'Where are you? Please talk to me. Call me back please, Erin.'
I was just looking at the message that Cadmus sent me. I've been staring at it for a while. My tears are still falling. He has a lot of missed calls and messages full of asking where I am or how I am doing. I looked at my cellphone again when I received another notification.
'Let's talk when you're okay. I want to tell you something.'
"What are you planning now?" Nirca asked me. "I thought he was different... It turns out he's the same. He's also a user. He lied..." She shook her head while combing my hair.
"What should I do, Nirca?" I frowned because my tears were about to fall. "I do not know what to do."
She stopped combing my hair. "What does your heart want? Just follow..."
"I would have understood that he came home late, but when I saw the two of them, him with the girl I was worried about, that's when I was really hurt. It's painful, sis. It's like breaking my heart. Shattering it to pieces."
"That's confirmed, sis, you've fallen for him. You're dead meat." She scares me.
"I never knew he would hurt me like this before I even confess to him that I like him for real..."
"You're jealous? Why, do you have something?" This question to me caused me to answer even more. "I'm just saying, you don't really have a label so what do you expect... He's not really tied to you because even though you're his real girlfriend, you're just a girlfriend. He's not your husband yet."
"I don't know what to do, Nirca..." I hugged her as my tears continued to flow.
"Stop that before everyone finds out, Erin. You're only going to get hurt."
I already said it, I will be hurt too... What made me change my mind and risk with him? Hah... I haven't even confessed yet. What is my problem? Well, even though I confessed, I got an answer because I saw them together in the office later that night. He chose that over me. Than my own birthday.
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"Sister Erin! I'm glad you came here. How did you know I'm here?" Cadesia was very happy to see me. She was still clinging to my arm as we walked.
"Manang Aida just mentioned it to me..." I smiled.
I'm in Cadesia's condo. I had intended to visit her and ask some information about the relationship between Amber and Cadmus in the past. I hate overthinking.
"I'm really glad you came here without Kuya." She hugged me again. "I heard you guys had a fight. Is everything okay?" She worriedly asked me.
I smiled at her and patted her hand on my shoulder. She hugged me again.
"Please don't break up with brother... He's stubborn but he is nice. Tell me if I can do anything when you guys had a fight so I can help fix it because I don't want to lose you, Sister Erin. I want you to be Kuya's wife someday! I can't imagine someone else to be Kuya's wife if it's not you." She said seriously to me.
I looked at her. Can I tell her? After all, she already knows the truth that I'm not Amber and she hid it from her father when I told her to.
I moved a few strands of her hair that were on her face. I put it behind her ear before I smiled at her. "I have something to tell you, Cadesia. I know you will be sad when I tell you this. You may even be angry..."
She looked at me innocently. "What is it?" She nervously questioned. "Did you guys break up?" Her eyes began to water.
I shook my head again and again. "Cadesia, no... Please listen to me. Listen to Sister Erin okay..." I sighed again. "The truth is... Your brother and I, we never had a relationship with each other."
"Huh?" Tears came to her eyes. "Is that for real? N-No way..."
I shook my head again while continuing to put a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Shh... I'm not yet finished. Please listen to me..."
"Sister no matter what's that I won't hate you okay? Please remember that." She said tearfully and hugged me again. "W-What is it, Sister Erin?"
My heart really melted while listening to what she was telling me.
"B-Because... Your brother and I have a deal. I don't have a place to live and I won't have anything to pay for my tuition and other fees if I don't work. I was just getting kicked out at my place of work and home but then your brother was there. He gave me an offer that if I became his fake girlfriend he would give me a hundred million."
She covered her mouth while crying. "S-Sister... Sister I understand please don't leave us. It's okay, it's just money---"
"I don't want that money anymore. I fell in love with your brother, Cadesia... And I'm ready to fight for it. I'll be a CEO too someday. Just a little more to wait. But I will not going to leave you..." I cut her off with a smile. "But then I saw him yesterday with his ex, Amber. I also found out that my boss who kicked me out on where I used to work and your brother's ex-girlfriend who I now pretend to be, is the same girl."
"Sister Erin, you must've misunderstood--"
"It's okay... I'm getting out of the plan anyway. And it's almost three months, the end of the deal is soon. So no matter which of the two I choose, I will be able to leave your brother..."
"I thought you will not leave me, Ate..." Her face was full of hope. "Do you want me to punch him? What? Please tell me..."
I held both of her cheeks to wipe them and hugged her.
"We will meet again, Cadesia... I will not let that we won't."
"When are you going to confess to Dad?"
"I want to say as soon as possible, eh..."
"Say what?"
My eyes widened when Senyor Arcajante reappeared from behind us. He is now in casual attire and wearing glasses.
"D-Daddy..." Cadesia's voice trembled. "We're just playing! Sister Amber and I just want to roleplay Erin on Goblin! See? I cried! Because the series is really emotional---"
"I've already known your name before the day we met, Ms. Crisostomo. I actually wondered why my son told me your name is Amber. I thought it was just a coincidence that his ex and you have the same name but when I asked what your last name, he also gave me the same as his ex's."
"H-How did you know?" My tears are falling as I look at the old Arcajante.
He smiled at me. "It's been a long time since I saw the Amber that my son used to love. I really thought she's the one my son would marry then we found out she cheated on him." He answered. "He must've thought I'd be mad because he no longer has a girlfriend so I would give all the assets to his old friend who's now in our rival company."
"I-I'm sorry... I just really needed money at that time. But I'll give you back all the money you spent on me---"
"Hija, we've never thought my son would go that far but I've seen he's happy with you so I'm keeping a blind eye. All we gave to you was pure in our hearts and you should never return it."
"That's just daddy's coin, Sister!" Cadesia laughed, still sniffling a cold from crying earlier.
"Why did you fight?"
"W-We didn't fight... I just didn't want to talk to him because I was hurt when I saw him and his ex in his office while she's still holding his chest."
"And it's Sister Erin's birthday yesterday! So annoying!" Cadesia crossed her arms and snorted.
"That jerk!" The old Arcajante laughed. "I'm pretty sure he's not cheating on you... He may be very stubborn and too unpredictable but my son will never do that. His mom and I raised her right, we know."
"You should talk, Sister..." It was Cadesia who said that. "I want you to make up. Please Sister... Stop the plan and make your love with brother real." Her tone was mixed with pleading.
I swallowed. Where do I start now? Well, I didn't know that Senyor Arcajante had known for a long time that Cadmus and I were just fooling around.
If only I hadn't seen him yesterday with his ex who caused me to lose my job and house, I would have been happy today. But if it wasn't for that, I wouldn't be here and I wouldn't know that her daddy knows about the real me.
What explanation can Cadmus give me about what I saw last night? Why is this woman clutching his chest in his own office at night? What miracles are they doing here?
I can't imagine because I'm really hurt. Cadmus really got close to me.
"He's at the mansion now, waiting for you..." Senyor added.
I smiled even though I didn't know what to do next.
Which of the two should I follow? Nirca or the Arcajante father and daughter? I will choose when I hear Cadmus's explanation. Only then can I think of what I will do as a solution.
Just when I was ready to fight him, this happened.
Is this a sign of fate that we are not really meant for each other?