Entangled With The Rejected Mate

“Good morning, my princess! Happy birthday!” Selena O’Brien’s father greeted her as she descended the stairs. Her long red hair danced behind her as she rushed towards the dining table. It was her birthday, and everyone knows that birthday girls should be happy on their special day.

Well, Selena was absolutely delighted. She had been eagerly awaiting her 20th birthday. Now that she was a full-fledged young adult, she could finally do whatever she pleased. It also meant she could spend the day with her father before he set off on another journey.

Selena had on a Lakers jersey, snug black jeans, and white sneakers. Her best friends, Dalett and Trisha, had given her these sneakers as a birthday gift just yesterday after school.

“Thanks, Dad.” She gave her father kisses on both cheeks and then settled between her two sisters, Jade and Hania.

“Happy birthday, Selena,” both her sisters and her mother chimed in.

“Thanks for remembering my birthday, everyone,” she playfully remarked with a smile as she waited for the food.

“Hon, we’ll always remember your birthday,” her mother reassured her.

Selena and her father exchanged glances and broke into laughter. The thought of it being her special day had her absolutely thrilled. Since she was thirteen, she’d been wishing for her father to take her to a basketball game, a dream she’d held dear. Now, at 20, it was finally going to happen.

She was like a little copy of her father, always loving the same things he did. Her siblings often felt envious because she got to spend the most time with him.

“You look so cheerful, dear. What did your dad say he’d do for you this time?” Selena’s mother asked as she noticed their laughter.

Selena spun the table around to get to the food. When it finally reached her, she started serving herself.

After serving, she leaned her elbows on the table and rested her chin on her hands, turning to her mother. “Mom, it’s something only Dad and I know. You don’t need to know,” she replied with an eye roll, then refocused on her meal and started to eat.

“Isabel,” Selena’s father interjected, trying to divert his wife’s attention, “you don’t have to know what Selena and I have planned.”

“Really? Is keeping secrets from your family acceptable now?” Isabel inquired, crossing her arms. “Jordan, remember Selena isn’t your only child. The other girls feel left out because of you. And it’s been this way since Selena started enjoying the same things as you,” Isabel added.

“I can’t blame him because I admire everything he does. Jade and Hania don’t appear to be interested in what Daddy enjoys, but I am. That is usually why he favors me.”

“Selena, please calm down, and Isabel, you too. There’s no need for this to turn into a fight. I love all of you girls,” their father stated in an attempt to calm things down.

The eldest child, Hania, who had remained quiet throughout the argument, looked at Selena with a concerned expression and spoke up. “Selena, don’t be rude to Mom. You always do this. Just once, try to change. You’re an adult now at 20; it’s time to stop acting like a child.”

Selena shifted her focus back to her meal. Her appetite had disappeared, but she didn’t want to leave the table while the others were still eating, for fear of upsetting her father. She and Isabel had argued in the past over trivial matters, and she didn’t want another conflict.

Just two days earlier, the two of them were arguing about whether Selena should throw a party or not. Selena had made it clear to Isabel that she disagrees to a party, she just wanted to go out with her father, but Isabel insisted that now that she is 20, she should host a large party.

“This time, I think I’m going to agree with Hania,” Jade, the youngest, spoke out, attracting everyone’s attention to her. “Don’t get me wrong, but Selena and Mom quarrel every time they get a chance.”

“And who wanted to hear from you, Jade?” Selena replied, her brows furrowed as she shot a dark look at her sister.

“All I need to say is that I know what Daddy promised Selena.” Jade turned her attention away from Selena and directed it at Isabel.

Hania and Isabel became curious about Jade’s opinion. “So, dear, what did he promise her? A car?” Isabel inquired.

Jade shook her head. “No, Mom. You have to give me $200 right now if you want me to spill the beans.”

Isabel grinned. “That’s no problem, my dear. You’ll get it after breakfast, I promise. In fact, I’ll double the payment.”

“That’s my mom, now you’re talking”

Jordan rolled his eyes. “I can’t believe you’re spoiling Jade just to find out what I promised Selena. This isn’t like you at all, Isabel.”

“Well, Jordan, you left me with no other option,” Isabel said to Jordan before turning her attention back to Jade. “Please continue, sweetie.”

Selena, sitting there, was scowling and fuming. Her conversations were particularly vulnerable to Jade’s constant eavesdropping. Whether it was Selena’s talks with her best friends or the boys at school, they were never safe from Jade, who would later spill the details to Isabel in exchange for more money.

Jade continued, “Mom, yesterday, I overheard Dad and Selena having a conversation. it seemed like Selena wanted something different, despite Dad’s attempts to convince her to have a party and get a cake. You know how much Selena loves the NBA, right? I mean, look at her in that Lakers jersey. She’s always wanted to go to the game, and Dad finally has the time now. For her birthday, Selena asked him to take her to an NBA game today.”

After Jade spilled the secret, Selena pushed her empty plate aside with angrily and abruptly stood up. She was seething. If she had the chance, she’d probably wring Jade’s neck, but she didn’t want to take it out on her younger sister. Instead, she turned to face Isabel. “Are you satisfied now? You’ve ruined my day! Do you really need to know everything? You’re so self-centered, Mom!” There were tears welling up in her eyes, but she fought to hold them back.

“Calm down, sweetheart. Just because your mother found out about your birthday plans doesn’t mean your birthday is ruined.” Jordan put on his jacket and got up from his chair. He walked over to Selena, placing his hands on her shoulders and making her face him. “If we keep arguing with your mother, we’ll be late for the game. It’s your birthday, so let’s put on a smile.”

Jordan stopped Selena from getting into the car once they left the house and arrived at their destination. “You know I love you, right?”

Selena nodded. “We’re best buddies, Daddy.” She smiled when she said that.

“Yes, we are, and that’s exactly why we need to talk.”

Selena’s curiosity piqued. Was her father going to disappoint her once again and leave on his trip as he always did, breaking his promise?

“Daddy, what is it this time? Did I do something wrong?”

“It’s regarding your mother, dear.”

Selena’s face turned into a frown. “I really don’t like her,” she said, crossing her arms across her chest.

“Don’t use such strong words. You shouldn’t hate your mom. I know she made mistakes before, but Jade and Hania have forgiven her. You should do the same. Do it for me, Selena. Please show her some respect; she cares about you.”

Isabel had not been a good mother to Selena and her siblings from a young age. She had a habit of turning to alcohol to escape her problems.

However, Selena’s father’s busy schedule often left Isabel in charge of taking care of Selena and her sisters. Unfortunately, Isabel frequently failed to attend their competitions or school meetings due to her struggles with alcohol, often waking up intoxicated.

It happened not just once, twice, or three times, but a few times, and Selena couldn’t stand her mother for it. Her grades suffered because of her mother, and she had to switch schools because of her too.

Even though Jordan ensured that Isabel attended counseling, it didn’t instantly make her stop drinking. While Jade and Hania have forgiven Isabel for her actions, Selena never will. She doesn’t want to forgive her mother. Selena also thinks her mother doesn’t deserve to be forgiven.

“Daddy, she doesn’t care about me. She only cares about herself.”

“Sweetheart, that’s not true. Even though she can be really stubborn, your mother does love you,” Jordan tried to comfort Selena after seeing her upset. “Anyway, let’s put that aside for now. It’s your birthday! What’s the plan for the NBA game?”

“We cheer loudly!” Selena exclaimed with joy.

Jordan chuckled, and Selena joined in. “Exactly, we cheer loudly! Let’s go Lakers!”

“Let’s go, Lakers!” Selena cheered as she rushed to get into the car. She buckled her seat belt securely and waited for her father to join her so they could set off.

Once they were on the road, Selena retrieved a pretzel from the back seat and handed one to Jordan. As they both enjoyed their snacks, they continued discussing the upcoming game.

“We’ll be there in no time. Are you this excited?” Jordan momentarily took his eyes off the road to glance at Selena.

Selena nodded enthusiastically, her wide grin reflecting her excitement. However, as her attention returned to the road, she suddenly let out a startled cry and began tapping her father’s hand. “Daddy, Daddy! Stop the car!” she shouted, pointing to the road. “A huge bear is blocking the road!”

Jordan quickly shifted his attention back to the road, swerving to avoid the creature ahead of them. However, to his astonishment, it wasn’t a bear but a menacing werewolf, lurking for its next prey.

The creature had dark fur and menacing red eyes, but Selena, unaware of its true nature, was only concerned about her father avoiding a collision with what she thought was a bear on the highway. Jordan swerved the car to the left, trying to prevent a collision, but stopping suddenly would have meant crashing into a tree.

“Daddy, what are you doing?” Selena exclaimed.

“Saving us both,” her father replied.

Confused, Selena, a bookworm with no concept of animals being dangerous, asked, “What?”

“Hold on tight!” Jordan shouted. He did his best to bring the car to a stop, but when he finally succeeded, the car collided with a tree. Selena’s head hit the glove compartment since her seat-belt wasn’t properly fastened and had come loose.

As the car came to a halt, Jordan called out, “Selena?” and turned to check on her. She was crying, and her head was bleeding. “Are you okay?”

“It aches,” Selena replied.

“Don’t worry, hon, you’ll be fine,” he reassured her as he examined her head.

“D...Dad,” Selena stuttered, trembling. “What’s that?” She gestured towards her father’s window, her vision already becoming blurry.

Jordan turned to see what Selena was referring to, and his eyes widened in shock. It wasn’t his daughter who was in danger; it was him.

“Dad...” Selena’s voice faded weakly. She reached out her hand, struggling to stay awake as her eyes fought to close. She tried to touch her father but couldn’t.

Then she heard the sound of glass shattering, saw her father being pulled out of the window, and heard his scream before she lost consciousness.

The noise of a crane clanging metal filled Selena’s ears as she tried to wake up. She could barely see anything, and there was a constant metallic sound in the background. As her hearing gradually improved, Selena could distinguish voices, including her father’s laughter, as they were on their way to the NBA game.

She recollected shouting those words, “A HUGE BEAR IS BLOCKING THE ROAD!” Then, everything faded to black after she heard her father’s scream.

In the dimly lit room, Selena woke up, breathing heavily. She was covered in sweat. The only sound in the house was the ticking of the alarm clock. She reached out and turned it off. Selena was hesitant to go back to sleep after her nightmare, so she stayed under the covers, afraid that another bad dream would follow.

She got out of bed, and as she sat back down, she noticed her weakness. Her head was throbbing, and she could feel the bandages wrapped around it as she touched the sore spot. She was confused about how she got injured. She wasn’t one to engage in rough play, so the head injury puzzled her.

Selena managed to stand up and left her room. She needed to find her father to tell him about the nightmare she had just experienced.

Her father always knew how to make her feel better when she had an issue. She can’t live without her father, and if something were to happen to him, she wouldn’t be able to bear life on her own.

She walked down the stairs, but strangely she couldn’t see anyone. There was nobody there when Jordan would have been reading the morning paper and sipping his morning coffee. “Daddy.” She murmured her call so the rest of the family wouldn’t hear it.

After finally descending the stairs, Selena looked around the hallway, puzzled. “Where could Daddy have gone?” When she couldn’t find him anywhere, she ended up in front of her parents’ door.

She gently pushed it open and peered inside, discovering her mother silently sobbing. Her mother was clutching a photograph and, while lying on her pillow, she muttered, “Why did you take Selena to the game? Jordan, where are you? Please come back to me.”

Upon hearing Isabel’s words, Selena shook her head, her hand over her mouth as she tried to conceal her eavesdropping. She shook her head in disbelief, muttering, “No. No, Daddy.” It dawned on her that her recent birthday had been the cause of a heated argument between her parents.

She gently closed the door and retreated a few steps before rushing back to her room. Once her door was securely shut behind her, Selena began to sob. Her tears weren’t a result of overhearing her mother’s words but stemmed from her inability to recall anything after witnessing the bear on the road.

The bear!

This time, it wasn’t all a nightmare. She heard her father screaming because he was with her at the time. She took a deep breath and gasped. Her father didn’t come home because of her!

Selena slammed her fist violently against her head. ‘Selena, it’s all your fault! You’re all to be blamed!’ She shouted while banging her head with her hands. Her heart was aching more than her head, no matter how much it hurt. She bit her fingernails as she started to shake and feel irrational. Suddenly, there was a knock at her door.

Startled, Selena’s heart began to race as she turned her head in the direction of the knock. “Daddy, is that you?” she inquired quietly.

Selena jumped in fear when she heard another knock on the other side of the door. She rushed to her bed as soon as her body started to move and gripped to the blanket tightly, not allowing to let go.

She could see Hania standing in front of the door as it was about to open. Selena hastily wrapped the blanket around her head so Hania wouldn’t see her horrible, deformed face. She doesn’t like it when people see her sobbing. Selena wanted them to see how strong she could be without her father since they would assume she was fragile.

“Good, you’re awake,” Hania said as she approached Selena and sat on her bed. Being the oldest of her siblings, Hania felt a responsibility to be strong for her sisters. She gently called Selena’s name and reached for the blanket, but Selena held onto it tightly.

Selena, still hiding under the blanket, needed to know what had happened. She asked, “What happened to Daddy, Hania?” Her voice trembled, and Hania could sense that Selena might have already guessed the reason for her visit.

Hania instructed, “First, uncover your face. We need to talk about something serious.”

Selena asked, “How did I get here?” She was reluctant to hear what Hania had to say; she just wanted to know if her father would return.

Hania sniffed, trying to hold back the tears. Selena was still a child even though she was 20 years old, and life would be difficult for her if she didn’t learn to care for herself without her father close. “The cops brought you home after finding you unconscious in the car.”

Selena immediately pulled the blanket away from her face and asked, “What about Daddy?” Her face was noticeably pale as she awaited Hania’s response.

“Sorry, Selena, the cops didn’t find him in the car. You weren’t badly hurt, but they said it was some sort of accident. Mom took care of you immediately they brought you home.”

Selena yelled at Hania, “Hania, I don’t want that kind of information. Where’s... my... Daddy?” She raised her voice, her breath quickening as she tried to stay calm.

Shaking her head, Hania turned her back on Selena. She bit her lips and closed her eyes. When she finally opened her eyes, she remarked, “They found a broken window and one of his shoes.”

Selena suddenly recalled the sound of shattered glass and screams before losing consciousness. “What?” she weakly responded, her hand now covering her face. She realized it was the sound of glass breaking, not metal.

“They think he ran away, but they don’t know why,” Hania explained.

Selena’s eyes widened. “No, Daddy didn’t run away. Daddy would never run away.”

“I agree, but the cops said—”

“Don’t listen to what the cops say. Daddy would never abandon me and leave, Hania.” Hania could feel Selena’s trembling as she reached for her hands. “I remember seeing a bear on the road yesterday.”

Hania became focused. “A bear?”

She gave a nod, Selena said. “Yes, the bear was large and black. Really large and...”

“And what else?”

“I’m not sure. I can’t recall.” She shook her head.

“Selena. Try.”

“I can’t. It’s difficult,” she spoke quickly.

“Selena... you have to try.”

Selena immediately let go of Hania’s hands. “How is this relevant? Hania, it’s just a bear.”

“It is not...” Before Hania could even continue speaking, the doorbell called the attention of Selena and Hania from what she intended to say.

“Daddy.” Selena looked over at the door. She sprung from bed and dashed for the door. Hania followed behind her.

After coming down the stairs, Selena and Hania ran to the front door, which Selena opened with a smile. But as soon as she saw two men standing in front of the door in place of her father, her smile disappeared.

She was confused.

“Good morning, we are looking for Mrs. O’Brien,” said a man in a brown suit, standing tall beside another man in an ash suit.

“Who are you please?” Hania asked.

“Detective Saul,” the man said.

“Detective?” Selena was amused.

Hania noticed footsteps approaching and quickly turned her head. “Mom, they’re here for you. The detectives.”

“Detectives?” Isabel inquired as she neared the door and saw two men standing there.

“Mrs. O’Brien?” Detective Saul called out.

“Yes, that’s me. Why are you here?” Isabel asked, puzzled. “It’s still early.”

“It’s concerning your husband,” Detective Saul replied solemnly.

Hania and Isabel exchanged glances as Selena fixed her attention on Detective Saul. “My father?”

Saul the detective nodded. “Are we allowed to enter?”

Isabel pretended to smile. “Yes, please.” As she led them inside, more men were waiting outside, the cops wearing black overalls with white masks and gloves. Isabel questioned, “What’s going on here?”

“I have something to show you.” Detective Saul, who was holding a folder, opened it and handed a few photos to Mrs O’Brien.

“This is my husband.” Mrs O’Brien couldn’t believe her eyes. In the photos was her husband lying on the ground, a hole was seen around his chest region, and part of his head butchered.

“What happened?” Isabel inquired as she kept staring at the photos.

“Mrs. O’Brien, in the course of our investigation, we came across your husband's body in the woods. Because part of his face wasn’t completely damaged, we got a partial identification." He paused before continuing, “I’m sorry to tell you, but your husband has passed away.”