Inexorable Encounter

Epilogue

There are things we love, but they weren't meant to happen, and the things we wished to last wouldn't.

When I saw Mom in one of the chairs, I smiled widely. But what I saw from her was the opposite. Unlike me, she was shocked. Then Direk Sam told her I was going to work with her as her daughter in the story, Mom immediately rejected me.

"I'm sorry, Direk. I think I can't go with this." That was the saddest thing I heard from her. "I remember that I still have pending projects. I couldn't handle this if I joined them together."

I wanted her to stay. I wanted to tell her, "Mom, don't do this to me." or beg her, "Mom, work with me." I was begging in my mind silently, in the back of my no-emotion face.

Then I heard, "I'm sorry."

It was the first time, but not the last. When Frances and I had our project for the commercial photo together, we were not alone. Mom was part of the plan, but as with the previous scenario, she rejected it... again. She chose another project instead of being with me. And I realized maybe Mom doesn't want to work with me. I lost my confidence, so I worked harder and I carved it on my mind not to work with Mom and avoid her at all cost.

Things happened, and we came back into the picture again with a project. This time, Mom knew I was going to do this project, but she didn't back out. And in the back of my mind, I was enthusiastic about that news.

"I'm looking forward to working with you too, Belle Ivory," Mom said, stopping me from closing my door when I brought long hair to my room. I smiled before she nodded, so I closed my door. Me too, sincerely.

I never thought I will be okay with Mom after years of poisoning my mind on hating her because she never became a mother to me. But I guessed I was wrong. She was just too hard on herself and didn't want to give herself a chance to grow and explore.

I grew up hating my family. I am okay with Dad, though we weren't that close. I was civil sometimes with Leon, but most of the time, we were enemies. I hated Mom. We were blood connected, but the bond we had was too plain and just too simple. So when Zedie and Zion came to the picture, it started reconnecting us. It started building the bond we hadn't had for years.

I grew up loving and cherishing my friends. I promised I would be with them until the last moment because I knew they were always by my side, even though I am like this. So when the incident happened, and I found out the connection between Yurie and my abductor and my ex-boyfriend—Nathan, I got scared and I wanted to stay away from Yurie because the past still haunts me, but I know that was unreasonable. Yurie was mourning and needed a friend to help her stand up. She was just a victim. We were victims.

"I'm sorry for your loss, Yu," Frances muttered, and hugged her. Yurie was crying again when Frances hugged her, and my heart ached because of that. I swallowed hard and hugged the two.

"I am sorry, Yurie," I whispered. Yurie's eyes were proof that she had been crying all day since she found out that her father had died. It was Leon's birthday yesterday, and I really wanted to stay in the house, but my friend needed me more.

I didn't know my abductor. I didn't know Yurie's father. I only know my abductor's face. I only know Yurie's story. So I was shocked when I found out the truth.

"Starting from now, you will stay away from Yurie, Belle," Leon scolded me.

I was still trembling when I glared at her. "I just made one mistake, Leon. Why are you telling me to leave my friend?"

Irritation was evident on his face. "Can't you understand? She's her father, and maybe they were all using you for the sake of money!" My world almost fell apart with the revelation. "She's her father, and that bastard was his cousin, so stop your foolishness, Belle!" I shook my head as I remembered Yurie's story with her lovable father. I don't want to believe it. My abductor was a monster.