I am literally pleading with my stubborn heart not to pop out of its cage as I step out of the car at the ample parking of this castle. It's throbbing with robust and boisterous agonizing rebounds of echoes. The face of my mother in the company of Ellie and Grego is the only thing I a seeing with my vague blurry sight as I saunter towards the house.
My mother, with my mortal enemies? How unbelievable!
Mark has asked me countless times if I am okay but my voice sunk somewhere deep in my belly after authenticating the info he brought, rendering me voiceless. Even now as I reach the door, I can still hearken to the concerned voice of my chauffeur asking if I am okay, but how can I reply?
How can I be okay? How in hell can this be okay? The evidence I am cuddling so tight in my arms on my phone more than holds no doubts whatsoever that my mother has connived with my enemies to ravage me, but I am still vetoing to believe that she wasn't yet done with me when she sold me off like trash. Deep inside I want to believe there is a mix-up in this. I can not believe that she still want to ruin me. Why? How? Again, how and why, God?
"Hey!? Talk to me, please!" I snap, spinning around, almost staggering to Jerol's arms from being startled by his voice.
How did I even get into our room? Did I fly on the way here, up the stairs?
"Why are you here?" I brat out, making an effort to assemble my cool which is not working at all. I am a wretched mess. My breath alone is enough to say that I am a mess of myself. The way I am avoiding his eyes is additional proof that nothing is okay. Nothing is.
Perhaps nothing ever will be okay as long as Gracia Motero is breathing!
How will Jerol even take this? My own mother is in cahoots with the enemy. God!
All this while, after severing ties with her, I thought that we were done. That that was the end of her loathing towards me. That that was the last blow. I thought that all was over with her last unforgivable blow. How wrong was I? I think I really never knew this woman one bit.
I do not get it, though. Why would my own mother stoop to such low and deep depths just to wreck my life? Forget even being a mother, is she even human? What more does she want?
"What sort of question is that, love?" Jerol speaks.
Shit! Yeah, what did I ask? But wait, indeed, what is he doing here at this hour? It's too early for him to be back from the office for God's sake! It is freaking four o'clock so, yeah, he shouldn't be here unless, there is a problem?
"I mean, why are you back so early?" I insist on my worries.
He is still in his office suit, meaning he did not get here long ago. And, he doesn't seem so cool either.
Ooh, that stupid Terry must have told him that I went after Ellie. I was so enthusiastic about trapping the witch that I forgot to tell Terry not to worry Jerol. She should have been sensible enough to keep her big mouth shut for hell's sake! Sigh!
"Why would you do something as dangerous as that, Tessa?" Jerol implies.
I knew it! That Terris is just...nkt! To hell with her doing her job!
"Terry should not have told you." I say.
"She was doing her job. Weren't you going to let me know?" He quizzes.
"You know I would never hide anything from you, Jerol. But at least I would not have bothered you while at work. She worried you for nothing." I say.
"It's not nothing if two lives of the most important persons in my life right now were prone to danger. Did you stop to think for a moment what would have happened if Ellie caught you following her around? What would become of..."
"I wasn't going to confront them, okay? I am even glad that did not cross my mind because I would have suffered a seizure instead of the heartache I am nursing." I say, tears almost falling.
"Why? What happened?" He implores, curiosity surging in him as he walks closer. "What happened, Tessa?" He adds with restless curiosity when I fail to speak.
We agreed there would be no secrets between us, and so I can't withhold this from him. Besides, why would I? I have no intents of protecting that evil woman. A crime is a crime, no matter who commits it. She is out to ruin me and at this point, I think there is nothing like stopping for her. Then why should I cover for her?
"Tessa?" Jerol snaps me out of my thoughts once again. "What happened out there? What did you find out? Who was Ellie meeting with?" Jerol adds.
I unlock my phone, taking one last glance at the faces in the photos to substantiate one last time that it is what I saw minutes ago. Nothing has changed. I hand the phone to him.
"See for yourself." I respond, gathering my courage back.
I had once sworn that I was so done with this woman, hence why I cut ties with her. It was the best decision I had ever made, and today has amplified more weight to my choice five months ago. She is not worth being a part of my life. I know you must think that I am judging her so harshly so soon without even knowing what this is all about and what exactly is her involvement in it. But I trust my heart when it comes to this woman!
She has never done even a single good thing for myself. I bet even her decision to bring me into this world was not good at all. It was just so she could make me suffer, and she succeeded until five months ago. She must have learned that things did not turn out the way she devilishly anticipated. That I did not become what she labelled me when she was selling me off- a slave. My joy must have stung her so badly. And now she is after wrecking it all for me.
Well, Gracia Motero, you are never succeeding in this!
"What the..." I snap to Jerol's exclamations. I anticipated his aftermath. I knew his jaw will break from shock. "This woman again?" He queries with anger and disbelief.
I am not aghast that he forgot to address her as my mother. I am not even thunderstruck by the disgust and anger cloaking his face right now. I understand him perfectly. And this woman has disrespected herself so much. She does not deserve respect from anyone. Not even from me, her own daughter.
"How...what the heck? How possible is this?" Jerol implores, throwing the phone on the bed.
"Unbelievable, right? I could not believe my eyes either. If I did not see her leave the hotel with my naked eyes, I would be convinced that this is photoshop." I explain.
He breathes out a heavy sigh.
"Did you talk to her?" He queries, all his worries directed to me now.
He must be thinking I am afraid of what is to become of my mother. And of course, what I am feeling about all this in my condition.
"No. I did not have the bravery to face her. I did not see the need because I did not want to cause a scandal out there. You know how she is." I respond.
"This is getting messed up. So messed up!" He says, guiding us to the bed and we crouch down on it, his arm wrapping around me to soothe me.
"She should not be a hindrance to any of your plans or investigations." I state, looking into his eyes.
"I feel that the catch they are after is something big, and she, is your mother, love." He says.
"I denounced her months ago, and I stand by my decision. Her actions do not insinuate that I made a mistake cutting her out of my life." I insist.
"But, love, she still is your mother. And if things are the way I am presuming and she happens to be implicated in this conspiracy, things will not end up well for her." Jerol says, summoning my curiosity.
"Why? What are you thinking?" My curiosity howls, though in a low pitch.
"Money! What if the child Ellie is carrying is not mine? What if they are just using the baby to get my wealth? You have seen how my brother is acting like a workaholic nowadays. There is a secret behind all that charade." He says, making sense, and confirming my doubts as well.
But is all this drama necessary? And, they know that the DNA will expose them. So, why?
"But, are they aware that the DNA will put their lies to light?" I ask.
"They must be considering fabricating the results. Everything is possible in this corrupted nation." He ascertains.
He is damned right. Money can buy you anything in this country, except your life. Everything else is possible.
"What now? This needs to end! They need to be exposed because I am getting tired of this. Who knows who else they will recruit in their evil plans." I say.
"You are not worried at all for your..."
"Forget that woman, Jerol! Assume she is just like any other person trying to sabotage you. That is what she is to me - my enemy!" I affirm.
"You will never regret this?" He implores.
"Never! Do you have a plan on how we can end this?" I implore.
He thinks for a minute, his hand slipping from me as he speaks deeply.
"I will dig out the truth from my fucking brother." He says, sounding like a daredevil.
Now that scares me!
"What are you planning to do?" I ask, anxiously.
"Nothing. I will just talk to him."
He will just to him, and he can't even look me right into my eyes? Why am I getting a bad feeling about this?
"When?" I query.
"Just now. This can't go on anymore. I am sick fed up!" He grumbles, springing to his feet.
Hang on! As in, right now? This freaking minute?
I spring up after him, strolling behind him to wherever the demons are leading him to.
"I am coming with you." I say.
"No!" He roars, something he regrets the moment he realizes it.
His eyes conforms an inferno! He is not just going to talk, he indeed is going to squeeze the hell out Grego!
"Jerol, come on! Let me speak to him, please!" I speak in a soothing gamble to chill his demons.
I know I am not thinking straight right now because, I can not stand that arrogant jerk even for a second leave alone having a civilized dialogue with him. But, I do not want Jerol to turn into that beast he was months ago. It will be chaotic if he loses his cool. Hell will bleed and flood on Earth if that happens. And that is if he even has it intact which I doubt. He would not be looking like this if the word cool is in his vocabulary right now.
"You know who you should speak to?" He queries, fixing his scary gaze on me.
"Who?" I murmur in a tremor.
He won't send me to that bitch, Ellie, right? I would love to help him, maybe that way the impending havoc would be avoided. But I tried my luck with that bitch and failed miserably. She will not tell me a thing and that I am certain about.
"Your mother!" I think I felt numbness caressing my skin for a moment, my ears playing deaf to his words. "See if you can speak some sense into that woman before hell come crumbling down on her which I will not stand accountable for!" He adds, and before I can muster my sanity and scour for my voice which dropped to my stomach, he lividly storms out, his demeanor bleeding nothing but havoc!
Forget about what is about, and maybe bound to happen, but of all people in the world, he send me to my mother? How on earth am I supposed to face that woman? Where will I even get the patience and the cool to hold a conversation with that impossible woman?