THE PERFECT HUSBAND (LEE BROTHERS #1)

Chapter 8. Poppy's Condition

✧FAITH ZEICAN LEE✧

MASAYANG nakikipagkuwentuhan si Chloe sa pamilya ko habang nasa living room kami rito sa bahay. Matapos kasi ang dinner date namin ay naisipan naming pumasyal dito dahil sa request ni Mommy noong nakaraan na dalhin ko rito si Chloe. When I mentioned it to Chloe, she had no objections; instead, she was delighted.

Mag-iisang oras na rito si Chloe at puro si mommy ang kakuwentuhan niya. Katabi ni mom si dad, pero madalang itong kumibo dahil tulad namin ay hindi kami maka-relate sa usapan nilang puro pampaganda. Chloe will be launching a new cosmetics product in the coming months. It's her own business, and I feel quite proud that her name will be featured on the products. She plans to call it CHLOE'S.

"Sana next time ma-meet din namin si Poppy." Natahimik kaming lahat sa biglang sinabi ni Hope na 'yon. Magkakatabi sila nila Love at Summer, pero tulad ni daddy ay madalang silang kumibo simula pa kanina dahil hindi rin sila maka-relate sa usapan.

Saglit akong binalingan ni Chloe, halatang nagtataka siya kung bakit alam ni Hope ang tungkol kay Poppy, ngunit agad din naman niya akong nginitian bago niya ibalik ang tingin kay Hope. "Hayaan mo. Next time, isasama ko s'ya rito," she said, smiling.

"Ayos!" Hope responded happily, even clapping his hands in excitement. Pero bigla rin sumeryoso ang mukha niya na tila biglang may naalala. Kay Chloe pa rin siya nakatingin when he asked, "Bakit nga pala hindi alam ng mga tao ang tungkol sa kapatid mo? In the magazine I read about the Herald Family, only you were mentioned as their child. The heiress. Why isn't Poppy known to the public?"

Sh*t. Bakit ngayon n'ya pa kailangan pairalin ang pagkatsismoso n'ya?

"Oo nga, Ate Chloe," Summer agreed, napatango pa ito. "At saka noong engagement party n'yo ni Kuya Faith, hindi man lang namin na-meet si Poppy."

Chloe's chuckled a bit, but I can feel her body tensing. "Ganito kasi 'yon. Gusto naman talaga naming ipakilala sa public si Poppy. Kaya lang, s'ya na mismo ang tumatanggi dahil sobra s'yang mahiyain. Hindi s'ya sanay ma-exposed sa maraming tao. Ayaw n'ya nang nakikipag-socialize. Simula bata s'ya, gano'n na s'ya. Sa tuwing lalabas kaming pamilya noon, ayaw n'yang sumama. Gusto n'ya nasa bahay lang s'ya. May isang pagkakataon namang napapayag namin s'ya, pero ang problema, humiwalay s'ya sa 'min hanggang sa nahirapan kaming hanapin s'ya. We searched for her for four hours. We were frantic, especially since she was only five years old and couldn't speak. Eventually, we found her at the police station, where she had been taken by the person who found her."

"Five years old but couldn't speak?" kunot-noong tanong ni daddy.

Tumango si Chloe. "Yes, Tito. Kung hindi ako nagkakamali, seven years old si Poppy noong nagsalita s'ya. Pero hindi rin maayos. Lagi s'yang pautal-utal."

"Bakit? May sakit ba s'ya?" usisa ni Love. Ang kapatid kong medical scientist.

Chloe's head tilted slightly, as if she were thinking. "From what I remember, Mommy said Poppy was diagnosed with epilepsy when she was just two years old. She had to take medication until she was twelve. At dahil matagal s'yang nag-take ng gamot, naging mabagal ang brain development n'ya. She became slow."

"Natural na magiging slow s'ya kung sampong taon naluto ang utak n'ya sa gamot," komento ni Love. Kay Love na kami ngayon nakatingin, habang kay Chloe siya nakabaling. "At 'yong sinasabi mong she became slow, natural na epekto 'yon ng gamot. Epilepsy medication impacts the brain. Due to this medication, her brain development was significantly restrained, especially since she began treatment at such a young age—just two years old. 'Yong pagiging slow n'ya, hindi n'ya 'yon ginusto o pinili. Parang ganito lang 'yan, for example, a ten-year-old epileptic patient on maintenance medication wouldn't have the same cognitive abilities as a typical ten-year-old. Their cognitive abilities would resemble those of a four-year-old. That's the medication's effect."