Emilia tightened her grip on the phone and exhaled sharply before she could respond to what her mother was saying.
"Mom, calm down. What really happened?" She asked, trying to sound calm even though her heart was pounding.
"It is Matthew. He got into a fight with some boys on campus. Big boys! And now, he… he has been arrested with the others." Sandra cried from the other end.
"Arrested?" Emilia repeated, her voice rising.
"And your father… when he heard about it, he collapsed again. Another health crisis. We had to rush him to the hospital." Sandra rushed out with urgency.
Emilia gasped.
"How is he now?" She managed to ask without panicking.
"They are trying to stabilize him, but… you know how it usually works. To stabilize him requires a huge amount of money. Now, we have two problems: The hospital bills… and finding a way to get Matthew out of custody too." Sandra informed her daughter and exhaled in exasperation.
"That boy knows our financial condition, yet he is causing trouble out there." Sandra added that part more herself.
Emilia heaved a heavy sigh, taking it all in.
"I… I will figure something out. Do you need me to come over first?" Emilia offered.
"No..." Her mother replied quickly.
"We will manage here. What we need is the funds. I wouldn't ask, but you know…" She trailed off, her voice breaking.
"Mom, it is okay, I understand. Don't worry, we are going to settle it." Emilia cut in softly, blinking back tears that were threatening to stream down her face.
"I'm sorry, Emilia. I just didn't know who else to call." Her mother said, sniffling.
"Of course, Mom, I know that much. It is fine. I will call you back soon." Emilia said then ended the call, staring blankly at the wall.
"Is everything okay?" Adrian asked her.
"Of course." Emilia mumbled, her voice hollow.
"You don't look fine." He pressed further gently.
"Do I need to look fine?" She snapped and Adrian frowned, taken aback.
"Right. I see you don't want to talk about it..." He was saying calmly but she interrupted him.
"I don't." She snapped and walked away without another word.
Adrian watched her go, his jaw tightening.
"She is so cold. Is she always like this, or is it just with me?" He muttered to himself in confusion.
~~~~~~~~~
Emilia got into her bedroom and sank onto the bed, then freed the tears that she had been holding back.
After a moment of weeping silently, she wiped off her tears and exhaled sharply.
"What do I do? Do I call him? But after everything… I have been rebellious. Especially last night..." She whispered, clutching her phone tightly.
Her hands shook as she stared at Victor's number. The thought of asking him for help again made her stomach churn.
"But what choice do I have now?" She said aloud, her voice breaking.
She stood up and paced the room, her mind in turmoil.
Minutes turned into an hour as she wrestled with herself.
"I don't have any other choice. I have to swallow my pride again." She decided, feeling ashamed.
Finally, she took a deep breath and dialed Victor's number.
He answered on the second ring.
"Oh, my disobedient wife is calling me? What a surprise? To what do I owe the pleasure?" He asked smoothly, his tone laced with amusement.
She hesitated for a second.
"I… I just wanted to ask how you are faring at work. How was the trip? I hope you have arrived safely at your destination?" She began softly and Victor chuckled darkly.
"You don't need to lie. I can sense that you need my help again, as usual. You sound desperate." He pointed out, clearly enjoying himself and Emilia swallowed hard, feeling so terrible.
"Yes, I need your help. Please." She admitted, her pride crumbling.
"Of course you always do, but you know how this works, don't you?" Victor asked, his voice mockingly sweet.
Emilia gritted her teeth and nodded vigorously.
"Of course. What do you want?" She asked him.
"This time, I don't want empty promises, Emilia. I want action." He said.
"I will do anything. Anything that you want." She assured him, almost in a whisper and she hated herself for the words.
Victor hummed, clearly pleased by that.
"Good. We will discuss the details when I get back. For now, tell me what you need." He maintained.
She explained quickly, her voice shaking. When she finished, Victor let out a low laugh.
"Consider it done, but remember, Emilia, nothing is free from me." He reminded her firmly.
The line went dead, and Emilia collapsed onto the bed, tears streaming down her face.
~~~~~~~~~~
Later that evening, Adrian stood in the doorway of his late mother's room, noticing how dust covered almost every where.
"Mom... I hope you are doing well over there?" He asked and let out a low chuckle.
"This room misses you as much as I do." He stated, hesitating for a moment before stepping inside.
"Mom…" He whispered, running a hand over the dresser.
Then, he began searching through drawers, pulling out papers and old photographs. His frustration grew as he found nothing significant.
"What were you trying to tell me?" He muttered, rifling through another drawer.
Then his hand brushed against something hard inside one of the drawers in her dresser —a small book.
"What is that?" He wondered anxiously.
Adrian pulled it out, his breath catching when he saw the worn leather cover.
"A diary?" He opened it, flipping through the pages immediately.
His mother's handwriting filled the book, her words flowing with emotion and urgency. Adrian skimmed through the entries, his heart pounding with anxiety.
Finally, he paused, his eyes scanning a particular line. He froze, then read it again to be sure.
"If I die, hold my husband responsible."
Adrian's hands trembled as he stared at the words, his eyes widened in shock.
"What the hell has my father been doing…" He whispered.