Chapter 7: New Life

Fortunately, he was right. His sister was there....but unfortunately....she was being dragged away by a drunk man. In the act of saving Andrea, although he wounded the bad man by stabbing his leg from behind with a sharp piece of wood, he was stabbed twice from the back. Andrea screamed for help over and over again, but to no avail. She tried to go get help but he held her hand and said, "Don't go. Stay...stay with me," he said and coughed out blood.

"You need help. I won't be long, okay?"

"For someone aspiring to (cough, cough) be a doctor, I know it's over," he said and coughed again.  Andrea's mind went blank as though she couldn't comprehend what was happening. Her mind had suddenly refused to register what was going on. "I know what you're doing. I can tell from (cough, cough) from your eyes," he struggled to speak and groaned, as tears started to run out. "Listen carefully to me Lily. You need (groans) to find Uncle Paulo. Ask mum..." He couldn't complete his sentence as he started to cough more and more. "I love you, okay?"

"I love..." She couldn't complete her sentence when all forms of energy that were in Ralph suddenly seemed to have left. His hand no longer held on to hers so tightly. It was then that her mind could fight it no more. He was gone. He was really gone and now she was really alone in the world. Shortly after, Liliana appeared with one of their neighbors. If Andrea thought her life was a living hell, she was yet to see what was worse than hell.

The next day, dawn, once they got home from the hospital, Liliana had attempted to strangle Andrea but thankfully, a few neighbors were around to hold her back. "I HATE YOU DEMON CHILD!! Now you've really taken everything from me. All this is your fault!! You'll never be happy in this life. You'll die lonely and any man who comes to love you will die because of yo..." Before she could complete her curses, an old lady who was their neighbour, Madam Clara, gave her a resounding slap on both cheeks. The neighbors holding her released her and she fell to the floor.

"Shut up! You are a very useless woman and a horrible mother. You whine and bicker like a rich spoilt brat but in case you still haven't noticed, you're the poorest around. You barely work and all you do is sleep around while you leave the little girl to do everything. I call for all the curses you just spoke to befall you till death eases you off it. Your own tongue and carelessness shall be your downfall," the old woman boomed with intensity. "The only way out will be to truly earn the forgiveness of your daughter... "

"Over my dead body," Liliana spat with so much spite.

"Then so be it," the old woman said and took Andrea's hand, sending her away with her.

The next night, hours after the funeral had ended, Andrea went back home to go grab some of her things to continue staying with Madam Clara.

Unfortunately, once she got home, her mother was on the phone with someone, begging continuously. When she set her eyes on the little girl, she ended the call. Andrea greeted her and attempted to rush to their room. Liliana grabbed her wrist tightly and pushed her back, causing her to breathe heavily, out of fear. Suddenly, she apologized, startling Andrea. That had never happened without the influence of her brother. "Let's go for a walk and talk," she suggested and the still frightened little girl nodded obediently. After about thirty minutes of walking, They were at the outer part of the town, near an uncompleted structure. Andrea began to panic when her mother stopped and started making a call. Frightened about what her mother was up to, she attempted to make a run for it but Liliana held on to her wrist tightly. Three men popped out of the building, looking very shady. "She's all yours," Liliana said.

Immediately, Andrea bit hard on mother's wrist in order to free herself and ran but unfortunately, the men were fast enough to grab her. As soon as they did, Liliana slapped Andrea, startling everyone. She was giving her own daughter away per her own suggestions, to be put into human trafficking because she needed to pay her debt to them. However, she was in no way remorseful. Now, even the men were sorry for Andrea.

They took her in and tied her up to a chair in a dark room. About an hour later, they came back and began interrogating her. What they really wanted to know was what she really did for her mother to hate her. She told them how her mother considered her a curse and how she blamed her for the deaths of her father and brother. The men thought it was ridiculous and left her alone. Two nights after, they came back and untied her. "Take her far way and get rid of her. Her mother was right. She really is bad luck. Andrea, confused and in pain for being tied up to her chair for two nights, watched all five men who walked in looking haunted.

One released her from the chair, bonded her arms together, and dragged her out. Once they got to the car, the boss, at the entrance of the building, passed his thumb over his neck, signaling the man to kill and bury the girl. The girl started to cry yet didn't bother to fight.

The man drove about five miles away and suddenly stopped at the entrance to another town. "Listen, I pulled some pranks on them to make them think you were really a curse and they fell for it. That's why they want you dead and after, they'll go for your mother to get back their money. You can't go back home or anywhere near home. I need you to go as far away as you possibly can. You're adorable. Someone will surely help you. Just make sure you stay safe, okay?" the man said as he pat her gently on the head. She was stunned because she had given up and was actually willing to die. Why did someone save her now? Why did life want her to keep going?

"W-Why? Why are you h-helping me?"

"You remind me of my daughter. She's just about your age but I can't have her near me because of the kind of job I do. By doing you good, I hope God will have mercy on me and protect her since I can't," he said and urged her to leave quickly.

★★★

Veronica couldn't help but weep after all she had found out. "You're not a curse, got it? You're sweet and beautiful. I won't let anyone harm you ever again. You're my daughter now...my daughter," she said assuredly, still hugging Andrea tightly.

"I know mum, I realized," she said and Veronica's heart leaped for joy. she finally called her mum of her own accord. "This is how it should have been. Although it wasn't, it is now. This is my new life."

Currently....

"Calm down mum. Whatever it is, you know Andrea loves us as her family. She loves you. She'll come home so..."

"How sure are you sweetie?" Veronica asked, interrupting Lana.

"I promise you that next time I'm coming for the holidays, I'm coming with her," Lana assured her mother. She knew better than anyone that Andrea is  stubborn but she had to find a way to bring her home. She needed to come home, not just because they were all worried about her, but because even she, Andrea, wanted to. That meant, she had to find out what really drove her away. 'I wonder why she suddenly left urgently last time. Did she really see her mother? I'll have to find out in order to keep my promise to mother," Lana thought after finally managing to calm her mother down.

★★★

Andrea's apartment...

Andrea finally got up to fully read the note on the card accompanying the package once again...