During the fire rescue, Alden did everything in his power to have Maine lose his temper. He wanted her to snap at him so she'd be discredited and do an iffy job. It's the start of his revenge.

She saw Maine latching the hose to the side hydrant of the truck, he smiled. He pulled the hose out of her hand and latched it to the hydrant. He succeeded in doing so. Maine was mad but not enough to be furious. He needs to do more but what he didn't remember and realize from her evaluation sheet, Maine is a very resourceful person. She will find ways to get herself busy and useful, the next thing he knew, she was with the medic personnel. He let go... for now.

He was in deep thought as he was trying to contain the fire from one side of the building while Mike was on his side, Conrad on the Adie was on one part of the burning building trying to hose down the part close to the fire to prevent it from spreading more. Maine slipped out of his sight with a snap of a finger. He looked around for her but she was nowhere to be found. He's fuming.

"Faulkerson! Focus on the task at hand!" Big Mike yelled. He shook his head to get her out of her mind.

"Sorry, Chief!" He replied back, yelling. They have to or they will not be able to hear each other.

The fire on their end has almost died down. Capt. Escallion passed by him like a lightning bolt.

"Men, ready the medic and assist. Fireman present inside the building!" He yelled. One of his men was quick to aim the fire hose at where he was heading.

Alden's chest thumped. He didn't know why but the first thing that came into his head was Maine.

"Shit! She's in there." His anger soured high. "This woman will get it from me." He was secretly fuming from within.

"Faulkerson, assist with the hose!" Mike yelled. He did not hesitate. He aimed his nozzle to where Capt. Escallion is going.

Even though his hand and body is busy with fire, his mind is all over the place trying to look for Maine and think of Maine. He is angrier than ever. He doesn't have to feel this way. He wants to rattle her to ruin her reputation and eventually ruin her, make her crazy. She's the reason why he's doing what he's doing.

Life wasn't fair with him back then. His dad left his mom and his mom had a series of relationships and eventually got married, had two sons. Him and his step dad don't get along too well, since he only comes home past midnight, sleeps a little, eats and leaves before the sun hits midday, and Alden hated him for that aside from constant arguing between his stepdad and his mom.

Alden was sick and tired of seeing and hearing his mother's angry and painful cries, but there's nothing she can do, she won't listen. She picked up on a habit of drinking, staying out all night, coming home drunk and neglecting two young ones. Alden can't stand it anymore, he was a child himself. He can't take care of himself let alone two others, so he left.

His uncle helped him to get his visa and passport.He flew to California before he could finish high school and stayed with his Uncle Ben. He knows if he stays behind he will not be able to go to college. He couldn't even ask help from him since he is somewhere making himself an empire.

One morning, after almost six years his mother called crying, this time it was different. This time, it's about his brother. He just started working at this company as one of the engineers and luckily his employer is a good man, he told him to go and come back when things are better. He's going back to get things done and be gone but things didn't work out the way he wanted.

When he first got back to the country, he didn't know what to expect. All he knows is his mother needs help and her second husband is nowhere to be found. He called his dad to help him with a condo, since his father is back in the country and now owns a few condominium buildings in the city, this will be for his mother and half brothers. They argued and fought and argued more till he gave up.

Everything was too much for him so he decided to do things his way. He marched into his office and looked him in the eye and said, "I am also your son. I did not ask anything from you when I went to California but to sponsor me. I did not ask you for money to pay for my college tuition, I did that. Your child with this woman had the best of both worlds and all I am asking from you is a unit where I can buy off of you. I am not asking you for a handout, I can pay for it." He showed his father what he can afford, what he became and where he is now.

His dad was dumbfounded, if that is exactly what is going on with him at the moment, but for sure, he was surprised at how his only son spoke to him. He smiled, Alden didn't care.

"I can not believe you are going to make him pay for the stupid unit of yours. Are you going to make him beg for it, too?" His wife butted in and felt appalled at how different her husband is to his eldest child. She got up and went to Alden and gave him two checks, one was worth the amount of a three bedroom unit and one for 10M for him to start a life here and left.

Alden's dad was quiet. He was sitting on his swivel chair looking at him blankly. He shook his head in dismay. He got to leave. But before he could get out of the door, he turned to his father.

"I hope you are happy. Have a good life. And when you die, don't let me know. I will never shed a tear for you." Alden ripped both checks in front of him, he opened the door and left holding back the tears. The pain he saved and locked in his heart tripled.

When he came back, he was accompanied to the hospital where her mother was confined. She was borderline mental, at least that's what was told to him by his mother's neighbor, Aling Alita, but the doctor says differently. His mother is suffering from bipolar depressive disorder caused by grief and anger and everything else that happened to her over the past years.

For the first time in so many years, he saw his brother, Aleck, again. He was skinny and his eyes were all puffy from crying. Alden's heart went to this young man. Aleck's and Alvin's dad is an absentee father for about six-seven years now. Let's just say, Aleck was only about three or four years old and Vinny was seven or eight years old. They are too young to experience this.

"Where's Vinny?" He asked. His younger brother just cried. "Mom is here in the hospital and nobody knows where Vinny is?" He looked around. Everyone went quiet. He clenched his teeth.

"Alden, Vinny is dead." Aling Alita, one of the neighbors hesitantly said.

"How? When?" He asked. He doesn't understand what is going on really. When his mom called, she did not mention anything about someone being dead. All she said was 'come home, I really need you.' she cried and cried till the line went dead. He tiredly sat on one of the chairs there.

"He had an accident. He and his friends are goofing around as always, he fell off the ledge from the fourth floor of the tenement." Aling Alita said in between sobs. Alden slowly sat down on the floor. He felt the weight of the world on his shoulder. He leaned back and looked up the ceiling. He wants to scream but can't.

"Where is he now?" He asked quietly in between tears.

"He's at the funeral homes. We were there the other night when your mother went hysterical. We can not contain her, that's why we have to call a nurse to sedate her and she's been asleep since then." Aling Alita explained. "I can not leave Leck-Leck there by himself so I brought him here. My daughter Sonia is with Vinny to make sure things are okay." She continued. Alden didn't realize the kind of pain his mother was in when she called a couple of days ago. Now he knows.

"Aling Alita, will you take care of Aleck for now, I need to be where Vinny is." He got up after he said that. Aling Alita just smiled and nodded.

"I'll take care of Leck-Leck anytime. Molly will be here soon from school." He didn't look back after that. He left and took charge of things.

He was in the middle of everything when Aling Alita and Aleck arrived with another young lady. She was introduced as Molly, Aling Alita's older daughter when his dad and his stepmother showed up at the funeral home with his step-sister, Alicia.

Alicia kissed and hugged him as soon as she saw him. He kissed his sister on the head as he hugged her back. They saw each other in the states once and ever since then she kept in contact through video calls and phone calls.

"Where's your brother, Kuya?" Alicia asked. He pointed to Aleck, who's sitting quietly at the very end chair near the casket. She looked at her mother, Olivia nodded and smiled.

"Why are you here?" Alden asked his father. "How did you find out?" He didn't pay attention to his question. He gave Alden a big brown envelope. When he opened it, he was surprised to see what's inside, and did not show it, instead he gave him a questioning look. "What is this for? Guilt?" He asked. His dad looked down.

"No. It's not for my guilt, and it is not for my negligence. You're right, as my son, you deserve to have a part of what I have. It was selfish of me to give you a hard time for things that your mother did. It was between me and your mother, I shouldn't have left you hanging when you needed a parent to lean on. I'm sorry." His father's shoulder shook and he heard him sniff. He was too hurt to even acknowledge his apologies and tears. He chuckled, almost laughed at his father.

"Don't you think it's a little too late for that?" His Dad came through for him. He got him the three bedroom unit in one of his buildings not far from everything, schools, malls and church. It is located between three police departments and two fire departments. Not bad.

"Alden, I am sorry, too. I didn't know you are the one paying for your father's mistakes in the past. I didn't know that he left you to fend for yourself in the US." Olivia, his stepmother is in tears. He smirked.

"You didn't know? Or, like my high and mighty father here, pretended that you didn't know?" He uttered with bitterness. "Uncle Ben told him and begged him to help me with my college tuition but he shrugged his shoulders and said, 'he came here to the US on his own, he makes it on his own'. For a sixteen year old boy who doesn't even know what's right and what's wrong about California, living alone is a small part of Uncle Ben's garage, I stuck it out." He wasn't yelling but he let out all his feelings.

If he is going to move on with his life, no matter where he will end up, he is going to pour everything out now and let Vinny take it all with him wherever he is going.

"Aunt Martha doesn't want me in their house. Uncle Ben has to sneak food for me in the middle of the night or they will have a fight. You know how hard it was for a kid like me at that age? You don't because you don't care." He paused a bit to breathe.

"I worked odd jobs so I can have food for myself and a little cash for my projects and applied for all the student loans and scholarships I could find so I can get by and survive. I have to swallow the feeling of hopelessness and pity from my teachers and classmates. You do not know what kind of hell I got myself into just to survive." His tears are rolling down his cheek and can not help it anymore.

"I was just so lucky to get a scholarship toward my last two years. So don't tell me now that you didn't know anything about your husband's negligence and bitterness because when Uncle Ben was still alive, he never missed the chance to let you both know how I was doing. When Uncle Ben passed right after my graduation, he felt like a failure, because he wasn't able to help his brother's son, his nephew to get a better life. It was the most painful moment in my life. What I had accomplished there, is all for Uncle Ben and for me." Alden was letting it all out. Olivia and Colt are in complete silence.

"The fights that he always gets into with his greedy wife added more to that brokenness we two shared. I bet you didn't know that, too?" He was so broken that all that was left of him was anger, frustration and revenge.

"Alden..." Called Olivia. He turned to his stepmother and gave her a chilling look. She folded.

"Leave. Both of you before I forget that you are my father. Leave! I don't want you both here." He handed his Dad the envelope. Colt did not even try to reach for it. Alicia came. She might have heard his voice raised.

"Kuya, do I have to leave, too." Alicia asked in tears. Alden's heart ache to see his only sister in tears like that.

"I'm sorry, baby. Kuya is so hurt that I can not stand to see him. I'm sorry." Another tear fell from his eyes as he hugged her. Alden saw Olivia's tears came running down.

"It's okay, Kuya. I understand. Always remember that no matter what, you will always be my Kuya, my hero." Alicia whispered. He just nodded. "I will be back." She added. He nodded, again.

"Here. Take this. I don't want it and I don't need it." It is not pride that dictates, it is pain. Pain of neglect and rejection.

Colt did not know what to do and say, clearly it was his fault, he took the envelope back. Alden turned his back to face Vinny's casket, but what Alden didn't know, Olivia angrily took the envelope from Colt and handed it to Alden's brother who was sitting next to an older lady.

"Please keep it for him." She said and gave them a business card. "Aleck, call me if you need anything." Aleck nodded in response, then they left.

The funeral was set off. With his mother's condition, they took her with them to take Vinny to his last resting place. His mom was so out of it that they had to call for an ambulance halfway to the ceremony, before Vinny could be laid to rest.

Alden's brain is going to explode any moment now. If he doesn't get everything out of control, he will lose it himself. He turns to his brother just to see Aleck hugging his knees up on the chair and sobbing. Alden realized that this boy never said a word to him since he got back two weeks ago.

His heart melted. He pulled Aleck towards him and hugged him. He let all his emotions with Aleck in his arms till the priest got done with the ceremony and they were bringing Vinny down. Aleck and him walked closer to Vinny and dropped a rose each from them and an extra for their Mom.

"Goodbye, Kuya Vinny. Be good." Aleck said. Alden hugged him for comfort.

"Goodbye, Vinny. Sorry, Kuya was too late to come back for you." He quietly said. He is mad at himself because he did not keep in touch with them. But not anymore. He will not let anything separate them again, not even his anger.

They are back in a hotel where he was staying the whole time. Aling Alita brought all his mom's clothes and Aleck's, too. She thanked the lady and gave her a good amount of money, she refused it but he pushed it to her.

"Aling Alita, it's not a payment. I can not put a price to whatever you did for my mom and my brother. This is a thank you gift from me." He explained. The lady still refuses to accept it. "We will still need you. I will be going back to California in a few days to get everything situated there. I still have to formally resign from my job. I will be needing someone I can trust to keep Aleck company, and of course, Mom." Aling Alita's face softened.

"I just don't want people to think that we are taking advantage of you and your family." That was the last part of their conversations.

Alden made sure that Aling Alita understands and not feeling insecure about what other people say. Finally, the lady accepts it in one condition; that she will still take care of Aleck if needed.

Alden smiled and agreed to it. He felt light and somehow can think straight now. He needs to take one step at a time.

A few days after Vinny's burial, three days before he left to go back to the states to settle everything there, including selling his car and his condo, a call came from the hospital came. They are being called as soon as possible. Without any other thoughts, he gathered his key and wallet and brought Aleck with him.

A few more minutes later they were at the hospital. Aling Alita was there, too, crying. He looked from her and the doctor and back to Aling Alita.

"Alden, it's Nancy." Aling Alita uttered in tears.

"What is going on?" He asked. He didn't get a response. All he heard are sobs and a breathing machine from nearby. He looked around where it's coming from. Alden saw his mother's labored breathing.

"What happened was..." The doctor spoke up.

He found out from him that his mother didn't take her medication as it was brought to her by the nurses. The nurses swore up and down that they made sure she's taking them as it was given to her. Not known to all, she kept every single one of them.

This morning, as the nurse was bringing her breakfast, they found her lying motionless on the floor, her mouth was foaming. The doctor also explained that the tox screen came out positive of the high dose of all the medication she's taking.

"A-al-den..." He heard his Mom's voice calling him. He went closer to her.

"I'm here, Mom." He lovingly said, holding his Mom's hand.

"P-pro-mise... m-me..." Alden didn't wait for her to finish her words.

"Mom, I need you to be strong. If not for me, at least for Aleck, Mom. He needs you." Alden said in between tears. He can't hold it in anymore. It's hard to be strong when everything and everyone around is crumbling down.

"L-li-sten..." Alden needs to let her speak or she won't rest, he knows that. "G-et h-her... s-she k-kill... k-killed... V-vin... V-vin-ny." His brows furrowed and turned to Aling Alita.

"What is she talking about?" He asked, she didn't say anything.

Before he could ask another question, a long loud beep echoed in the hollowed room where his mother was lying with the nurses and doctor trying to revive her.

He sat down tired and spent. All the pain and heartache came down on him all at once. All he could do was cry and cry, hugging Aleck

Aling Alita was telling him a story that they all heard from Vinny's friend and that's about it. All that he got from it is a lady killed his brother Vinny because of a stupid motorcycle. He was angered, his brother's life is worth as much as a motorcycle?

"Time of death, 12:51 pm." The doctor announced. Alden clenched his fist and gnashed his teeth. Someone is going to pay for his mother's and Vinny's death, he swears.

"I will get you! I will make you pay for all the pain you had caused my mother!" That was the promise he made on his mother's dead body.

His mother was buried where Vinny was buried a day after she was brought to the funeral homes. He set to go back to California on schedule. He stayed there for a month but called Aleck everyday. He didn't have enough sleep and rest but he had to short sell his condo and quickly sell his car. He quit his job. His employer offered to get Aleck so he could just stay employed in the company but he politely declined. There's nothing he can do.

He turned over all his clients to his boss and was surprised that he closed 13 contracts before he resigned. Mr. Dan Smith was so impressed that he gave Alden a big check for him to start a new life back home. At first he refused but the old man was so adamant that he eventually accepted it.

He remembered Nancy's dying words again, he gritted his teeth. He made a promise and he will do it, it doesn't matter how long it takes him to avenge his brother's and mother's untimely deaths, he will make sure it will happen.

In the midst of his reminiscing, Maine's beautiful face crossed his mind vividly, her luscious lips, her beautiful, expressive eyes that say sadness even when she is smiling/ That smile, so simple, so timid but yet so captivating. Her voice, so loving, so sweet and so caring, he couldn't think straight and rational. He is getting mad at himself for thinking and admiring her at this moment.

Alden needs to clear his mind of Maine but his heart is not letting him. She is not included in his thoughts that way but again. His heart refuses to. He had a beef to settle with her and he is sticking to it. He doesn't need to think of her how he caresses her soft, shiny hair while she was sleeping next to Periwinkle's bed.

Alden closed his eyes tight. He needs to shake off the different romantic scenarios playing in his head. Still, Maine remained to taunt his thoughts. He grits his teeth because he feels that his heart is winning in this battle. He's angry... angry at Maine... no. He's angry at himself being angry at Maine. He can't let his heart win, she ruined his family, and now she's ruining him. She's making him go against himself.

"That witch! That seductive, gorgeous, enchanting witch!" He's doomed.

__________
End of TPA 13: He's Doomed

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💖 ~ Ms J ~ 💖
03.30.20

The Periwinkle Affair
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August 26, 2019