IS IT TIME FOR ME TO GIVE UP?

22

Jennie's POV:

we went into Lisa's father's house marked the descent into worsening circumstances. With each step, tensions escalated. As it became apparent that the situation had taken a turn for the worse. Lisa had dismissed by her father, leaving only the three of us.

"Excuse us," my dad intervened, pulling me away from Mr. Manoban to ensure our conversation not to be heard. His grip was firm.

"You cannot allow her to divorce you," my dad's voice was laced with urgency, his eyes betraying a mix of desperation and self-interest. "I know you're being coerced into this, Jennie. But you must not agree to it."

"Dad, please," I pleaded, my voice tinged with a sense of helplessness. "This situation has become unbearable. Can't you see?"

"No." Jennie's father displayed selfishness by disregarding her pleas, instead leading her back to Mr. Manoban. Feeling compelled to comply with her father's directive, Jennie found herself without options. Each step towards Lisa's father weighed heavily upon her, burdened by the weight of an impending decision she knew deep down brought no good.

"I'll handle your divorce through my attorney," Mr. Manoban stated, his disappointment apparent. I felt the weight of guilt settle in my chest as I desperately wanted to confess that it was me who had made his daughter's life miserable, not her. But all I could manage was to keep the truth bottled up inside me.

"I guess we should allow them to resolve it independently," my dad commented, his pretentiousness evident as ever. With a pointed look in my direction, he silently urged me to speak up, but the words remained lodged in my throat, unable to escape.

The image of Mr.Manoban slapping Lisa, causing her lips to bleed, still haunts me. My initial reaction was to gasp and rush to her side, but my father's stern gesture halted me in my tracks. I reluctantly obeyed, remaining rooted to the spot as Lisa bravely shouldered the blame for something she didn't do.

Every fiber of my being screamed to intervene, to protect her from unjust punishment. Yet, before I could even muster the courage to take a step forward, my father's firm grip on my arm stopped me in my tracks. It was as if his touch conveyed a silent warning, reminding me of the consequences of defiance. In that moment, I felt powerless, by the fear of provoking my father's wrath.

"Dad..." As I pleaded, uttering his name in a desperate plea to release his hand from gripping my arm.

"Don't," he replied sternly, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Mr. Manoban did something I never thought he was able to.

I was caught off guard when my father deliberately coughed to draw my attention, subtly nodding his head to indicate that I should speak.

"Please, Mr. Manoban, allow us to handle this situation. We can resolve it," I managed to say, I forced the words out, each one like a bitter pill to swallow. I glanced at my father, glanced at my father, noting the satisfaction etched on his face. It was no surprise – he always got his way, exerting control over me effortlessly. He wielded power over my decisions, leaving me with no option but to comply. That's how I found myself reluctantly marrying Lisa, against my will.

"So Please, Mr.Manoban, d-don't let lisa..I'll take care of this, we'll take care of this," I stuttered, feeling foolish as the words stumbled out of my mouth. Knowing that Lisa would likely be infuriated by what i'm doing right now

"Jennie, my daughter cheated on you, and you still want to be with her?" I longed to retort, to confess, "It wasn't her; it was me who cheated," but the words remained trapped within me. I felt like a failure, incapable of standing up for what is real.