Bitter Sweet

29. Judgement

Julio woke up to find Stephanie sitting at the end of the bed getting dressed. He smiled as he saw her fixing her hair into an intricate braid without a mirror in front of her. He had spent Christmas night with Stephanie, her fiancé. He could not feel happier, he was going to marry the girl he never knew he needed in his life and they were going to start a new life together in Japan. He felt the excitement in his stomach and it made him sigh with content.

As she bent down putting on her shoes, he crawled behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her shoulder. She let out a small giggle and reached for his face. She turned to face him with a smile. "I have to go," she said as she ran her fingers down his face.

He held her hand and kissed it. "Stay with me, it's still early."

"I know but I have to get home and change before my family wakes up."

"Alright, let me walk you then."

He got up rapidly and changed in minutes. They slowly walked side by side as they crossed the street. "I'll tell my parents later today," she said breaking the silence.

Julio nodded. "And I'll tell my mom."

She took a deep breath nervously. "I don't know how they're going to react."

"I'm sure they'll be happy for you. Won't they?"

"I like to think so, but you never know with my parents."

"You want me to tell them?" he offered. He knew they were old school, perhaps he should have asked for her father's blessing before asking her.

"No. I'll tell them."

They had barely stepped on the Rios' property when her mother appeared from the door, her arms were crossed and her face was livid.

"Good morning," Stephanie greeted her as they approached her, but her mother didn't reply. She took a long look at her daughter from head to toe, then at Julio, from head to toe.

"Have you no shame?" she asked disgustingly.

"What do you mean?" Stephanie asked without missing a beat.

"Did you spend the night with him?"

"I did."

Mrs. Rios let out a frustrated sigh and replied coldly, "Who do you think you are?"

"Mom, let me explain---"

"You spend the night with this man and you have the nerve to come to my house as if you did nothing wrong?"

That made Stephanie mad. "Wrong? What did I do wrong?"

"You slept with this man as if you were tramp!"

"Mom, Julio and I are g—"

A strong slap across Stephanie's face interrupted her and it forced Julio to step forward and intervene. Stephanie looked back at her mother in disbelief, as if her action hadn't yet fully sink in. Julio pulled her behind him as her mother seemed to be ready to hit her again. "Mrs. Rios, it's not what you think."

She chose to ignore him. "I did not raise a whore," she screamed. "Did you not learn from your past relationship? Don't you see why everything was taken away from you?"

Stephanie didn't reply, she simply stared at her mother, she was angry but she chose to keep quiet rather than to say something she would later regret.

"Answer me," her mother demanded, but at no reply, she charged at her own daughter. Julio grabbed her and pushed her away. "You are not welcomed in this house, you hear me!"