Let's get this one out of the way too! Aguus Everlak, yes! Thank you so much! It was a lot! I have patience but this is a very long novela and I just wanted to cut straight to Franco and Sarita since they're my main focus. I even had sip some wine!
(I do not own this novela!) Enjoy!
Chapter 15
The obsessed and handsomely rich Eduvina Trueba, wasted no time preparing for the wedding. Franco didn't want to do it but he was being selfless for his brothers, who couldn't believe that he had the balls to sell himself to a vicious cougar.
"Are you crazy?" judged Oscar. "Do you know what will happen if you marry that hag?"
Franco stayed quiet. Nothing mattered to him. He had just lost Rosario to an enemy and soon he and his brothers would live in the streets if he didn't pull through his marriage to Eduvina.
"You're not going to have any freedom at all!" shouted Oscar. "You're going to be wearing a dog collar all your life and your ankle will be tied to the marriage bed!"
"Enough, Oscar!" Franco shot back at his brother. "I know it's insane, but I have to do something!"
"Franco...", Juan began, his tone serious. "If you marry that old woman, you know you won't be allowed to set foot in this house again?"
"Juan, if I marry her you'll be lucky to keep this house." he bit back, earning a strong glare from Juan.
The day of the wedding came. Franco finally married Eduvina, who is excited as all hell. Her doctor, Linares was her of her guest at the wedding and even accompanied them at the reception which was being thrown at her house. To Eduvina's surprised, the guests she originally invited didn't attend, so she forced all who worked for her to take their place.
This all didn't sit well with Franco, who watched his new bride parading around like a mad woman. Even Dr. Linares was worried.
"Eduvina, please control yourself!" her doctor warned her. "You're getting out of hand!"
"I feel fine, doctor!" she shrieked. "No one tells me what to do! If you don't like it, just leave!"
Franco even tried to help, but there was no stopping the seventy-year old woman who shouted, drank, and danced on the tables like some drunk college girl at a frat house. Franco couldn't watch anymore of her nonsense and made his way to where the servants were picking up after the rowdy guests. His eyes widened when he discovered Eva, the former Elizondo maid, tending a messy table.
"Eva?" he said, surprised to see her.
Eva only gapped and walked away from him. Franco wanted her to explain why he found her in Eduvina's house, but was called by one of Eduvina's panicked employees.
"Mr. Franco!" Carmela shouted, wringing her hands. "Come quickly! I think Eduvina had a stroke!"
Franco's heart began to thump out of his chest when he hurried after Carmela to where Eduvina had her stroke.
"Eduvina!" he screamed, jumping over the table to tend to the fallen woman in white while the other employee, named Malcolm, demanded all the guests to leave.
Dr. Linares was already hovering over Eduvina, who was splattered all over with wedding cake and booze. He looked up at the frightened groom and shook his head.
"I'm so sorry," he told Franco.
Franco couldn't believe this was happening to him. How could this have happened? How could she die? On their wedding day? Of all the days, it had to be on this day?
He tugged at his hair, tears streaming down his face as he shouted Eduvina's name in hope she'll come back to life. But it was no use. Her corpse was carried off in a stretcher and Franco had to sleep as a widower in her bedroom. To make matters even worse, Malcolm and Carmela proved to be two of the most vicious people he'd ever met besides Sarita and her mother.
After Eduvina's funeral, Malcolm and Carmela made sure to make Franco's life a living hell. Not only his, but Eva's too. Franco soon discovered that Malcolm had Eva sleeping in a rut just outside Eduvina's house by the stables.
This broke Franco's heart because he knew that Eva is a sweet and humble woman. He found her sitting on a filthy mattress, cradling a piece of paper to her heart. She gasped and quickly placed the paper under her tattered pillow.
"Eva?" he called her, taking timid steps inside her horrible room. "What happened?"
Eva looked up at him, sadness overwhelming her.
"Gabriela got rid of me like a dog", she told him, "I couldn't do anything to defend myself because I knew I deserved this."
Franco could only respond with his eyes, which were starting to swell with immense sorrow for the woman who actually took in and helped his brothers.
"I should be in jail for helping you guys." she added.
"How did you end up here?" he had been dying to ask her since he saw her during the wedding reception.
"Olegario." she simply answered, a small smiling tugging at her withering lips. "He referred me, but I don't think I'll last long, now that you're here."
"Are you upset because we're the reasons for your problems?"
She shook her head, her smile not going away.
"I'm responsible for my own actions." she confessed. "I shouldn't have trusted you or your brothers. Didn't you try to lie and hurt Norma and Jimena?"
Franco instantly got uncomfortable.
"Eva, that's not true." he reassured her. "We didn't mean to hurt them."
Eva's motherly smiled faded into a frown and her watery brown eyes held a cold glare.
"Don't lie. You knew you were capable of such evil things."
Franco tried to defend himself but both were interrupted by Malcolm. Franco sighed in defeat and left Eva alone. Perhaps he'll explain himself better when they are not being watched.
The next day, Malcolm and Carmela were at their very worst. Insulting and belittling Franco and even physically harming Eva. Seeing Malcolm's hands shaking up the older frail woman so violently stirred such hatred inside Franco he never knew he could possess. And also knowing that this asshole went to Eva's room while she was away working, stole her last check she'd received from the Elizondos.
"A woman such as her shouldn't have an amount like that!" Malcolm. "I will report her to the authorities if that is a stolen check!"
After saying that, Malcolm pushes her rather roughly and orders her to go back to her room. Franco lashes out on Malcolm and runs after Eva, who he found crying in her pathetic little rut.
"Why do they keep you here?" he asks, taking a good look at her surroundings. "This looks like a rat hole."
Eva wipes her eyes.
"When I first came here, I had a better room, but Malcolm ordered me to sleep here instead."
Franco shakes his head in disbelief. How can people be so cruel? Especially to an old woman.
"Eva, I don't approve of this." he tells her. "I'd like to help you."
Eva scoffs at his words.
"How could you?" she cries, now looking back at him. "You can't even help yourself."
Franco nods in agreement, taking a seat on a folded chair that was leaning against the wall. He confesses to her that he doesn't know what to do. He wanted to run away. But where could he go when his brothers didn't even want to see him?
"Isn't this what you wanted when you married this woman?" she asked him. "To marry a rich woman?"
Franco sighed, resting his cheek on his hand rather sadly.
"I'm not greedy, Eva." he says, his eyes humbly lowering to the filthy floors. "I married Eduvina to help my brothers. She offered to help me. She was so obsessed with me that she made me sign my name on all of her assets."
Eva was stunned.
"And you're telling me that you have no idea what to do?"
Franco shrugs. He still feels lost.
"You're that naive, Franco? Aren't you aware of your rights?"
Franco is still in his head. His self-pity slowly devours him.
Eva looks at him for a brief moment. She places a hand on her hip and studies him until she comes to a realization. Silently, she goes over to her bed, grabs her purse, and leaves without another word.
Franco is now in the bedroom, still contemplating if he should leave the Trueba ranch for good. He knew he wasn't wanted here. Malcolm and Carmela were making it perfectly clear. Every little request Franco would make, such as not sleeping in Eduvina's room or even taking down her pictures, were denied. Even the disgusting meals were strictly made as if Eduvina was still alive. There was no reason for him to live there.
The door opens and in comes Malcolm, leering at Franco.
"You didn't come down to dinner," he said. "Are you going to?"
"I'm not going to eat that kind of food you cook." retorted Franco.
Malcolm sniggered.
"What do you know about that Eva woman?" He interrogated him. "Carmela saw her leave after speaking with you."
"I know nothing and I don't think she's coming back. It's late."
The two of them heard dogs barking outside and other male voices. Malcolm looked alarmed and went to find out what was going on outside. Franco followed behind.
Franco saw his brothers. Juan and Oscar were face to face with Malcolm and Carmela who were trying their best to intimidate them to leave.
"Juan!" shouted Franco. "Oscar!"
Franco was overjoyed but nervous, finally seeing his big brothers, who he thought abandoned him.
"I-I didn't think you'd come for me." he stuttered. He had the sudden urge to hug them but held himself still. "I'm so glad to see you."
Oscar smirked at Eduvina's rude employees.
"They didn't seem happy to see us even when we told them we were your brothers. They're trying to stop us from seeing you."
Malcolm turned to glare at Franco.
"You have no rights to have visitors!" he scolded. "You didn't tell us."
"Tell us something, Franco", Juan interjected, staring straight at the balding man scolding his younger brother. "Why do you have to give explanations to… this guy?"
Juan let his dark eyes loom over Malcolm with disgust and disbelief before shooting a pitiful gaze at Franco.
"Are you a prisoner in your own home and he's your guard dog, or what?"
"No," answered Franco, embarrassed. "In fact I need to speak with you both."
"Well…" said Oscar, taking off his hat. "What are we waiting for? Let's not waste any more time."
"You can't come in!" demanded an angry Malcolm, his bald head sweating.
Juan stepped menacingly towards Malcolm, whose head is now even crying.
"Step aside, asshole." he growls and then pushes him out of the way. Carmela starts freaking out but the brothers and Eva ignore her and follow Franco inside the house.
Oscar and Juan threw Franco on one of the beige couches. Juan approached him and leaned forward to his level.
"You can't be as naive as you look." he hissed. "We Reyes can be anything but stupid. It is time you learn how to defend yourself and claim what is rightfully yours."
Franco stared back at Juan, at Oscar, and then at Eva. He suddenly felt a surge of bravery and did what is best for his brothers, Eva, and even himself. All four of them took matters into their own hands and confronted their problems so that in the future nothing could stand in their way.
That's if anything comes their way.
That's another woman out of Franco's life... now it's time for Sariiiiitaaaaa! Thank you for reading!
Please stand by...chapter 16 coming through