ENCHANTED LOVE, VOLUME 2 - Season 9 Episode 29

Doris sat down on the sofa, and directed her sight toward Allen asking, “So… how is the thing going… the thing I asked you to do?”

“I’m on it. Everything is in progress!” confirmed Allen. He then proceeded to inquire, “How do you like the house? Our dinner’s purpose today is mostly for you to take a look at the house. What do you think?”

“It will do,” stated Doris, unimpressed. She glanced around the room again briefly and added, “The house itself is rather small but it’s enough for the two of us.”

“Yes, exactly! Good, I’m glad you like it!” Allen affirmed excitedly. A small sigh of relief followed his large smile.

However, the moment didn’t last long as Doris began questioning him again, “So… When will we finalize the procedure?” She had her own agenda and wasn’t about to postpone it.

“Procedure? What procedure?” inquired Allen nervously. He surely had a sense of where Doris was heading with that question but hoped to avoid the subject.
“Ownership transfer procedure, of course!” Doris replied without hesitation. She was surprised he was asking for clarifications. He should have known what she was talking about. To show that she wasn’t messing around, Doris addressed the big elephant in the room directly, “Do not think that I don’t know the owner of this house is still your sister. I’m telling you, the house needs to be in my name! I have to see it written on the certificate of title with my own eyes.

Why can’t she give it up already? A house like this in Ylanbu is not for one person alone to live in! You are her brother, the man of the house, the one getting married and the one about to have a baby. You have more right to have it than her!”

Allen sputtered to say something, “Doris, I…” No words could come out, though. Intimidated by her angry expression, he quickly looked away hoping to avoid further conflict.

However, his attempt was futile; Doris was even more enraged by his gesture.

“Allen! Are you going to go back on your promise?” Her face turned red. She moved closer to him and started threatening, “I don’t like to be played around like that. You have to keep your word. Otherwise, you will be sorry! I will have an abortion and you will never get to marry me!”

“No! No! No! Please don’t!” begged Allen. He grabbed her hand as she was about to hit her belly. With a calm voice, he requested, “Take it easy, Doris. We have to do things step by step.”

“Step by step?!” she exclaimed even louder. Doris couldn’t believe her ears. She had to get him to commit. “The baby is getting bigger and bigger every day. How long do you think I can wait? Allen, you have to confirm a date today! No more playing games!”

“I…” Allen mumbled. He could never protest in front of Doris. Unsure what else to say, he turned to Peggy with a helpless look.

Peggy sighed heavily and began comforting Doris, “Doris, don’t worry about it. Our family never goes back on our promises.”

She continued, “You need to take care of yourself since any stress can affect the baby. Keep calm and don’t get angry. Take a seat and hear me out.”

Doris frowned, but she obeyed and sat down.

Before Peggy could say anything, though, she started justifying herself, “Mrs. Garcia, I don’t mean to push you. But the baby is growing every day. Of course, I don’t want to lose it. However, if you can’t provide me with what I need, as you promised, I’m afraid you are forcing me into an abortion. I hope you understand my concerns!”

After another moment of silence, Doris went on, “As a woman, I’m sure you can understand that I only want a better life after marriage. But you take a look at your son! I’m better than him in every aspect! If you can’t keep your promise, I will have to…”

Peggy immediately interrupted her, “Yes, I understand! You are right. I know you are a good girl.” With a fake smiled, she continued to flatter Doris, “I know it is my son’s honor to have you as his girlfriend. What a lucky man!”

“It’s good that you know it,” Doris reiterated. Without moving away from the topic too much, she decided to ask again, “So what are you going to do about it? When do we sign the property deed?”

Keeping calm, Peggy explained, “I’m afraid we need to take it slowly. We will do it, but not now.” Peggy was weighing her every word trying not to upset Doris any more. .

However, Doris still got annoyed by her answer. She stood up, pointed at Allen and cursed, “Allen, you son of a bitch! You lied to me! Didn’t you say that you have everything settled? What is going on now?”

“Take it easy, Doris,” pleaded Peggy. She continued elaborating, “I said we need to do it slowly, not cancel it.”

“Why?” Doris questioned her immediately. With a mean stare, she emphasized, “You know, I’m not stupid! Don’t even think about fooling me. There is no way your son will get me for nothing!”

“The house will always be here. It won’t go anywhere, right? Why can’t you be patient?” insisted Peggy. Running out of excuses, she decided to lie, “We need to postpone it because the property deed is not ready yet. When it is ready, we’ll put your name on it. I promise!”

Hearing that, Doris quieted down. “Really?” she asked after a short pause. Peggy’s answer seemed like a good enough explanation for her, though she still remained suspicious.

“Of course!” confirmed Peggy. She rested her hands over Doris’ and continued, “You know how much I love my son. I always give him the best I have. This house will be handed to him; you can rest assured.”

“That’s good to hear,” Doris stated. She still wasn’t convinced. So, in order to be sure, she declared, “Then our wedding ceremony will be postponed until the certificate of title says my name.”

“What? Why? You can’t do this!” Peggy responded in a panic. Nervously, she patted Doris’ hands in an attempt to reason with her, “As you said, the baby is getting bigger and bigger every day. What if you give birth before the property deed is ready?

You also know that there is nothing more important than one’s reputation within the village. If you have a baby before marriage, how are you going to face the rumors and shame?”

Doris’ resolute attitude left both Allen and Peggy confused and worried.

They all stared at each other for a few seconds in silence, until finally Peggy broke the ice, “Doris, I have an idea.”

Assessing her words, she continued, “Let’s hold the wedding ceremony first, in the style that you want it to be. It doesn’t matter how much money it will cost, as long as you are pleased with it. After all, a wedding happens once in a lifetime and we must give you the best one. Your parents will also be happy for you.

Beside organizing the wedding according to your wishes, I’ll also add eighty thousand dollars to your dowry. Nothing is more reliable than money in hand, right?

As for the house…” Peggy paused thinking of how to phrase it. The only thing she could do was to reassure her, “You don’t need to worry about it. It will be yours for sure. Let’s have the wedding ceremony first, as it is also better for your reputation. Don’t you agree?”

“But,” Doris tried to argue.

However, Peggy was riding on the momentum she had gained. “You have nothing to be concerned about. Take my offer. It’s in your advantage. You realize it too, don’t you?”

Confused, Doris replied, “Well… Let me think it over.” An additional eighty thousand dollars was not something to be easily dismissed.

“No problem. Take your time to think it over,” stated Peggy. Seeing Doris was still not convinced, Peggy decided to adopt another strategy. “You should also know that even though my family is not rich, my daughter does make a lot of money. If you are really uncomfortable marrying my son, I won’t push you. I can assure you that there will be a lot of other girls for us to choose from!”