I'M THE BEAST BILLIONAIRE BRIDE

PENELOPE

My tears are still overflowing in my eyes while staring at the two coffins in front of me.

Until now, I couldn't accept the fact that the two people who were so important in my life were dead just because of a car accident.

The people around me are just quietly staring in my direction. I could hear some of them sobbing silently, and some of them were just staring at me while having a worried look on their faces.

Thirty minutes had passed, but I still couldn't let go of the two coffins to get buried in the ground yet.

No, I am still not ready yet.

"Penelope, please. Let go of them now. I know that they are already happy wherever they are now."

I didn't bother to listen to Auntie Martha's whispers into my ears. Until now, I couldn't manage to talk back with them or even reply with a single word.

"Please, Penelope. They didn't want to see you crying and still mourning over them."

I was stunned by the last statement of my auntie. I stand up straight while staring at the coffins. I couldn't help but burst into tears like rain suddenly pouring in our faces when I suddenly remembered some words from my memories.

"Pen, you need to be independent and keep your smile without us."

I could feel thouns and needles burning in my heart while staring at the coffins of my mom and dad.

Even if I don't want to, I get the flowers from my aunt's hand and look in my mom and dad's direction.

"Wherever you are, always remember that I love you." I cracked my own voice after saying those words.

I threw the flowers in my mom and dad's coffin, and for the last time, I looked at their grave while tears were still falling into my cheeks and I formed a sad smile.

*

Seven days had passed since my mom and dad had died. I thought I could go back to the past even if I don't have a parent anymore, but I was wrong.

For all the years that I have been living in this world, I couldn't believe that my mom and dad have a huge amount of debt to the bank. I tried to talk to some of my relatives, but I just failed to convince them to help me, and none of them want to keep me. Now, I could count the days where I suddenly lost the house of my parents as well.

I miss my mom and dad so much. I wonder what kind of solution they would think of in this kind of situation.

"Penelope, are you fine? I told you that you should not go to class yet."

I looked in the direction of my friend, Raelynn Ximena. She's been my best friend since we were children. I could hear the sound of the lollipop that she was eating while looking at me with her worried hazel-brown eyes. With her snow white skin, I could see her kissable lips more. She's a goddess, if there is one.

I shrugged my head in response to her question. "I'm fine, Raelynn. I'm fine." I took a deep breath when I felt the tears that wanted to fall from my cheeks again.

I just realized the situation I have right now when I suddenly received a hug from my friend. Action speaks a thousand words. That's why she's been my best friend until now.

We just stop talking with each other when a man suddenly stops in front of us.

By the way, we're college students, and right now, we just had our break time. A bachelor of science in psychology is our course. I stared at the man while he was fixing his shoe tie that was removed earlier. I am not familiar with his face. Is he a new student?

He has a back-slicked hair style, white American skin, is tall as six feet, has a round face, a pointed nose, and I could almost think that his lips kiss a liptint.

I snapped my own eyes when he suddenly looked in my direction.

"Kennedy? Oy, first time that you walked around here. Are you tired of using the school roof whenever we had a break time?"

I looked in my friend's direction when I heard her statement. My eyebrows met with confusion while looking at her. My friend also looked at me, and her eyes suddenly widen while looking at me.

"You don't know him, Penelope?" She even pointed her finger in the man's direction in front of us. To our loud voice, I suddenly feel embarrassed.

"He's our classmate, Escanor Kennedy. Are you really that stressed?"

I glared in my friend's direction. We both looked in Kennedy's direction, and we both looked at our surroundings when we noticed that he was not standing in front of us anymore.

I am not looking at my surroundings often because I am one of those nerds, and I don't want to get a center of attraction, especially from those bullies. I'm truly glad that Raelynn is here, so I haven't experienced bullying yet.

Anyway, our conversation stopped again when another student approached us again.

"Ms. Eleanor, you are called to join the Dean's Office now." After giving a statement, she immediately left us.

My friend and I stared at each other, and after a while, I took a deep breath.

"Yeah. Maybe they will talk about my deceased parents too."

I stand up without energy. I feel like I am exhausted from all of my afternoon activities. I just looked in my friend's direction before I walked to the principal's office. My friend even wants to come and join me, but I stop her from coming. I don't want her to hear negative news, and she will be worried about my situation again.

When I finally arrived at the dean's office, I saw the dean together with the two people wearing black tuxedos. They both bowed to me, which makes me more confused.

"Ms. Eleanor, we are glad to talk with you and let you come with us. We want you to know that starting today, you will live in the mansion together with our master."

I am even more confused because of what I heard from one of them.

"Huh? Mansion? What mansion? Who's the owner?"

"The mansion that was owned by Master Kendy. This is what Master Kendy and your late parents agreed on. You are going to marry our master."

I feel like I suddenly lost my sense of hearing. K-Kendy? I don't even know that person!

"What kind of bullshit is that? Do you even have evidence?" I glared in their direction.

They smiled at me. After that, they gave me some white paper. I get it, but I fell to the floor when I saw the signatures of my mom and dad. Not only that.

They let me marry a man who was twenty years older than me.

He is forty years old, for goodness sake!