CHAPTER 5

Just a few minutes after Tiarra left, Selya immediately went up to the study room to talk to the father of the twins.

As time went on, she could no longer cope with his unequal treatment for the twins. She felt so sorry for Tiarra because she knew the hardship she was going through every day. She was afraid that Tiarra might not be able to handle everything and felt burnout from all the things that were happening to her. They can’t afford to lose her. 

She would not let that happen. She doesn’t want to see regret in Margaux and their father’s eyes before it's too late. When she arrived at the front door of the study room, she knocked thrice.

"Come in," the twin's father replied when he heard a knock from the door.

"Can we talk?" Selya asked Ricardo --the father of the twins. Ricardo is a forty-five year old man who was currently running the family business that was left to him by his parents. But his age did not cause his handsomeness to go unnoticed. If you look closely, Ricardo looks more like Tiarra. Margaux, on the other hand, looks like their mother. Maybe that's why Ricardo loves Magie more than Tiarra because she looks like her estranged wife. 

"What do you need, Selya? Is there any problem?" Ricardo asked. At this moment, Selya wants to be angry at him but she doesn't want to be dominated by her emotions.

"What did you do to Tiarra again? Did you know your daughter left the house?" Selya asked Ricardo directly. She wants to see how this man in front of her will react about his daughter leaving the house.

Ricardo stopped what he was doing and looked carefully at the person in front of him. Selya, together with her husband Berting has been their house helpers since the beginning of his marriage to his deceased wife, Sharmaine.

"I'm not doing anything to him. She's the one who doesn't follow my rules. So what if she leaves at home, I don't care." Ricardo's no emotional response made Selya's head heat up. She wants to smack Ricardo’s head because of the words that came out from his mouth. He’s always like this when it comes to Tiarra. 

"Why can't you love the twins equally? Margaux is not your only child! You have to treat Tiarra  the same way you are treating Magie!" Selya couldn't stop her voice from rising, which surprised Ricardo.

"I have only one child and that’s Margie! How can I consider Tiarra as my child when she was the reason why I lost my wife?!" Ricardo shouted back. He doesn't know why he had to argue with Selya about this matter. He can’t understand why all of a sudden, Selya shoving the idea that he should treat Tiarra her as his daughter. He can’t accept that. He can’t accept the person who made him suffer for seventeen years.

Selya tries to be calm but she doesn't know how much patience is remaining to her because of this person she’s talking to. Ricardo’s reasoning is slowly getting on his nerves and she can feel her patience was about to snap.

"Why are you blaming Tiarra  for Sharmaine’s death? The kid has nothing to do with that! She’s innocent! Why does she have to suffer for the consequence for the sin she didn’t even want?" Selya said again. She’s trying all her might to maintain her cool but she also knows that her patience will not last that long if this kind of conversation with Ricardo continues. 

"It's all her fault. If only she hadn't been born, if only my wife hadn't given birth to twins she would still be alive!" Ricardo’s loud voice roared inside the room. He doesn't want to shout at Selya because he respects her like his mother but his feeling about this conversation is heating up. Pain started to creeped in his heart because the memory of his wife, losing her life flashing back on his mind.

Selya wants to slap Ricardo because of the way his brain works. She didn't know if he was stupid or anger had just wrapped Ricardo’s heart so that he could not think clearly. She can’t believe that a smart man like Ricardo thinks illogically. But she can’t blame him. Selya totally understands how Ricardo is feeling right now. It’s not easy to lose someone you love dearly. But it’s been seventeen years already. She’s not suggesting that Ricardo should move on. But he should move forward and have to accept Tiarra in his life.

"Sharmaine chose not to tell you that she was carrying twins because she knows that you’ll oppose the idea of her, bearing two lives in her womb. She knows that you’ll take drastic measures just to keep her safe. But do you realize that you are also to be blamed?” The last statement that Selya spoke made Ricardo’s brows furrowed. Confusion was written all over his face but chose not to speak. His gaze that was full of anger reamined on Selya.

“If you had time to accompany her to her check-ups, you would also know that your child would be twins. You know that Sharmaine's heart is weak and she can't get pregnant. Bearing twins was not easy for her. But she tried so hard to deliver your kids safe and sound. She didn’t tell you because she knows that you need to sacrifice one of them. The three of them can’t be saved. One has to go, and Sharmaine’s chose that. She knows you more than anyone, Ric. She knows that you’re willing to sacrifice one life just to save her, even if it’s your kid. She does not want that. She didn't want to lose a child so she chose to lose her life for the sake of the kids!" Selya's long speech that made Ricardo stop. He feels like his heart is ripping because of the pain seering in it. This was the first time that he heard this from Selya.

"That's not true!" Ricardo shouted as he stood slamming his hands on his table. Anger can be seen in his eyes. He gritted his teeth while glaring at Selya.

"Which is not true? That you have shortcomings with Sharmaine’s too? Isn't that right? You always prioritize work before your wife. Now, to cover up your mistakes, you put all the blame on Tiarra." Selya's bold statement that made Ricardo angrier. 

Ricardo didn't answer again but his sharp gaze remained on the person on his front. There’s so many things that he wanted to say, but his respect for Selya is taking over him. Selya released a sharp sigh before speaking again.

"Tiarra is sick. What you and Margaux doing to her is not good for her. I seriously don’t want to meddle with this but I just can’t sit back and watch how Tiarra is suffering because of the people she treasures the most. Just let Tiarra do whatever she likes. If you can't consider her as your child, maybe you can treat her as a human being." Selya turned around to leave the room after saying those things. She still had a lot to say but she knew their conversation would just be useless because Ricardo's brain was closed when it came to Tiarra.

Meanwhile, Ricardo still does not change his position even if Selya has already left his study room. He remained staring at the door through which she came out.

"Hah! Why the hell is it my fault? It's that kid's fault why my wife died! And  so what if she's sick? It's just Asthma and I’m still the one who spends money for her medication!" Ricardo spit those words as if he’s still in the argument with Selya. 

He knows that Tiarra has an Asthma because she started showing symptoms when she was still a toddler. He doesn’t pay much attention to it because every time he sees Tiarra’s face, he remembers her deceased wife.

He did not understand what the doctor was saying to him before about the twins when they were born because his whole attention was focused on the wife who lost her life after giving birth to the twins.

When his wife was buried, he poured out all his love on his daughter, Margaux. He had already imprinted in his mind that he would only consider one child because one of the twins was the reason why he had lost Sharmaine, and that was Tiarra.

On the other hand, after the conversation with Ricardo, Selya went straight to the back of the house to look for  her husband who is also the caretaker and driver of this family, Berting.

"Ga, have you seen Tiarra earlier when she left?" She asked when she saw Berting mowing the grass in the back. They’ve been in this house for nearly twenty years. They had an agreement before that when their kids were done studying, they would both retire. But they didn’t do it because they can’t leave Tiarra in this kind of household.

"Yes, Ga. That child seems to be crying. What happened again this time?" Berting asked his wife. Concern was visibly written on his face. They treated Tiarra as one of their kids after all.

"I don't know either, Ga. I talked to Ricardo before I came here. But you know him, his mind and heart are closed when it comes to Tiarra. " Selya took a deep breath as if she was carrying too much burden on her shoulders. 

"Do you know that I've been wanting to leave this house for a long time? But I don’t want to leave Tiarra alone in this house. We're the only one who cares for that kid in this house," Berting said. The sadness and concern for the seventeen -year -old child they cared for can be seen. If he was to decide, they will take Tiarra away.

"That's exactly what I thought. I feel sorry for Tiarra. I'm afraid that all her pent up feelings explode and can't handle everything," Selya said. In recent years, only Berting and I knew that Tiarra had a heart disease.

Even if they want to tell Ricardo about Tiarra’s condition, he wouldn’t believe them. That is why they are the ones who buy all the medicine Tiarra needed and they are the ones who take care and  remind her endlessly of what she should and should not do.

In that way, they can fill the void and give her the love that the child seeks from his father and sister.

But they both knew in themselves that their love for Tiarra was not enough. They could see that for in Tiarra's eyes that are full of sadness.

When will they see the kid’s bright face?

When will they see a real and genuine smile from her?

When will Tiarra reach the happiness she’s always chasing?

Will she still be able to get her goal before it is too late?

Those are the questions that have not left the couple's mind for the longest period of time.