10 MOTHER'S PLACE

Mina's steps were cautious and observant as she followed her mom. Her car went inside an exclusive village where none of the houses there seemed worth less than a million, and her mom's new place seemed to be two or three times bigger than her dad's house.

However, inside her mom's place was silent, lights were on, but she hadn't seen a single person aside from the gardener who opened the gate for them.

"Everyone is already asleep, even the helpers. It's late, maybe my kids aren't asleep yet, but they sure were just inside their rooms," Nalah said in a hushed tone as soon as they entered the living room.

"Mother, I'm excited to see my brother and sister." A slight smile crossed her lips. She felt happy and relieved not only she was away from her dad but also because she had finally got a chance to meet her siblings. She anticipated that they were just kids.

"Ssssh, hadn't I told you not to call me mother if we are here? Call me madam, and please don't treat my kids as your siblings. It would be best if you distanced yourself from them. None of them knew that I had a family, that I had daughters until now. May you will keep it that way."

Mina's shoulder fell as she felt a slight pang in her chest. She already knew about that. That was one of her mother's requests before she brought her to her home and agreed with it. However, now that she was actually inside her house and knowing in that home, she wasn't part of it. That's where she realized how much it hurt her.

At least in her dad's home, she was accepted and was considered part of it. Nevertheless, it was the choice she needed to make. Mina needed that changes in her life and if these were the changes she had to face, then be it. It was what she wanted anyway.

Her sister, Sha, stayed with her father. Mina just prayed hard that she couldn't experience her father's wrath as much as she had experienced it. Even with all the physical pain her father brought her, she still loved him, and she was aware of the anxieties he had gone through.

Mina glanced at the family photo on the wall, and her mother was on it. A man same as her age and a teenage boy, probably a bit older than Sha, and a girl around six years old.

Mina wondered if that teenage boy was her mom's husband's first kid. Since she was older than Mina, he couldn't be her siblings, and for sure, the little girl was her sister.

"Since the other helper was already asleep, I'll just let you stay in the guest room for now. Tomorrow, she will help you settle with your true bedroom," Nalah said as she opened one of the rooms upstairs. The room was massive, maybe as big as her living room and kitchen together. The bed were white and looked so neat.

"I will leave her for now, and please try to wake up early tomorrow. My husband might arrive early. By the way, don't worry about your father. He will be released tomorrow as I told the officer that you will not file a complaint about him. I've got to go take a rest now." Nalah was about to close the door when Mina ran towards her.

She reached and hugged her tightly. She couldn't bear the emotion she felt. She wanted to feel like she was actually her mom before she slept.

"Good night, mother," she mumbled, but instead with her expected reply.

Nalah slowly pushed her and said, "one last time that you call me mother, I won't have a choice but to let you of the house." Then, she finally closed the door.

Mina slid back to the bed as her tears fell. She covered her mouth to restrain the sounds of her sobbing. She didn't know who was in the next room. It hurt her more to be with her mother, but she couldn't feel her.

She didn't know if she would feel relieved about it or it would give her life more misery. She was thinking about her sister. She suddenly missed her. Sha was the only person she could rely on. Now she lost her, for someone she thought her mother, but Mina realized that she was no one but a stranger to her.

Mina couldn't understand how her mother could accept her husband's son and not let her new husband accept them. Why did she need to hide them? Mina crawled on the bed. It was too soft for her, making her uncomfortable.

It had been hours since she was in that position and hadn't had a blink. She took out her phone and tested her sister, asking her how she knew that she was alone in her dad's home. However, she didn't receive a reply. She looked over the time, and it was past twelve in the morning, which made her realize that Sha probably had fallen asleep.

She thought of leaving a message on Royce. He didn't know what had happened to Mina and wasn't aware that he was not living in his dad's home anymore and that she was in her mother's home. She wasn't expecting Royce to reply, but he did.

Royce [I'm sorry babe, I didn't know that you'd gone through that. I'm sorry, I wasn't there to protect you. If only your father knew about our relationship, he probably wouldn't beat you for coming home late]

Mina [You can't say that. You didn't know my dad enough. He will beat me more if he knows about you and our relationship and never lets me go out of the house. He had said that before, I am only allowed to go out with a guy unless he is already my fiancee.]

Royce [What? That's absurd. By the way, I had to go back inside. My friends and I were having a night out in the city. You had mentioned that your mom's house is close to the town, right? Where is it?]

Mina [We got inside San Salones Village? Yeah, I remember. My mom's house had its own address posted outside their gate. It's 5th St. San Salones Village.]