I Will Bring Her Back

“What?!” he looked at her mother for assurance but her silence says it all. Then he returned his gaze to his father. Why?!”

“I just don’t think I still deserve to be in the position, Cj…” Rowena answered. “I…I failed and I have to step down if I failed to do my duty…”

“You didn’t do anything wrong, mom. I know that. You know that.”

“They’re against me, Cj. I can’t do anything about that. I have to step down for the sake of their peaceful mind,” she glanced at her husband. “Your dad is now the master of the Mafia World but…”

He fell silent. “…but?”

“But it won’t be that long. He’s my husband so they don’t trust him either. I stepped down only to kill some fire—that’s all I can do.”

“Why are you deciding like this without me knowing?” his voice sounds in deep confusion. “How could you give up your title so easily? They’re only doing this to steal what is yours and you’re giving it...to them.”

“This is a decision that I have to decide myself, son.” she sighed deeply. “And besides…you’re already at the right age—”

“Mom. Ever since I know you don’t tend to give the title and the throne to me at all and I respect that. I don’t want such responsibility either. I can’t do it, alright? Why you do have to step down?”

“A leader must give up his title if he knows himself, he failed his duty to his people—”

“You did not fail.” his voice almost raised. “When are you going to see it, mom? When? We don’t even know where they got those false accusations! We need to investigate this thoroughly!”

“Cj,” his dad called. “your mom is tired. She has to do this.”

“I have nothing against her stepping down. What I cannot accept are her ludicrous reasons! She looks more guilty now!”

“Perhaps I am—”

“Mom.” he threatened her not to finish it using his eyes. He held her hands. “You should have fought for them more. We’re always with you.”

“This thing doesn’t need fight, Cj. Fight isn’t always the answer. Fight isn’t always the way to end things. I’m doing this to avoid big conflict.”

That left him speechless. He doesn’t know what to say more.

Perhaps this is the reason why he heard nothing about his mother’s abdication. They know…they’re sure he’s against it and he’ll do something to stop it.

But now that it’s done?

What can he do now?

She should have fought for what is hers—that’s the only thing Cj wants in this quandary they’re facing. But what happened is the opposite.

She didn’t just abandon it. She gave it up.

“You will be announced as the new master of the Mafia World in a month,” Arvin said decisively. “and I’m sorry for putting this on you but as the oldest, you need to do this.”

His eyes flicked up, an idea came across his mind after hearing his father’s words. “The title and throne weren’t supposed to be given to me, right? You’ve already decided who will inherit the title a long ago.”

The entire room is silent. Everyone’s looking at him as if he said something weird. They don’t know where he’s going or what he’s trying to say.

Even Cj cannot believe he’s doing it. He planned to be cautious about it an hour ago and now?

“It was supposed to be my sister’s.”

It made Arvin sighed. “Let’s not fight about this, Cj—”

“She’s alive.”

“Cj!”

“I’m telling the truth.”

Arvin slammed his desk strongly enough for Xeign to shudder. “I already forbade you to speak about this! You didn’t listen to me!”

“This is not a false hope anymore, dad. She really is—”

“Cj! If you are doing this only to get away from your inheritance just stop! Right! Now! I am warning you! You cannot change our decision. It’s settled. End of discussion!”

“Why are you so scared to believe she’s still alive?”

“She is long dead, Cj! She died more than a decade ago and up until now—!”

“I’m telling you the truth. She showed up in front of me. I talked to her. She is my sister. I can feel it—”

“You’re just being too emotiona—”

“You’re the one who’s being emotional, dad!" his voice has completely raised. He's now standing up. "You don’t want to believe because you’re already tired of believing. But I am not! Never did I! How could you, dad? How could you give up on her? Her body was never found! She is not dead! So how?! How could you give up on that so easily?!”

He is pissed as his dad too. Ever since his dad forbade them to look for his sister, he couldn’t understand him anymore.

Sure, he’s scared of false hopes but now that the true hope is present, why is he shutting it down? He’s that scared?

If he is scared then he is not. He should let him do what he wants. He’s not a kid anymore. He can decide for himself.

It’s his own belief. It’s his own life and the girl they’re talking about is his sister. His family.

He has every right to look for her, to speak about her if he wants to.

Arvin’s jaw clenched. His sharp eyes are threatening Cj to stop his nonsense and stop talking to him in a loud tone.

But he didn’t falter and gave him back what he is receiving—a sharp glare.

“B—brother…dad…please calm down—”

“Wait until I prove to you that she’s alive,” he said leaving his mom’s side. Before reaching the door he spoke. “I will bring her back. I will bring my sister back."

And he sighed deeply, calming himself before he leaves for real. Before opening the door, he spoke in a very dedicated manner.

“I will bring her back to where she really belongs.”

Cj shut the door leaving everyone speechless and surprised. No one tried to break the ice even after he left.

Xeign and Rowena were too surprised to speak meanwhile Arvin, he’s too pissed. At the same time anxious. He only let his body dropped and brushed his bangs.

For how many years, he believed—he kept on believing that her daughter was still alive. They looked for everywhere. They searched the entire world but she is nowhere to be found.

It pains him. It pains them to believe in something that they don’t even know if it’s still there. There’s no way she’s still alive after all those years of being missing.

For them to feel lesser pain, they accepted the bitter truth that their daughter is really dead and they’re just looking and hoping and waiting for nothing.

Since then, he forbade everyone to search for her anymore. He doesn’t want to spread false hopes to his family. He wanted them to move on and accept the reality.

But now, Cj is telling him that he finally found her and she’s still alive? When they finally decided to stop and move on?

He doesn’t know what to think and for sure, his wife is the same.

It’s painful. One word from Cj and their hopes are already coming back as if nothing happened before, as if they didn’t get disappointed from the results of their search.

But he’s trying to hold it in—he’s trying to stop himself. He doesn’t want to be disappointed again. The pain would be greater than what they felt before.

He doesn’t want that anymore. He’s already done with the pain of losing a child. And for sure, his wife’s pain is more unimaginable than his.

She gave birth to her, she carried her in her womb for how many months, she felt an indescribable pain only to bring her to the world.

She might not be speaking about it, she might not have cried so much compared to him, he knows…he just simply knows because he is her husband.

They’ve already been through a lot lately and he doesn’t want them to suffer more. His wife has suffered so much and believing their daughter is still alive without any concrete evidence is just…so much to ask for.