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Lahat ng Kabanata ng Fake Home: Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 9

9 Kabanata

Chapter 1

The motion-sensor light in the hallway went dark, worn out by my silence.I turned and made my way downstairs, my numb legs dragging with every step. I found a budget hotel nearby and checked in.That night, I slept like a log.The next day after work, I called a rental agent and found a studio apartment close to my office.I paid the deposit, then went back to the house with its brand-new fingerprint lock.I stood outside the door and rang the bell.From inside came the sound of laughter from a variety show. A while later, footsteps shuffled slowly toward the door.The door opened, and Cassandra Mapes poked her head out. The smile on her face faded the instant she saw me."You're just getting back? We already finished dinner," she said, blocking the doorway without any intention of stepping aside."I'm just here to grab a few things," I said.I slipped past her into the entryway and bent down to change my shoes.But the shoe rack was nearly empty, save for a row of brand-ne

Chapter 2

Maybe it was the half hour I'd spent freezing outside. In the middle of the night, I came down with a raging fever.My whole body ached like I'd been run over by a car.I curled up on a rusted old folding cot, wrapped in a thin blanket, and gritted my teeth until dawn.It was the weekend, and the house was unusually lively.My brother, Tyler Mapes, had just won the city basketball championship, and the whole family was celebrating.The smell of cooking drifted from the kitchen, the roar of the range hood mixing with my parents' laughter.By noon, the food was on the table.Tyler cheered and ran over, while Cassandra snapped a flurry of photos of the spread with her phone.I braced myself against the wall, fighting off wave after wave of chills, and dragged my heavy feet into the living room for a glass of warm water.The table was crowded with seafood.Steamed snow crab, garlic butter scallops, and a heaping pot of spicy Cajun crawfish, glistening red.I stared at the pot of

Chapter 3

Monday night, I was working late on the balcony.It was an extremely important bid, and the final proposal was due first thing the next morning.The folding cot was too small to work on, so I balanced my laptop on my knees and typed by the faint glow of the moon and the screen.In the living room, Tyler sprawled across the couch playing video games, the sound effects blasting.I rubbed my aching eyes and got ready to do a final formatting check.Suddenly, Tyler clicked his tongue in irritation."Why's this stupid tablet dead again?"He shuffled onto the balcony in his slippers, charger in hand, glancing around.There was only one outlet on the balcony, and my laptop was plugged into it.The battery had long since worn out. Unplugged, it wouldn't last a minute.Without a second thought, Tyler reached over and grabbed my power cord."Don't pull that out!"I cried out and lunged to stop him.But it was too late.The plug came out with a sharp snap as he yanked it free.My s

Chapter 4

The last day.After work, I headed to the bank to withdraw some money.I was signing the lease tomorrow, first month plus a three-month deposit, and I still needed to buy some basic necessities.I sat down at the counter and handed over my payroll card.My mother had forced me to open the account back when I first started working. It was under her name, supposedly to help me save.Over the past few years, I'd scrimped and saved until the balance hit twenty thousand dollars.The teller typed for a few moments, then looked up at me apologetically."I'm sorry, miss, but the balance on this card is only two dollars and thirty-five cents."I froze, certain I'd misheard."That's impossible. There should be twenty thousand dollars in there. Please check again."The teller turned the screen toward me."The twenty thousand you're talking about, it was all spent just recently."I don't know how I made it out of the bank.When I pushed open the front door to my family home, the livin

Chapter 5

I walked down the street in the dead of night, streetlights stretching my shadow long across the pavement.My phone buzzed in my pocket.I stopped and took it out to check.It was a voice message from my mother.[Kitty, so you've really grown a backbone, huh? Slamming the door and storming out in the middle of the night, who exactly are you performing for?][I'm telling you right now, if you dare spend the night outside, don't you ever set foot in this house again!][You think that pathetic monthly paycheck of yours makes you hot stuff? Without us, you wouldn't even have a place to live!]I listened to the whole thing calmly, switched off the screen, and kept walking toward the hotel.Early the next morning, I got to the rental agency ahead of schedule.The landlady was a kindly middle-aged woman. Seeing me hauling my suitcase in all alone, she changed the usual first-month-plus-three-month-deposit rule to just a one-month deposit."It's not easy for a young woman out here on

Chapter 6

On the third day of no contact, trouble finally came knocking.That afternoon, right after I wrapped up a department meeting, the receptionist rushed over, looking flustered."Kitty, there's a woman in the lobby looking all over for you. She's really loud, and security can barely hold her back."My stomach dropped. I hurried down to the lobby.By the time I got there, my mother was jabbing a finger in the security guard's face, shouting."I'm her mother! Do I need your permission to look for my own daughter? Is this how your company teaches its employees to turn their backs on their own parents?"Coworkers passing by stopped to stare and whisper.I took a deep breath and walked up to her."Stop shouting. If you have something to say, let's take it outside."The moment my mother saw me, her temper flared even hotter. She wrenched her arm out of my grip."Outside for what? Are you afraid of losing face?"Kitty, you think your wings are strong enough to fly now? Not only did yo

Chapter 7

That weekend, I went to Eddie's place for dinner.It was the first time I'd formally visited his parents since I'd moved out.The moment I walked in, Shirley came out to greet me warmly, pulling a brand-new pair of pink bunny slippers from the shoe cabinet and setting them by my feet."Put these on quick. It's gotten cold this week, and the floor's chilly."I saw you post something with bunnies on your social media, so I picked these out. Should be the right size, right?"I looked at the fuzzy slippers, and my toes trembled slightly."They're perfect. Thank you, Shirley."I lowered my head and slipped my feet in. The soft warmth spread from the soles of my feet all the way to my heart.There was no seafood on the Daviss' table, and nothing spicy either.Sauteed asparagus, corn and rib soup, baked sea bass.Every single dish took my stomach trouble and allergies into account.Eddie's father, John Davis, ladled a big bowl of soup for me, smiling."You just think of this as yo

Chapter 8

Two months later, thanks to the success of my bid project, I was promoted to department manager ahead of schedule.Around the same time, my company opened a new branch in a neighboring city and asked if I'd be willing to head it up.I said yes without a moment's hesitation.Eddie put in a transfer request at his own company too, deciding to move to the new city with me.We were leaving this place.The night before I was set to give notice on my apartment, someone knocked on my door.I looked through the peephole. Standing outside was my father.He was carrying a laptop bag and a thick envelope.I hesitated for a moment, then opened the door anyway.But I didn't let him in. I just stood there with the security door still between us."Why are you here?" I asked, my voice flat.My father looked at me, a flicker of awkwardness crossing his face, and held out what he was carrying."Kitty, you know your mother, sharp tongue but soft heart. Ever since you moved out, she's been tal

Chapter 9

Moving day turned out to be a rare, sunny day.The moving truck was already parked downstairs, and Eddie was helping carry the last few boxes up.I stood by the curb holding a potted pothos plant I'd bought not long ago, waiting for him.A familiar sedan suddenly pulled up not far away.The doors opened, and my mother, my father, Tyler, and Cassandra all climbed out. The whole family had come.All four of them looked worn out and haggard.My mother's hair was disheveled, her eyes red-rimmed, as she hurried toward me."Kitty, are you really leaving? Are you really giving up on your own mother?"She grabbed my arm, her voice thick with tears."I'm sorry. Isn't it enough that I know I was wrong?"Tyler complains every day that no one takes care of him anymore, and Cassandra can't even cook a meal for herself..."Come home with me. I'll clear all of Cassandra's clothes out right away and get your old room fixed up for you again, alright?"Tyler came over too, his eyes red."Si

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