Twenty-Six

I ran back to my room as soon as my father saw me. I heard him calling my name, but I ignored him. I didn't know how to react to everything I had just learned. I wasn't ready to talk to anyone—not to him, not to my mother. I needed time to process everything I had just heard. How was I supposed to handle knowing the full truth? How did all of this even happen?

I never imagined that while I was living far away, my family was going through something like this. I never expected any of it, and now I was struggling to absorb everything I had just heard. There was no one I could talk to about this—no one who could help me understand.

A knock on my door snapped me back to the present.

"Ate, Mom is calling you. She said you should go downstairs," my youngest sibling called out. I was seven years older than him, and I knew they probably didn't fully understand what was happening.

"Alright, tell her I'll be down in a minute," I replied, but I didn't get up right away. I sat there, wondering why she was calling me. "Were they going to separate? Were we going to have to choose sides?"

To be honest, I wouldn't choose either of them. I would rather live far away from both of them because that's where I felt comfortable. They couldn't blame me—I was never close to them. I grew up without them being around most of the time.

The one who raised me was my older brother. For the longest time, I even thought he was my father. And whenever I was with my real parents, my brother was always by my side—until he left me for good.

When I finally went downstairs, the whole house was eerily quiet. I walked straight to the kitchen, hoping to find all of them there—by them, I meant the three of them.

I found them sitting silently at the dining table, each with a mug in front of them. I assumed it was coffee, except for my youngest sibling, who held a glass of their favorite juice.

"What is it?" I asked as I approached the table.

"I want you both to hear everything I have to say," my father began. "The two of you are the only ones left here, and I want you to hear this from me directly."

I remained standing as he started speaking. I grabbed a glass and went to the fridge, but I kept listening to every word he said.

"I'm sorry for giving in to temptation," he admitted. "At first, I ignored her because I knew that if I gave in, I would be committing a terrible mistake. But over time, she found ways to make me notice her. At first, I only knew her by name. I knew she was from Buenavista, where I was assigned. I had no idea she was a princess in their clan. She was the only daughter of a powerful and wealthy family in that area. I only found out about that later—when I told her we needed to end whatever was going on between us. That was when I confessed to her that I had a family, that I had five children."

I sat down next to my sibling, listening as my father's voice grew heavy with emotion.

"I was shocked when she told me she already knew everything about us," he continued. "She knew where you were studying, where you were living, and even where your siblings were. She threatened me, saying that if I left her, she would have one of you kidnapped. At first, I didn't believe her. But one morning, while I was waiting for my service to pick me up for work at around five a.m., a black van suddenly stopped in front of me. They tried to force me inside. Of course, I fought back, but there was nothing I could do when they pointed a gun at me. There were a lot of them—armed men inside the van. I panicked. I didn't know if I would ever escape or even survive. My mind was racing, and all I could do was pray. I prayed that if they were going to kill me, they would at least return my body so that you could receive the benefits from the government as my family—so you could all continue your studies."

I could feel the weight in his voice, the deep regret behind his words.

"I had no idea who they were or where they were taking me. The moment I got in the van, they blindfolded me. I could feel the vehicle speeding, but none of them spoke. The only sounds I heard were the occasional passing cars. My hands and feet were tied, and my mouth was gagged. I kept praying, until eventually, I felt the van stop. Based on the time that had passed, I estimated that we had traveled for about two hours. I knew then that they had taken me somewhere far away," he recalled. I can see it right through his eyes the weight of his emotion.

"When they pulled me out of the van, I heard voices, but I couldn't understand what they were saying. They made me sit down and removed my blindfold and gag, but my hands and feet remained tied. I looked around and saw masked men dressed in black. The only parts of their faces I could see were their eyes and mouths. Then, a tall man arrived. He was big, muscular. His face wasn't covered, but I didn't recognize him—I was sure I had never seen him before."

My father stopped speaking and shut his eyes tightly, gripping his head as if the memories were too painful to bear.

No one spoke among us, simply waiting for him to continue his story. Mama sat there, staring blankly, tears silently falling from her eyes.

"The man introduced himself as Amal's brother," Papa continued.

"That's when I found out that Amal was the only daughter in her family. She had been arranged to marry someone but ended up divorcing him because she was a battered wife. Her family decided to push for the divorce before her husband could kill her. Afterward, they silenced her ex-husband for good. Amal ran away from her family, fearing they would force her into another marriage, and that's how she ended up in the place where I was assigned. She started her own business and lived alone. But with their wealth and power, her family eventually found her—and in doing so, they also discovered me. They were furious when they learned I planned to leave her. They saw how hysterical she became and refused to let me go. Her brothers told me I couldn't abandon her, but they also didn't want me to leave my family. Their only demand was that whenever I was in their town, I would stay with her. They didn't care about what happened when I was here with you," Papa said, his voice breaking as he avoided looking at us.

"Earlier, when Adrian and I were coming home from grocery shopping, a woman approached us and introduced herself. We weren't going to go with her at first, but she said your father wanted to talk to us," Mama interrupted.

"She took us to a restaurant in a hotel. At first, I hesitated because I didn't see your father, but I let my guard down when he arrived, accompanied by a few men. I thought they were his colleagues. I was wrong. They introduced themselves as the same people who once abducted your father—Amal's brothers. And the woman who invited us? That was Amal herself," Mama continued.

I glanced at my younger brother, who remained silent. He still seemed shaken by what had happened earlier.

"They wanted to take your father back with them, but Amal pleaded with her family and told them the truth—that he already had a family. She had no intention of taking him away from us. She only wanted him to stay with her on weekdays and return to us on weekends. She knew her place and did not want to separate him from us, especially since both of you are still in school. She wasn't after his money; she simply loved him and wanted to take care of him while he was with her. She also knew about his illness and how he had no one to look after him in the house he was staying in. She promised not to interfere with his salary. In fact, she even offered to send me ₱20,000 a month to help with our household expenses and your education. She also said she would cover the costs of your father's maintenance medication. After repeatedly pleading with her family, they finally gave in—because they would rather see their only daughter and beloved sister alive than lose her completely," Mama explained.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. It felt like something straight out of a movie. I had no words, and my mind went blank, unable to process everything that had been said since last night. In just a few hours, everything had changed, and my chest felt unbearably heavy.

My brother sat with his head down, staring at his glass of orange juice, which remained untouched. Like me, he was struggling to absorb it all. I never imagined my family—one that others admired and even called a "model family"—would turn out like this. It was a mess.

"Earlier, I couldn't say anything because I was terrified," Mama admitted.

"Not for myself, but for you, Adrian. I was afraid of what they might do. I don't know what to do anymore. That's why, Luisa, since you rarely come home, if they ever find you, please—don't fight them. We have no power against them," she said before breaking down into tears again.

For minutes, we all sat in stunned silence. The only sounds were Mama's quiet sobs and Papa's deep, weary sighs.

I wasn't crying. My mind was blank, my chest heavy, but no tears came. I didn't know why.

After nearly an hour of sitting in the dining area with my family, I chose to leave without saying a word. I went back to my room, threw myself onto my bed, and hugged my pillow while staring at the ceiling. Nothing. My mind remained blank. The truth hurt, but even now, I still couldn't cry. Eventually, sleep took over before I even realized it.

At eight in the morning, I came downstairs. As usual, the house was eerily quiet. There was no one in the living room, where I usually found my brother watching his favorite shows.

I headed straight to the kitchen—I was starving. I had just remembered that I skipped dinner last night because I had fallen asleep staring at the ceiling, hugging my pillow.

"Surprising. You're eating here today?" I asked my brother, who usually ate in front of the TV to avoid missing his favorite cable shows.

"I just came down," he replied softly.

"What's there to eat?" I asked, glancing at his plate.

"This. I just reheated it," he said, showing me his plate of spaghetti.

"Is there more?" He simply nodded, pointed at the fridge, and took another bite of his food.

I just took that and put it in a bowl to heat in the microwave. While waiting, I spread some filling on my bread because I was really hungry.

"Where are they?" I asked again.

"I don't know. When I came down, no one was here. I just heated my food and ate—I didn't even check outside."

I sat in front of my sibling and started eating my sandwich.

"Is the woman they were talking about pretty?" I asked, noticing how they hesitated. For a moment, I thought they wouldn't answer.

"She is. She's still young—27 years old, they said."

"Did she talk to you?"

"Yeah, she asked what I needed. She said she'd take care of it and buy them for me."

"Oh, and what did you say?"

"Nothing… I just went blank, Ate. And besides, her companions were really scary," they confessed.

"If she comes to see me, what do you think I should say to her?" he asked in return.

"Honestly? I don't know either," I replied with a shrug.

"This is so hard. Everything suddenly became so complicated," he added.

"Yeah… I never thought something like this would happen to us. It's funny—I used to think things like this only happened in TV dramas. But here we are, right in the middle of it"

He didn't respond again, just sighed deeply.

After we finished eating, I washed the dishes while I told himm to sweep the floor. When I was done, I stepped outside, hoping to find the others. But I was surprised to see Mom sitting in the garden with a visitor—a fair-skinned, elegant woman. They were having a serious conversation. Her face looked familiar, but I couldn't remember where I had seen her before.

I didn't approach them, but just as I was about to go back inside, someone called my name.

"Lui!" I was sure it wasn't Mom—she always used my full name.

"Yes?" I turned toward where she and her visitor were. I saw Mom hesitate for a moment before nodding, signaling me to come closer.

"Good morning," I greeted them. The woman stood up and kissed me on the cheek. She had a beautiful smile, and her aura was warm and cheerful.

"Sorry if I disturbed you. I'll be going inside now," I said awkwardly, feeling flustered by her gesture. I didn't dare ask any questions; afraid I might embarrass her.

"Stay a while. Keep us company," the woman invited, her smile never fading. I looked at Mom, who simply nodded in response to my questioning gaze.

"You must be wondering who I am. But I already know you," she said warmly while Mom remained silent, watching us. She motioned for me to sit beside her, placing me between them.

"I'm Amal," she introduced herself.

I froze at the name. I couldn't believe what I had just heard. Yesterday, I had only heard about her—now, I was facing her in person.

"Don't worry. I'm not here to cause trouble. I just came to bring your dad's medication and some fruits since I know he's on leave from work. I won't take him away from you—I promise. I know my place in his life and in yours. I'm not after his money, so don't worry. I've already told your mom that I'll help out, as long as you don't keep him away from me. I'll take care of him when he's at work, but I won't interfere when he's here with you," she explained.

I couldn't respond. "What was I supposed to say? "Sure, no problem?" Was that even the right thing to say?" Everything was so confusing.

"I know you have a lot of expenses right now since you're graduating, right? I'll also cover your educational tour," she continued.

I was stunned. "How did she even know about that? I hadn't even told Mom the details yet."

I turned to Mom, who simply looked at me, then back at Amal.

"Ah, um, thank you. But it's okay—my brother sends money for my monthly allowance, and Mom and Dad always save up to pay for the whole semester during enrollment. As for the educational tour, it's still far off, and I know Mom and my brother will figure it out. But thank you for the offer," I said hesitantly, nervous that she might be offended by my refusal.

"I keep my word, Lui. I already said I'd take care of it, so don't worry about it anymore. Your mom and brother won't have to stress over it," she said confidently.

I lowered my head and sighed.

"Mom, I have to go later. I need my original birth certificate because the registrar is requiring it for all seniors. I know you have the original copy—that's one of the important documents I left here," I said, eager to find an excuse to leave.

"Alright, hold on. I'll get it," she said, standing up to fetch what I asked for.

I lowered my head, unsure if I should leave and let her be. But then I thought she might get mad. I also remembered what they said about her siblings and her people. So, even though I was uncomfortable, I chose to stay with her, even if I didn't say a word.

She really was beautiful—her skin was flawless, clearly someone from a wealthy family. She carried herself with sophistication, adorned with jewelry even down to her feet. Her clothes screamed luxury despite their simplicity—a long-sleeved blouse with a large floral design in front, plain white on the rest, paired with jeans and simple wedges. Yet everything about her looked expensive.

"Lui, please don't be mad at me. I never meant to fall for your dad. I promise I won't cause trouble for your family—in fact, I want to help. I hope we can be friends. I know where you often go because I've visited your school before," she said.

I was stunned. At that moment, I realized what my dad said was true—she had abilities we didn't.

"Luisa, here it is," my mom's voice interrupted as she approached us.

"Thank you," I said simply, accepting the document she handed me.

"I'll get going now. I need to prepare," I excused myself, standing up, ready to leave.

She just gave me a big smile and nodded. But before I could walk away completely—

"I'll just transfer the money you need to your account," she added.

I didn't turn back. I didn't know how to react to that. I quickly took a shower, changed, and packed the beddings I needed for the apartment. A sudden wave of anxiety hit me when I remembered what she said—that she knew where I always went.

"Did that mean she also knew I wasn't staying at the apartment? That I drank and smoked? That my family had no idea what was really going on with me?"

Carrying a paper bag and my backpack—I had left my duffle bag with Mitch on purpose—I was about to say goodbye to my mom when I saw that they were still in the same spot I left them earlier. But now, my dad was with them, and their conversation still looked serious.

"I'm leaving now," I announced.

"Alright, I was about to go too. Lui, perfect timing—we can leave together," she said, standing up. The sound of her bangles jingled as she moved.

"Amal!" my dad called her name.

"What? I'm just going with Lui. I'm not going to do anything bad to her," she reasoned out. The way she acted around my dad was like a spoiled brat, completely different from how she spoke to me earlier.

I couldn't even respond when she casually slung an arm over my shoulder, guiding me out of our gate with her bag on her other arm. Even my parents didn't say a word or stop her. But just before we reached her black SUV—

"Amal, please… not my daughter," my dad pleaded. His face looked weary; his eyes heavy with exhaustion.

"Oh, come on! Why would I hurt her? She's like a daughter to me, too, so you can be sure I'll take care of her. I'm even giving her a ride, so just relax," she said, trying to reassure him.

Meanwhile, I had no idea what to do. Panic started creeping in—I didn't expect her to actually take me somewhere.

"Come on, get in," she said. I hesitated at first but slowly got into the car, staying silent. My heart pounded.

"What if she wasn't really taking me home? What if she had a different destination in mind?"

The thoughts were terrifying. Just yesterday, I thought I had already experienced the worst thing that could shake me. I was wrong.