Chapter 3

BROKEN EXPECTATIONS

Bianca's POV

I watched Charles' silhouette fade away into the building.

What have I done?

Everyone turned their heads and stared at me, I could see the expressions on their faces, they were disappointed in me.

They started coming closer, each of them wearing angry looks on their faces. I was really scared. Suddenly, everyone turned against me because of money. I was now the hunted.

"Why would you do that?" One of them spoke and everyone seemed to agree with him.

I was confused. Were they talking about the slap or the money I rejected?

"I can't believe this. You guys will abandon your pride just because of money?" I retorted angrily with my hands on my hips like an angry mother scolding her children.

"I agree I shouldn't have slapped him but he had it coming. He called us poor and there is no way I'll fold my arms and watch that forest fall."

No way was I ever going to let that happen.

"That's enough!" A middle-aged woman with black hair tied in a messy bun shouted at me.

"Do you think we care about some forest? Do you? It is just some bunch of dumb plants and trees that was ignored and they grew. Nobody cares about it. But the one man who cared and decided to help us get rid of the jungle offered to pay us and then you- you..." She was about to break down in tears.

Bunch of dumb trees? A natural artifact, God's own creation isn't dumb.

What happened to the enthusiasm they showed earlier?

What happened to their spirits?

Now I understand what my dad meant when he said money is the root of all evil.

How could someone change so quick because of money? I didn't want to believe it, they all had to be joking. It had to be a joke.

I moved a step closer to comfort her but she screamed and backed off, finally letting the tears flow.

"Don't you dare touch me! Do you think I care about this? Do you know the things I could have done with that money? Yes, we are poor, deal with that." I was confused.

Wasn't everyone overreacting?

"I- I can't believe this. So you guys don't care about the forest? What about those animals? Where would they go? The forest is their home!"

I just couldn't believe what I was hearing right now.

Were they all lying in the first place? Lying about caring for the forest?

No, no, no. This can't be happening. I worked so hard for this, I had come this far.

I could feel my whole world crashing down, they all lied to me and acted like they cared. It had to be a joke. I couldn't give up now.

What about the animals? The forest? My memories?

That forest reminded me so much about my childhood, about my dad. I had to keep the legacy going. It has survived far too long, for five hundred years and now, they want to wipe it off the face of the earth in three days or more?

I can't let that happen.

"I don't care about some stupid forest animals and where they'll live, I'm struggling to keep my home. I could have bought a new place to stay or finally paid my rent but you decided to refuse that amazing offer. Stop with this your idealism bullshit already." She still continued speaking and the more I wanted to punch her in the mouth.

"I am so sorry about your home, ma'am. I am terribly sorry about that. I'll find something I can do about it but we can't back down now, we have come this far, I have come this far to give up now. We can't let some stupid person break the bond we share. We can't let money blind us from doing what is right."

"And who? Who made you our mouthpiece?"

Everyone seemed to agree with this. I'm their leader for crying out loud. I organized this protest and now she is asking me who put me in charge of them? Ridiculous.

"And what can you possibly do about my home? Absolutely nothing. Everyone came here with the hopes of making a change and mostly for the money."

What money was she talking about? I wasn't going to pay them. Do they pay protesters? Who promised to pay them?

I looked at Jason and when he caught my gaze, he looked down trying to avoid it.

He promised to pay them? Why?

I thought I had finally found people who agreed with me to do something good, but they were all actors?

Actors getting ready to get paid after everything. No one actually cared about the forest like I did, absolutely no one. Everyone in this town were all blind, rotten to the core for their greed.

"Listen, dear. No one here, cares about this so called protest of a thing. We were promised to be paid and we are definitely going to get paid for our work. But a bigger opportunity presented itself and you had the guts to refuse? How much are you going to pay me? Will it be enough to sort myself out and take care of my business? No tell me, child."

I was stunned.

"Okay then! Go to him. Go to him and sell your pride. Go to him and accept the offer. Go to him and..."

Everything was a lie, a big one.

"That's enough. Bianca, you've said enough."

Jason? What was he doing?

He put his hands together and apologized to everyone on my behalf. Why was he apologizing? I did nothing wrong, well not yet.

"Everyone, I'm so sorry for whatever troubles my girlfriend has caused you. I am also deeply pained by what she did as I know that amount of money would have changed our lives."

Was he serious? He agreed with them?

"As promised..." He continued. "You will be paid for the job you did but it's such a shame our contract would be terminated here, I wish I could have done more with you guys"

What was he saying? My own boyfriend was in cohort with them? He was even the ring leader, I never had a say to begin with.

"Once again, I apologize." He bowed his head once more and walked to my direction.

"Let's go."

He turned to me and grabbed my arms. He was literally pulling me away.

"Where are we going to? I'm not done with them."

He didn't stop pulling me.

"Jason. Jason let go of me, I'm not done here."

He still didn't listen to me until we got to the car. He opened the driver's side and got in, he didn't even open mine.

It got to me now that he has been keeping his cool ever since. He waited for me to enter the car and when I did, he sped off.