โLook, Irma!โ Ana starts again when we just remain staring at each other with her brother like strangers. We both look at her. โI know that my brother messed up big times. I know that you may still be hurting. But for your daughterโs sake, leave whatever bitterness you have against him and establish a good relationship with him. Your daughter needs to see thatโher mom and daddy at peace.โ She states.She has a point. And I know that. And I want that for my child. I do not want her to see us fighting like cats and dogs with her father. For all I know, that kid is blamed for every odd thing about her dad. I want that to stop. I do not want her to point her fingers at me again. And above all, I want her to have peace. I want her to be happy. And the starting point of that happiness is usโthe way Ray and I conduct ourselves before her.โLook, Irma.โ I turn to Ray as he speaks. โYou are right. This is all my fault. I caused all this, and you do not know how much I regret it. I know it is s
Walking inside the house, Angel runs to her daddyโs arms the moment our noses pop into the house, while Julie remains mouth-ajar after seeing Ana. I shut the door behind me, knowing that her sermons were piling up in her head. I know I will be in for a baking-hot lecture when she decides to break the cold-shoulder strike.โI missed you, daddy.โ Ana whimpers while her face is still buried in Rayโs neck.Ray tightens her arms around her in their intimate embrace. He is on his knees to match her height. His eyes are shut, letting the messages for his daughter flow through his system. โI missed you so much, princess.โ He says this, kissing her as he pulls her away from the embrace. He cages her tiny arms into his hands, showering her with kisses before speaking again. โDaddy is so sorry, okay? I got caught up in something, but that will never happen again.โ He explainsโshort and straight.โWould you have come, Daddy, if Mom didnโt come for you?โ Angel asks softly. It seems like she has cr
I hate chopping onions. It's poison to my eyes, but since itโs the only inevitible ingredient, I take two and peel them off. I then soak them in water. Itโs a remedy that works for me always for easy chopping without tearing up.Next?Wait.What are we even cooking?I turn around, only to find this gross Julie was just leaning on the kitchen counter and gawking at me. I thought she was in a hurry to cook something. I thought she should be in a hurry since the guests are waiting outside.Sigh, though! What does she care about them?She doesnโt. It most likely is the reason why she needed me here. Just to let me know how much she hates how I am doing things nowadays.โWhat are we preparing?โ I ask because the stare challenge is waking me up.โI donโt know. I have nothing in mind. Why donโt you tell me?โ She says, shrugging her shoulders.Me? โWhy me? I thought you had it all planned, which is why you needed my help.โ I state as my head goes on a spree to figure out what to make for the
Watching Angel play with both her dad and auntie has given me such a satisfying feeling. She has almost laughed her ribs out, and that is something I have not witnessed in days. The way she is keeping that smile on her dadโs lap conjures a smile on my face. I desired to see her this way once again. And today, I make a vow that I am not denying her this happiness again. These two souls have nothing to do with the sins of their parents. They deserve to be in her life. I want to always see her this happy.Yes. I am keeping them. I will genuinely allow them to be a part of my daughterโs life while I take advantage of that and take my revenge against their wicket mother. I will have a sample of complete merriment in this game. I will have the best of both worlds. And I think that the time to talk is over. Time for action.โUmhโฆAngel, baby?โ I call her.She grins broadly, batting her eyelashes, and she giggles. โYes, mom?โ She says. She is the little miss, all smiles.โHow was your bonding
My daughter is all bubbly as I finish preparing her for school. She is even humming some unknown songs that I have never heard of. Wow! How does life change? โYou seem so happy, baby. What's up?โ I inquire as we go downstairs for breakfast,She jiggles. โOf course I am so happy, mom. Daddy is driving me to school. Finally, my friends will meet my dad. They will know that I have a daddy just like them.โ She says so proudly.โWere they bullying you because you didnโt have a daddy before?โ I ask. I can't remember how many times I have banged her with this question, and I usually get the same answer. I just feel the need to ask because today she is in a good mood. Maybe I will get a different response today.But she shakes her head. โNo, mommy. I just felt a little jealous seeing them have their daddies while I only had a mother.โ He says.A little jealous? All that she put me through was all because she was a little jealous. My! What if she grew more jealous? Would she have burst like a
โIt is alright. I forgive you. Just trust me when I say that everything is under control. I am at the top of this game, and I will not allow anything to happen to you and Angel.โ I explain.โAnd you too, Irma. You can only keep us safe if you remain safe yourself.โ She says.Yeah, me too. I know that. โMe too. Nothing bad will happen to us.โ I affirm.โI trust you.โ She whispers. I can sense the sincerity in her tone. Her face is smeared with honesty too.โThank you. And please, can we not fail again? This is unlike us. If ever you doubt my plans, ask me nicely, please." I plead.โI will. I will not even question you again. I trust you wholly. And I am behind you throughout this whole journey.โ She reassures me.โThank you," I state.She smiles, assuming a different facial gesture. โAright. Back to where we were now. So, how do you find him now? Donโt worry. This will remain between us.โ She asks, all smiling on.Sha! Sometimes she acts like a real chameleon.โForget that. He is tryin
Ray clears his voice after a moment of silence. โI just came to check what has been keeping you for so long. Angel is getting late for school.โ He says this while standing at the doorway. He always has bad timing to pop up. I hope he did not hear it all.โI will take the breakfast to Angel.โ Julie says as she grabs the tray in haste. Shiet! The gossip got us so hooked us that we did not see time fly by. What were we thinking? To think that the poor guy came in even before time. Can I curse this friend of mine for arousing such mid-hooking gossip? โHey! Where are you going?"Huh!I halt my course and glare at this one. What does she mean by where I am going? Am I not counted for breakfast or what? โTo have breakfast, of course.โ I state, glaring at her as she stands beside Ray, both of them closing all the space that I can escape through.โNo. Donโt worry. I will serve Angel. Why donโt you stay here for a while and have a word with our guest? I am sure you have not even greeted him, ri
โPregnant?โ I snap, secretly feeling my belly with one hand. But my tummy is as flat as always. And even if that one-time mistake bore fruit, it could not have grown that big to be seen, much less to be noticed by some man who has zero knowledge about signs of early pregnancy. I doubt even the machines would capture it. Damn! I hope that does not happen, though.He urges me to smile after noticing my squeamishness. โYes. With words. You have been staring for minutes.โ He explains.Ooh. He should have just asked if I had something to say. That was such a long way. And wait, I was the only one staring? He wasnโt?โYou were staring too. I think you are the one who looks like you want to say something. So, whatโs up?โ I ask, resting my back on the kitchen counter.I cannot believe I am doing this. I donโt even know if I am doing the right thing. I am taking a huge risk.He looks down for a minute, then drags his eyes back at me. โYou really want to listen to me? Are you finally accepting
โAnd I will do everything I can to make sure you will never succeed, Mother!โ Bravo! God bless this man for me.His mother snaps her face at him. โI cannot believe that you and your father had the audacity to defy my orders and go for this woman. Are you happy now? She has been here only for a few seconds, and she is already wrecking Havok. See how she is disrespecting me in front of even these pesky servants!"Oh, is she crying this early? It sucks, but it is interesting in a way. I mean, seeing her this way is a very heartfelt picture. And having her own son and her husband take my side gives me so much hilarity. I wonder where Ana is. She should be here to add more fun.โThe problem is not about her dissecting you, Mrs. Mazur. The question is, do you have any respect for yourself? Do you have any shame, because even up to this point, I am trying to analyze just how a woman who is supposed to be my real mother could be so cruel and shameless to do what you did? So tell me, Mrs. Mazu
The drive has been so short and quiet. There is nothing that has been said throughout the seemingly short journey. Everyone has been engrossed in their own thoughts, except for Angel, who has been throwing questions here and there along the way.Coming into contact with the gate, Ray hoots, and the door opens. We drive in together with the jeep that is carrying our luggage.Taping our feet to the ground as we got out of the car, Angel was about to shout her awe at the place she would be living, but her glee was held at her throat by the sight of the antagonistic eyes of Rayโs mother and Tarah. They are here, gawking at us like they have loaded guns and their fingers on the trigger, ready to shoot us and send us to our next lives. If they didnโt have their hands crossed on their chests, I would have been forced to check and be weary of every slight movement. But I guess we are saved since there is no sense of guns. The bullets from their murderous eyes are totally harmless since I am u
That day. How can I leave all those memories of that moment behind? I cannot. I do not want to. Just like him. โI am carrying that one too.โ I say.โDoes that mean that it meant something to you?โ He asks. You should see the hope and desperation in his eyes. I never liked the word miserable, but I like how it displays itself in his eyes. It gives them a look that would thaw anyone.I would like to get lost in them and swim through their walls and try to scour what more miseries lay deep there, but I guess there will be time for this and much more. Later? Yeah. When we surpass all these obstacles. When we are free to love and cherish each other without any worries or roadblocks, โI will ask the same thing that I asked your father, Ray. I know your father does not need any form of stress, and heaven knows I want none for him. But your mother and your wife are probably having a grave dug for me and my child the moment we step foot in that mansion. And you know I will not take any sh*t fr
It is that awful day. That day, I am closing yet another chapter and opening a new one of my unknown future. That day, we are saying goodbye to this house that has been our home for the last about six years. Sad, somehow.Darting my eyes around this house and this particular room, I wonโt deny that I will not miss this place This is where I started my life all over again. Another phase of my life unfolded. I came into this house about six years ago. My heart was bleeding. I was torn. I was so broken and so lost. So confused. And most importantly, I am so bitter with myself, the world, and everything in general. The graph that depicted my fur was so obscure. I could not tell where I would end up with my baby. All that I knew was that I was a pregnant woman. A broken and broken potential motherI was a pregnant woman whose baby daddy had just toyed with and betrayed me in the most cruel way. That is what I knew back then. I was made to believe that, and I embraced that lie. I was about
โMommy! Mommy! Mom!โDamn!I kick my duvet aside and get out of bed at a light speed. I hike to the door and open it as fast as I can ever do that, and Angelโs face greets me.โAngel? What is the problem? What happened?โ I ask as I pull her inside, looking around for anything that is chasing her.โNothing, mommy!โNothing? She came all the way to my room, running and screaming my name this early morning, all for nothing. What time is it? I donโt have a wall clock on my face, so I grab my phone from under the pillow and check the time. Huh? Just twenty minutes past six in the morning? This is early, and she is awake? It's not even a school day.โWhy are you still sleeping, mommy? What if Daddy comes to get us and we are not ready?โ She asks.Ooh, that is it? The excitement? The glee. The enthusiasm and everything within the margins of that for the idea of living with her dad is what woke her up this early. My goodness! We have everything packed. Even the beds have been garbled, and we
โOkay. I suppose you have bought a gun, then? We really will need one unless you want to die in the hands of Mrs. Mazur and Rayโs wife, Irma. Goodness! I donโt like the kind of feeling that I am getting. We are technically throwing ourselves to the wolves.โ Here comes Julie, the lamenter. The fear-freak little bitch She is scared to hell by this news that I just gave her.I know. I know. Yes, believe me, I do understand her. Everyone would look at this scenario from her perspective. Almost everyone would share her sentiments right now about this madness. All this is wrong. All is risky. Wait, risky, yes. Tick that one. But wrong? What exactly is wrong? Me granting an old, ailing manโs plea? Is my daughter getting what she truly deserves? What am I entitled to? Or the possibility of me and Ray perhaps just reuniting? Or is Ray performing his duties as a father to his only child?What exactly is wrong there? Nothing wrong with the above, right? We are just rewriting all the wrongs here.
โFirst, I need at least about three days to sort things out. I need to prepare my daughter for this first.โ I say.I know she will be over the moon with the mind-boggling news of living with her father. I know how much she longs for thisโto have her dad close. This will surely blow her mind off. And as early as now, despite the fights that await us ahead because of this, because I know it will evoke a catastrophe, I am happy for my daughter. And I will not deny her this golden chance, nor will I let anyone hinder her from enjoying this new life that she is so entitled to. It is her right. Nobody should stand in her way of this.โI understand. You can have the three days, but please, my dear, donโt take too long. I want to sort things out as early as possible.โ Mr. Mazur says:I donโt understand what is chasing this man. Why does he want to speed up things like this? All the same, maybe itโs the need to clear his conscience. If that is the case, I will make sure he gets the peace that
โI was a very vibrant man when you last saw me, Irma. I was the man of the house. I held the sole authority to make you marry my son, and you two could be living happily with each other. No one could have dared go against my word. You wouldnโt need to sneak your hands under the table just to hold each other like your heart wants.โShieeet! Damn! How does he know? I told you this man is so sharp-witted. I try to yank my hand away from Ray now that we have been caught, but I guess he is glad that we have actually been caught because he does not let go. He pins me more on him, and since I donโt want to arouse any more suspicions, I just let him have his way.I blush as I gaze I look back at Mr. Mazur, though. This is so embarrassing. The old man might be thinking about what we would be doing if there was no one around. But if only he knew that we had already sampled that sin. Sigh!โInstead of choosing what was right, which was my sonโs happiness, I put my interests first, my legacy, my
So,their name had no stain, until I decided to stain it. They were stainless untill Irma decided to show up and now she is dragging their name into the mud. And they can not allow that. He is here to ask me to stop this war that I have started because it will stain their name more than it has already done.โI would like to know, do you have any proof of what you are accusing my wife of? Because if you donโtโฆโโI do have.โ I cut him off, nicely, though, after remembering Ray told me not to abset him. โI would also like to let you know that I was not planning on causing any trouble for your family. I was minding my business and doing perfectly fine with my daughter without you all of you in the picture. Believe me, there was no way I would have chosen all this mess over the peace I had.โ I explain.โI know. But now you are in this mess. What do you plan to do?โHe asks.โI am sorry, Mr Mazur, but that I can not tell you. All I know is that your wife and your daughter-in-law will not leav