Luca hurriedly opened the door of the morgue, only to see his mom's body on the floor. There's only a tiny cloth that covers her face. The scenario that was right before his eyes infuriated him and he wanted to break all the necks of the people behind the reason for it.
"What did you do to my mom!?" He asked toward the male nurse he saw on the corner and quickly grab his white clothes. Luca's eyes were piercing towards him, it says everything, the pain, the anger, the agony, and grief.
"S-Sir, it's the order from the director. W-We don't have enough vacant here, t-that's why your mom's body is on the floor." He stammered as he tries to explain to the furious Luca.
"A-Are you freaking kidding me?" Luca asked fully of sarcasm as he saw the other tables completely vacant.
"I-I'm just taking orders S-Sir." The male nurse replied and was unable to look him in the eyes because of guilt. Luca let him go, he knew that even if he pours out all his rage toward this nurse, nothing will change. He ran towards the lifeless body of his mom and cried.
"M-Mom… p-please wake up." His mom doesn't deserve this. She's the most generous person Luca ever met. She raised him with good manners, and always thought him to be humble and help others in need. Luca shed tears for he didn't know how long. The pain is too unbearable right now that he wasn't sure how to act anymore. Until a nurse approaches him.
"S-Sir? You have to pay for the bills of your mom before…"
Luca threw him a cold glance unable to continue what the nurse wanted to say. Without saying a word, he shifted his gaze at his mother once again, memorizing every feature of her beautiful yet pale face, and cover her face slowly with a thin cloth. He wraps his arms around her and puts a pressure to pull her up, gently.
"S-Sir where are you bringing her?"
Luca didn't bother to answer the nurse, the security guards tried to stop him, but the director quickly called to let him go. Before Luca left the hospital, he glance at the highest floor of it with only a transparent wall glass, the man standing behind it is the director of the hospital. Even though Luca couldn't see his face clearly, he promised himself one thing. He'll drag his hospital down and make that director bend on his knees for what he did to his mother.
Luca walked to the streets carrying his mother in his arms, he doesn't care if other people were staring at him, pitying him, or getting mad at him for stealing such attention. He saw some were taking photos or videos of him on their mobile phones but he doesn't give a damn about it.
Luca hopes, that the table turns one day. And when that time comes, he'll get the most satisfying apologies from these people, more of like begging for his forgiveness.
Luca and his younger sister Lara who's in her second year of high school went through a hard time grieving, and mourning for their loss. Even on the day of his mom's burial, Luca got the most disrespectful one after the Ashtons, Amanda, his mother-in-law Agnes, the Carters, Steven, and his boss, Sam showed up.
"What kind of cemetery is this?" Asked Agnes to Steven Carter as she walks across Luca and Lara.
"It's probably a dog's graveyard." The latter replied, and laugh horrendously.
"Mom please, pay some respect," Amanda whispered to Agnes, but her mother just rolled her eyes and shrugged before facing Luca.
She narrowed him from head to foot and speaks.
"How pathetic, a terrible karma indeed for making my daughter unhappy for five years!" She shouted and throw a piece of paper in front of Luca.
"Sign it!" Agnes roared.
"M-Mom. Let's just wait for the burial to get done." Amanda tried to approach her mother once again but Agnes just ignored her.
"Sign these divorce papers so we could cut every relationship we have with you! I don't want to hear your name next to my daughter you assh*le!"
Luca threw his mother-in-law a cold gaze. He doesn't know why she's too angry at him, was it because he was poor, that's why he's being treated like a dog? Was it enough reason?
"J-Just s-sign it, L-Luca," Lara whispered, she's already crying for the embarrassment her family is going through right now.
"Sssh. Stop crying, Lara." Luca hushed his sister as he slowly caress her back to calm her down.
Luca picks all the papers scattered on top of his mother's grave, and the pen as well. He throws a short glance at Amanda who's now behind Agnes. Beside her was Steven with arms wrapped around Amanda's waist, with a wide mocking grin flashing on his face. This scenario will forever stamp in his head, like a broken plaque that will keep on playing when he's asleep, a nightmare that will haunt him.
"Just sign it, Luca," Amanda demanded this time.
Luca didn't bother to read it, he knew that everything written on it will be in favor of the Ashton and their wealth.
As soon as he was able to sign the divorce papers, Agnes snatched it from him.
"Perfect!" She exclaimed and even clap her hands.
"Let's go, Amanda sweetie. By the way, my deepest condolence on your loss." Agnes added without any hint of empathy, she even managed to giggle as they walked away from the poor Luca.
"W-why did Amanda file a divorce? And why did that man was holding her?" Lara asked as soon as his mother-in-law and the Carters left.
"I'm sorry about that Lara." Luca was furious, but he cannot show it to his younger sister.
"T-They didn't even respect mom's…"Lara wasn't able to finish her sentence and cried. Luca hugs his sister, he understands where she is coming from.
It's a huge disrespect. He wonders if wealthy people are all like that, they lack manners. Luca was still grateful that despite being poor, his mom thought him how to be down to earth, and respect others.
Luca wasn't able to keep the strength for himself, he let his tears flow freely down his cheeks, the moment the rain started to pour. It's like even heaven knows their pain and is trying to empathize with him and his sister.
Days turn months, it's been hard for Luca and his sister Lara to keep up with life. It's getting harder for them, especially with Luca who's jobless, and despite his amazing credentials, every company he's trying to apply to rejects him. At the start of the job interview, the interviewee is seemingly awed by the way he talks, and even his experiences amaze them, however, whenever they see his name on top of it, they quickly reject him and push him to another company.
Luca could sense something is not right, because it didn't happen with one or two companies only but with the twelve.
"I'm sorry Mr.Scott, it seems like you have a good credential but you're not fit for our company. Better try the other…"
"You're the thirteenth company that I've applied, to, and the thirteenth HR manager who told me the same script." Luca cuts him off. The interviewee fixes his eyeglasses.
"Am I in a game played by the top powerful tycoons here in the city?" He asked mockingly.
"We're really sorry Mr.Scott. but you may now leave."
Luca is not a fool to not know that Steven Carter pulls some strings, or it's his mother-in-law's doing.
Luca sat on one of the benches. He cannot let all of this pass, he needs a job or his sister Lara will die in hunger.
Three rings and Amanda answered the phone.
"Who's this?" The sweet voice Luca once admired made his heart flutter. Amanda still has that effect on him. And the fact that she erased his name from her contact list hurts him.
"Tell your mom or Steven Carter to stop pestering my life. I've signed the divorce papers so I could live peacefully, give me and my sister some freedom to adjust and cope with life Amanda." Luca tried to strengthen his voice, he doesn't want to beg again.
"I don't know what you are talking about…."
"You know exactly what I am talking about Amanda. Do something or I'll contact the media and ask for a press conference about the divorce we had and of course the main reason why it happened. I'll never forget that you cheated on me, Amanda with the great Sam Carter's son. I'm sure your mom's friends and the Carter's won't like that aren't they?"
Luca couldn't think of something else to convince Amanda, and this is his last resort.
Silenced reign on the other line, he knew what Amanda is thinking. She's a wise and brave woman despite her gentle façade.
"You know that you're just putting yourself more in trouble if you do that Luca." Amanda calmly replied.
"I'm in trouble since I married you, Amanda. What's the difference?"
"The difference is I'm not your wife anymore Luca."
"No one will stop my mom anymore, she could kill you with just one lift of a finger, without any sweats if she wanted to."