章節 5: 4. Plea
I entered the prestigious halls of YCC for the last time, my heart is heavy with a mixture of sorrow and longing. I glanced through the glass walls of the conference room and watched Isabella confidently lead a meeting with my important clients.
It was supposed to be me, representing the family's legacy. The weight of disappointment and shattered dreams crushed my spirit.
Feeling a surge of emotions, I made my way to my father's office. I knocked softly, my voice trembling as I called out, "Dad, may I come in?"
Dad's stern voice responded, "Come in."
As I stepped into the room, the tension between us was palpable. I could see the disappointment in his eyes, the remnants of anger simmering beneath the surface.
This confrontation was long overdue. I have contemplated gathering my courage for this to happen but I feel like I'm going back out. I feel like I can't do this.
"Is your transition over? Don't you have anything else to do here? Why are you still here?" He asked me sternly.
I could feel my heart heating up. A million pains that were already lodged there seemed to intensify. I haven't even managed to rise above, and I'm sinking again.
I haven't even had a chance to catch my breath, and I'm being deprived of air once more. I haven't even healed from everything, and new wounds are already etched upon me.
"It's over, Dad. I just wanted to talk to you for the last time," I replied bravely.
As he looked up from the folder he was holding, his gaze turned fierce.
"What else do you need, Celeste? I have made my decision. There's no way you could even change my mind," he declared firmly.
"I didn't come here to change your mind, Dad, because I know that won't happen anymore. I don't even have the strength to convince you. Even my explanations were not listened to." I said bitterly to him.
My heart sank. He wouldn't even look at me. It was as if he would die of shame if he looked at me for too long. Is it because I resemble Mom?
"Then why are you still here?" He asked me authoritatively.
"I just want to know why you're so cruel to me, even though I'm your real child and not Isabella. I have proven myself more than she has. I've almost sacrificed everything for YCC whenever it had issues. Why do I still end up being the loser in the end?" I bravely asked him.
I've wanted to ask him that for a long time. Why does he favor his current wife and Isabella more than me, his own true child? Isabella is just my stepsister.
She's only his child from an affair, and Mama Victoria is just his second wife. I am still his first child. I am still his first family.
But why don't I feel that way?
"Ever since Mommy died, you stopped favoring me. Ever since she's been gone, you don't look at me the way you look at Isabella. You know how I tried, how I strived harder just to prove myself to you, but I was always let down by your hurtful remarks, Dad." I trailed off and shook my head.
"You've always been so harsh to me, Daddy…"
"I don't owe you any explanations, Celeste. You committed wrongdoing, so it's only fair that you face the consequences. Do you think I'm punishing you for no valid reason?" He asked sternly.
I chuckled. "Isn't it? Isn't this punishment what you're doing to me? You're disowning me just because I got pregnant. I can rise above this! I can atone for my mistake in other ways! Why do you have to cast me aside?"
I couldn't control myself anymore. I was filled with anger and resentment towards him. He didn't listen to me, and whenever Isabella or Mama Victoria spoke, he obediently followed like a meek puppy.
Why couldn't he do the same for me?
Dad heaved a sigh and shook his head. "Leave. I don't want to see you anymore. Leave!"
I bit my lower lip, almost tasting the blood. The lump in my throat was choking me.
"You know very well how important the rules I've set are to us, but you still defied me!" He shouted again and stood up, pressing the intercom forcefully. "Call security, now!"
My jaw dropped in disbelief. I felt like I was going to vomit from the mix of emotions I was experiencing.
"What? You're going to have your security drag me out?" I uttered in disbelief.
His eyes grew even darker. "If that's what it takes to finally get you out of my company, Celeste, I'll do it!"
"Oh, my God…" I muttered. "This is unbelievable. I'll leave! You don't have to have your security drag me out! I can leave on my own, and you'll never see me again!" I declared.
My heart was about to burst from the overwhelming anger towards him.
"And I hope the day never comes when you'll want to see me again, Dad. I hate you. I wish it were you who died, not Mommy. You and these family rules are suffocating!" I blurted out and stormed out of his office, fiercely wiping away my tears.
It felt like I was being repeatedly killed in those moments. It went against everything inside me to beg like this because it's what I've been doing my whole life, but I love him so much. I can't bear to be far from him.
He's all I have left. I can't bear to lose him too. But what can I do?
The pain was unbearable. I started questioning my worth in his eyes. Did he truly love me? Or was I merely a pawn in this family's game?
It's fine, Celeste. You'll be fine. As long as you still have your child. As long as you still have yourself, you'll get through this.
As I walked out of his office, I carried the weight of my broken dreams and the agony of my fractured relationship with him.
It was a painful sacrifice, but I was determined to prove my worth and build a future for myself and my child, even if it meant forging a new path outside the confines of the Yuchengco name.
Fuck this family reputation.
"Is this final? Are you really leaving? How? Where will you go?"
Aurora bombarded me with questions as she hurriedly sat beside me. Kim just looked at me, holding my ultrasound results.
Yes, I'm pregnant. I've been disowned by my own father. Oh, how great it is to start fresh. Fucking fresh.
"Don't you think you should tell him about this? You can just show him this and everything will surely be fine. Show your Dad that the father of your child is not just some random guy." Kim suggested.
I lowered my gaze to my hand that was resting on my stomach. I had thought about that too. Maybe if I tell him that the child is from the Rioflorida family, he'll change his mind.
But what if he doesn't? I'll only embarrass myself even more. Besides, I'm not even sure if that man would accept or believe me.
"I don't know."
"My God, Ce. Where are you even going? Won't you at least try to tell him?" Aurora asked frustratingly.
"If I tell him, will anything change?" I uttered bitterly. "He's probably in a relationship with Isabella. If I say it, things will just get messier. They'll say I got pregnant by a guy who already has a girlfriend," I said, lazily shaking my head.
"I've already received enough hurtful words from Dad. I don't want to hear anything more."
"But he told you that Isabella isn't his girlfriend, right?" Kim muttered some curses. "Why do you always jump to conclusions?"
"Because that's how it is. I can't do anything about it," I answered without enthusiasm.
Just then, my phone rang. I was startled as I saw that it was an Unregistered Number calling, which I'm sure is him.
"There! That's him, right? Maybe you can talk now. Just talk to him." Aurora hissed and pressed the answer button. I almost cursed at her for doing that.
I stood up and left the two of them behind.
"Hey, you answered," I could hear hope in his deep voice. A shiver ran through my body.
"What do you want?" I asked him directly.
"Do you want another night with me? Why? Can't you find someone else as good as me?"\
I heard him mutter a curse softly, enough for me to hear. It seemed like I was wrong with what I said. He needed something else.
"Is that all you think of me?" He sounded so bitter.
I chuckled. "Then what is it that you want from me?"
"Can we talk in person? Tell me where you are, and I'll come to you. I have something important to tell you," he said seriously on the other line. I furrowed my brow.
"Why does it have to be in person? Can't we just talk here?"
"I also want to see you."
His voice was so manly, raspy as if he had just woken up when he said that. Something stirred in my dead heart. Curiosity? I'm not sure.
He told me where we could meet. I also brought the ultrasound results and the pregnancy test, just in case, and quickly made my way to our meeting place. Aurora and Kim stayed back at my condo.
When I arrived at the restaurant where Kim and I used to eat, I hadn't even made it to the parking lot when I immediately saw Isabella's car. I knew it was hers because I was there when Dad gave it to her as a gift. The black Jaguar that I had always admired. What was she doing here?
A strange sense of unease crept over me. I suddenly felt weak, but I couldn't bring myself to back down when I saw him emerge from the elevator, followed by Isabella.
"Oh. Wow. Is this what he wants me to see, so he decided we should talk here? Great."
I watched them closely. Then he abruptly pulled Isabella to a corner, and they started kissing as if they were famished for each other. I gasped when I saw how his tongue moved inside Isabella's mouth.
"You're always so aggressive. Can we continue this in your car?" Isabella said after they briefly separated.
He didn't answer, but I saw how he guided my sister toward his car and they got inside. Before getting in, he glanced in my direction. I froze where I stood. It seemed like he was also surprised. My heart stopped when I saw him about to approach me. I shook my head and laughed at myself.
"Oh, I shouldn't have even bothered. This is bullshit," I whispered to myself and quickly returned to my car, driving away.
I felt betrayed, even though I shouldn't have allowed myself to feel this way. Why did he even ask me to come here?
Why did he choose to talk to me if this is what I would encounter? I was right all along. He's in a relationship with Isabella, and there's no way he would accept what I was supposed to tell him.
"You're the loser here, Celeste. Just accept your defeat," I mumbled, tears streaming down my face.
I arrived at my condo just in time to receive a text from Isabella.
Isabella Yuchengco:
So, you're the one who's screwing with him, huh?
Isabella Yuchengco:
You know you can't have him, Celeste, right? Are you still dreaming of lifting yourself up by finding a wealthy man to hold onto?
Isabella Yuchengco:
You know what? You and your mom are just the same. After being kicked out and divorced by Dad, you both scramble to find a rich man who will rescue you. Except, in her case, she died right away. You should be more careful because you might end up the same way.
Isabella Yuchengco:
Besides, we're talking about the heir of Rioflorida here. I don't think he would stoop down to your level, someone who got pregnant from a one-night stand. Poor Celeste. Good luck with your new life without Dad's wealth.
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