EMPIRE SERIES #3 (COMPLETED)
Serenity Rose had no choice except to return to Manila permanently. Her own mother drove her to leave LA due to their family business' never-ending issues, and she believes it is the only way for Serenity to stay out of...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
I CONTINUED visiting Evo at the hospital every day, and I never got to see Cash again – not that I wished to see him. But I just feel bad about what happened the last time we met. Hindi ko naman sinasadyang hampasin iyong kamay niya. I just got scared... and it's normal to feel scared, right?
I'm scared that they'll do something to me or to the people I care about.
My phone starts ringing after getting dressed. It was a FaceTime call from my mom. I immediately picked up my phone and answered her call.
"Hi, mom!" I cheerfully greeted her, but the smile on my face changed into a concerned look when I saw my mom lying on a bed.
"Mom, are you okay?"
She forced a smile. "I'm fine, Sera," she replied, but her voice sounded so weak. I almost didn't recognize her because of the sudden loss of weight on her face. Her eyes were sunken as well.
"You don't look fine to me. What happened? Are you sick, mom? Where's Bryan?" sunod-sunod na tanong ko. Konti nalang ipasok ko na iyong ulo ko sa screen ng cellphone ko dahil sa sobrang pag-aalala.
Mom chuckled, but that just made her cough. She put her cellphone down for a second, and I saw her grabbing a glass of water from her bedside table. She got her phone back after she drank some water.
"Hindi kita tinawagan para pag-alalahanin sa'kin. I told you, I'm really okay, anak." I sighed. "I miss you, anak."
"I miss you too, mom," I replied. My eyes started to water, and my vision became blurry.
"Sorry if I'm making you worry, anak. Okay lang talaga ako."
"How's the business? Hindi pa rin ba naaayos? Is Bryan even helping you with anything?" I asked. I pursed her lips in a thin line before shaking her head slowly.
I exhale. I miss her so much and it worries me a lot seeing her like this through the screen of my phone, knowing that I couldn't do anything to help her. I'm sure she's just saying that she's okay, but I could clearly see through her eyes the exhaustion.
"I'll come home. I'll take care of you,"
"No, Sera!" Mom exclaimed. She started coughing again.
"How do you expect me to not worry about you when I know you're sick!"
"I can take care of myself, anak. Just focus on your work. Bryan's here with me, so you don't have to worry." My lips curled downward, tears streaming down my cheeks.
"If Bryan's really taking care of you, then why did you become really sick?" I wiped my tears away. Bryan's my stepdad, but I've never seen him take care of Mom properly. Palaging gusto niya siya lang ang inaasikaso at inaalagaan and that angers me that mom just let him treats her like that!
"Serenity Rose," Mom said in a warning tone. "You don't speak to your stepdad like that. Hindi kita pinalaki nang ganyan."
