Chapter 9

"Yes!" Misha screamed in full glory. Carolina was constantly nudging her just so Misha would stop already because we're stealing attention.

"Finally, the exam was done!"

Yeah, right. The midterm Exam took a week and today's Friday, the day which we called the day of where our calvary ends.

"It seems like my brain just dried up," Misha said in her tired voice while she was being assisted by Carol.

I laughed at that. She must have drained her energy.

"And because the Midterm Exam was finally over, are you going for a date with your loverboy?" Carolina asked, teasing.

I shook my head. "I'm going home to Gravetto," I answered, pertaining to my hometown.

Misha frowned. "How about loverboy?"

"He knows that I'm going home after the Midterm is over."

"You're not going to bring him with you?" Carolina asked, wondering.

I was a bit taken aback. I went speechless for a moment which made their forehead creased.

I let out an awkward, little smile before shaking my head. "It's a family dinner," I just said. They didn't dig deeper than that and just conversed about where they're going to go for relaxation.

My parents knew that I am in a relationship with Revi Abracosa. I don't have any plans on keeping that as a secret and besides, it's not like I can keep it from them though. I mean, my boyfriend is pretty well-known.

Mama and Papa arranged a family dinner a week before Midterm but I refused because I was so engrossed at studying and I was also busy passing my requirements and projects for the semester so they decided to move the planned dinner right after the Midterm is over.

I went home to my boarding house to change clothes. I just wore a simple white sheath dress ending right above my knees.

I was planning to hold my hair in a bun but when I heard a car beeping outside, I decided to just tie my hair in a simple ponytail. I peeked from my window to check the car outside and found that it's our family car which Papa sent for me.

I sat on my bed to wear my white flock square sandals. My eyes wandered while doing my straps and it led me to my basket of dirty clothes on the corner of my room.

The basket was almost filled with my dirty clothes and I was planning to get those washed in the nearest Laundry Store if Mama won't let me stay in Gravetto for the night.

"Hey, you dressed formally, Amelia!" One of my board mates said the moment I went out of my room. My other board mates who happened to hear that glanced at my way too. I intentionally went back here much earlier just so I would go out without having them here yet but seeing almost all of them here, I guess we finished our last straw of exams simultaneously.

I smiled shyly.

"Date?" Ate Nea asked before going inside her room.

"No. F-family dinner, Ate."

"Oh, okay. Take care," she said before going inside her room and Camila's. They were sharing a room, in that way, it would be less expensive.

"Ames, are you the one that the flashy car outside was waiting for?"

I snapped. "A-ah! Right, I'll head out now. Bye!" I said before going out of the house in a rush.

I carefully took the steps downstairs or I might miss and trip. We should be careful to avoid engaging in accidents.

The driver opened the car door for me which made me uneasy. I can't help but secretly glance at the house's window where some of my board mates were watching.

"Ma'am?" The driver called.

I immediately slid myself inside the car and heaved a deep sigh. I don't want this kind of attention that is why I declined Papa's order at first to send me a car and a driver but he's rigid about that matter which I can't really refuse at all.

Amidst the travel, rain poured. It was just a slight rain but I saw people living on the outskirts of Durem who are shielding the pouring of rain using plywood because the water brought by the rain was going inside their respective houses.

They said we were created equally but no matter how I look at it, I cannot see equality. All I can see are the differences. Some people are blessed with riches and are living their lives at its comfortable best meanwhile some people weren't blessed with money and to live and to survive, they worked for it, triple times than what rich people have worked for.

That is the very reason why I don't want to be referred to as lucky and perfect because I have everything. It's just that I was simply born in a well-off family but while growing up, I was never abusive and demanding. But people tend to think that I am just because I came from a rich family.

Diversity makes people unique but how come living in poverty is unique? Poverty is poverty. Calling that on another term is a scapegoat.

I blew the mist on the window car before drawing circles on it. Maybe doing this will deprive me of thinking too much.

The rain didn't cease even after reaching my family's house in Gravetto. The driver got out of the car first with a huge umbrella with him. He opened the huge black umbrella and placed it under exactly my position after going out of the car. He was ensuring that I'll get covered with the umbrella and was letting himself get soaked under the rain.

I immediately got out of the car just so he would not get that wet. I pushed the handle of the umbrella he's holding towards him which made him flashed an expression of a surprise but didn't say anything.

"The umbrella is huge yet you refused to shelter," I mumbled. He pursed his lips tightly and looked away, embarrassed. He seemed a few years older than me so I don't feel any indifference. This was the first time I saw him so I deduced that he's the family's newly-hired driver but I haven't seen him before. Well, I was staying at Durem and it was rare for me to home just recently so I am not really sure about that.

A house helper in her uniform approached me as soon as I reached the doorstep, offering me a clean, white towel. I accepted that and forwarded the towel I was holding to the man standing firmly behind me like he wasn't even bothered by his wet uniform suit.

"M-ma'am?"

"Please, help yourself."

The house helps eyes widened in surprise but didn't say anything. The river shyly accepted the towel I was handing him before slowly wiping his neck.

"Mama?" I asked.

"S-She's in the dining room, Ma'am."

I nodded before going to the mansion's dining room. The house help who gave me the towel tailed me from behind until I reached the dining room.

"Amelia!" Mama called in glee who came out from the kitchen. Manang Rosario, our Mayordoma, got the plate that Mama was holding and placed in on the dining table.

Mama kissed me on my cheek before leading me to the table while caressing both of my shoulders. "Let's wait for your Papa to arrive, hmm? He's still in his room, changing his clothes."

I nodded and smiled at Mama.

"How are you, Amelia?"

"I'm good," I answered shortly before slightly tapping her hands on my shoulder.

Minutes have passed since I was seated, Papa arrived at the dining table who didn't even notice my presence because he was busy reading something on his phone.

Mama immediately called for the house helps to prepare all the dishes including the desserts.

"Pa," I called which made him stop looking on his phone.

He cleared his throat before sitting on his chair. "How's the exam, Amelia?" Papa asked in his usual baritone voice.

"It went well."

"Not great?"

I cleared my throat. "I'll see to it if it went great when the results are out."

Papa smiled and nodded before looking at Mama's way who's just carefully watching us and was awkwardly smiling.

"Let's talk over dinner, shall we?"

Mama lifted the plate of my favorite dish and we then started eating silently.

"Are you a graduating student this year, Amelia?" Dad asked, breaking the silence.

My grip on my fork tightened. How could he forget that?

"She's still in her 3rd year, Norman!" Mama reprimanded.

"So your boyfriend is the one who's a graduating student this year?"

"Yes," I answered in a soft voice.

"I told your Mom that you should bring Con," Dad said.

Right. Mama called earlier and forwarded Papa's request to bring Revi with me but he was tired and drained from the exams. If I insist on bringing him here with me, he'll just get tired more. The travel from Durem to Gravetto was kinda far. I just informed Revi that I'm out for dinner with my parents and didn't bother to say that Papa wanted him to join us because he'll come with me without hesitation, disregarding the fatigue he'll gain.

"No, you haven't," Mama answered, confused.

I looked at Mama who's sitting across me. "He's talking about Dmitricon, Ma."

I heard Mama's gasp. "Oh, sorry. I thought Lincoln."

Papa calls Revi as Con because of his second name which is Dmitricon. We tend to mistake that but I was already used to it after hearing it for how many times. But Mama can't seem to adapt that and often mistakes Revi's Con as Gael's Coln.

I turned to Papa who's waiting for my answer. "This is a family dinner, Pa."

He raised his brow. "What makes it different? Revi's a family soon."

"Can't we just enjoy this dinner with the three of us?" I asked, hopeful.

"Well, yeah. But having Con here will enthrall me," Papa said while smiling.

Right. They have a mutual understanding of everything. Papa likes how Revi's mind works and he told me one time that just talking with Revi gives him wonders and new knowledge. They usually talk about everything over a chessboard game which my boyfriend always wins.

"Having Nathan here will keep you enthrall too."

Mama immediately looked at Papa who's smile faded and was changed into a serious face while he continued eating. That is the usual reaction I get every time I mention my sister's name.

"I visited Nathaniel weeks ago," I informed.

Mama shifted on her seat and leaned on the table a bit. "How's she doing, Amelia?"

Mama is the one who's interested in Nathaniel even though my sister didn't come out from her womb and is the very fruit of Papa's betrayal and affair instead of Papa who didn't even care about his daughter.

I smiled at Mama. "She's painting again. She filled her room's wall with grandeur paintings, Ma."

I still cannot get over it. I want her to paint my room too but that will be hard as of now. Maybe if she's out of the hospital?

"S-should I visit her?" Mam asked with hesitance.

I pursed my lips of a sudden, not knowing what to exactly say. That made Mama heave a deep sigh and weakly looked down on her plate.

"Is there a need for you to visit her, Amelia?" Dad asked which made me look at him unbelievably.

"It's not a need, Pa. It's what I want that is why as his father, you should visit her sometime too."

Papa snorted. "I'm busy taking care of our business, Amelia."

"Yes, you are. But why can you spare me time whenever there's an event at my school? I mean... Nathaniel is your daughter too."

Papa placed his utensils on his plate which created a sound. I know his patience is now etched and any time soon, he'll lash out at me but maybe because of his well-composed self, he managed to hang in there.

My breathing is now ragged as my chest lifts up and down. I see this as an opportunity to tell him that he should visit Nathaniel too. My sister expects him to come even though it's always a fail.

"You're my only daughter, Amelia."