Chapter 10

I was surprised because I was already inside my room. The last time I remembered I was on the sofa on the terrace waiting for brother Ronald. But he did not arrive until 9 o'clock at night. Dad insisted on letting me in but I didn't want to because all I wanted was to talk to brother Ronald. I need to convince him not to file a case against Joshua.

I quickly got up and went out of my room to look for brother Ronald. I went straight to his room and knocked three times but no one opened. I was about to turn around to look for him in the kitchen or outside the house but suddenly his door opened and he frowned at me.

"Get inside," he says without emotion.I went into my brother's room. I was nervous because he was staring at me. I can't meet his looks.

"Why are you here?" he asked.

I let out a deep breath before speaking.

"Brother I'm begging you. Leave Joshua alone. Please don't do anything to ruin his life. I will do everything you want me to do. Even if it replaces my life and my happiness." I said while sobbing.

"You really love him so much, hmm," he said.

I covered my mouth with my palm to control my weeping. He looked at me even at my wrist and at the bracelet I was wearing.The furrow of his eyebrows disappeared. I can now see the joy and love on his face. I was surprised when he suddenly hugged me tightly. I couldn't stop crying. I hugged my brother too.

"I'm sorry my princess. I can't stand you. I'm sorry for hurting you physically and emotionally. I'm sorry for torturing your feelings. I'm sorry because I didn't protect you. I'm so sorry for everything that causes you so much pain. I want to protect you but what i did is the reason why you are crying now. I'm very very sorry my princess," he said while still hugging me.

I felt a drop of water on my shoulder. I think he is crying. My brother pulled away his hug and held my shoulders. He looked into my eyes and I saw that he was indeed crying.

"I will not continue to file a case against Joshua in one condition," he said in a low voice.

"Whatever condition you want brother I will do." I answered.

"You will go with me in Manila. You will continue your studies there so that you can avoid Joshua forever," he says.

"But what about my summer class brother?" I asked.

"I'll take care of it Princess. I'll take care of everything you need for your transfer," he said and he even messed up my hair.

I just nodded and smiled at him. He wiped my tears on my cheek by his thumb and kiss my forehead.

"By the way, where is your phone," he asked me.

"I didn't get in Joshua's apartment." I replied while frowning.

"Never mind, it's better so that you can't communicate with that bastard anymore. Call it as your remembrance when you leave him," he said with a mischievous smile on his lips.

I pouted and looked down at my feet to show I wasn't happy with his joke.

Because of your stubbornness, you are not allowed to use any gadgets nor open your social media account. If you did, I will stop you from studying and send you to another country to be a maid," he said threateningly.

"I will do whatever you want brother. I promise, I won't disobey you again," I said.

"Good." Go back to your room now because you are not allowed to leave the house," he ordered.

"Thank you for granting my favor not to file a case against Joshua." I said.

"If that is the reason for you to stop crying, I will do it sweetheart," he says.

He kissed my forehead and he smiled while wiping the traces of tears on my cheek. I will do everything for you not to experience the hardships in life like we had experience when we were young. Come, I'll take you to your room."

He held my hand and pulled me out of his room. He put his arm on my shoulder while walking. He opened my room and the two of us entered. He hugged me again and let me laid down on my bed. He put a blanket on me.

"Take a rest. It's still mid-night. I know you don't sleep very well. When you need something or want me to buy something for you, just tell me, ok?" he says.

I just nodded in response.

"Brother, did you take me to my room when you arrive? The last thing I remember is I am sitting on the sofa waiting for you." I said.

He nodded and looked at me.

"Don't sleep on the terrace again. What if I don't come home?" he said.

"I'm sorry. I won't do it again," I said.

"Better, good night sweetheart," he said and kissed my forehead again. "Good night too my brother," I replied.

He turned his back on me and walked out of my room. I fell asleep with a smile on my face because I knew my older brother would not continue filing the case against Joshua.

Early in the morning, I went to the kitchen to prepare a breakfast for us in order to appease my family for the mistake I had committed. But I found my mother there. She turned her back on me and was busy washing glasses. I approached her and hugged her from her back.

"I'm sorry mom for disobeying you. I won't do it again." I said in a gentle voice and pressed my face to her back.

Mom paused for a moment and then turned to face me.

"Even if I'm really mad at you, there's nothing I can do because you already did. You disobeyed us. All you have to do is to follow your brother Ronald decision," she said.

"Yes mom, I'll go with him in Manila. Even if I don't want to be away from you and dad, I'll just put up with it. It's also my fault why my older brother made that decision.

Mom didn't speak anymore. I feel like she is still angry with me even though I have apologized to her several times.

The day came when brother Ronald and I had to leave and went to Manila. We were with brother Francis who rode in brother Ronald's car. We traveled in the morning and my two older brothers took turns driving because the trip from Tuguegarao City to Manila was too long. I just silently watched as we passed.

Although I am sad to be away from my parents, I'll just try to be happy for Joshua. Even though I knew that my situation in Manila would be more difficult, I willingly accepted and faced all the difficulties.

We went straight to the house of Uncle Dante, my mother's brother in Santa Mesa, Manila. He is an Attorney so you can't beat him in frustration and judgment. If my my mother is strict, Uncle Dante is worse or more strick. Everything is forbidden to him, so his only daughter Agatha is also strangled. Agatha and I were about the same age but we never got close.

Our car stopped at a beautiful and big house. This is the house of my mother's brother, Uncle Dante. We went down and I saw Uncle Dante meet my older brothers. He welcomed them joyfully but when he came to me his eyebrow furrowed . I just ignored that. He showed me my room next to the room of my two brothers. Uncle Dante's house is beautiful but there seems to be something missing. You can not find love into this house. You can not feel happiness.

I went into my room and arranged my clothes in the closet. I looked around the room and sighed. I lay down on the bed and just stared at the ceiling. I stood up in shock when there was a knock on my bedroom door. I opened it and saw brother Ronald.

"Let's eat first so you can rest. We will visit your school early in the morning tomorrow.

"Yes brother." I answered.

We just ate quietly and then I presented to wash the dishes we had used. When I'm done, I went into my room and took a shower.

I immediately fell asleep probably because of the tiredness in the trip. The next morning, brother Ronald and I went to the Polytechnic University of the Philippines where I will attend. I need to take entrance exam before I am accepted into this school. I took the entrance exam at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines and by the grace of God I passed the exam. I enrolled Bachelor of Secondary Education major in Social Science. I love history so this is the specialization I took.

Polytechnic University of the Philippines is located in Santa Mesa, Manila. I will study here because this is the closest school here in my mother's brother's house. Uncle Dante and his daughter Agatha did not treat me well. I feel like they are not related to me. I didn't even feel that they had any concern for me.

Uncle Dante is very different. He doesn't want your spoon to ring when you eat, he doesn't want you to make a sound when you sip coffee or soup, he doesn't want you to wait for food or the food waiting for you, he doesn't want you to waste water and electricity. He is more strick than my mother. So I think, my life will be harder here.

Brother Ronald can not pick me up anymore because he also has a job. He is an Electrical Engineer in a construction company in Makati. My schedule also doesn't match with his entry because he is always the first to leave and he is also the last to go home.

Angelica! Uncle Dante called me angrily. I hurried out of the room because of his screaming.

"Did you leave the light on in the cr earlier?" he asked raising his eyebrows.

"No uncle. I turned off the light when I came out," I replied.

Why is the light opened? I keep telling you not to waste electricity because our electric bill going bigger. Even the faucet is still leaking because the closure was not tightened," he said.

I didn't say anything so that the story wouldn't be too long. Brother Ronald is always busy at work so he doesn't know that Uncle Dante is always scolding me. Brother Franco was assigned in Pampanga as a branch manager of a restaurant that's why he rarely to visit me here in Manila. I was always the one to blame for the misfortune at the house of Uncle Dante. I always humbled myself and did not say a word even when I was reprimanded for something that was not my fault. I want to go home now in Cagayan Valley. I can't stand the ugliness of uncle Dante or Agatha's behavior. I feel, they don't want me to live in this house. I was just crying in my room after being scolded and spoken badly by Uncle Dante. My heart is full of resentment. I just hate it because I have nothing to talk about it. I have nothing to rely on. Brother Ronald was always away. I have nothing to complain about because I don't have any friends yet. There are people who make friends with me but usually they are women but there is a man with them so I avoid them. My older brother doesn't want me to be close to the men so I try to distance myself from others. I would rather be alone all the time than to make mistakes again.

One day, while I was reading a book inside the library, a beautiful young lady approached me.

"Hi, can I seat here?" at the same time pointing to the chair in front of me.

"yeah, sure," I said.

"Thank you," she said with a smile. I just smiled at her too.

"What is your name?" the girl asked me.

"Angelica Dela Cruz." I sparingly answer.

"Nice to meet you Angelica, I'm Samantha Ligutan," and held out her hand for handshake.

I handed it to her and we had handshake. A few moments later a man also sat down and took his place next to me. I accidentally looked at him and he smiled at me. I immediately took my eyes off him and pretended not to notice him. I stood up and put the book I was reading back in the container and then headed out of the library.