HIDING HIS DAUGHTER (UNDER EDITING)

CHAPTER 6

ANGELA'S POV

AFTER 3 YEARS

"Why can't you just come home to the Philippines already? Back then you didn't even want to set foot here in the US, and now you won't go back?" Kuya Alvin said to me over the video call, his voice tight with frustration. I could see him pacing around his office - the same office Dad used to work in before he handed over parts of the company to us siblings.

"That's right, Angela! Umuwi ka na please para complete na tayong magkakapatid na humahawak ng business!" Sabi naman ni Kuya Anthony, yumuko pa siya para mas makita ako sa camera. Napairap nalang ako - syempre, lagi na lang nasa isip niya 'yung negosyo na mana namin kay Dad. Sometimes I really wonder kung naaalala pa ba niya why I left Pinas in the first place.

"Hindi uuwi si Angela - stay kami dito nila Althea, period." Kontra ni Kuya Adrian sa dalawa kong kuya, 'yung boses niya calm pero sobrang firm. Mariin akong napipikit ng marinig ko 'yun - alam kong he's trying to protect me, pero alam ko rin na wala akong maitatago sa kanya. He'll always find a way para malaman niya kung anong secret ang tinatago ko, kahit gaano ko pa siya sipagin itago.

He'd already found out the truth - he knew who Althea's father was. Just a month ago, he'd shown up at my apartment here in New York out of nowhere, carrying nothing but a small black bag and a look on his face that told me everything was out in the open. I still remember that night so clearly...

"Angela, open the door!" Narinig kong sigaw ni Kuya Adrian mula sa labas ng apartment ko - umalingawngaw pa 'yung boses niya sa tahimik na hallway. It was almost midnight na - oras na kung kailan tulog na tulog si Althea sa kwarto niya, 'yung mahinang hilik niya lang ang naririnig ko sa loob ng bahay namin.

I dragged myself to the door and swung it open, my eyes blazing with anger and shock. "Kuya?! What are you doing here at this hour? Did you forget that the US and the Philippines are two different countries - hindi mo lang basta-basta mapupuntahan 'yan parang kapitbahay lang!" I snapped at him, crossing my arms over my chest to keep myself from shaking. He looked tired, his eyes bloodshot like he'd been on a plane for hours - which he probably had been.

Pumasok siya ng walang sabi-sabi, isinara niya 'yung pinto bago hinarap ako diretso. "Jaiden Zafreus Velazquez."

The moment na marinig ko 'yung tatlong salitang 'yan, nagyakap ako sa kinatatayuan ko - parang may tumusok sa akin ng yelo at naging bato ako bigla. Naramdaman kong tumigil 'yung tibok ng puso ko ng isang saglit bago mabilis na tumibok parang gusto na nitong lumabas sa dibdib ko. That name... that man... 'yung lalaking tumalikod sa 'kin noong araw na nagmamakaawa ako sa kanya na huwag siyang umalis, na piliin niya ako over everything else.

Pero hindi niya ako pinili. Hindi rin niya pinili ang anak namin.

"Bakit ka natutulala diyan? Earth to Angela!" Tanong sa 'kin ni Kuya Adrian na may ngiting malungkot sa mukha. Hindi ko namalayang natigilan ako hanggang sa inilipat niya 'yung kamay niya sa harap ng mga mata ko.

Inabot niya sa 'kin ang isang makapal na brown na envelope, inabot ko naman 'yun kahit na every part of my body is screaming na tumakbo na ako at huwag nang lumingon pa. Gamit ang mga daliri kong nanginginig, binuksan ko 'yun at kinuha 'yung mga papers na nasa loob.

"Jaiden Zafreus Velazquez - he's the most successful man in the world." I read out loud from the first page, my voice barely a whisper. The paper felt like it was burning my skin - there were photos of him, articles about his achievements, pages and pages of information that made my head spin. But I stopped reading completely when Kuya Adrian spoke again.