Lucy returned to the hospital with a nylon bag filled with provisions and a sneer on her face. Her anger increased as she reflected on the little meeting with April.
She needed to inform her lady of the recent developments, but first, she had to see her father. When Lucy stepped into the hallway that led to her father’s ward, she noticed a little crowd at his door.
Her eyes narrowed as she hastened her steps, wondering about the situation. As she came closer, she noticed the looks on people’s faces when they saw her, some nurses going as far as giving her a hug.
“What is going on? Where is my father?” She asked when she found her father’s bed empty.
“Miss Garfield,” The attending doctor stated with a sombre look on his face.
“No! Where is my papa?! Where have you taken him?”
“I’m sorry. Your father fell while trying to use the bathroom, we found his dead body.” The doctor informed her, “I am sorry for your loss.”
Lucy felt her world end as the bags of provision fell from her hand. She blinked repeatedly, unable to believe it. There was no way. No way that her father who she saw an hour ago was gone.
“No! It can’t be! Take me to my father! Take me to him!”
Nurses held Lucy as she struggled against their hold and wept sorely. Was this it? Was this the act of April Rivera? Did she do this? Did she kill her father?
After much strife, Lucy was taken to the cold room where her father was fridged. The sight of the old man who took care of her, smiled at her and brought joy to her life, lying cold and dead was the last straw that broke the camel’s back.
With her father as the only living, surviving family member, she was alone in the world. The stark realization of that fact was enough to send her on the floor, unconscious.
June was in her room when she got a call from the hospital. Hearing that her assistant was lying unconscious in the hospital was everything she needed to leave everything and rush down to the hospital.
“She killed him!” Lucy sobbed, “She killed my papa! She told me I would regret it! She did it!”
June held Lucy on the bed as she lamented without stopping. After hearing how April had threatened her and the sudden demise of her father, June was boiling with anger.
Throughout that day, June stayed around the hospital, and only left when Lucy had fallen asleep. The stress lines in her forehead were obvious and it seemed like Lucy had aged a thousand years from the last time she saw her.
Meanwhile, in the Lontoc Family home, April was having a feast for dinner with her in-laws. Her mother was also present in the house as they feasted happily.
“Ethan, serve her water instead,” April said when Ethan made to pour some juice for his mother, Olivia at the table. “Mother is not getting younger anymore, the last thing we need is for my mother-in-law to fall sick before the wedding.”
Olivia gritted her teeth at the words of April who had now made herself a god over them. “I think I am okay with having a drink. Besides, your mother is fine and I think she is older than me.”
Evelyn turned around, not bothering to hide her displeasure, “Are you trying to insult me?” She asked straightforwardly and in a cutting tone.
Ethan felt cold sweat drip down his body. “Of course not, Mother! My mother is just-”
“Trying to insult my mother.” April finished for him, her displeasure clear from her tone.
“Oh dear!” Olivia said, feigning an apology. “I didn’t realise it was an insult, I was only saying the fact. If I am not allowed to-”
“Shut up!” April said with a frown marred on her face. “One more word from you and you won’t have anything to eat in this house. Let’s see if you are able to keep young with no food in that stomach of yours.”
“Apologize to my mother this instant!” She snapped with fire in her eyes.
Olivia hesitated, she couldn’t believe that she had been reduced to such ridicule in her own house. All because her son had stupidly signed off the company to an enemy he called a wife.
Ethan brushed his mother when she was yet to speak, shooting a pleading look her way. Olivia swallowed, her pride lodged in her throat as she tried to do as she’d been told.
“Since you are finding it hard to-”
“I’m sorry!” Olivia said to April before she could finish her sentence.
A small smile made its way to April’s face at the sight of her Mother-in-law’s head bowed in respect. This was how things were supposed to be. And she was going to make sure it remained like that.
“I think you are speaking to the wrong person,” April said in a hard tone. “It was my mother you disrespected, you shouldn’t just apologize. You should kneel and kiss her feet while apologizing.”
An evil glint passed the eyes of Evelyn, who pretended like she was less concerned but loved seeing the haughty Olivia being put in her place by her daughter.
“That’s the only way I would be satisfied with your apology.”
Ethan’s mother who had been bearing the insults because of her son couldn’t take it anymore. Before her son could stop her this time around, she blew up.
“How dare you? How dare you insult me in this manner?!” She roared, and April laughed. “Have you forgotten who I am? I am the Madame of Lontoc Constructions! How dare you utter such nonsense!”
By now, Olivia Lontoc was on her feet, her eyes blazing as she hit the table in anger. “I allowed you into my home, treated you like a family and this is what you do?”
Evelyn spoke with a cold look on her face. “For someone under my daughter’s mercy, you speak out of turn too often.”
“Did you forget that the moment your son signed off the papers, you became as useless as a church rat? How could someone be so stupid as not to know their benefactor?!” Evelyn’s tone was harsh and merciless.
“Do you know my daughter can decide to throw you out of this property? Have you taken her graceful nature for granted?!”
Ethan was quivering by the corner, confused about how to stop the storm that ravaged the two mothers. At that moment, the sound of a wheel against the floor dragged the attention of the people.
Olivia felt her heart plummet when she saw one of the maidens wheeling her husband into the dining area. “Why have you brought him out?! Take him back this instant!”
“He goes nowhere,” April said in an absolute tone, got up from the table and made her way towards Gary Lontoc, who was seated in a wheelchair, unable to speak or use his body. “I wanted my father-in-law to join the party. I see his condition is yet to improve.”
Ethan’s jaws flexed as he watched April circle his father with a mocking look on her face, “I miss seeing him so full of life and words. Have you been taking care of him?” She asked the maid, who was also a nurse.
“Mr. Lontoc has been placed under intensive care.” The nurse reported. “He is far from where he began and responding to treatments.”
“I see.” April turned towards the dining area where her mother-in-law and the others stood. “It is clear that my mother-in-law over here has a lot of time on her hands,”
“Your work ends today.” She said to the nurse, then turned to Ethan. “Make sure she gets paid for the time she spent here.”
“W-why?” Ethan stuttered, “Why are you firing her?”
“I am not firing her, I am just reassigning duties.” An evil smile. “Who better to take care of an ailing man than his wife?”
A smile stretched on Evelyn’s face. “My daughter is smart.” She praised with a proud look on her face.
“W-what do you mean?” Olivia muttered, “My husband needs professional care! You have forbidden us from going to the hospital and kept his condition hidden. Do you also want to stop him from receiving medical attention?”
“Of course not! That would make me a bad daughter-in-law, won’t it?” April said with a tick in her tone. “I just thought, since you are home, and are not doing anything at the moment but occupying space, it wouldn’t be wrong for you to take care of your husband, would it?”
Olivia was close to losing her mind, “He has a stroke! He needs professional help!”
“Baby, please don’t do this,” Ethan begged, but April sported a sealed look on her face.
“Olivia will take up the duty of taking care of her husband moving forward.” She said without a second thought. “Who knows, Father might recover quickly when he has the support of his wife!”
All efforts to talk April out of her decision were futile.
At the end of dinner, Olivia kneeled at Evelyn’s feet, crying and begging for forgiveness.
“Please! My husband needs help! He needs to be attended to! I’m sorry for my disrespect! I promise it won’t happen again.”
All of which fell on deaf ears.