The Truth In His Lies

Chapter 1

Muffled voices, clearly engaged in a heated argument, woke me up. Groggily, I sat up, my eyes half-closed as I shuffled out of the room. It didn't take long for me to realize my parents were at it again. Clutching my bunny stuffed toy for comfort, I peeked through the crack in the door of the study.

"You owe Luciano an apology, Lucius!" My mother hissed, her voice tight with suppressed anger.

"I owe no one an apology, Alora!" My father shot back, his tone firm and unyielding. "If anyone, Luciano owes us and himself an apology!"

"Are you hearing yourself?! Oh my god! Luciano just graduated high school, second out of more than seven hundred students, and he's only 12 years old! Can't you be proud of him? This is a huge feat for him!"

My mother's words hung in the air, a desperate plea for recognition and pride in my exceptional brother, while I stood there, feeling the weight of their conflict pressing down on me.

"I will acknowledge him when he surpasses that Alejo boy! He will be worthy of my recognition when that happens!"

That 'Alejo boy' he means... Samuel? My brother's close friend. I heard he graduated as the Top 1 of their batch.

"Lucia?" I jolted and panicked when I heard Luciano's voice. Agad kong sinarado ang pinto at humarap sa kanya.

He crossed his arms and tilted his head. "What are you doing?"

He knows exactly what I'm doing. Ilang beses na niya ako nahuli na nakikinig sa away ng mga magulang. Umiling ako at niyakap ang stuffed toy. Lumapit siya sa akin at binuhat ako.

"Let me put you back to bed," he said and started walking as he carried me. "You shouldn't eavesdrop, you know that right?"

Tumango ako. "Papa doesn't like Samuel, why are you still friends with him?"

Ngumiti siya at nag-isip sandali.

Ilang beses na siyang napagsabihan ni Papa tungkol sa pakikipagkaibigan sa partikular na Alejo na iyon. Matagal ng may alitan ang pamilya namin sa mga Alejo that spans generations. No one really knows what happened in the past for the two families to hate each other. And being the top conglomerates in the country, mas malala ang competition namin sa isa't isa.

Kaya hindi ko rin maintindihan kung bakit nakikipag kaibigan siya sa Alejo na iyon. Because naturally, when you're born in either of the two families, you'll hate the other. But my brother is quite different.

"Because we understand each other, Lucia."

With my seven-year-old mind and heart, and of course, hindi naman ganun katalino katulad ng kapatid, I couldn't grasp what he meant by that. Is it enough reason to befriend someone?

"Why can't you just be the top one? I'm sure you'll beat him to it!" I said as he covered me with the comforter.

Simula noong naging magkaibigan sila, hindi na nawala sa litanya ni Papa ang pagkukumpara sa kanila. This period is even referred to as the golden era, with Luciano and Samuel considered the golden boys. Both are intelligent and excel in various fields and set to inherit everything.

Napatawa siya at napailing. "Samuel surpasses me in every possible way, Lucia. He's a true genius. Being second to him just means I'm managing to keep up."

"I hope you meet him someday. He's nice and very humble despite his achievements," he added.

I don't want to. I only see him as someone who gives my brother a hard time. However, deep down within me, I knew I would meet him someday... inevitably.

"Promise?" si Kuya Luciano habang sinusundan ko ako sa pag-akyat sa hagdan. "Did you really include him on the list?"

Tumango ako at pinakita sa kanya ang list. Ngumiti siya at hinayaan na akong umakyat patungo sa study kung nasaan sina Mommy.