CHAPTER 40

I almost dropped my phone when he admit it. "Come home now and we'll talk," I heard him say. He continued saying things that I couldn't even listen to because I got too preoccupied with what he just said.

She's my sister?

When? Why? How?

But she was older than me. Then how could this happen?

I ended the call and turned my phone off. I spent minutes inside the cubicle thinking about why this happened. Did my father cheat? What happened? How could this happen?

I want to know everything but I also didn't want to come home yet. I walked out of the comfort room in the first floor and walked out of the building. I didn't have lunch yet and I was only carrying my wallet. I left my bag at the office and called a cab so I could go home.

I texted Lydia that something came up and I have to go home. I received more calls from Ali but I didn't answer them since I was already on my way home.

I was spacing out during the whole drive. I was thinking about what could have happened.

Did my father cheat?

Does my mother know?

Why was she older than me?

I almost thought that she was born before my parents were together but I wasn't quite sure if she was older than my brother. But if she is,

I don't know how I could possibly take that.

I got to the house. When I went out of the cab, Ali was standing in the doorway. I looked at him and he already has that worried look on his face. "I'm glad you came, you're not answering my calls," he said. I walked past him without saying anything.

We were planning to talk so I thought it'd be best to talk about it in my room. "Are you mad at me?" he asked me.

"How could you keep this from me?" I asked him as I sit on the edge of the bed and he was entering from the door. He closed it and leaned on my table as he sigh and look at me.

"There were problems, " he answered, "I'm sorry, I had to confirm things before I could tell you," he told me.

"Confirm things like what?"

"What exactly happened before,"

"And what did you find out?" I asked him.

"Her name is Athena," he said pertaining to the woman I met earlier. "Dad," he paused as if he couldn't say it to me straightly. "Dad married Athena's mother first,"

I didn't even know about this. I have never had the idea that my father once married someone else. I don't know if it was because I grew up being very distant from my parents or if they just decided to hide this from us. And Dad married that other woman, then he must've known about his child

Then why?

"But Dad cheated on her," I couldn't help but look at him when he said that. I looked into his eyes to know if he was telling the truth or not. Because just by what he said, I could already imagine where this conversation is going. "And with Mom,"

No,

I cannot believe this was happening, I felt sick and I didn't want to listen to him more because I already knew what he was going to say. "Dad left Athena's mom and she died,"

My eyes widened and I felt something hit me for the second time.

Did he just say she die?

"She was sick when he left her for Mom,"

All I could feel right now is disappointment towards my father. I knew he wasn't that kind of a person to me and his family but I didn't imagine that he could such a cruel thing. "Athena found out about us and she found out that Dad passed away,"

"What does she want from us?" I asked him.

"That's it, she wants to mess with us, she was mad towards Dad. And now, she was trying to mess with us, his kids,"

"But we don't have anything to do with the past."

"I don't know," he only said.

I brushed my palm on my face because of the frustration that I am feeling right now after what I just found out.

I just found out that we were the second family. We were a family because of cheating.

Now that I have found out the truth about our family, I cannot help but feel disgusted at my father. I feel very disappointed in him for doing things like that in the past. He cheated and let his wife die. He left his daughter and even created a family with his other woman.

What was he even thinking?

And did Mom really let him do that? What was she even thinking?

They kept all of this from us for our whole life. They made a huge mistake. They chose the wrong path just to be with each other.

If they really loved each other they should've dealt with their past relationships first.

But letting a person die and leaving a daughter was just too much.

I couldn't help but to feel very disappointed in both of them.

"And what are we going to do now?" I asked him.

"How do you feel?" he asked me.

It took me time to answer him. I can't explain what I feel about it in just one word. "I don't know,"

We both fell silent inside the room for seconds. I don't know what to say to him. I don't even know how to console myself after what I just heard.

A few moments later, Ali left my room. I was left alone inside the dark room thinking about the changes in how I see my family between then and now. I just found out that I had a sister. And older sister. I just found out my Dad had a wife and she died then he married my Mom.

Why did he do this? How could he even let that happen? Did he even meet his daughter before?

I imagined myself being in Athena and her mom's shoes. Being left by the person who was supposed to be the pillar of their home. I imagined myself being left by my husband while I was sick. i imagined myself being left by my father after my mother died.

It's just, so cruel.

I can barely imagine my mom letting it happen.

How could they even live life for years after what happened?

It's just, so cruel.

I don't even know how to look at this home right now.

After staying in my room for hours and not going, I felt like I needed some fresh air. I wanted to go out and think about it in an open space.

I feel suffocated about not being able to tell anyone about this. I needed to keep it to myself because I have nobody to talk to,

I went out of the house without anyone knowing. I was dressed in black shoes and a hoodie. I didn't take a cab when I got out of the property, I didn't take a cab because I was planning on walking my way out of the subdivision.

I know a place near my place. it was a park and I think it would be the best place to come to right now.

I almost got hit by a car while walking because I was thinking about it the whole time and didn't get to focus on the road. But thankfully, I managed to get to the place without a single bruise. I sat on a bench.

The place was almost deserted. Nobody was there when I got there so I got to enjoy the park for myself.

Should I call Lydia? Carol? is it time to make Leslie listen to my rant again?

I sighed as I look at the beautiful view of the small lake right in front of me. The water shines whenever the moonlight touches it and it creates a very beautiful scene.

I could've enjoyed this more if I didn't come here out of anxiety.

After a few minutes in the area, I decided to call Aira. She has always been my 911 whenever I get a hard time dealing with issues like this.

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3RD PERSON'S POV

Aira looked at herself in the mirror. She took off her clothes to see her whole body in the full body mirror inside her bathroom. She's been holed up inside her room for a week after that night had happened.

She wouldn't come out of her room except during meal time but would wear long-sleeved shirts and make-up so she could cover up the bruise she was hiding that she just got from her boyfriend.

She traced the bruise on her arm suing her other arm and saw how bad it looked even after a week since the incident. The bruise almost covered up half of her lower arm. And it made her worried that it might get worse as time goes by.

She cannot tell anyone about it. She couldn't even dare to tell anybody else about what her boyfriend just did to her last week. She couldn't go visit her doctor because she knew her doctor would tell her parents.

She had no choice but to tend her wounds alone. And wait until all the bruises would disappear so he could go out freely again.

She looked at the bruise on her face which was the most visible one of all bruises that she got. But thankfully, she got to cover it with make-up everytime.

She turned her back to the mirror and saw more bruises on her back.

The sight of her body made her want to cry. She cannot even go out because she was afraid that someone might find out about her boyfriend.

It ahs been weeks and after thinking thoroughly about it, she realized that it was her fault. She was the reason why they had a fight. So she thought she deserved all of those bruises.

She was even the one to apologize first. She had to beg her man to stop hurting her and she was the one to apologize multiple times and get on her knees.

But all that she could care about right now is the state of their relationship. Only a few days after that fight became okay. They managed to console each other and get their relationship running again and that is what she could only care of.

She continued checking herself in the mirror and after a few minutes, her phone blinked. She ignored it and continued with what she was doing but then, it suddenly rang. She glanced at the name that popped up on the screen and when she read her best friend's name, she immediately picked up the phone and answered the call.

"Hey," Xhyrah greeted her. Right after hearing her voice, she already knew something was up.

She gulped saying," How are you?"

"F-fine," she answered and that made her feel at ease because she was in no condition to come to her right now. She didn't want her to worry once she find out about it. Once she touches her, everything will be over. She could immediately find out. "By the way," Xhyrah started talking again, "I'm here at the park, do you want to come and talk,"

Aira immediately thought of a strong alibi so she wouldn't get to come to her tonight. She knew everything will be over once Xhyrah finds out. She had a lot of bruises and whenever she was with Xhyrha, she knew she would touch her arm. She can't even hug someone right now because her bruises were so huge that they took over a part of her arm and shoulders.

"I am actually not at home right now," she lied.

"Oh, I see,"Xhyrha said. She knew she was disappointed but she didn't really want to come to her right now. 'Let's just meet another time again,'

She heard the disappointment in Xhyrha's voice and it made her feel bad. She suddenly heard a sigh from the other end of the call and realized that something wasn't right. Now that she thinks of it, Xhyrah doesn't go anywhere at night time for nothing. Especially at that park. And alone.

"Are you alone right now?" she asked her. Worried about what might happen to her.

"Y-yeah," she answered. "But it's fine, I'd come home in a few minutes," she said,

She couldn't answer because she was thinking about what she was supposed to do. Something was up but she couldn't come. She can't even ask her if she was really okay because she knew she couldn't meet up with her and she can't just say that to her after finding out something wasn't right.

"A-alright," she answered to her.

After ending the call, she immediately went and dialed her brother's phone number whom she knew was just a few steps from her room right now. He could immediately come to her tonight.

She felt bad about doing it but she couldn't come and she wanted to make sure she was alright.