CHAPTER III: THE LOVING AND OBEDIENT DAUGHTER

ELENA was twelve years old when her mother passed away. Her world felt as if it had been broken that time. Her mother was her rock and the only reason she was alive, as they had no other relatives. They had just each other. Nonetheless, they were both content. Her mother adored and looked after her. She gave her a good upbringing.

She had known about their family's circumstances since she was a child. She did not wonder as to why her father only visited their home on rare occasions. He'd probably pay them a visit once or twice a month. She would sometimes go five months without seeing him. Regardless, her father made certain that they would have a decent life.

Her mother was Senator Rodulfo Villegas' mistress, and she was the result of their affair.

They always kept their personal lives secret since they didn't want the media to know about them. One of the country's most powerful senators' reputation cannot be tarnished. Her father was known as the most dependable governmental official. True enough, he was completely honest in his work and in his dealings with others. He was really concerned about the plight of the poor. His single flaw was he couldn't stay faithful to his wife. However, it would be unfair to have his reputation ruined because of a single mistake.

"Aren't you hurt when you see daddy with his family on TV?" she asked her mother one night when they were having dinner together.

"What kind of question is that? Just eat up."

"I just thought you might be hurt. Because I am, I'm jealous of my classmates. They have fathers that they can introduce to people. They have a father who is very proud of their accomplishments."

Her mother was taken aback and was unable to speak for quite some time. She was speechless as she glanced at her.

"I understand you, sweetie," she said with a big sigh and a tight grip on her daughter's palm. "I understand our family's set-up is difficult for you. Believe me, I wish I could provide you with a better family, but we're already entangled in this situation, and I can't change it."

"I'm not complaining, 'mum."

"I know, I know! But to answer your question, yes, I get hurt. I get jealous sometimes. I've also wished a few times before for us to be in the position of his real family, but that's not possible. I need to remind myself to make peace with the fact that we're just his second family. It's already a big mistake that I love a married man; will I make things even more complicated for us?"

Since then, that thought had lingered in her head. Her mother was a mistress, and she was a mistress's daughter. She was the result of their illicit relationship. She was a mistake even though her mother never made her feel like one.

When her mother passed away, her father took her to live with his real family. It turned out that his real family was aware of their existence. They knew her father had a child from his mistress. But they couldn't let the public know about her real identity. So they pretended that she was adopted to make their family name even more noble.

"I don't blame you for your mother's mistakes. You are free from the guilt of your parents," was the first thing Doña Consuelo Villegas, her father's legitimate wife, said to her. She looked so strict and cold. She didn't even smile at her. "But don't expect me to treat you like my own daughter."

"I-I understand, ma'am."

"I hope you understand that this is not easy for me. You are a living reminder of my husband's betrayal. Looking at you makes me sick. I remember the times when my husband was not with us because he was with your flirtatious mother."

She wanted to say something to defend her late mother. She wasn't perfect but she deserved to be respected. She was such a loving and kind person. Her mother's only mistake was to love the wrong person. But she chose not to speak. She just accepted Doña Consuelo's anger.

"Now that you're a part of this family, you have to earn your place here. It's not easy to be a Villegas. I'd expect nothing but the best from you. You need to have good grades. You have to be an honor student. I want to see you leading the campus. You cannot afford to be mediocre, do you understand? "

"Yes, ma'am."

"In the eyes of the public, you are my daughter. That's why I want you to be beautiful, smart, and successful. You can't afford to be like your real mother. You cannot be stupid."

All her life, she did nothing but please her. Her father, on the other hand, was too busy to give her attention. She even felt that he did not consider her as his daughter. That's why she continously begged for their love and attention. She never stopped proving himself worthy of their affection.

"Calm down. You might get sick of that," his older brother Albert warned her when he noticed that she was immersed in studying even on weekends.

"I can't, kuya. There are a lot of exams on Monday. I have to study all of this. I don't want to be replaced in the top spot," she replied while her attention was still on her book.

Her older brother forcibly closed her book and smiled at her sheepishly.

"C'mon, it's a weekend! Learn to relax. Why don't we go to the mall?"

"I really can't. You know I'm under a lot of pressure right now. I can't be complacent since I have other classmates who are also aiming for the top spot."

"So what? It won't change the fact that your grades are still high. You're doing really well in school, Elena. You deserve to take a break."

"I can't lose to them. I don't want to disappoint—"

"Stop thinking about 'mum! Let her get mad. You're putting so much pressure on yourself to the point that you're no longer enjoying your life. Elena, you're only sixteen years old."

In their family, only Kuya Albert was his ally. He never made her feel like she wasn't part of them. She thought he would be cold to her too, that's why she was surprised when he treated her well and considered her a real sister.

However, their eldest brother treated her the exact opposite. Her Kuya Francis had always been hostile to her. He hardly spoke to her and in those rare moments that they talked, he always had nothing good to say to her. He treated her like an enemy because of all her achievements. Kuya Francis was smart and also an achiever as a student so he did nothing but compete with her.

She chose to ignore him because she never intended to compete with him in the first place. All she wanted was to be loved by their parents and for them to see her worth. So, she just kept on doing her best and just let her Kuya Francis do what he wanted to do.

They were in college when she caught him kissing a guy inside the campus. It was late at night and she was about to go home when she noticed that she left one of her books. So, she quickly went back to the locker room where she saw her brother kissing a guy.

He immediately pushed the man away and both of their eyes widened. She didn't know how to react so she quickly opened her locker and tried to act like she saw nothing. She then scanned her locker and looked for the book so she could get out of there.

"Don't play dumb, Elena." She was shocked when he grabbed her arm.

"K-kuya..."

"You're a bad actor, okay? You saw it! You saw me kissing a guy!"

"Kuya, please..."

"But you're not going to say anything about it, is that clear?"

"I don't really have anything to say."

It wasn't her story to tell. She had many gay friends and she learned from them to respect someone’s privacy. If a gay person wasn't ready to come out yet, then let him be. You should let him get through that phase at his own pace. You have no right to interfere with how he wants to run his life.

"All right," he said as he let go of her arm. "It's good to know that we're on the same page. And if you think you can use this against me— to outsmart or blackmail me— think again."

"That didn't even cross my mind, Kuya."

"Good, but please don't pretend to be nice because I know you're not. You can't fool me."

"I'm just concerned about you."

"And why should you be concerned about me? I've got my life all figured out. I can handle things on my own. As long as you don't meddle, I'm fine."

"If you're confused about your sexuality, if you need someone to talk to or any kind of help, please let me know. You're not my enemy, kuya. I'm here to help you."

He simply chuckled at what she said and stared at her as if she was insane.

"Are you kidding me, Elena? I'm simply having a good time here, so please don't bother me."

She had kept that secret for a long time. Even when her older brother Francis married and started a family of his own, she kept the secret from everyone. Despite that, his treatment towards her never changed. He continued to be cold and unpleasant to her.

Doña Consuelo, on the other hand, treated her differently when she got married. Her father seemed to be paying more attention to her as well. Suddenly, she was treated as the beloved unica hija. She became a family treasure just because she married the heir of the country's largest corporation.

"You made a terrific choice, hija. You're incredibly smart!" Doña Consuelo remarked with a huge smile plastered on her face as they stood at the church's entrance. "What a stunning wedding gown! So extravagant! I swear, no other man can give you this!"

"I know you'll be a perfect wife, but I just want to remind you," her father added. "Don't embarrass us in front of the Salamedas. They're good people, but it's also hard to mess with them. I already know you won't disappoint me, but I just want to remind you that."

"Why are you even saying that? I raised Elena well, and she knows the right thing to do."

"I'm only reminding our daughter."

She wanted to scream at that time because she felt suffocated by her parents. They treated her as if she was a pet or a toy that they could easily manipulate. But she didn't want them to ruin her special day, so she just nodded and agreed to everything they said, like a loving and obedient daughter.

Little did she know that her life was about to completely change starting on that day.