CHAPTER 01

Since childhood, fate has shown me that not all children have happy families. To me, it feels like a lie because I believe there are no genuinely happy families in this world, not even a single one. If there is one, why don't I have one?

The family I have cannot be described as a family, let alone a happy one. I have a mother who is constantly subjected to abuse by her husband, a mother who has been cheated on multiple times, yet chooses to remain trapped in the cycle of love.

Every night, I could hear her cries and pleas as she endured abuse from her husband. In the morning, I would see her covered in bruises and scars all over her body. Despite the evident fatigue, sadness, and pain, both emotional and physical, she managed to put on a smile.

My mother loved my father so deeply that she reached a breaking point when she discovered he had another woman in his life. What she couldn't bear even more was the fact that my father had a child with that woman. This incident had a profound impact on my mother's mental state, causing her to experience extreme distress and behave in a manner that could be described as erratic or crazy.

I'm not sure how deeply I was immersed in my thoughts, but the sight of five extinguished cigarettes in the ashtray I held was sufficient evidence of my contemplative state.

In that moment, I caught sight of the woman I had personally hired to look after my mother, who was now in a state of severe mental instability. To my surprise, this woman began approaching me where I stood. As I placed the last cigarette in the ashtray I held, I handed it to my secretary, who also served as my personal bodyguard, and had been silently observing from behind me.

The woman wore a smile on her face as she halted two steps away from me, but I responded with a cold gaze, silently urging her to speak. “Nasa garden na si, Madam pwede mo na syang puntahan, Mr. Levine.”

After she spoke, she swiftly departed from my presence. I turned to my secretary, who had remained silent throughout the encounter, waiting for my response.

“I won't be long. Wait here,” I instructed him.

In the garden, I caught sight of my mother's back as she sat motionless in her wheelchair. As I approached her, I noticed her distant gaze, as if she were lost in deep contemplation, seemingly oblivious to my presence.

“Nasaan ako? Anong lugar ito? Sino ba ako? Pangalan, anong pangalan ko?” She continued to mumble the same words repeatedly, her gaze fixed on the distant horizon.

“Masaya ba maging isang baliw? Nag e-enjoy ka ba?” I asked devoid of any emotional expression. Instead of sadness, I felt a sense of pity for her state. With a smirk on my lips, I gazed at her intently. “You're here because you willingly chose to be with someone who neither valued nor loved you. It must be painful, isn't it?”

“Ayaw niya ba akong makita? Hindi niya ba ako mahal? Pero mahal ko sya...mahal ko siya e,” she whispered through sobs, her gaze still averted and fixed elsewhere.

You've completely lost your mind.

I embraced her tightly, gently running my fingers through her once-stress-laden, now dry and tangled hair.

“Do you yearn to see your husband that much?” I whispered softly, my voice filled with a mix of sympathy and intrigue. “Don't worry, for it's only a matter of time before you reunite with him. That day will bring us happiness, while others will mourn.”

“Ano ba ang sinasabi mo? Sino ka ba?” she asked, her brow furrowing with a mix of confusion and concern. I smiled in response.

“Believe me, I know that person very well.” I replied, with a hint of bitterness in my voice. “He is the kind of person who opened my eyes to the harsh reality of how terrible the world can be.”

She smiled, her expression resembling that of a child filled with innocence and joy. “Pupuntahan niya ba ako?”

“Soon, kapag nagkita ulit kayo sinisigurado kong hindi ka na niya magagawa pa ang saktan sa kahit anong paraan at dahilan.” I stood up straight and turned to Ashlee, the woman who was taking care of my mother here in the mental hospital.

“Tapos na ang oras nang pagbisita, Mr. Levine kailangan ko nang dalhin si Madam sa kanyang kwarto para pakainin at painumin ng gamot, at para makapagpahinga na rin siya,” Ashlee said.

I nodded and allowed Ashlee to leave with my mother. Meanwhile, I returned to where I had left my secretary. My secretary approached me immediately after I left the mental hospital and handed me a stick of Treasurer Luxury Black, but I refused it.

“I spoke to Mom, and do you know that she has become even more mentally unstable? It's ironic to think that the person who gave me life now resides in a mental hospital, unaware of her own identity or her son's name.” I uttered. “Tungkol sa pinapagawa ko sa'yo, ayos na ba ang lahat?”

He looked directly at me. “About that matter... can't you reconsider? I mean, Sir Levine is still your father.”

I watched as people walked in various directions, and everything I saw seemed like mere replicas of human beings.

I looked up at the cloudy sky and asked, “Do you still believe that I treated my father as my own flesh and blood? Who do you think I am? Am I just a piece of sh*t to you?”

“Who am I to treat you like that?” he calmly replied. “I am just a dependable individual who is content with safeguarding what I know holds power and possesses the ability to manipulate those beneath him.”

I smiled briefly. "...at pinili mo akong pagsilbihan kaysa sa aking walang kwentang Ama? Well, you've made a good observation there.”

***

My secretary and I left the mental hospital, and during the journey, I pondered how many people would stay loyal and reveal the truth to my father until the end.

“Kahit anong mangyari mamaya mananatili akong tapat sa'yo, papatayin ko lahat nang humahadlang sa'yo kailangan mo lang maniwala at magtiwala sa akin.” he said, keeping his gaze fixed on the road while driving.

I crossed my legs and arms. I crossed my legs and arms. “Don't worry about me. I'm not as fragile as before. Just like my father, I'm capable of taking lives.”

He nodded. “Our other associates are prepared. They are waiting for you and your instructions. We are all on your side and we sincerely hope for your success in this plan of yours.”

I'm confident that my plan tonight will lead to victory...