“When you see Fuego, can you pretend you know nothing about these things I told you?”
The color drained from his face.
“Please, Josef… I beg you.”
“And you expect me to be okay with that? My uncle cheated on his girlfriend, and he got you pregnant!” he roared.
Clara flinched, but she did not say a word.
“This is driving me insane, Clara. He has to take responsibility. That’s his blood in your tummy!”
“I know. But I don’t want him to stay with me because of pity. He had always shown me kindness. It was my fault I was pathetic all my life.”
Josef grabbed her hand.
“Will you stop being mean to yourself, Clara? You’re not pathetic. You’re a wonderful woman. You’re only vulnerable, and my bastard uncle took advantage of that by sleeping with you.”
“No, you got it wrong. It was the other way around. I can’t blame him if he lied that he had a girlfriend before we met.”
“Stop defending him. I know he’s my uncle, and I look up to him. But this isn’t right, Clara.”
“This is why I hesitated to tell you the truth. I don’t want to ruin your relationship with Fuego. He cared about his family. He cared about you.”
Josef fell silent and avoided her gaze for a moment. He knew it was true. Fuego cared about him.
“He should know the truth as soon as possible. He should be a man.”
“Do you think he will listen after I hurt him?”
“He does not have a choice,” he said firmly. Josef leaned to wiped her tears with his handkerchief. “Don’t stress yourself too much. That’s my cousin you’re carrying. I want him or her to take after me.”
Clara laughed as she cried harder.
“I-I’m sorry, Josef. I d-don’t deserve you.”
“It’s okay. I understand. Don’t be sad now. Here’s my suggestion. Leave this shop to me, and I’ll do my best to manage it until you return. I know this shop means a lot to you. You don’t need to lose Jennifer and Agnes, too. Does that make you feel better?”
Clara nodded like a child.
“T-thank you. I don’t know if I could ever repay you.”
“You don’t have to. We’re family now. Let’s just say I’m doing this for my cousin.” Josef smiled.
CLARA went to Aunt Carlota’s office after talking to Josef. She was supposed to do it alone, but he insisted on driving for her because he was worried about her condition. She never once thought that he was the kind of friend she needed.
“Do you want me to go up with you?” Josef asked.
“No. You’ve done enough already. I can manage. I have to do it for the baby.” Clara smiled.
Josef nodded.
“All right. I trust you.” He pulled her into his arms and tapped her back lightly. “I’ll be here waiting. I’ll never leave you.”
“Thank you, Josef. I’ll never forget this for the rest of my life.” She took a deep breath as she pulled away. “Wish me luck.”
CLARA’S heart was pounding as she rode the elevator. It felt like time had slowed down. She brought her hands together and realized they were cold and slightly trembling.
Aunt Carlota’s office was the place she frequented the least. Until now, she still felt like she did not belong there. Sometimes she wondered if her life had been different if Aunt Carlota trusted her capabilities.
When the elevator finally opened, she drew a loud breath as she stepped out. She was almost at Aunt Carlota’s office when the door opened and Dessa, her assistant, came out.
“Miss Clara,” she greeted.
“H-Hi, Dessa. Is Aunt Carlota busy?”
“Well, she’ll be having a meeting in half an hour. Can I get you something?”
“No, I’m fine. Thank you. I’ll just go talk to her.”
Dessa nodded and smiled politely.
“See you around, Miss Clara.”
Clara pushed the door opened. She found Aunt Carlota sitting in front of her laptop. She glanced up. For a moment, she looked surprised.
“Hi, Auntie,” she greeted weakly.
“Clara.” She shifted on her seat. “What are you doing here?”
Clara closed the door and sauntered to her table.
“I came here to say goodbye,” she said.
Aunt Carlota’s jaw dropped.