Freed Heartaches (Demetriou Legacy #1)

Chapter 50

Freed Heartaches:
Kabanata 50: Lifetime

I stared at the sun as it slowly sets over the horizon. When I was a younger, I didn't have many dreams, all I wanted was to help my family and to bring food to the table. At such a young age, I've had a very big responsibility. No one forced me to do that but I wanted to make sure that even with a poor and hard life, my siblings would still be able to go to school and have food.

When I had Dorothy, I know my resposibilites got heavier but I had another reason to strive harder, I had another reason to live life and to dream, yes, I finally had a dream for myself. She made me want to be successful and have a good life so I could provide for her better and to be someone she could look up to.

God is tough on his strongest soldiers, I felt that. Growing up in an abusive environment, being so young facing hardships in life instead of just playing outside, doing homeworks, studying or even just being a kid like others wasn't really a privilege I get to have. Do I blame my parents? Yes. They should've been better, they should've been there for us, I've had siblings way younger than me who needed them, but they were too busy dealing with themselves. I couldn't be both parents to my kid siblings when I was a kid myself.

For a period of time, I thought I'll forever be the family's provider. The family's go-to when they need something. It was fulfilling, yes, but sometimes, the tiredness, the resentments get the best of me.

I didn't deserve to be brought up like that. I deserve a good life, me and my siblings deserve a good life. I hated how life was so cruel, but I was so glad I was blessed with such a tough and brave heart that even with all the things I went through, I stood tall. I stood over everything. Whenever I look back, I see everything as if they were heavy big mountain rocks over my shoulders, falling from the sky and they kept on coming. But those made me who I am, those made me like those big mountain rocks so if someone ever asks me do I wish I can change everything? No. With the knowledge, perseverance, braveness, determination and love and trust that I have for myself now, I wouldn't trade it.

"Ready na ang dinner," ani Romie.

After that talk, when Archaelus went home, pagka-akyat ko ay muli nanaman akong naiyak. Dorothy's life should've been amazing. She deserve to grow up in their loving household and it was stolen from her. It was stolen by a person who's full of envy. She could've had the world when she was a baby. But if she never happened to me, I don't know what my life is like now, I don't know if I was able to have a life like this, I don't know if we were able to get out of the poor and hard life we had growing up.

We stayed in Manila for five more days. We did a constant visit to Archaelus' family, hindi pa nakakauwi sina tita Emersyn but I bet they know everything already.

Romie told me everything ng ikwento ko sa kanya ang nalaman ko. Sabi niya'y tinakot raw ni Tremaine si Karina na papatayin niya ito kapag umamin. Karina was about to go to the Demetriou's when Tremaine found out about it, she really has her way of finding out everything when it comes to the Demetrious.

"Masama ugali ng bruhildang si Karina pero pakiramdam ko'y takot rin iyon. She was 17, and if someone tells her they're gonna kill her if she didn't shut her mouth, especially from people like Tremaine, mapera, of course she would be scared," ani Romie.

He also told me that when Karina got in a relationship with a certain senator, naglakas loob ulit sana siyang sabihin kay Archaelus na may anak sila pero siyempre, Tremaine would never let that happen. Romie told me that she threatened Karina that she will tell everyone that she is a mistress. The senator's wife is very famous and a good lawyer, of course ipapakulong niya si Karina.

By then I realized that Karina isn't ready to be a mother yet. She cannot sacrifice, she cannot fight for her daughter. She's still at a point in her life where she, herself is her priority. Dorothy doesn't deserve a mother like that.