"I know you have a lot of question why I have decided to look like this." Jane started and she could see their eagerness to know the truth.
"Well, right after I came back to the dorm, I decided to go back from my previous work with the hopes that just like my scholarship I could still go back and work there. But, I was wrong."
Jane then narrated to them what happened up to the point that she was offered with a new job.
Of course she didn't disclose about Edric's identity and how he was related to Mrs. Shaw and Celeste.
She only told them that she was working as a tutor every weekend.
Also, she told them that it was his statements which had added to her motivation to change for the better.
"Mama. I just realized that what he said was right. If I won't appreciate myself by being presentable, how can others appreciate me?"
"I told you, didn't I? Your disguise is too much, you know, yet you said it was fine. In the end, you had a tough life at school."
Mrs. Sanchez had figured that out upon listening to Jane's story.
And as a mother, she felt sad knowing that she had failed to protect her daughter.
"Mama, it's fine. I have managed to keep them at bay. And I won't let them to hurt me. Not anymore." Jane reassured.
However, as a mother, she would still worry for Jane.
"Ate, are all of the people in the Capital like that?" Anton asked her after knowing that his big sister had suffered.
"Just like in the movies, it does happen. Bullying does happen in real life. However, there are also good people who are willing to help and protect the heroine, right? And that's what happens to me. Compared before, I now have a friend who is willing to come to my rescue. And also I have met good people there."
Jane didn't want her siblings to think that all people in the city were bad and bullies just like in the movies where in they would make fun of a country girl who went to the city just to pursue her dreams.
"Okay. That make sense."
"So Ate, is your new boss handsome?" Naomi asked the typical question.
The image of Edric flashed in her head and she didn't have to think about his appearance since she had seen that face many times.
"No, he is not handsome. Just average." She even shrugged her shoulder for emphasis.
Edric was very handsome indeed. His visual fitted that of a royal. A monarch. In fact back then, the visual he had was praised for being like a male god.
However, it was the way how he had treated her back then and how Edric, who had the uncanny resemblance of him, had been treating her now made her to say that.
"I see." Mrs. Sanchez said meaningfully.
"Then, are you going to look like this from now on Ate?" Naomi asked.
"Yes." Jane was still uncertain if she would change her appearance again. However she was certain that she liked her appearance now.
"So, how's school and everything while I'm away? Why does everyone looking towards us that way earlier?"
She immediately asked the moment she recalled how those neighbors looked at them.
"School is fine. Though we are not as smart as you are Ate, we have managed to top our classes for four years in a row now."
"That's good! Keep up the good work. Don't worry, Ate will do my best so we can afford your college education later on, okay?"
"Thank you, Ate!" Naomi beamed with happiness.
"You're welcome!" She said with a soft and warm smile.
"And about earlier?" Jane had to repeat the question.
"Well, they thought that Mama had a new lover." Anton said.
"We have a step-father now, Ma?" Jane teasingly asked her mother.
"No!" Mrs. Sanchez strongly shook her head.
"I see. Then why would they insist that you have one?"
"Mama has this avid customer of her pie and the man had a liking with Mama. The problem is that Mama doesn't like him yet the guy keeps on pestering her everyday in our shop together with his men." Anton narrated.
"That's true Ate. One day, they came here with his people. That's when we found out that he is related to the loan sharks where Papa borrowed the money."
"They're pressuring us to pay the debt as soon as possible should Mama doesn't want to be his wife. But how can we pay it when they hired someone to rob and vandalize our store! They didn't even spare our newly opened little diner." Naomi said with trembling voice.
Jane could see the pain in her eyes. They must have suffered terribly to make them be like this.
"When did this happen? Mama, why didn't you tell me about this?" Jane could not help but ask.
"The day when you went out of the hospital. Anton called and told me what happened while I was on the way back." Mrs. Sanchez said with a sad tone.
"I see. Did they still pester you Mama?" Jane asked her.
"Yes. They only give us until next month to pay everything. Until then, they will take Mama away." Anton said while clenching his palm into a tight fist.
"Don't worry. I won't let them take away Mama from us." She reassured her siblings.
"How much do we still owe from them?" Jane asked.
"We still have five million pesos left." Mrs. Sanchez said.
Jane then calculated the money she had left in her bank account. She only had roughly two million pesos left in her bank account.
She needed three million pesos left. Where should she get the other half then?
Even if she would double her time working those part time jobs and with her work as Celeste's tutor, she won't make it within the deadline.
"One month is enough. Don't worry Mama. I'll look for ways to help. Okay?" Jane reassured her.
"Me, too Mama. When classes resumed, I'll sell cookies or muffins to my classmates." Naomi said.
"Me too, Mama. I'll create paintings and then sell them online or to those who wanted to buy them." Anton also added.
"Oh my! Thank you Jane, Naomi, and Anton. However, you all really don't have to burden yourselves with this debt. I'll find the way so we could get away with it, 'kay?" Mrs. Sanchez didn't lose hope. How could she when her children didn't even want to give up.
"No Mama. We are a family. Therefore we can't just dare to sit still while we are having this problem." Jane emphasized making Mrs. Sanchez to be silent.
"Ate's right Mama. So let us help too, okay?" Both Anton and Naomi said.
Since they had reached an agreement, Jane and her siblings planned on how to help their mother.
Three million pesos debt was not easy to pay in a month. They have to look for alternatives.
Jane thought that she could use the money that she had to invest in stocks or to put up a business that could have high returns.
After coming up with the plan, Mrs. Sanchez, Jane and her siblings went to the town market to check on their shop which had been shut off for two weeks now.
After the incident, Ann and the kids never dared to go there in fear that those people would come there and then would pester them again.
When they arrived, Jane saw the extent of damage. She was even shocked to know that they didn't even file a police report about this.
"What can we do? That man is the brother of the Chief of Police in our town." Anton explained to her.
"I see. Then this makes the situation even worse." Jane uttered in recognition.
The siblings then contemplated if they should sell this space to others and just rent a new yet cheaper space probably for the meantime or still continue using this space.
The payment from the sale could add up on their business capital.
Jane had decided that after they would pay the entire debt, she would move her family away from this town and then move them somewhere else.
That way, they could totally have a new life. And the chances of those people pestering her family would be now zero.
There's no guarantee that those people would stop bothering Mrs. Sanchez after they hand in their payment.
They never followed the rules which was the reason why they were called law breakers and violators.
"I'll put this space for sale, would that be okay?" She asked Mrs. Sanchez.
"Do we have to end up in that situation?" It was evident in Mrs. Sanchez's voice that she really didn't want to give up this space.
"I'm sorry Mama, but I think we have to." Jane honestly said.
"But-"
This space was special for Mrs. Sanchez and her husband. So she didn't want to give this up.
"Mama, I know this place is special. However, it's no longer advisable to continue our business here knowing that it had become subject to vandalism and robbery." Jane tried to make sense of the situation.
"Can you at least give me time to think about this?" Mrs. Sanchez asked her.
"Of course Mama. You can." Jane said.
While Mrs. Sanchez was in deep thoughts, her three children were busy cleaning up the place.
There were many broken glasses and stale pies on the floor.
So, they had decided to clean them first.
After cleaning the entire place, they all had decided to go back home so they could start preparing dinner.
However, before they could even step out of the shop, those men came back once again upon knowing from their informant that Mrs. Sanchez was there.
"Hi, Ann." The man said.