63| DON'T DIE

"... your real daddy is Ian Sunsetto Castile." The words rang over and over in Titi's head. Was the world spinning? Because that was exactly how she felt. She gripped the edge of the kitchen counter for support and did not stop her mom this time as she grabbed the bottle of whiskey again and instead of pouring into a glass this time, she drank greedily from the bottle.

"No. No, you said my dad, Eron.. he- he did investigations, he did DNA tests and shit, he's my father." Titi cried in disbelief. Kayla had the guts to grin like a cat.

"Well, yeah. He did those stupid tests and they came out positive, because yes, facts, your dad is stupid smart, but not smarter than his own father. Ian was such a smart man. He did all the undercover work. He said he didn't want you, in fact, he loathed you before you came into this world and all he wanted was for me to get rid of you. I refused, and asked him to pin it on his son, as that is the only way—" hiccup. "—as that is the only way I would not expose him to the world and ruin his career. I wasn't bluffing and he knew it, so he did as I asked. Eron does not have a child with me, you idiot. That is why I must marry him, I must be his baby mama, Titi, I want to carry his child.. that stupid witch has two kids for him already. Ugly piece of cunts. Right? They're really ugly, right?" Kayla encouraged her daughter to say the words but Titi was shaking with so much anger. She did not understand why her mother could do this to her, and Eron. Her legs grew weak and she fell to the floor but Kayla only threw her head back and laughed. She slapped her thigh simultaneously, like the sound of her daughter's fall was the best joke she'd heard in years.

After a while, her laughter turned into quiet sobs, after which the sobs progressed to violent cries. Titi stayed where she was, huddled close to her fridge as tears streaked down her cheeks. All her fighting had been for nothing, she wasn't even Eron's biological daughter. Her mom lied. Her mother was a full-blown liar. She looked at the weeping woman with a new found feeling; disappointment. Not hate, she could not despise her mother, no matter how she tried. But for once on her life, she was utterly disappointed in the woman that brought her into this world. But Kayla was not the only person she was disappointed in. Titi also harboured disappointment in herself, for falling for her mother's lies and assisting in her manipulative plans, she was disappointed at her father too, for not digging even deeper to know the truth. She looked like Eron a lot, but that was only because he was her.. stepbrother. Not her father. She would never forgive her mother for this—for crushing her world like this, in one day.

"So you see why I have to marry Eron? I've loved him for so long. I need to be part of his life, by nook or cranny." Kayla cried. Titi glared at her, replying,

"From now onwards, I have no part in this. Do whatever you want, but if you try to harm them, I'll end it all. I'll say the truth and end the story."

___________

"Liam!" Frema cried with fake enthusiasm. She stood above her children's bed in the new apartment, tidying up the mattress—it was a way for her to stop thinking so much about things. Chores, to be precise; chores helped her get busy, until she could start her new job by the next week. Frema secretly prayed Liam had not called to ask about Eron, or how she felt about Kayla's post. Anything related to Eron, she had blocked out of her life. Figuratively and physically.

"Frema, can you go the hospital and check on him? I was already on my way back but I got delayed by some shit—" Liam sounded so panicked, Frema had to cut him off to calm him down.

"Calm down, Lee. Take a deep breath or something and talk to me slower. Tell me, what's wrong?" She questioned, taking a seat on the bed. His voice suddenly became calm, too eerily quiet and filled with pity.

"You haven't heard? Oh, now it's playing on the news. It's on the internet as well but switch on your TV to watch it right now." Liam ordered and she allowed her legs to take her to the living room, where she shakily turned on the TV. Her children were at school, so it was just her, sitting opposite the television when she watched his car burn and they called his name. She watched on as they dragged his burnt body out of the car and her chest was so hot with sadness, she wanted to combust from the unbearable pain.

"No, no, no, no, no." She chanted until Liam's voice broke into her subtle trance.

"Frem Frem, you need to visit the hospital, he's there and I don't know how he's doing, I can't help but worry, and I know you're the only person that would look after him. I'm stranded here, I don't know what to do." Liam pleaded, his voice overwhelmed with hurt, more hurt than she'd ever heard him express. Frema stayed still for sometime and then she shook her head in the lonely room, muttering a reply,

"No."

She heard Liam gasp like he was oblivious to the happenings around him. Then he asked, "No? Why's that?"

"Just because." Frema said nonchalantly.

"Frem Frem, please. You're not doing this for him, it's for me. It's so I know he's not gone forever or about to be, it's so I can tell him that he's a coward for wanting to leave me alone and that no matter how horrible he looks after the whole thing, I'll still be here—as his doting handsome bestfriend." Liam said in a quick rant. Frema shut her eyes and the tears that she'd been holding in them slipped free. "Frem?" Liam called out again. She shook her head and spoke,

"I'm sorry, Liam. I will not be able to check on Eron. I moved on, so please don't ask me any favors concerning him again."

"Frem, don't do this. You really want him to die? The doctor needs just one representative for him. I told him his fiancee is on her way. So, don't do this." Liam gritted out. She could hear the frustration in his voice, but decided to pay no mind to it as she responded,

"Oh, in that case. You have the wrong person on the line. If you need Eron's fiancee, that would be Kayla. Now, goodbye and call me when we can talk together without Eron bring involved." She ended the call without waiting for anything else.

Her fingers trembled as she managed to open the last picture she had with Eron in her phone. More warm tears slid down her cheeks and she muttered,

"Please, don't die, Eron. Please." And she pressed delete.