To Love and Avenge

Chapter 22

Ale

Dad carefully led me inside and slowly seated me on the couch, then he sat next to me. He gently held my hands to his and caressed me softly and looked into my eyes. I met his eyes. Looking at him sincerely, he reached to cup my face, his thumb tracing to wipe away my remaining tears.

“Dad, I’m sorry that I made you all worry. I should have understood you better. I was so selfish.” I started.

“No sweetheart, parents always worry about their children no matter what, because you are all important to us. I should be the one to say sorry, I should have considered your thoughts and feelings,” he said kindly, which left me speechless.

I can’t afford to speak more. Lumps formed in my throat blocking my every word if I start to speak, I will in no time burst into tears every time I open my mouth to say a word.

He has been very kind and understanding to us, yet I made this man feel guilty for my wrong actions. I was supposed to be blamed, yet he took it to himself instead.

ad. I even caused him so much pain, but he never complained.

Never did I once reconsider his feelings.

I always do what I think is right for me, but how about them?

My dad has never held any anger about my lies, he is also human, he has mistakes.

But I was expecting him to be perfect. I was so selfish. What kind of a daughter have I become? I was so fed up with my pains and hunger for revenge for what had happened to mom that I forgot that I still had a dad and my brothers left for me. Without any words, I pulled dad and hugged him tightly, so my brothers came to hug us too, to show their love and support. I was all alone battling with my struggles, totally forgetting that I still have these people who love me unconditionally. They should have been my support system, yet, I locked myself and shut them out from my world.

“Hush now baby, It’s not good for you to cry.” I sobbed more. While you are in a state of helplessness, any soothing word will usually send you into emotional turmoil. I nodded while I tried to gather and compose myself upon seeing Sheila and Dauis standing next to each other at the door. I immediately looked away. I don’t like to see the pity in his eyes for me.

“Why in the world do you keep this from us, Ale?” Asks Daven with tearful eyes.

Curiosity struck me. I wondered what he had been meaning. I turned to look at Daven with a questioning look. Does he know my job? Did dad tell them? I was speechless, only then that Allen interrupted my thoughts.

“How long have you been with Dauis?” I shifted my gaze to Allen, completely lost on what to say, then turned to Dauis, expecting him to save me. Which he did, of course. It was his idea after all.

“Not that long, but I guess it's enough for us to decide to settle down until this news about betrothal came out.” he walked to us and sat beside me, encircling his arms around my waist. Pulling me into his embrace.

I wanted to throw his arms away with disgust, but I stayed still to prevent suspicions. This man is impossible, and he’s taking advantage of the situation.

“We have only a month, but if she isn’t ready yet, we can let go of the company,” Allen suggested.

“No, one month is long enough to smoothen out and prepare for the wedding,” I quickly responded. Dauis turned to me in surprise but he never said a word, instead, he just smiled at me.

I turned to dad and said, “with regards to the company matter, I still won’t allow it to go shattered. So, Dauis and I are trying to look for a solid solution for that.”

I slightly leaned on Dauis's chest, which made him freeze. Now, I’m fully submitting myself to hell.

“So have you thought about it all already then?” dad asks.

“When I ran away that day, Dauis was in Baler, so I ran into him,” I told them half-truth.

There’s a saying I always believe goes; to be able to make a lie look true, always tell the half-truth to it.

“But, I called him that night, yet he told me you weren’t there.”

“I was, but there was a misunderstanding. I told him not to tell you. I was not yet ready to face the consequences of my action, so when he told me that first thing in the morning he would accompany me there, I ran off again. I was being childish.”

“So now you’re ready?” I nodded at Daven, who scanned me like an x-ray. I know he is not easy to fool with. He’s been suspicious all the while.

“So, I guess we are settled then? As for you Ale, please sweetheart, don’t do it again.” I wanted to speak but words deceived me upon seeing my father’s face. He looks so sad and betrayed.

“I’m sorry again, dad, for everything that I caused you all, and for hiding my relationship.”

“You don’t always have to hide Ale, cause we will always find a way to understand you. You are that important to us.” He said and smiled at me.

My heart wrenched as guilt hit me.

I can’t seem to understand it.

I feel warmth in his words, but my heart aches for him.

I can’t bear the sight of his hurt eyes. I know I hurt him countless times, but he doesn’t turn his back on me. With that in thought, my eyes started to sting as tears again started to well up. I wail.

If it wasn’t for me, mom would also have been around with us, and things would have been different.

“You tell me, are you pregnant? Will I soon become a grandad too?” he asks later excitedly. With red and swollen eyes, I turned to look at them one by one.

The mood around the room immediately lightened up.

“That we don’t know yet.” I shrugged and looked at Dauis, who remained silent. Our eyes met. His eyes smiled at me, telling me to go ahead and tell them what I think. I made a very sweet smile at him. A smile that contains danger that anyone aware of the kind of act will surely get the message. I wanted to strangle him until life left him.

Yet, I couldn’t do it for the moment as we pretended to be in love.

This man is shameless. I’ve always known this b*st*rds shamelessness, but I didn’t know that he had reached this level.

“We aren’t sure about it yet. We will confirm it first.”

“Then go ahead and confirm,” he urged excitedly.

I can see that he’s excited despite the problem we previously faced.

“Dad, don't raise your hopes, as this might be a wrong perception.”

“You will both eventually come there,” he said understandingly, smiling at me.

The moment his eyes fell on Dauis, he became serious and said, “As for you, you have a lot of explanation to do.” to which Dauis only nodded in response.

We all fell in silence. Feeling everyone’s current state.

The growing silence somehow becomes a little more uncomfortable. Observing dad’s constant shifting glares from all of us around the room. I know he has something going on in his mind but he never voiced it out.

“Dad, didn’t it be stated there that the company would only be distributed if I would not come to marry this man after I turned 30 but still not married, yes?” I curiously asked.

“How so?” with knitted brows, he asks.

“That means that if I get married before the age of 30 to whoever, then, the company is safe.”

I glanced at Daven and Allen, who were now pondering my conclusion.

“I guess that was it,” Allen concluded.

It settled then, I thought to myself. Previous days have been long and tiring. Since everything had come into place, I wanted to go and rest and shut the whole world behind me again. But I was caught as I realized that Dauis was still in the way. I need to clear him first before I can finally breathe freely.

I stood up and excused myself, saying that I wanted a word with Dauis alone first, let alone tug him into my bedroom.

Dad, on the other hand, never insisted on talking with Dauis, even though he had already asked Dauis to explain to him afterward. Guess he fully understands.