Mommy's hand slapped Daddy's cheek. She slapped him so hard. I immediately separated them, but Mom is unstoppable. He was now punching Dad's chest.
"What happened to my daughter? What did you do with my daughter? You beast!" she ranted.
I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw Dad's response. He even dared to smile, as if nothing had happened to him!
"Floral, bring your ma'am inside her room first," he said to the maid, who obliged right away.
They are pressuring Mom to come them. So I insisted on being the one to deliver her, but Dad instantly defied me since we needed to talk about something important. Before joining Dad on the balcony, I left Mom with them.
I bowed awkwardly and inquired, "W-What do you want to talk about?" I can only count on my fingers how many times we've spoken in my life.
"How are things in Korea?"
"I'm sorry?"
He raised an eyebrow, "Uh, it's okay..."
He sighed heavily. "Good to know."
I don't know, but there's something with his grin. A weird one. I was taken aback when he suddenly took both my hands. Usually, when we talk, Dad is always formal.
"Andra, do you love us?" I could hear the doubt in his voice.
I immediately nodded. "Of course, you are my family."
His grasp on my hands became much tighter. "So you're going to take my favor, right? You're not going to say no?"
I still couldn't respond, but he spoke up immediately away; I'm not sure how I feel about his favor, but I don't see why I should refuse it.
Oh, you see, Selena had an accident and murdered Camero's heiress accidentally. Camero is a strong family with many connections, and if they found out about the tragedy, it would be the end of us all. Even your aunt and uncle's business may be destroyed."
"T-Then..."
I can't understand what he's talking about.
"Please bear her face. The face of that woman—"
"What?" I exclaimed, my mouth gaping open and shaking a few times. I wrenched my hands away from his grip. "You've got to be kidding me, Dad!"
The grin he wore suddenly turned into a thin lip! Does he even think he is right? Does he want me to imitate the face of the woman Selena killed? What for? To deceive the Cameros?
"So you're rejecting..."
"Daddy! Your favor isn't normal. It's ridiculous. "
I didn't continue my sentence when he slapped me, causing me to lay down on the floor. He never laid a hand on me!
"How could you refuse the man who feeds you? The one who pays for your education! The one who gives you good clothes!" He had never lashed out like this.
For my entire life, I have been part of their family. It never occurred to me that he would charge me.
"Appa..." I whispered.
"Don't call me that! I never thought of you like my daughter—"
"Then why didn't you just return me to my real parents the instant you found Selena?"
As I screamed those things, I couldn't help but close my eyes firmly.
"Parents? So you're hoping they'll show up! Andra, your life is meaningless! People may have mistaken you for someone who had just emerged through a bamboo slice if it hadn't been for me—"
He couldn't continue when Mommy suddenly bumped into him, who immediately attended to me. Maybe she heard our yells.
"What the heck, Remus! You're overreacting to our child! " Even though she was weak, she struggled to scream.
Daddy laughed and looked at us with a smile. Just like Mom, he had some white hair too.
"Just your child, Judy!" he exclaimed as he walked up to me.
I don't know, but I'm trembling now with fear. At times, he approached me while his eyes were dark. By pulling my hair, he made me sit up. My scalp hurts.
"Remus! What the heck, let her go! "
I tried to remove his hand, but he was really strong. I'm shaking with pain now, begging him to let go of my hair. When we met Vince with blood on his lip, when he saw my condition, his chinky eyes widened.
He forcefully removes Dad's hand from my hair. Like me and Mom, he's powerless too. He did nothing but beg to let me go. I know that he can't fight back against Dad because he has too much respect for him.
He led me into a dark hallway of the house while Vince and Mommy still followed behind us.
"Uncle, please let go of her hair!" It was Vince.
When he opened the door, he immediately threw me away. I fell to the floor crying. I feel the pain in my scalp.
Before he closed the door, he fumed violently, "Just stay there until you change your mind and agree in my favor!" He is smirking evilly. I'll tell you a secret. A secret that is going to change your mind! Your fucking mother is sick. She has an illness called leukemia! Isn't that enough to change your mind?"
I immediately stood up and slammed the door. It was so dark! I've got a phobia of darkness! Oh, Dammit!
"Dad, please open this up." Apart from trying to open the door, I could do nothing but cry.
I heard their footsteps slowly fading. I sobbed when I saw only boxes next to me in this room. What if there's a ghost here? I instantly hugged my knees with that thought and buried my face between my thighs.
A lot of people around me, but why do they still need to change? Why does something need to change? Why?
They aren't the same people I met nineteen years ago.
They're my friends, so why do I feel envious whenever I see them as the children's choice for couples who can't afford to have children?
Why aren't they picking me? I'm a little ah! I'd be able to take care of everything around the house! Why shouldn't it just be me? I was saddened to be sitting in the orphanage center's little park, where my parents had abandoned me!
I stopped swinging when I saw a shadow in front of me. I couldn't help but look at her. She smiled at me. She was beautiful, and her skin was beautiful! She's rich! I couldn't help but smirk at him before returning to the swing.
"I guess you're alone." She asked me in a soft voice.
"Because I'm sad."
"Uh, why?"
"I'm not going to have a family anymore." I gasped.
When I heard her weak laugh, she followed the rhythm of my cradle. "Now you have a family."
I turned to her. "I'm grown up. No one wants to adopt me."
I heard another voice: "We will adopt you."
Really?" I tearfully question them.
They smiled at me so sweetly and held out their hands to me. I accepted that with all my heart.
The moment I put my hands on them, was the moment I gave my whole life to them.
I reminisced all the past. Trying to find a reason why Daddy said that!
*****
"Andra…"
I woke up immediately when I heard Vince's faint voice. Thank God, he's here! I pressed my ear to the door to hear what he had to say.
"Vince, help me please..." I begged him.
"I want to, but I can't find a way. Uncle is strict."
My shoulder dropped at what he said and I leaned against the door. I glanced at the cellphone that suddenly appeared next to me.
"Use your temporary light first. I only put my contact number there. Call me if the battery runs out."
"Why only yours?" I asked while fiddling with the cellphone.
"I have a plan, Alexa. I don't want you to ruin it by asking for help—"
My eyes widened. Did he got caught?
"Vince! Vince, are you still there?"
When I heard him sighing heavily, I felt relieved. "I thought who was It's just you, Tita."
Is Mommy here? What is he doing here? She might even get caught!
I listened in her favor to Vince to give us privacy first to talk. A few seconds later, I heard Vince's footsteps walking away. I heard her heavy sighs.
"Go away, you might get caught." I pushed her away using my tired voice. "You should be resting now! "
"I know his favor. His absurd favor, to be precise. She chuckled a little. She still couldn't believe her husband's favor.
"I've got to tell you something, sweetie."
That endearment
"You asked me about this several times, and you didn't hear anything from me." I know what she's up to. Both of my ears are on her. "This mother of yours... is the best mother I know."
Did they meet then? "Then you"
"Yes, I met her. She was the first one who approached me. At first, I was scared when she introduced herself as your mother, and I pushed her away because I thought she was going to take you away from me, but I was wrong. I was very wrong. She wanted to come in as a maid, and she promised she wouldn't even get a centimeter close to you. She just wanted to see you grow because you were her only child, and I agreed to her offer."
I thought it was gone, but my eyes let go of my tears. "So she was there by my side all the time?" I can't believe the question.
"Yes, Sweetie, even when you're still in the orphanage. She's there to guide you. She didn't introduce herself to you because she's ashamed of what she did when she left you in that orphanage."
"If she had been there all that time, she would have known that I was thirsty for love! Isn't that enough for her to not introduce herself to me? "
"I asked the same thing, but she refused to answer. When I employed her, I observed you and her getting close to each other. She broke her promise. At that time, I was so paranoid. I was so crazy and so mad, so I made a way for you to hate her. I set her up in a situation where she stole my necklace—"
I cried, even more, when I remembered who she was referring to. "Tell me if what I'm thinking is wrong! Please!"
"I no longer want to lie to my youngest daughter anymore." And she started to shed a tear.
"You're correct."
"Fuck! Fuck! No way! No way! You're not telling the truth! Stop! Please stop! How can you do this to me?"
The woman she was talking about was dead, eleven years ago!
I've been there. When the accident happened, I was there!