Chapter 14 — The Past Always Hurts
37 Years Ago:
Val is rushing to the bathroom when he saw his lovely daughter Kylie. She just woke up.
"Dad, it's too early. Are you going to work now?” she asks her dad while rubbing her lazy eyes.
Val walked closer and crouched to cup his cute daughter's face.
“Yes, baby. Dad has to work to buy you new clothes, your favorite foods and for your future. Everything dad does is for you!” he said to his daughter.
"Come, sweetie, let your dad take a bath before he gets late! Help mama to prepare our breakfast." Cassandra interrupted them.
"Good morning, love!” she greeted Val with a kiss on his forehead.
Val wrapped his hands on her waist and did the same. He kisses his wife on her cheek.
Then he runs to take a shower.
Every day, Val goes to work before six in the morning since he was assigned for the deliveries of the Queens and Kings Hotel.
“Val, we have twenty deliveries today. Did you check each of them?” Alexander asked him, his boss.
"Yes, sir. Out of twenty boxes, only/one has damage, but I already called our supplier to replace it,” he confirmed it.
Alexander went closer and tap his shoulder.
“You're a very busy guy. Keep it up, okay. You will be rewarded soon,” he said, and Val set a smile on his face.
Starting that day, he doubled his duties until Kylie got sick.
That's when he started to fail to be an early beard.
***
Val came home with a box of pizza when he hears his wife calling for help. He rushed inside and leave the pizza on their table.
"Love, what happened?” he said while Cassandra is carrying their daughter.
She's as pale as white paper.
“Love, our baby just faint. I'm glad you came. Hurry, let's bring her to the hospital!” he said, and they both bring Kylie to the nearest clinic in their neighborhood.
Cassandra keeps walking back and forth to the lobby. She's shaking.
Val noticed it so he told her to can down.
"Love, relax. Everything will be fine. Our daughter will be okay,” he said.
Cassandra sat down but she can't keep her body to stop shaking.
"Love, I'm scared. How can our child be sick? She's healthy and energetic!” she told Val.
Val tries to be brave. He took a deep breath and stared at the ceiling. His eyes moistened with his tears, but he quickly wiped them with his palm.
“I don't know either. Let's just pray for her recovery,” he uttered.
When the doctor went outside to see them, they both rush and ask what the result of her laboratory tests were.
Looking at the doctor's face, the news isn't good at all. He was holding a white folder and gave it to them.
"Ma'am, sir, I hope you will stay calm after I read the result. Your daughter has acute leukemia, and she needs AB blood donors to recover, but I'm sad to say that the hospital doesn't have blood like that. We're out of stock." After hearing that, both of them just let out a loud cry.
“Is there any way? I mean, can you find a blood donor for her? We will find a way to pay the donor." Cassandra told the doctor.
“Yea but we need a lot of money. You will prepare a $500 for that,” he said.
Val was surprised.
"What? That huge amount? Okay, we will find a way. Some worry, honey, my boss is a good man. I can lend money from him!” he promised to his wife.
***
Val quickly looks for his boss. He was glad he's not on his business trip. When he went us die in his office, he saw he was busy having a conversation with his business partner, Mr. Sherlock. He went inside to ask for his help.
He gulped his pride to come in even he failed to go to work for five days and even requested a cash advance for his child's medication. Hospital bills are one big problem.
Alexander noticed him.
“Val, what brings you here? I'm disappointed in you. You're always absent,” he told him.
"I'm sorry sir but my daughter is ill and she's in the hospital. She needs a blood donor, but we don't have enough money for that. I came here to ask for help,” he said as an employee.
Alexander's expression changes and he slammed his fist on his desk.
"Is this company an orphanage? I helped you with your cash advance and no one covers up absences. I can't help you right now,” he shouted, and Val felt like his only savior dumped him too.
He set anger on his face. He cursed his boss, Alexander.
"Are you telling me that I am a beggar? For your information sir, I worked hard for my salary. I didn't take your money out of nothing!” he yelled at his boss, so Alexander thinks that Val disrespects him.
He stood up and slap him in front of Mr. Sherlock.
“How dare you raise your voice on me! From now on, you're fired! Don't ever come back here again!” he yelled at Val.
"Sir, don't do that. I'm so sorry. I won't do it again. Please, let me borrow my daughter's medication. I need it, please. I promise to work hard even licking your shoes every day, I will do it." He kneeled at him holding his knees, but Alexander decided already.
"No, no, no! Get out from my office, now or I will call the security!” he warned him, so Val has no choice but to go.
He went back to the hospital jobless and hopeless.
***
“You did the right thing. He's just a nuisance to your company. " Paul mumbled after Val got out.
Alexander shifted his eyes to his office window and check the passing employees. He went back his attention at Paul Sherlock.
"I don't know since he can be a threat. He knows our secrets. What if he will report us?” Alexander asks him.
Mr. Sherlock scratches his chin like he was thinking of a better solution. He is one of the richest businessmen in the whole business society, so he knows the drill how to survive the police.
“Hmmm, let me think. What if we made a plan? We need to think about the plan in my head. I'll tell you the details if that will happen,” he said, and Mr. Alexander stone set a wide smirk on his face. They both stared at one another with a smile.
***
Police Makati — Interrogation room.
"Have a seat Mr. Alexander. May I know what you mean by this?” officer Damian meticulously asks him.
Alexander Stone cleared his throat and loosened his necktie. This is the hardest decision he made in his life. He's old now to keep his secret. He didn't want to see his son and grandson in danger. This is the consequence of his actions, so he is ready to accept his fate this time. He took a deep breath and confessed everything he knew about what happened in the past.
“Officer, I made the biggest mistake and the two people I loved are suffering. I came here to tell you that I was the one who fabricated Cassandra's murder case, thirty-seven years ago. " He said without regrets.
Detective Damian took his eyeglass and took a deep breath. He took the white folder and check the record of the very important case file of the past. This is a jackpot for Makati police.
"So, is this a confession? May I know who killed Mrs. Dorothy?” Damian asked him.
Alexander turned mum for one minute. He then took a deep sigh and started to talk.
“Yes, I am. I came here, to tell the truth. But before that, I need a favor. Please save my son and grandson!” he begs Damian.
"Sure, sir. We are trying our best to save him. Right now, my men are going to the location where Kent and Cassandra were. We also saw Austin from other locations with her husband Val."
Alexander set a smile and solace after this risky decision of him.
***
Eloisa and Gale received a call from the police.
"Sir, can you come to the station with your wife? We need her father's presence for the reopening of Mrs. Dorothy Magno's murder case." Gale heard it and had no idea what is this all about.
He stared at his wife while talking to the officer.
“Okay, sir, we will be there in ten minutes. Thanks, and bye,” he said and cut the call.
Eloisa was curious about the call. She asks her husband about it.
"Did something wrong? Who called you? The Makati police department!” she said with a feeling of fear. She's afraid that they will be put on the killer list since the culprit was found already and it was Cassandra.
Gale nodded and Eloisa gets confused.
“What? Why? What did they want from us?” she asked him, but Gale shrugged his shoulders.
"I don't know too but I guess it's all about Austin's kidnapping," he said while putting his navy-blue t-shirt on his half-naked body.
"Hurry, let's go. They need you too. I guess they just want to ask questions from us about Cassandra. That's all,” he added so Eloisa dresses too and they both went to the police station like a flash.
***
Flashback:
Kent saw Cassandra fainted on the floor. He thinks that alcohol is working. He walked closer to check if she's blackout, but Cassandra's eyes widely opened and pushed him away. She quickly took the syringe from her chest and about to inject it into Kent, but he stops her by holding her right arm.
"Die! You and your father made our Lucy's life miserable! His greed fired my husband from his job while asking for our daughter's bill for her medication! You killed Kylie!” she shouted at Kent while they were both fighting each other with the syringe.
Kent has no idea what she is saying. He doesn't know how his dad was known by her. He got confused.
“Please, just surrender. I don't know what you're up to but don't mention my dad's name. He's not like that. He lives his workers so much!” Kent depended on his father, but Cassandra replied.
"No! You don't know what he's capable of. I mean you knew him from the start when he locked you in the mansion so that you can't attend your graduation day!” she said, and Kent realized she has a point.
She isn't crazy. She knew his dad and she's cursing him for her daughter's death.
Kent was still blocking Cassandra's hands holding the syringe.
“What? I don't know what you mean. How did you know him?” he said to Cassandra.
Cassandra kicks his balls which made him groans in pain.
"Fuck, why you do that? Please, don't kill me,” he said begging for her.
She is on the advantage side since she's on top of Kent.
"Nothing will change! My daughter is dead so as her exchange, I will get Austin and you will be miserable too." She set loud laughter inside.
Lucy who was about to walk inside heard Cassandra's laughter.
"What is she doing to my husband?” Lucy said while holding her husband's gun.
She forcibly pushed the door and her eyes widened to see Cassandra on top of her husband. Kent's back laid on the floor. At first, she got jealous to see them like that but when she saw the syringe in the air on Cassandra's hands, she quickly pointed it to her.
“Cassandra, stop! Just drop your weapon and surrender! The police are around us. You failed to follow your deal!” she told her, but her friend just laughed at her as nothing happened.
"Why would I? I am innocent and I am not crazy?” she said, and she raised the sharp edge of the injection at ready to stab Kent's neck, but a gunshot echoed the room.
Lucy shot Cassandra.