The Lost Billionaire (MBBC#9)

36

Melissa

.

"That's insane, Mel—my God. I don't know what to say. Hindi ko alam na ganito pala ang nangyari sa 'yo sa Pilipinas. . . You didn't tell me, Mel? You should have told me what happened to you back then." She sits across from me after giving me a cup of coffee. 

Dianne is a childhood friend of mine. She witnessed what my life has become after my mother passed away. She was the only friend who was there for me.

Masyadong magulo ang buhay ko at isama mo pa ang magulong mundo rin ng mga magulang ko noon. 

When I finished my Art school in Washington, I stayed with my mother in Texas. My mother was a famous artist at her time and was living without responsibilities. 

Malapit ako kay Papa, dahil siya ang nagpalaki sa akin. Iba kasi si Mama, madalas ay wala siya sa piling ko at palipat-lipat ng syudad sa boung bansa. I don't understand her lifestyle, and I thought that was okay because she was my mother, and I got used to that type of living set-up. Saka ko lang din naintindihan ang lahat na iba ang ina ko, at mas prioridad niya ang trabaho kaysa sa amin ni Papa. Nakakauwi lang siya sa bahay sa tuwing pasko at birthday ko.

When I study Art instead of Marketing Business, I then understand my mother's mind and her ambition. Saka ko lang naintindihan ang lahat, at napagtanto ko sa sarili na iba pala ang buhay ng isang artist. 

May sarili silang mundo, at minsan ay hindi sila naiintindihan ng mga tao. Pero iba si Papa. Mahal niya si Mama, kaya nagtiis siya.

Then, I pursue the course my father wants me to do, a Marketing Business Management. Natapos ko ito, pero hindi ko rin nagamit dahil sa problema ng mga magulang ko. Hanggang sa nagkagulo-gulo na ang lahat at namatay si Mama. Isang buwan rin kaming pabalik-balik sa hospital noon at lahat gastos ni Papa. May naitabi na pera si Mama, at sapat lang ito sa gamutan niya. . . Until my mother passed away, and that devastated my father. 

 Ang kompanya ni Papa ay nagkaroon ng sari-saring problema. A few people who are working with him filed a case against my father. It went to court and he lost the battle. At dito na pumasok ang pamilya ni Timonthy. 

I hated my father for that, but I had no choice, and because my father loves me, he chose to give everything to Frank's family rather than to see me getting married to Frank. 

"Parang kapatid na kita, Melissa. You choose to cut ties with everyone here and—"

"I'm sorry, Dianne. Pasensya na talaga." I looked down, and I couldn't even drink my coffee.

"It's alright. I understand." She sighed. "It's just that it's hard to believe. Alam ba niya ang tungkol kay Madison?"

Bahagya ang ginawa kong pag-iling at parehong bumagsak ang balikat namin.

"Yeah, right. No I understand. He's got amnesia, and he only remembers his past and not you, right? Sigurado ka ba na hindi ka niya kilala talaga?"

"I don't know, Dianne. P-Pero parang ganoon na nga."

"Papaano kung nagkukunwari lang siya, Mel? Paano kung talagang kilala ka niya at naalala niya ang lahat. It made sense, Mel. He bought all your paintings from Montreal. Impossible naman na hindi."

She stood up ang grabbed her phone. Kanina pa kasi ito tumutunog.

"Hello, babe? Yes, I am here. Come over. It's alright. I love you," saad niya kay Montreal sa kabilang linya. Naupo lang din ulit siya at tinitigan ako.

"It's confusing, Mel. He is not just any other person because Reeve is a Mondragon. Nabibilang siya sa isang pamilyang ma-impluwensya sa mundo. Hindi mo ba kilala ang mga pinsan niya?"