Mending Heart's Affliction [Phoenix Countesses: ETHEREAL MAIDENS SERIES I]

Chapter 54

Grief

"I don't want Daddy to leave... Daddy should stay here. He can't go."

Nakatulala lamang ako kay Ariah habang naririnig ang paulit-ulit niyang binabanggit. She was asleep now, clutching her unicorn toy tightly, tears still wet on her cheeks. She had cried herself to sleep while I softly patted her back.

To make her feel that she wasn't alone.

But I felt like it wasn't enough.

Kinagat ko ang ibabang labi ko at agad na tinakpan iyon saka humagulgol ng iyak. Arik was still outside this room. I knew he had heard us earlier when Ariah and I talked. I knew he had heard his daughter cry while she begged me not to make him leave.

I felt like I was burning inside. Like I was being killed over and over again, only to be brought back to hurt again. Pagdating talaga kay Ariah ay nadudurog ako. I knew how much she loved her daddy. She had waited for him for so long.

But how could I tell her everything? That her father had been lying to us ever since the accident. That the reason for our nightly tears was nothing but a lie because we couldn't be with him.

I took a deep breath and gently kissed her on the head to make sure she was sound asleep. I hesitated for a moment about whether to go out and face the man who had been waiting outside the room for so long.

But in the end, I went outside with my broken heart, and he was right there in front of me.

"Celeste..."

I looked him straight in the eyes. I almost hated him. I wanted to hurt him. All I could see was violence as he stood before me, pleading.

"Of all the things you told me, Arik..."

His eyes were bloodshot. He looked like he was on the verge of kneeling in front of me. Deep regret was evident in his eyes.

"Of all the things you told me, Arik... Everything... Were they all just lies?" I tried to keep myself calm, but I couldn't anymore.

"You know what I went through, huh?" My lips started trembling, and even my fingers shook as I pointed at him.

"Celeste, I... Please, listen to me first—"

"No! No, Arik, no!" I shouted and pushed him away before heading into my room.

He quickly followed me. My tears were flowing uncontrollably.

"Celeste—"

"Y-you know what I went through, huh?! To get back here? To take you back from that bitch! You know what I went through to help you remember everything, and what?! Malalaman ko na nagsisinungaling ka lang pala? That you're perfectly fine? That you remember everything after all! How could you fucking do this to me?! To us?!" I exploded like a volcano on the verge of eruption.

I was on the verge of losing control. I wanted to use everything in that room just to hurt him. Pakiramdam ko ay nababaliw na ako sa sobrang sakit. I was losing myself because I couldn't take the pain anymore.

"Every night, your daughter cries her heart out because she misses you so much, and here you are deceiving us, being with that Yumi, Arik! How fucking dare you!"

"Baby, it wasn't my intention. Please, believe me. I had to do all of that to stop Yumi from her plans against you. Patawarin mo ko, Celeste."

"To the point where you could pretend you don't know us?! You even insulted me in front of her! You insulted me many times in front of her, and that gave her the confidence to keep disrespecting me!" My voice shattered completely.