Chapter 5 — Ghosted

MY TEARS fell upon the memory of my brother. At that time, I kept going back and forth to the hospital and to our house to take care of my mother’s funeral. Amid all that, the reporters kept coming as if they were taunting me. I could not even mourn properly. There were so many things I had to take care of that I could not find the time to cry except for the time that my brother woke up after his successful surgery.

In a blink of an eye, I had lost all my friends. Our family used to have countless of friends who would come every now and then to ask help from my parents whether it was financial help or other matters. And my parents had never said no to them. Even if there were times when we were struggling financially too, my parents were always willing to help others. Both of them were orphans. They grew up in an orphanage where they met and fell in love. That was the reason why they didn’t like shunning people away because they themselves experienced being shunned when they were children.

Kurt and I also had a lot of friends. But all our friends were quick to throw away our years of friendship when they turned their backs on me and my brother. I could still remember how I called them while I was in the hallway of the hospital, alone, and desperate for a shoulder to lean on. But nobody had answered my call. Our friends must have been embarrassed to be associated with our family now. None of them also came to the funeral except for Aunt Cecil, the Governor, and his constituents.

I had hoped that my brother would at least be by my side. I told him about the funeral but he became quiet after we talked. The doctor said that Kurt was showing signs of depression. It was like he locked himself in his own world because he couldn’t deal with the pain.

I also wanted to give in at that time. The support I was expecting to get from Kurt disappeared. I felt all the more alone, like I was the only one left to fight this battle. I found it unfair in the beginning but I had no time to complain. And even if I did complain, what would that do?

Governor Leon Ricaforte’s name became even more popular. The people adored him more when they found out that he kept helping my family even if his reputation was almost tarnished because of his former employee. Even the headlines on the newspapers were about his compassion and how he remained forgiving for the sake of the years Papa had spent working for him. That was how noble Leon Ricaforte was.

“Why? Why are you here?” I remembered asking Papa when I went to visit him in prison for the first time. I had always been a Papa’s girl. He taught me how to love music because it used to be his passion, too, a passion that he did not pursue because of financial reasons. Instead, he worked at a security agency until he met Leon and became his bodyguard.

In our free time, Papa and I would play guitar together. We would even sing together. Whenever I would join singing contests in the past, he would accompany me on his days off. He would act as a stage father and would cheer for me with a banner in his hands. That was how supportive he was. He supported my passion because he wanted me to fulfill our dreams. He didn’t complain even if I didn’t get to help our family so much when it came to financial matters.

I knew my father so well. I was practically his shadow when I was a little girl. That’s why I also knew that he was not only a good father and husband; he was also a good person.

“The night it happened, Mama and I video called you, ‘Pa. You even fell asleep, remember? You were inside the Governor’s car. Mama even watched you sleep because she said she missed you. You weren’t able to go home for a few days before because you said that the Governor had a lot of places he wished to go to. You needed to work overtime to acquire more money.

“I know that it wasn’t you who did that horrible thing to Gwen, Papa. But why did you confess to something you didn’t do? You’re not supposed to be here. Please explain it to me. I don’t even know what to tell my brother once he regains consciousness. How could I tell him about you? I’m sure that he would search for Mama, too. This will break Kurt, ‘Pa, the way it’s breaking both of us right now. I’m also sure that he would blame his self because of this.”

Papa lowered his head. It had only been a few days since we last saw each other but he had already lost so much weight. His cheeks had become hollow and his eyes were as swollen as mine. It seemed like he had been crying this whole time. I wanted to reach out to him but my arms were trembling.

“I’m sorry, Tash,” he said in a croaky voice.

“You know that ‘that’ is not the answer to my question, Papa.”

“We needed the money.”

Those were just four words but I felt like they contained everything I needed to know. I felt like my world shattered for the second time. It was exactly as I thought. Yet, I could not even record this. The details of the video call in my messenger that I could use as evidence disappeared because my account was hacked. Papa’s phone was confiscated, too. My phone was also stolen when I left it in my brother’s room for a while. I’m aware that all those things were too much of a coincidence because only my cell phone was missing and not my wallet that was beside it.

I wanted to explode now that I had confirmed my hunch. I wanted to scream. But I was too drained to do that.

“I understand that you wanted to save Kurt that’s why you did this but Mom died in the process. We could have found a way together, ‘Pa, without having to resort to this.”

Instead of answering, Papa just wept. Just how many times do we have to break and weep like this for the Ricafortes?

“I won’t let you stay in this place for a long time, Papa. I will do everything to get you out of here—”

“No!” Terror filled my father’s eyes. “You don’t know what Governor Leon could do to you, Natasha,” he said in a low and shaky voice. “We can’t fight him. You will only be putting your life in danger. I chose to do this. You and your brother don’t need to worry about me. I’m prepared to suffer as long as you and Kurt would be okay.”

I bit my lower lip to stop myself from crying. He told me not to worry and yet, his eyes were filled with agony. He wouldn’t even be able to see his beloved wife for the last time. Besides, he had a point. In my current situation, what could I possibly do?

“How I wish I was the one who died that day and not your mother. It should have been me,” he whispered after a while and looked away.

That was probably the most heartbreaking thing a child could ever hear from her parents. He wept louder and louder. I opened my mouth but no word came out of it anymore.

And as if that was not enough bad news, after I visited Papa in the prison, my manager showed up in the hospital only to have my heart broken once more.

“I came here because I couldn’t contact you. I’ve been trying to call you!” Lorraine said in a worried expression.

“I’m sorry, Miss Lorraine. My phone went missing.”

She sighed. “I know that this is not the best time to say this. You’re still mourning and you have lots of things you need to think about. But I don’t have the heart to prolong this anymore. After what happened to your family, the Management decided to cancel your contract with them. I’m sorry, Tash. They were worried that you wouldn’t be able to find supporters because of your situation now. The public loathes your father and you aren’t spared from their wrath. Your fiancé is a prominent businessman and he could have helped save your reputation a little since he’s back in the country. But are you still together? There are rumors circulating that Joaquin is marrying Governor Ricaforte’s only daughter, Eunice.”

I was stunned. I didn’t even know that Joaquin was now back in the country. I called him using Aunt Cecil’s phone and sent him text messages. But he hadn’t returned any of my calls yet.

Lorraine held my hands when I remained too shocked to speak. Eunice and I used to be friends. We studied in the same University. We also had the same course. We had a lot of similarities that’s why we got along well. One of them was singing. We would have remained friends if only Eunice did not steal the songs I'd worked so hard to compose.

Eunice submitted my songs to a recording company. That was three years ago. Eunice was a famous singer and composer now. The two songs she stole from me became well-known because the public loved them. And until now, she hadn’t apologized yet. I never saw Eunice again after that incident.

I went to their mansion before to talk to her but her mother’s bodyguards blocked me and offered me money instead which I didn’t accept. I knew that when Mrs. Ricaforte tried offering money, she was already aware of what her precious daughter did to me. But they indulged her instead.

Looking back, Eunice was exactly like her parents. They were all snakes. Their attitude was beyond repair.

“W-what are you talking about, Miss Lorraine?” I managed to ask when I got back to my senses. I leaned on the wall. If I had any extra strength left in me, I would probably be screaming at the sky right now. And then maybe, God—if he really existed—would answer me. I had tons of questions. Does God have favoritism or something? Why do these things keep happening to me and my family? Couldn’t He give us a break?

“Joaquin and I are still together. I know him. He loves me,” I told Lorraine after a while although it sounded like I was convincing myself more than her. “He would never betray me.”

Lorraine sighed. “I suggest that the both of you talk this out as soon as possible. You need someone by your side especially at this moment, Tash. The Management representative informed me that he sent the money in your bank account this afternoon as compensation. It wasn’t that big but I hope that the money could help you and your brother start again. I really am sorry about this, Tash, and condolence.”

A few hours after that, I watched Joaquin and Eunice’s interview on a famous talk show. There, the two confirmed their relationship, the merger of their company, and their soon to be wedding. I wasn’t able to contact Joaquin after that. I tried visiting his condo unit but the staff said he no longer lived there. When I went to his office, the guards stopped me from coming to him.

I had always believed that the whole world might judge me and leave me but never my family and never Joaquin. Because he was not just my lover, he was my very best friend, too. But in the end, Joaquin ghosted me, too. He left me hanging without explaining anything as if I wasn’t worth even a single word from him. Worse, he cheated on me with the woman I loathed the most.

I had always known that Joaquin’s parents didn’t approve of me. His parents had always been busy finding faults in me while I was busy overlooking it. That was how much I loved him. I was desperate to succeed in my career mostly because of his family. I wanted to prove to them that Joaquin did the right choice by choosing me as his partner.

But he betrayed me. Joaquin did not only deny his relationship with me on air, he was also all smiles as he wrapped his arm around Eunice’s waist while telling the whole world how much he was in love with her. I remembered fainting after I watched their interview.

When I woke up, that was when I remembered the myth about Cain Del Roman. The orphanage where my parents grew up was near Talavera, Nueva Ecija, that’s why even if they moved to Manila, they still hadn’t forgotten about Cain. They would constantly use the cursed man as an example whenever they would scold me and Kurt.

Out of desperation, I decided to pack my things and travel into the unknown. I may have lost my mother, my fiancé, and my friends, but my father and brother were still alive. And they both needed my help. I could not give up and break down yet.

The Ricafortes were cunning. I was afraid that something might happen to my father while he was in prison. As long as we didn’t have the power and the money to fight them, they would always be able to control our lives and scare us.

Kurt still had a bright future ahead. And I was willing to lose my future for my remaining family members. I was willing to sell not only my soul for them, but everything about me…