Field of Emotions

Chapter 6

A woman...

As I turned the corner, I saw my Dad standing in the living room. His back was turned towards me, but I could see that he was not alone. Beside him stood a woman, her long brown hair cascading down her back. She has this intriguing beauty, no doubt, but her beauty was not what caught my attention. It was the familiarity of her face, the face I had seen countless times over at Deia's house.

"Tita Celestia?" My voice with confusion echoed in the room, causing both of them to turn around.

My Dad looked surprised, his eyes widened a bit as he saw me. Tita Celestia, on the other hand, seemed to have been expecting this. She looked at me, shock was visible on her face.

"Ysabelle," Papa began, his voice a bit shaky. He cleared his throat, trying to regain his composure. "I didn't expect you to be home so early."

I was taken back by his remark. "Papa, I didn't leave remember–" I said but someone interupted me.

"Great. Mama just got out of the country and you brought her here? Where's the respect of the so-called "gentleman"?" Kuya Liam sarcastically said as he gently pulled me on his back.

"Umm...I think I have to go." Tita Celestia said as she picked up her bag.

Kuya Liam smirked. "You can leave. In fact you're not even welcome–"

"Respect Celestia for at least this once, Amaris!" Papa roared out of anger, making me flinch.

Kuya scoffed, watching him reminds me of Mama...like how she scoffed at me most of the times. "Respect? Did she ever show respect to our family and to hers? You are fooling everyone. Stop with your damn play because I ain't gonna watch anymore."

As the tension in the room arose, Tita Celestia stood up, her face was normal like she didn't hear anything from Kuya. "I think you and your son have to speak, Mr. Inavarez. " she murmured, her voice barely audible. She threw a thin smile on me before finally leaving but I can't smile

"We need to talk. Is that how Yasmin raised you?" Papa complained when Tita Celestia's figure vanished.

Kuya Liam looked at me, eyes were concerned. "Go to your room, Aellanna. Lock the door and cover your ears. Are we clear?" he ordered.

"Pero Kuya—" giit ko pero nagsalita siya.

He held my shoulders and looked directly into my eyes. "I just want the best for you and Stacy, Aella. Let me handle this and do what I said." he ordered and removed his grip on my shoulders.

I nodded, feeling a lump in my throat. I turned around and walked towards my room, my heart pounding in my chest. As I closed the door behind me, I could hear the muffled voices of my father and Kuya Liam arguing in the living room. I leaned against the door, trying to make sense of what just happened.

Suddenly, a knock on the door startled me. I opened it to find Kuya Liam standing there, his face a mask of concern. "Are you okay, Aellanna?" he asked, placing a hand on my shoulder.

I nodded, forcing a smile. "I'm fine, Kuya. Just...confused," I admitted, looking down at my feet.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I know, Aellanna. I know," he said, pulling me into a hug. "But we'll figure this out, okay? We're in this together."

I felt a sense of comfort wash over me. Despite the chaos and confusion, I knew I could always count on Kuya Liam. We stayed in that embrace for a while, drawing strength from each other.

Later that evening, I found myself sitting on my bed, staring blankly at the wall. My mind was a whirlwind of thoughts - Tita Celestia, Papa, Kuya Liam, Mama...everything was a mess. But in the middle of all of that, I knew one thing - I had to find out the truth. I had to know what was going on.