We stayed in the hospital for almost two weeks until the doctor declared my daughter is dengue free. Every now and then the doctor goes to the room to check on her. Fortunately, my sister Dane and sometimes Celestine were there to support me.
I don’t know what to do and I’m confused. They also accompanied me until we got home.
I am here in the room with my daughter. Since she got sick, I watched her more closely. I don’t want her to almost disappear next to me. Even eating and taking a bath, I almost don’t do it because I don’t want to leave her.
I still blame myself for what happened to her. When I think about how she suffered in the hospital, it feels like stabbing my heart. I kept blaming myself for not being able to protect her. I failed. Failed to protect her.
“Ma’am Daze.” I looked at the door when an assistant entered. Although they are often here to support me, sometimes I still get irritated by their presence.
“Yes?”
“Sir Enrique is calling you.” I raised an eyebrow at the assistant. He wants to talk to me, why didn’t he come here? Why should I go to him? “I’ll take care of Ixora, ma’am.”
As much as possible, I don’t want to leave here and leave my daughter with her. But I have no choice but to go to that man before he comes here because if it happens, trouble will happen again. I don’t want to argue. I have a lot of thoughts and I don’t want to add more. I want peace even for the two of us.
“Stay here with my daughter. Check her every now and then.”
“Yes ma’am.”
I immediately went to Enrique’s office. I just knocked three times and opened the door. He was standing on the edge of the sofa while holding his forehead. He was holding a brown envelope.
“Did you call me?”
“Come in and have a seat.”
“Why, what’s happening?” I asked when he didn’t move.
“Sit.”
“Just tell me what you want?” I heard him take a deep breath and walk towards me. He handed me the envelope which I immediately took. “What is this?” I asked as I grabbed the envelope.
“Open it, and see it for yourself.” I frowned as I opened the envelope. I immediately thought it might be an annulment. Well, I don’t have a choice but to sign it. I will not hesitate to sign if ever there is an annulment. Way better than this for my daughter to grow up.
But I was shocked when I pulled out the paper and read the title. I swallowed and my hand was stuck unable to lift the paper completely.
“Pull it all and read it louder.” He ordered but my hand stayed still.
DNA PATERNITY RESULT.
I looked at Enrique who was looking at me evilly. I met his sharp look at me, his eyes and every hole in his face almost emitting fire.
“I said read it all.” He said calmly.
“What for? I don’t need this.” I didn’t pull the paper and immediately put it back in and put it down. I stood up to leave him.
I was about to go out the door when Enrique suddenly pulled me and pushed me against the wall. He was holding the envelope and staring at me angrily. His hand holding the envelope was raised and one hand was holding me by the shoulder, pushing me to the back of the door.
“I told you to open and read it.”
“I don’t want.”
“Why? Because you are hiding something?”
“I’m not hiding anything.”
“Liar!” He screamed in front of my face so my face turned sideways and I closed my eyes. “How long are you going to hide the truth from me?! How long will you lie to me?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Then I faced him. I can see the anger in his eyes. His face was red and his eyes were wide. He was so thrilled that he just shoved the envelope in my face.
I know what he’s talking about but as long as possible I won’t admit it. I will leave without him knowing.
“I’m leaving.” I remove his hand and turn my back on him but he pulls me back so I face him again. “What do you need?”
“You really don’t want to admit it? You really don’t want to tell me the truth?”
“I don’t even know what you’re talking about. Are you holding an annulment? Give me and I will sign it. But if it’s not good, then burn it.”
“Why you are still being stubborn? I already caught you but still denied it?” I just smirked and fixed myself.
“Then tell me what you want to know. I want to hear it from you.”
“That Ixora is my daughter!” Although I am expecting that’s what he would say, I was still silent. Clear, that he already knows that truth. “That she is my daughter and you hide it for me.”
I just stare at him. His face and the way he acts are like he was going to bet me. If before, his face was only blushing, now his whole face is red from anger.
“You lied to me. From telling me that Ixora is my niece and later telling me that she’s not a Locsin and now…..” He came closer to me while gritting his teeth. He turned his face to mine. “—-now, I will find out that she is my daughter.”
“You’re hallucinating, she is not—-”
“She’s my fucking daughter!”
“So what?!” I screamed even louder than his scream. “What if she’s yours?!”
“What? What did you say?” He calmed down a bit.
“Why? Will something change, Enrique?” He glares at me. If only the stare could kill I would have fallen a while ago but hell I care. I don’t care about her feelings because my feelings are more important to me and no one else understands me but me. So why would I care about others’ feelings?
“Has anything changed now that you know she’s yours? Nothing, right? You still treat me like that. You still hate me and you still don’t like me. No matter what you are to Ixora, you still won’t change your dealings with me. Nephew, strangers, or even your daughter, you will stay you are towards me. You hate me and you will still hate me. You look at me like trash. So don’t act like you are affected that I didn’t tell you that Ixora is your daughter. You’re just pretending to be angry because you found a reason to be angry with me.”
“I have the right to know because I am the father.”
“Father? Father? It’s like you just told me that no matter what happens, you’d rather have to have kids with a prostitute than me. Your pretender. You pretend to be angry that I didn’t tell you that you are the father but deep inside, the truth is—–you are angry because you had a child with me. Because the truth is you hate me. You are angry because I became the mother of your firstborn. You are angry because you really don’t want Ixora to be your child. You don’t like the child whose mother I am, so you don’t like my child.”
“That’s not true.”
“That’s the truth. You don’t want Ixora to be your child. You don’t like her because I’m her mother. And that’s the real reason why you’re angry.”
“Stop saying nonsense.”
“You don’t want my daughter!”
“Stop!”
“You don’t like Ixo—-”
“I said stop!” He raised his hand so I stepped back. I looked at his hand that was in the air and could hit me in the face at any time.
“Alright, go ahead, hurt me. Slap me—-” I didn’t finish what I was going to say when he punched the door. I even felt the wind pass by the side of my ear.
“Don’t blame me for the things you did. Don’t blame me for your stupidity in hiding the truth and now you want me to feel guilty? You really just proved to me that you are not worth loving and living with. Yes, I don’t want you to be the mother of my child. I don’t want you to be my wife and I don’t want you to be a family. But the fact that Ixora is my daughter cannot be changed. She’s mine, my daughter, even if you are the mother. And it can’t change. And now that I know that truth. You can’t take her away from me. We are both going to die in Dandelion Daze… But my daughter is mine. Leave this fucking house and I don’t care. But my daughter is mine even if it’s your family I can fight against it.”
“If I leave this house I will take my daughter with me and nothing can be done.”
“Try me, now try me and now take my daughter away from me. Get her away from me so you know what I can do.”
“I’m not afraid of you, Enrique.”
“I did not tell you to be afraid of me, Dandelion. Ixora is my daughter and she is mine. He will not leave my side. Put that in your stubborn mind, or all of us will be put in shame including your parents for what their youngest did.”