Aziel: Ex Mafia's Son-in-law

Chapter 14: I Couldn't Tell

My father regained consciousness as soon as the doctor announced that his condition became stable. It was such a surprise since my father never had any health problems for a long time. The doctor made him undergo a series of tests to make sure there were no underlying causes for his sudden fainting. After the tests it was concluded that he fainted due to the bottled up stress that my father couldn't express, causing it to physically manifest in his body.

My mother kept on crying and nagging at my father because he never really showed any weakness in front of her even when I was still young. He never showed us even if he wasn't feeling well or whenever he was hurt. He may just show either his cold, composed or assertive reaction, but he never lashed out. I never saw him cry and never vented his anger despite knowing he did feel angry and furious at times.

The last person he was talking to was my cousin. I talked to him over the phone after I finished processing the paperwork for the hospitalization of my father. He confessed that he was borrowing money from my father since he couldn't get through to his parents. He said his girlfriend was pregnant and they wanted to marry in secret without telling his parents, since they have been opposing their relationship since the very beginning. He said that my father scolded him for acting like a wild dog without even planning ahead about the consequences of his action.

I felt guilty, learning that my cousin and I were in a similar situation by coincidence. I was trembling when I went back to my father's room.

"Are you alright, Az? You looked pale," my mother asked as soon as I entered the room blankly while slightly shaking due to nervousness.

My father was quietly lying on the bed looking outside, sighing nonstop—he still looked furious. I don't think I can tell them about Laia and me, since this thing happened so suddenly. I can't fuel up the fire.

"I... I'm alright, Mom. I am just a little bit hungry. I'll just order some food since it's already dinner time," I replied immediately, glancing at Laia, who looked quite sleepy already while sitting beside my mother.

We all ate dinner in an awkward mood after my order arrived because my father was extremely quiet. I felt like I'm going to have indigestion while trying to calm myself. Laia was also quiet, though my mother kept giving her some of her shares since my mother was really fond of her when we were still in grade school. They look more like the parent and child than I am to my own mother. I felt quite relieved seeing them close like that.

"So... How did you two meet again? Were you both working in the same company?" my mother asked, trying to break the awkward silence.

"Aunt Gia... The thing is... We met again recently in a pub when I was having dinner with my workmates. He was drinking with his friends back then—" Laia replied carefully, then paused to look at me as if she was observing my reaction. "He helped me after seeing me drunk and escorted me home safely," she continued, smiling shyly.

"Oh my goodness! I didn't know my son was such a gentleman. Aren't you proud of your son dear?" my mother boasted in glee.

"Good! At least you're not like your cousin, who would just jump to any woman in the street impregnating a girl he just recently met and secretly hiding her pregnancy and planning to marry in secret," My father rattled in fury.

I felt the guilt overwhelming me, causing me to tremble as I reached for Laia's hand under the movable table of the hospital room. Laia held my hand back seeing me tremble quietly while trying to hide my fright in front of my parents. She stroked my hand as if she was consoling me.

I just smiled at my parents and luckily they didn't notice how nervous I was in front of them since mother kept looking and whispering to Laia. My father was also looking at Laia and my mother.