My conversation with my father made me remember everything. Our company, my mother, and everything that fucked up in our lives. Solely because of the Zaldivars. 

Our company and one of the many companies of the Zaldivars, which is Zaldivar's Real Estate, was once a competitor.

Although from the very beginning even when our company's still in the top, I have no interest in managing it. As well as my father's underground organization. Though I am well informed on everything that's happening.

"Are you sure it is a best choice to let Abacus buy the ten percent share in our company?" Mom asked in one of our dinners. She's in front of me. Habang si Dad ang nasa kabisera. 

That's when it all started.

Selling ten percent of my father's share will leave him with forty percent share in our company.

"There's no problem in that. Making a Zaldivar invest might be good for our company."

Our company is currently experiencing difficulties although not totally a crisis that it still managed to compete with Zaldivar's Real Estate.

My mother was so against it, saying they are our competitors but Dad still pushed through on selling his shares. It was after a series of arguments between them. It was a miracle no one's shouting though, just statements opposing the other. 

Dad seems calm even though eagerness is visible in him, like he already wanted to raise his voice but forcing himself not to. Because we both know my mother's heart is not that strong to take my father's shoutings. Her doctor says she's getting better as well as her heart though stress and extreme activities are still not advisable.

I'm on my mother's side this time. I agree with her. Zaldivar is a competitor no matter what. But Dad, well Mom just let him in the end after Dad carefully explained everything. 

But a few months after, that's when maybe, Dad realized what he did is definitely not a good strategy. 

There's a board meeting after losing some of the company's major clients because of failure in some transactions. 

My mother rushed into our company after hearing the news and I of course followed her. I can't just let her! I don't know what my father and board members are talking about in the conference room but surely it won't do anything good for my mother's health.

And I was too late that Mom went in already without further ado even before I got a chance to go near her and stop her. 

I got a chance to slightly open the door but not totally that the people inside can see me. 

Agad na bumungad sa akin ang palitan ng mga salita ng mga taong nasa loob. Akmang papasok na rin ako nang may humaklit sa aking braso. 

I turned and glared at the one who held my arm, stopping me from going in. Flavio, one of my father's trusted men in the underground. Most trusted, I supposed. Because he managed to give advice in our company and he's a shareholder too but owned just a few percent shares, I think. 

He shook his head on me. "Don't go inside." 

My forehead furrowed. "What's wr—"

"You'll start your boutique after your graduation. They seem determined on ruining your family. It's not good for you to be seen by them," he muttered as his hand landed on my wrist, slightly gripping it. 

I hardly pressed my lips as I turned to the conference room again. I'm still holding the handle of the door. Bahagya pa ring nakabukas ang pinto, sapat lang iyon upang makita ko ang mga taong nasa loob.

I'm expecting at least a dozen people inside as this is a board member meeting. But there's only a few familiar faces inside. My parents with my father's secretary and Abacus Zaldivar with his wife Timothea Zaldivar, both looked old but cunning.

"We're now the major stockholder of this company and we can do whatever we wish to do with our shares." The old woman raised her head like she's proud of what she just announced.

Tumango ang asawa niya sa kanyang tabi. "We decided to withdraw every share we have in this company."

I saw Dad beside my mother, clenching his jaw but couldn't do anything. Mom's shaking her head, bakas ang pagkatalo sa mga mata. "You can't do that, Mr. Zaldivar. Our company will—"

"Vanish. As it should," the man stated with finality in his voice. 

"This is unfair," Mommy replied, equaling the firmness of Abacus Zaldivar's tone.

"Business is business. This is how everything works. I hope you both know that before letting me in your company." Sarkastikong natawa ang dalawang Zaldivar habang nakatingin sa aking mga magulang. 

Dad remained mummed as he knew he can't do anything with what's happening. Maybe, he knew speaking would only worsen the situation.

"This meeting is done, I assume. We'll get going, Mr. and Mrs. Quijano. It was nice doing business with the both of you." 

"No. No! You can't do that!" 

I gasped when Mom raised her voice. Akmang papasok ako nang hulihin ni Flavio ang aking baywang kasabay ng pagpigil niya sa tuluyang pagbukas ng pinto. "Let me go," mariing utos ko habang nagpupumiglas ngunit nanatiling pirmi ang braso niya sa aking baywang at marahan lang akong inilingan.

"Melissa, calm down. I'll fix—" Kumawala si Mommy sa hawak ni Dad na para bang walang narinig.

"Mel!" My father called when Mom went in front of the Zaldivars, blocking their way towards the exit.

"Melissa, calm down!" Sinundan ni Dad si Mommy. But her strides were too fast that Dad failed to stop her.

Dire-diretso and lakad ni Mommy patungo sa dalawa kaya't muli akong nagpumiglas sa hawak ni Flavio. But this time the door slammed open but their attention is still on each other.

The calmness is my mother's face is now nowhere to be found but her voice sounds more controlled than earlier. But she's still in front of the two Zaldivar, hinaharangan ang dadaanan ng dalawa. "You can't do this—"

"Get off!" 

"Melissa!" 

"Fuck!" Malakas akong napamura nang marahas na hinawi ni Abacus Zaldivar si Mommy at tumama ang katawan niya sa marmol na table ng silid. While Timothea Zaldivar is looking at her indifferently.

I forcefully pushed Flavio when Mom fell on the floor. Hindi ko na binigyang pansin kung nasaktan si Flavio sa ginawa ko. But the only thing I want is to go near my mother. I run towards her direction, not minding the Zaldivars in front of us.

Agad kong dinaluhan si Mommy na ngayon ay tinutulungan na ni Dad. 

"M–Mom, calm down," I whispered when I saw her having a hard time catching her breath while her hand is now clenching her chest. "Calm do—"

"You can't... do this. I won't let... it... happ—"

"Your company's done. Just accept what happened. You can't do anything anyway," the old woman muttered but our attention is now focused on my mother.

"M–Melissa." I nibbled my lower lip when I heard my father's voice trembling. "You h–heart. Don't worry about anything. Calm yourself, p–please."

I bravely exhaled and averted my eyes away from my mother. "Call an ambulance!" I ordered at Flavio's direction. But it seems he's already doing it. His phone is now in his ear, talking to someone over the phone.

Hindi ko na nakita roon ang mga hayop na Zaldivar, dahilan kung bakit lalong lumaki ang galit ko sa mga ito. After what they did, they'll leave like nothing happened! Fuck them.

I swallowed as I weakly let my body fully sit on the floor, refraining myself from glancing at my parents as I don't want to see my mother in that state.

I heard my father continuously calling out her name but I tightly shut my eyes as if I wouldn't hear him if I did it.

"Tita!" But the way Flavio nervously called my mother made me hastily glanced at her direction. 

I saw Flavio lifting my mother, carrying her as she now loss her consciousness. "We can't wait for the ambulance. Get up, Marcia!" Dali-dali akong tumayo at tila natauhan sa mariing sambit ni Flavio.

My father, who's always displaying a firm and cold stance looks lost right now as he walks beside Flavio who's carrying my mother. 

That was the longest fifteen minutes drive I've experienced. My mother didn't make it to the hospital. She died because of a heart attack. Her heart is still recovering. The reason why her heart's vulnerable at that time that she didn't make it.

Five years.

In those five years that had passed, my father blamed himself and of course the Zaldivars for what happened. Saying that if he didn't let Abacus Zaldivar in our company, none of this would have happened. He silently suffered in those years because of my mother's death, wanting so bad to go after her. 

In those years, I didn't care about what my father did, I never blamed him. He was fooled too. And Mom would seriously not blame Dad for what happened to her. I'm sure of that. 

Everything that happened, every bit of it is Timothea and Abacus Zaldivar's fault. 

They bought the shares of our stockholders after sabotaging our transactions with our clients. Kung may natira mang shareholders noon maliban kay Dad, it was Flavio. Though his shares in the company is too small that even his and my father's shares combined were not enough for the company.

But in the years that had passed, our company miraculously managed to survive. Ngunit hindi na nakaahon ang kompanya. It's still operating but unlike before, it's now just a small company. Hindi na iyon ganoon kalaki katulad noon at hindi na sapat upang makipagkompitensya sa mga Zaldivar.

While my father tried to seek vengeance from them using his underground organization. But the family is too powerful to even waver. Siguro, dahil din padalos dalos si Dad kaya't para bang hindi naapektuhan ang mga Zaldivar sa ginawa niya. 

Since his plan against the Zaldivar failed, he started overworking hisself, napapansin ko iyon. Maybe that's the reason why his health started declining these past few months. Reason why Flavio took over the company as I don't wanna manage it.

We consulted a doctor about his condition and that's when we learned he had several implications in his liver. He's advised to stay in the hospital while conditioning his body for the surgery because aside from his liver some of his organs were affected too.

We have money but we can't afford to stay in the hospital given that his stay will take him three to four months. Plus, his surgery, medications, and everything needed just to... keep him alive.

Reason why I had to desperately find a way on how can I pay everything. 

It didn't cross my mind that it is the Zaldivars that will fulfill all the money I need. Not until I saw the girlfriend of one of Timothea and Abacus Zaldivar's grandchildren, Chaos Zaldivar.

My father's failed plan made me learn from it. I shouldn't move carelessly especially that it is the Zaldivars I am trying to go against. What I need is evidence on what they did. I have few. But still not enough. I need more information to ruin them. 

Zaldivar. Those selfish bastards! I don't care whoever they are. I don't give a damn about the things they're capable to do. I'll make sure they'll regret messing up with my family. 

My eyes turned into slits as I stared at the photos of the Zaldivars but only one caught my attention. I tried to zoom in the photo while my eyes were fixed at the woman beside Chaos Zaldivar. My lips parted in awe. 

I'm somewhat familiar to all that's in the picture as they're all a Zaldivar and I studied the profile of everyone who's part of that family. Except for one. 

I gaped at the photo of Chaos Zaldivar with a woman beside her who exactly looks like me. But I'm hella sure it wasn't me!

"Flav!" I called while my eyes were fixed on the photo. "Flavio!"

Humahangos na bumungad siya sa akin. His forehead were frowned. "Hey, what's happening?" 

"Look at this." I tilted my head towards the screen of my laptop.

He leaned forward to clearly see what I'm pointing. Unti-unting bumuka ang kanyang labi. "What... What the fuck? When was that?" He glanced at me. "You went out with Chaos Zaldivar?" nahihiwagaang tanong niya.

I blinked. "That isn't me." 

Napapantastikuhan niya akong tinitigan. "You kidding me?" 

I slowly shook my head. "That's not me. I don't know why we exactly looks the same. We couldn't be twins. I'm the only daughter of my parents."

But he remained eyeing me, silently.

"If not, one of us surely undergo in a plastic surgery. Heck, I'm sure I'm not the one who did! I'm contented on my face and I have no time and money to spend on that." 

Tumango siya. "Must be a coincidence," he concluded, hindi sang-ayon sa ipinahihiwatig kong nagparetoke ang kung sino mang babaeng iyon.

"That wasn't a coincidence, Flavio. See? You even thought that's me because we look exactly the same! Not just a fucking resemblance but the same!"

Muli akong nahihiwagaang napatitig sa larawan. "Can you find more photos of her? And... some information about her if you can."

I do not have to ask him twice. Agad siyang lumabas ng aking silid ngunit bakas pa rin ang pagkalito sa mga mukha. 

He came back after ten minutes with his laptop in his hand, now looking more baffled than... earlier.

"What's wrong?" I frowned.

"Her name," he answered absentmindedly.

"What's with her name?"

Tila wala sa sariling umupo siya sa aking tabi. "You won't believe me," he slowly answered while shaking his head. 

"Tell me the name," I demanded and groaned.

He remained silent for a few seconds, staring at nowhere. He swallowed after a while before fully eyeing me. "Maria Eselle."

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