Chapter 15

(Austin)

“SEE? NOTHING happened,” I said bitterly as I watched the woman I love walked away. The entire time that she was at the garden, I was in the library watching her with Mom and Alano through the window. “The ghosts you created were the ones scaring you right now, Mom. Maggy will never be like Dad. You can breathe comfortably now. Your precious ex-husband is still alive,” I added before leaving them in the library.

Mom and I had an argument after I discovered the secrets she’s been keeping from me. Alano told me the truth. And until the last minute, Alexandra tried to salvage Benedict’s image in my mind. But it was too late. I could never treat him the same way before. And I could also never look at Mom the same way before after keeping such an important thing to me and my brothers.

Right now, Ansel was the only one who didn’t know the truth. Mom begged me not to tell him. I kept my mouth shut not because I was indulging her but because I didn’t know how to explain it to Ansel. I’m sure that the truth would shatter him the way it did to me.

I couldn’t even bear to look at my parents’ faces now. I felt betrayed. And I was still furious, too. If only Dad wasn’t sick right now, I would do everything in my power to reopen the case. I would send him to prison myself in the name of justice, in the name of the people who died because of him, and in the name of the bereaved family members who were still suffering until now. I would do it for Maggy, too. And even if she wasn’t involved, I would still do it.

I had to send someone else to pick up Maggy because I was too embarrassed to face her. I wanted her to see Dad. After all, that was the only reason why she came back to the Philippines. I wanted her to release all her pent-up anger and frustrations in front of the very man she loathed the most, hoping that it would somehow ease the burdens she was carrying in her heart. I stopped Mom and Alano from getting in the way.

And when Maggy pulled out her gun, I held on to the woman that I knew, to the compassionate woman who worked harder than most people her age just so she could help as many orphans as she could. I tried to be still even when Mom beside me nearly fainted. When I saw Maggy broke down, I felt like I’ve been stabbed multiple times. I wanted to run to her side but I didn’t want to spoil her moment of grief. I owed that to her. Maggy had been keeping a strong façade for so long and today, her mask fell off.

I was about to leave the ancestral house when Alano caught me and grabbed my shoulder.

“For crying out loud, stop this, Austin! You are breaking our Mother’s heart—”

“And do you think she isn’t breaking mine? Mom fooled us! Even if she says a thousand times that she did it all for love, I will still never understand her! She’s even trying to justify what she did! She’s just as selfish as Benedict!” My chest heaved. “Mom taught us how to have faith, how to keep the hope in our hearts burning during our toughest times. But she took that faith and hope away when she denied us the truth. You are also in love right now, Alano. You love Clarice and I love Maggy. We are in love with the women who only came in our lives just to ruin us. And I feel so shameless because even after everything I’ve learned, I still wanted to be with Maggy.”

“Austin—”

“What if the situation was reversed? What if what happened to Maggy and Clarice’s family happened to us? Did you ever stop to think about that? Knowing how much we adored our father, we could have done worse things to seek justice. But those ladies… they couldn’t even lay a finger on our father. Despite who you are, Clarice still chose you and loves you with all her heart. And I could swear that Maggy’s in love with me, too. Our family had brought them nothing but agony and yet they still loved us even if we don’t deserve it. It hurts to think that the woman I love, the one I cherish so much, is hurting just as much because of Dad, because of his secrets that Mom kept from us. They couldn’t even hear or see Benedict apologize to them. And they would live the rest of their lives never getting an apology from him.”

I was stunned when I heard someone wailing behind me. I did not have to turn around to see who it was.

“Austin, son, I’m so sorry.”

I’ve been hearing that word since yesterday. “Your apology doesn’t make any sense to me now, Mom. Will that even bring back Maggy’s parents? Will that save all of us from this misery?”

Alexandra just lowered her head as she sobbed. God knows I didn’t want to hurt her. But I didn’t want to take back what I said. She needed to wake up and realize that she was wrong. She had forgotten her conscience and became blind in the process of loving Dad and in her desire to protect him.

“I’m sorry but I don’t think I could visit you anytime soon.”

(Maggy)

“I’M GLAD you came. I was about to leave,” I said after I opened the door and saw Austin’s face. It’s been four days since he tricked me and made me see his older version. He did not show up after that. He did not even text or call. And all those times, liquors were the only ones that kept me company.

Through Radha’s help, I would be going back to Nevada tomorrow. I’ve decided to tell Yalena everything. I can’t keep hiding Benedict’s condition to my twin. She has to know the truth. Coming back to this country was a big mistake. And we have to put an end to this plan.

Justice will never be served. Ever. And we just have to suck it up.

He looked surprised. “You’re leaving? Where are you going?”

“Anywhere far away from here,” I said before I went back to my room to continue packing my things.

“I know everything now,” Austin said in a low voice. When I glanced at him, I saw him standing beside the door. His hands were in his pockets.

I should have guessed that the last time we talked over the phone. I smiled, but it did not reach my eyes. “Congratulations, then.”

Clarice had already told me that the McClennan brothers were innocent. They were unaware that their father stole most of the shares in the Company that they were managing. She confessed everything the day before I went to Olongapo. She said that Benedict faked the documents and made it appear that he bought the shares through legal means just like what he said to Aunt Carla in the past.

And when I still insisted on taking my revenge against Austin’s father, that’s when Clarice exploded.

“Do that, Maggy, and I swear you will lose me!”

It still amazes me how love can change a person, how that four-letter word can soften one’s heart.

After a while, I felt Austin behind me. He wrapped his arms around my waist.

“You can hate my father all you want but please…” His voice broke. “Don’t include me on your hate list. It wasn’t my fault that he and I are related, Maggy.”

I felt his shoulders shake. He was crying. He buried his face on my shoulder. Not long after and I felt his tears on my skin.

“I am so sorry. I can’t even begin to tell you just how sorry I am. I also don’t know how to accept the truth. I’ve been going nuts thinking about it this past few days. I was too ashamed that I couldn’t show up at your doorstep even if all I wanted to do was to see you again. I don’t know how I could make it up to you. I know that whatever I do, it won’t be enough to—”

“I will be fine.” I removed his arms from my waist. “Just give me back my family’s shares and—”

“I brought the papers with me. I’ve already signed them. I put all my shares in the company under your name. The documents were in the envelope. I put them on the center table in the living room.”

“If that’s the case, then you can leave now. I’ve got everything I need now. I... I can take it from here.”

“Just like that?” Anguish was evident in Austin’s voice.

“Yes, Austin. Just like that.”

I turned around to look at him. Suddenly, I wanted to laugh at myself. Destiny kept playing a nasty trick on me. How could I fall in love with someone who had the same face as the man who was behind my parents’ death? Out of all the men in the world, why did my heart have to react this way towards him?

But while I was looking at him, I realized that there was something with the way Austin looks at me. His eyes were always brimming with warmth. They were always filled with love and kindness unlike Benedict’s. And it bothers me knowing that the latter was still succeeding up to this moment. Because Benedict was still ruining me.

The only difference was that his sons weren’t spared this time. It wasn’t just me, Clarice, and Yalena that were hurting. His sons were hurting now, too, after discovering what he did in the past. Thanks to that, our fates had been entwined. But their pain couldn’t even come close to the pain that the three of us endured. We’ve lost lives. And they never got to experience that, not even once.

My eyes blazed with tears. Austin looked broken and I wanted to reach out to him. A part of me wanted to forget and just start all over again with him. I wanted to accept him and end our sufferings. But if I do that, I would be reminded of Benedict every single moment of my life. I would be reminded of his sins and of the justice I was never able to obtain.

“Please don’t do this to us, Maggy.” Austin tried to hold me but I evaded his hand. Once more, pain crossed his eyes.

“I love you so much, Maggy. And I know that you love me, too. If you’ll leave, then let me go with you. We’ll move on together. I know I’m being greedy because that’s asking for too much after everything that took place but Maggy, the only reason why I’m still holding on to my sanity is you.”

“No. You’re just imagining things. I never loved you, Austin—”

“Please don’t say that. I’m trying my best to understand your reasons—”

“Then don’t try to understand anything! Just stop this, Austin! You’ll only get hurt.” I raised my voice. “This is all useless!”