“Hey! “ Lian spoke with her signature smile, of course. “Why don’t we first stop by calling it a sin? Let us just say that it was casual sex done for the wrong reasons and at the wrong place. But all in all, we were adults, and we both proved a point that day. Of course, it hurts, just a little, because you did not offer exactly what I wanted. But if anything, Adam, I want you to know that I wouldn’t waste a chance with you even now if I had it. I am not ashamed to be on the list of, you know, all of those you have been with.” She then looked at me. “I am sorry to say this too, but at least I got to taste the famous Adam Stone De’Leon!” She smiles, and I think I am beginning to love her smile now. Eyes roll! “You are lucky, Ayana. You both are lucky to have each other. And this is where I wanted to be—to have you look at me the way you are looking at her, with so much love and adoration. Your eyes speak submission every minute they brush her. Even a fool can tell you love her so much.
FLASHBACK. ABOUT SIX YEARS AGO “Let’s see. I will forget all this ignominy that you have brought upon me and this entire family. I will forgive you, Ayana, if you only tell me that that moron you were shamelessly fooling around with is on the way right now to marry you." My father’s despotic tone echoes, shooting an arrow directly into my bleeding heart. How I wish that was the case. At least I would leave this house, and he wouldn't have to look at me with this shame and hurt. Ooh, how I wish! “No, Dad! I am sorry, but there will be no marriage. He won't take responsibility either.” I hiccuped, my face almost sweeping the floor with shame. I cannot bear to look my father in the eye again. The scorching heat of his breathing on the side of my face is cogent evidence of how enraged he is right now. My eyes are pools of tears. My nose is all red from blowing it. And my head is a whirlwind of emotions. The shame I am feeling right now is immeasurable. I wish the ground would open up
“Uncle, please don't leave Mommy alone until I wake up, okay? She is always sad whenever she is alone. Only you and I keep her happy.”See this kid! My sweet, little, precious 5-year-old jewel. She has been my life and the thread that ties my sanity together. She is like a luminescent lantern that illuminates me in this dark cage I call life. Every time I look at her, I remember the decision I made back then to keep her. She is my all.I walk up to her as Robby tucks her in bed. They have, surprisingly, become best buddies.Robby is another person who has helped me maintain my sanity in the last three months. He is a student I am teaching how to paint, and honestly, he is a better teacher than I am. His paintings are better even without me instructing them. Sometimes I don't see any need for him to come for lessons.But all the same, he is the only request that my family has ever granted me since that fateful day. I needed something to keep me busy in this cage that they locked me and
“You never learn, do you?” Cynthia says, standing in front of me. Her tone is full of hatred, as is her stare. But I am used to this. Ever since I became the family’s bad omen, she has forgotten even her respect for me as her elder sister. “I can't believe that you are now fooling around with your student. Where did your morals go, Ayana?I closed the tiny gap that was between us, my heart throbbing with anger. She does not have any right to speak to me that way.“You watch your mouth before I shut it for you, Cynthia! I am still your elder sister before anything. I demand some respect!” I fume, and for heaven’s sake, she better not stroke my demons.“Respect?” She sneers, taking a step back and smirking sarcastically. “Does that word even exist in your vocabulary? Did you stop even for a second to think of respect when you almost dragged our family name into the mud? When you were shamelessly throwing yourself at that nobody,A resounding slap across her face sends her staggering back
“You are pathetically sentimental if you think, even for a second, that we care about that child of yours. It is just a mere risk we are willing to take just to be humans. She at least deserves some education. Hopefully, she will value it and not end up like you. That is all!”If I ever kill someone in this world, it will be this bitch I call my sister. I guess her cheek is no longer hurting, which is why her stinking mouth is running again.“You know, I could remind you how to be respectful since you seem to have forgotten.” I say, dropping my hands from my chest.She takes a step back, raising her hands in the air sarcastically. Well, at least she knows I will not think twice about slapping the shit out of her. Stupid bitch!“I did not come here to fight.” She says this, dropping her hands and crossing them on her chest.“I guessed as much. And if Lyana was the only reason you bothered to come here, then you already have the answer. We are done here, so leave before I sweep this floo
The sun is kissing the sky, bidding goodbye to the light of day, and ushering in the darkness of night. Another day is gone. Another miserable day is behind me. Unfortunately, I still have no idea when bright days will come my way. The day I break free from this cursed cage. I spent the whole day banging my head about what my family would be interested in speaking to me about after so many years of treating me like a bad omen. The black sheep. The only stain in their stainless name. Like a stain on gold. But all I managed was to hurt my head because nothing came to mind. And since I knew they were not worth ruining the little peace I have in this cage, I dropped the issue and carried on with my day like I always do—with my paintings and my precious daughter. One thing was amiss, though. My student is Robby. He did not come for lessons today for the weird reason that I can’t wrap my fingers around. It is the first time that he has missed his lesson since we started. How so? That is wh
"Will you just get out of our way? We did not come here for a stare challenge, Ayana!” My mother speaks after a long decade of pure lull.Of course, my father could not speak because it seemed like he was about to slap me out of their way. His gaze is still the same as that day he made me make a choice. Raw hate. Disgust. Let down. They speak of volumes of the anger he feels towards me up until now. And I don’t think anything will ever bridge the rift that my mistake has created.It hurts so much. Not because I made that mistake. I am neither justifying my naivety nor my stupidity, failing to read between the lines of love and lust. I am just saying that they are being dramatically unreasonable. Their hate for me for that one mistake is beyond bonds, and I don’t get it. It wasn’t that grave, hello? I wasn’t the first one to mess up like that.I shift to my mother, and this one is the worst of all. I have not been able to understand how she can sleep peacefully all night long, knowing
Hello, heaven! Are these games or what? They will let me do all that? Even giving my child their name? They finally want to expose the bad omen that they have been hiding for years. Expose the stain that they have pulled all strings to cover? At the expense of what? I should perhaps be melting with glee and hope, wondering what sort of miracle has been achieved, but, naah! I am not that stupid. When the deal is so enthralling as this one, summon your ninth sense. What is the deal here because I know they cannot just develop some damn consciousness overnight? “I thought, as a loving parent, you should be jumping up and down with the news. This is what you have always wanted for your child, right?” I turn to my mother, then I cruise my eyes around them. Seriously? What do they think of me? What kind of idiot do they think I am? “I am not as stupid as you people think I am. There is more to this sugarcoated offer. What is it? What do I have to sacrifice in return?” I quiz. They trade