My vision is vague as I try to fix my gaze on her with one thousand thousands of mental rejections. My legs are losing all the strength, but I am fighting all the weariness with everything in me.I would love to think that this is just an awful joke. That she knows nothing because I ensured my secret was safe. But her dauntless composure and the look in her eyes are relatively adequate to stop me from deluding myself.She is not prevaricating it. She knows it. And now that I think about it, that was why she spoke to me with so much chilly detest back there. Her ground to fire me was not what she said back there—that I was being incompetent in my job, which was a very cheap lie. It was this. Now it all makes sense. That was why she was so audacious and minacious. But how did she find out? Her son alone doesn’t know, or does he?“I see that you are appalled. Brace yourself because we are going to have a very long talk given that this will be your last day here.” She speaks after noticin
“There is no way you will stain our name! You are not worthy to bear the Mazur’s heir and my grandchild!” She says, and I see darkness for a minute.I then toss my qualms aside, hoping that I am overthinking. The paranoia surging in me is unwarranted. I am not thinking right.“I still don’t get you, Madam!” I say, my insides convulsing with deep curiosities.“Two things are for sure: you can never be Mazur, but you can make a fortune out of this. In return, you get rid of that thing inside your belly. No other person can ever find out that you were impregnated by a Mazur!”Heaven just broke loose! The ozone layers are producing some nauseous aura; that is why I am unable to breathe. My vision is becoming vague, my legs fail to support me completely, and I find myself slamming on the bed. My head is rebounding with assorted mental rejections. I am in general dumbfounded!I thought they were heartless and vicious, but to this magnitude? Never in a million years would I have thought. I s
“What are you offering? Or should I say, How much are you willing to pay for termination of the Mazur’s next heir?” I speak, summoning her notoriety to me.We lock eyes.This is the height of the wickedness and animosity in the whole world and in the eras to come, and it is such a pity that I had to be a victim of it. I am still in denial that they actually proposed this to me. That they really sat down, discussed things, and came up with such an abomination as a solution to this. It still bothers me to what extent they can stoop to protect their freaking image and reputation. I still want to believe that I am dreaming. That I am in a movie acting or watching a soap opera, but I think I should brace this bittersweet fact:The Mazur’s are not honorable people like I thought. They don’t deserve the high praise that the nation accords them. They are monstrous beasts in disguise. They are heartless and insensitive. They are selfish and careless. They don’t have hearts, and if they do, the
My phone beeps, and I lift my heavy head and drenched face from the soaked pillow. Again, I know what I said. That no tears again. But that blow from this family contravened my sleep throughout the night and summoned my tears from where I had locked them.How cruel can people ever be? How wrong can we be about someone? I loved Ray for three good years—three good years that I felt like I was on cloud nine because of the love that he showered me with. For me, it was not about the social standard nonsense or his name. I just loved him, and too much. I selflessly and senselessly loved him without caring about anything.I was hoping he would finally conquer his fears and introduce me to his family. I anticipated my child and him starting our happy family. I so much wanted to see the euphoric rapture from him when he learns that he would be a father soon. But all that turned into a nightmare. A bad dream. I was played for a big foolish idiot.But you know, I could accept everything, every s
“She did talk to me, Julie, but it is not because of any of the things you mentioned. I am leaving, because this is what is best for everyone.” I state, and her shoulders hang loose.“What? She…Ray…the baby? What happens to the baby? It deserves a father, Irma, and that is Ray. You are carrying the next heir of the Mazur. That baby is so much needed, so what’s this? The madam couldn’t have asked you to leave.” She battles to come to terms with the situation.The irony of her sentiments about the real situation, huh! If only she knew what this so-called madam did. If only she knew the animosity Ray has portrayed to me and his child...“Listen, Julie. The Mazurs do not need this baby. Not even Ray. I have no place here anymore. I am leaving.” I explain as plainly as possible, but the mental rejection is slapping her really badly. She can’t believe what I am saying.“But that is not what the madam said to me. She said…”“She lied to you, Julie. I am sorry that you did not see through her
Sleeveless red, silky dress that is sticking to her body as if sharing a deep kiss with her adorable curves. It stops way too up the knees, perfectly displaying her long model legs. Three-inch red stilettos. A red Gucci handbag. Black shades. Her long hair is dancing in the flow of the wind as she catwalks to wherever she is going.I can never forget this face, or should I say, my replacement. And what is with the outfit, huh? Is she going to a funeral, or what is with the red theme? The matchy-matchy thing is making her look too… I don’t know.I would love to know why she is here this early, but I guess that is no longer my business. Whether this is her wedding outfit or engagement shit, I don’t care.“I think I will take it from here, Julie. Go back to work so you won’t get into trouble.” I say to Julie, taking my bag from her.“Okay. Take care.” She says and turns to head back inside.I grab my two bags, dragging them behind me and wanting to disappear from this place as soon as th
The road towards home has been shorter than ever, or maybe it was me who was so engrossed in thoughts that I did not realize time passing by. It’s clocking nine in the morning as I take the street to my home after alighting the bus.Dread and anxiety are the only things refueling me. I can’t believe I have been gone for almost four years, and these people never even once tried calling me. And now I am heading back to them. I still hope that that is my home.I continue shuffling my weary legs and dejected self through the streets until I get to our gate. Nothing seems to have changed here, as far as I can see. People are still living in poverty. The heavens seem to have closed up and locked the blessings up the sky. The lands are extreme dry lands. There is not even a ray of hope for rain to pour anytime soon.When I stop at our compound, memories of my last moments here stop me on my tracks as they savagely surge in. These people threw me out the day after we buried my father. They st
Magda and her thick-skulled miniature stand in awe as Julie’s bag rests beside mine. She stands between me and them, her stature daring them.I am too in awe because, what is she doing here? Shouldn’t she be back in the city at the Mazur's mansion? How did she even find her way here? She is not from this place.“And who the hell are you?” Magda asks, cloaking her shock.“Your worst nightmare if you dare mess with my friend. How greedy and selfish can you people be, huh?” Julie speaks. She is too bold. And I admire her.“You talk as if you know us so well. What lies has this stupid girl told you about us?" Magda again.Lies? One only needs ordinary eyes to see their ruthlessness towards me. I don’t need to fabricate anything to make them look bad. They have done a good job parading their true colors ever since the beginning. Heaven and hell know that I have never painted them what they are not.“My eyes are enough to see for myself. I think she even underrated your cruelty. How can you
“You all wronged me, Ray—you, that whore you tossed me aside for like I meant absolutely nothing to you and your entire family. You are all rotten to the core. I detest you all so much, like I have, and I will never loathe anyone in this world. You are all cruel.” I rant, my face heating up with something between rage and relief.I feel like pouring all this out to him is doing me a lot of good, but I don’t know if I have the energy to say all that is in my heart and mind. I am growing too weak. I am losing my balance. I am convulsing as if I am being tickled by an electric shock. I thank the heavens for his other hand supporting my waist; otherwise, I might have collapsed by now.“I admit we are all that. Maybe,” He releases my hand, and his hand travels to my face, stroking my cheek so gently. His sweet touch makes me take a long blink as I sample all the forbidden sweet sparks it is enkindling—all that it used to make me feel back then. Didn't the spark fade away? “Maybe we don’t e
Being atop of him like this awakens all the feelings I felt for him a long time ago. These are things that I have not had time for for five good years. Things that I did not anticipate I would ever feel again, especially for him. And above all, there are things that I am not ready to feel again.This shit is forbidden! Totally forbidden! I have no time for this.I jerk myself away from him, and the good thing is that he did not object. He did not try to hold me back. He just unclasped his hands willingly. He perhaps knows he has no right to cage me with him like that. Pinning me to him as if he has any right or as if what we had meant any fuck to him. It’s a serious offense.I stand near the bed and eventually find myself slamming my butt on the soft mattress as I battle to rock-steady my emotions. How can my stupid body react as if I crashed into an electric spark? How on earth can it react to him this way? Has it forgotten what he put me through?Damn me!Oh, I know. It must be the
“Nobody can hate the Irma that I knew, much less your own child, Irma.” He states it so nonchalantly, like he is saying it from the deepest part of his heart.As if he did not see how my daughter was behaving towards me. That aside, I should not show him how this is affecting me. I should not let him know he is winning and that his win is breaking my every sense.“Well, I am no longer that same old Irma. I am someone else so different from that naive girl of five years ago.” I state, hoping that this transformation that I am talking about is not one of the reasons behind the rift between me and Angel aside from her father’s return.“What changed you?” He implores, stepping in closer, and I hope he is not anticipating taking another step. I don’t want to anticipate us being closer than we already are.“You and your entire family changed me. You all turned me into this bitter woman that I am right now.” I fire right into his face.He takes a long wink, as if that drilled through his hea
I walk up the stairs with my entire body flaring with a combo of rupturing sentiments. If Ray is really innocent, what now? I am sure that will warrant him all the grounds in the world to get close to us—I mean, to his daughter. His urge will grow stronger. He will be unstoppable until he gets what he wants. Then his entire family will come after me and my daughter, most especially that blackhearted, wicked mother of his and his grossly abhorrent wife. It will be utter chaos. And him? Which side will he choose? Can he go against his entire family to protect his daughter from their evil schemes? Will he toss us aside once again, just like he did back then?I saunter into my bedroom, and I find his shoes, coat, and bottle of liquor cluttered on the floor. The guy could not even try to display some little crap of decency in my room. What a jerk! I collect them all. I was meaning to throw them out through the window, but I found myself resting them on the table at the window.I stroll bes
“What are you talking about?” I ask.She shifts in her posture, but I do not move even a muscle to showcase my involvement because I would be lying to say that I am blending in with what she is trying to do here. She is trying to make me go easy on the guy, which is not happening. It is too soon to even start mulling over the chances of his clean-handedness.“I am not forcing you into anything, Irma, but I am just looking at this whole scenario from a different perspective, okay?” She looks at me after realizing how drawn off I am.I heave a deep sigh and look at her. It does not mean I am fascinated now. No! I am just listening to her to not hurt her feelings, and if it were someone else, I wouldn’t even waste my time. But she better not take advantage of my being nice and say something that will rile me more. I don’t want to say something that will ruin what we have had for the past five years.“What perspective, Julie?” I ask.“Ray had a very good opportunity to hurt Angel, even th
We finish setting the table for dinner at around half past one, while I am still mangled with the redoubtable picture upstairs—Ray and my child—because she is not his child as far as I am concerned. My daughter finally won over my bullheadedness, and the stupid jerk won with his mental blackmail too. I had to let him stay for a while and be with his daughter, which he does not deserve at all. But the guy had the bravery to lull himself into sleep in my own house and on my bed. The gut, huh?It is stinging! It is hurting me so much. It is shattering my heart and itching my ass that my daughter is enveloped in the arms of that bastard acting like a loving daddy. I wish I had a strong heart to say no once more to my daughter and kick that jerk’s ass out, because that is what he deserved. Actually, he deserves worse than that. It is said that the judge is in heaven, but I feel like crowing myself as a judge of such crimes here on earth and making my own judgment. I would clear the faces o
He furrows his eyes. His eyes are fixed on me, but I can tell his mind is miles away. A moment passed, with him lost in thoughts, and I challenged him to dare lie to me. He finally fixes his attention on me, and I watch every single moment of his lips as they curve up to utter something.“Nothing happened! Nobody talked about you with anyone! We have never, aside from the day before yesterday, sat down to discuss you.” Shock. “The Mauricios had left when I went back to the house that day. I joined my dad in the study to discuss business. That is the truth.”Mental spank! Disbelief!“Freaking white lies, Rayson! Why is it so hard for you to tell the truth? Is your conscience eating you that much that you would rather spend your entire life cooking all sorts of lies to cover the truth?” I squeal, and the devil knows I didn’t intend to.“In the name of my precious child, and in the name of the true love that I felt for you and all those beautiful memories we shared, Irma, I swear to you
“Mr. Rayson, I am asking you to kindly leave us in peace. You know you have no right to be here. Haven’t you caused my friend enough trouble?” Julie speaks.My mind is boiling with a zillion things to say to this jerk. I want to howl all the insolences from that night to him loud and clear. Maybe that will pull him from this heap of oblivion that he is pretending to be. But my anger is so deep that I do not know where to begin. I wish I could just let it all out in a single howl.“That is what your friend keeps shouting at me since I met her days ago. I want to know why. Only then can I understand exactly what I am being crucified for to the point of being denied the right to be a father to my only child!” He spoke, looking at me and not even blinking.Crusified, huh!“Realy? Then I will rub it on your face so that you will stop disturbing my best friend, Rayson. You and …” I grab Julie’s hand, stopping her from talking.This is my own battle. I appreciate her concerns and the will to
His wife stops when she realizes she is walking alone. She turns around with a heavily confounded face and drags her flamingo legs back.Ray takes a sip of his whiskey, which I would never have recommended. He looks extremely knocked off.“I said, Let us go, Ray!” She screeches between gritted teeth, as if getting wind of her puzzling husband’s weird behavior.“I don’t remember coming here with you. Just leave! I will leave when I feel like it!”Hello! He what? He will leave when he feels like it. This is my house. He is an unwelcome guest who I just asked to leave. I thought I made it clear that they both overstayed their unwelcome visit. What makes him think that he was axed from my statement?“I don’t understand, Ray. What exactly do you mean?” Tarah asked.She is still washed up in a stupor and mental rejection. I appreciate her question, though, because I am also curious about what is going on in this guy’s mind.“I came here to talk to Irma. Well, I don’t think I actually need t