, Janella's accusations continued, each one more painful than the last.

"And because of that, because of your foolishness and carelessness, the youngest daughter of the Lopez family died. And your father is being treated like that by the Lopez. All because of you!" Janella's voice cracked with emotion as she pointed at her daughter.

Jayla's knees buckled beneath her as the weight of her mother's words crushed her spirit, the guilt and shame consuming her from within. With tears streaming down her face, she sank to the ground, her heart heavy with the burden of her past mistakes that her family kept on reminding her of as she was a prisoner. She couldn't utter a word from all of that. She was angry. She wanted to shout at her mother, but the emotions building inside her prevented her. She turned her back from her mother and rushed to her room.

As Jayla stormed away from her mother, she walked past Nexus, her tears blurring her vision. She barely registered her younger brother's presence. But Nexus, ever compassionate, reached out to her, his heart aching at her distress.

"Jayla, are you okay?" Nexus called out softly, his voice concerned as he stepped toward her. But before he could reach her, Jayla pushed him away with a sharp gesture, her frustration and pain bubbling. "Leave me alone, Nexus! JUST LEAVE ME ALONE," she snapped, her voice choked with emotion as she hurried towards her room, desperate to escape the turmoil inside her.

Nexus watched helplessly as his sister disappeared into the hallway, his heart heavy with the knowledge that he couldn't ease her pain. With a sigh, he stood there momentarily, feeling the weight of the family's troubles. He couldn't help her sister. Jayla hated him ever since their mother blamed her for the death of Nolan. But he couldn't bring himself to hate her, for he knew Jayla was hurting.

As Jayla entered her room and buried her face in her pillow, her tears dampening the fabric beneath her, she reached for her phone with trembling hands. With a shaky breath, she dialed her friend's number, desperate for a listening ear and a shoulder to lean on in her time of need.As the phone rang, Jayla's heart pounded in her chest, the weight of her emotions threatening to overwhelm her. And then, finally, her friend answered, her voice a welcome lifeline in the darkness.

"Hello, Jayla?" Tricia's voice was concerned as she sensed the distress in Jayla's tone. Unable to hold back any longer, Jayla poured out her heart to Tricia, her words tumbling out in a torrent of emotion. She spoke of her father's announcement, the pain of her mother's accusations, and the overwhelming sense of guilt that consumed her.

As Jayla poured out her heart to her friend, her words trembling with emotion, her friend listened intently, her voice soft and soothing as she offered comfort and support."I can't believe my father would do this to me," Jayla choked out between sobs, her frustration and anger bubbling to the surface. "He's ruining my life, and he doesn't even care. Even mother doesn't care a thing."

Tricia's voice was gentle as she responded, her tone filled with empathy. "Hey, everything will be alright, okay?" she said softly. "And remember, you're stronger than you think. You've faced challenges before and always come out stronger on the other side."

Jayla sniffled, wiping away her tears as she regained her composure. "I just feel so trapped in here, Trich. My dad is expecting me to marry a man I don't even know," she admitted, her voice trembling with vulnerability. "Then the mother is so mad at me; well, when was the last time she was not? I don't know what to do."

Her friend's response was immediate, filled with unwavering support. "You don't have to figure it all out right now," she reassured Jayla. "Take things one step at a time, and remember that I'm here for you, no matter what. Just call whenever you need me, okay?"

Jayla nodded as she said yes to Tricia and said goodbye. As she hung up the phone, she lay down on her bed and closed her eyes.

As night fell and the rest of the family gathered for dinner, Jayla remained holed up in her room, her appetite lost amidst the turmoil. But as the hours stretched on and hunger gnawed at her stomach, a soft knock sounded at her door.

Reluctantly, Jayla shuffled to the door and opened it. Her eyes narrowed with irritation at the interruption. But annoyance burned when she saw Nexus standing there, a tray of food in his hands and concern etched on his face.

"Jana, I brought you some dinner," Nexus said softly, his voice tinged with worry as he offered her the tray.

But instead of gratitude, Jayla's initial reaction was anger. "I told you to leave me alone! What part of those words can't you get?" she snapped, her frustration boiling over as she pushed past Nexus and slammed the door shut.

Nexus recoiled at the harshness of Jayla's words, hurt flashing in his eyes as he stood outside her door, unsure of what to do next. He had only wanted to help his sister, to offer her some comfort in her time of need, but now he felt like he had only made things worse.

As Nexus stood outside Jayla's door, his heart heavy with disappointment, he hesitated momentarily before knocking again, his determination to reach out to his sister outweighing his fear of rejection.

"Jana, please," Nexus called out softly, his voice barely above a whisper. "I know you're upset, but I brought you some food. It would help if you ate something." he knocks at her room again. There was a long silence, and Nexus feared Jayla wouldn't respond. But then, to his relief, he heard the sound of the door unlocking, and it creaked open just a crack.

"What do you want, Nexus?" Jayla's voice was cold.

Nexus swallowed back his hurt. "I just want to make sure you're okay," he replied gently, holding out the food tray. "I know you're upset, but skipping dinner won't solve anything."

Jayla's expression softened slightly as she glanced down at the food. She was a little hungry, but her pride wanted to deny it. "I'm not hungry," she muttered, her voice barely audible.

Nexus nodded understandingly, his empathy for his sister outweighing his frustration. "That's okay," he said softly. "But please, Jana, at least try to eat something. It's not good for you to go without food. You skipped dinner. Mom was upset earlier."

Jayla raised her brows. Her mother is upset about what she did. It was no different news at all. For a moment, Jayla hesitated, torn between her pride and her hunger. But then, with a sigh of resignation, she reached out and took the tray from Nexus's hands.

"Fine," she muttered, her voice barely audible. "But don't expect me to thank you. And stop calling me Jana." She rolls her eyes, turns her back to Nexus, and shuts the door.

Before he could speak, Jayla shut the door, so Nexus just left Jayla's room with a heavy heart.

As days stretched into weeks, the weight of Jayla's impending arranged marriage hung heavy in the air, casting a shadow over the Delgado household like a dark cloud on the horizon. Despite her best efforts to push thoughts of the union from her mind, Jayla found herself haunted by the specter of her impending nuptials, a constant reminder of the sacrifices she was expected to make for the sake of their family.

One afternoon, as Jayla sat in her room, wrestling with her inner turmoil, a soft knock at the door startled her from her thoughts. With a heavy sigh, she rose from her chair and made her way to the study room, where she found her father, Noah, waiting for her with a somber expression on his face.

"Jayla," Noah said gently, his voice tinged with a note of regret. "We need to talk."

Jayla's heart sank at the solemn tone in her father's voice, knowing all too well what this conversation would entail. With a resigned nod, she took a seat opposite him, steeling herself for the inevitable discussion about her arranged marriage.

"I know this hasn't been easy for you, Jayla," Noah began. "But we can't ignore the reality of our situation any longer."

Jayla bristled at her father's words, her frustration bubbling to the surface like a simmering pot on the verge of boiling over. "You mean the arranged marriage?" she snapped, her tone laced with bitterness. "The one where you expect me to sacrifice my happiness for the sake of our debt of the Lopez?"

Noah's expression hardened. His eyes filled with disappointment. "That was your fault in the first place," he said.

Jayla was taken aback at his father's words. She remained silent, her eyes fixed on a distant point on the wall, her jaw clenched in a stubborn display of defiance. She knew all too well what her father was referring to – the incident that happened ten years ago that had a connection with the Lopez.

But Noah pressed on, his voice growing more insistent with each passing moment. "You have to understand, Jayla," he continued, his tone pleading. "This marriage is not an option. It's an order."

Still, Jayla said nothing, her silence a pointed rebuke to her father's words. She refused to accept the blame for a mistake she had made years ago, a mistake that had haunted her every waking moment since.

As Jayla maintained her stony silence, her father's words hung in the air like a heavy fog, suffocating her with their weight. She felt a surge of frustration welling up inside her, a storm of emotions threatening to consume her from within. How could her father expect her to go along with this charade, to willingly walk into a marriage she had no desire to be a part of?

But Noah seemed oblivious to her inner turmoil, his expression resolute as he delivered the final blow. "The wedding will be held in two weeks," he announced, his voice firm and unwavering.

"Two weeks?" Jayla exclaimed. Her voice tinged with disbelief. "But that's hardly any time at all!"

Noah's expression remained impassive. His gaze is unwavering as he meets his daughter's incredulous stare. "I'm afraid so, Jayla," he replied evenly. "We've already made the necessary arrangements, and there's no turning back now."

But Jayla refused to back down, her frustration boiling over as she struggled to make sense of her father's seemingly callous decision. "That's absurd!" she protested, her voice rising with each word. "You just decided my marriage weeks ago and now you are saying that'll be held in just two weeks!"

"Jayla," he said, "I know this isn't what you wanted, but this is what I wanted you to do."Jayla's jaw clenched, her fists balling at her sides as she fought to contain the storm of emotions raging within her. "How can you say that, Father?" she finally burst out, her voice trembling with suppressed anger.Jayla's shoulders slumped in defeat, her anger giving way to resignation as she realized the futility of arguing with her father. She didn't utter more words and silently left the room.