I don't know what's gotten into my mind, but as soon as I heard that mom, our mom who betrayed us before and just casually blamed our father for all of the misfortunes we had before, I immediately booked a ticket for me and told Kendric that I'll be away for a while. He was supposed to come back with me, but I don't want to disturb his whole schedule for this month, so I decided to go home all by myself.
Reagan waited for me in the airport hours ago before the landing of the plane, and even his expression was a bit surprised that I got home this instant when I heard the news.
The whole corporate world is also notified about what's happening to our mom, and it seems like she's literally publicized what's happened to her. I just scoffed in disbelief as I heard from Reagan what she did. Now, the whole media has their eyes on her after what she revealed to everyone.
"She even has the time to tell the whole world about it, even though she's dying the whole time," I said as I slammed the tablet on the back seat. Reagan looked at me and just shook his head.
"Well, it's your mother being the dramatic queen that she ever wanted." I was shocked to hear a harsh comment coming from Reagan. This is the first time he has voiced his opinion about our family.
"Where is she, by the way?" I asked.
"She's in the mansion, just as she always has been," he said, handing me a note.
At first, I was confused, but when I saw who it was for, I remained silent and read the whole letter.
…
Angela,
You have been a good daughter for both of us. I never doubted any of your achievements before, and even now that you're away in a city that you're unfamiliar with, you've handled all the hardships that have come your way. I'm very proud of what you have done now, and I'm so much happier seeing how you excel in the things that used to be your hobby before. I should have realized that I shouldn't have been uptight with everyone, especially you. I know I've hurt you the most since you found out what's happening behind closed doors, but I'm still hoping that you can forgive me. It's a big favor to ask from you, but I hope that you find in your heart a way to forgive me.
Mother
…
"What is this? Her last statement?" I asked ridiculously.
"I found it in her bag one time she went out all of a sudden," Reagan said, not looking in my direction. "I think she already wrote that beforehand, while she's still here and alive or after she found out what's been happening to her health."
"What's her condition, if I may ask?" I asked softly this time as I rested my back on the back seat and watched the cars moving beside us.
"She has leukemia; the doctor already told her to get treated, but it looks like she's too hardheaded to agree with the kind of treatment she'll be having," Reagan explained.
"Is she trying to get herself killed?" I asked lazily.
"Most likely," he replied shortly.
The trip back to the mansion where I spent most of my teenage years gave me a nostalgic feeling. It brings me back to those times when the only problem I had was what I should wear for a certain day or how my hair should be done. I remember the tree house, where I spent most of the time hiding while Arielle shouted my name once more after I accidentally destroyed one of her toys or books. This is where I grew up, and it will continue to have a special place in my heart, even though this is where my whole life got crushed in an instant.
I got out of the van, and I immediately saw Arianne standing at the front door waiting for me. She hugged me so tight at first, but I suddenly heard her sobbing softly.
"Don't be such a baby now," I teased her, even pinching her nose.
"Arielle's in the kitchen while Mom's resting upstairs; do you want to see her first?" Arianne asked while she wipe away her tears.
"I'll just go see Arielle; you're the one who should be upstairs now."
Arianne eventually followed what I told her to do, while I went straight to the kitchen to look for my older sister. I found her sitting quietly in the dining area as she looked at the tree right in front of her through the window. She seemed restless.
"Look at you, having some alone time," I said to catch her attention.
She took a glance in my direction and smiled before she looked back to the tree where our father had built our tree house before.
"I can't believe we came back here," she said before she deeply sighed.
Arielle also had a lot of trauma in this house. Even though she wasn't talking about it, I knew that she was a lot worse than me. I've seen and heard her crying in her room most of the time, and up until now she's not told a soul about what's going on in her mind. I only know the surface of every problem she has, but I know that there's a much deeper wound that she's trying to cover. It's hard to be like her, actually.
"Did you see her condition?" I asked.
She shook her head and chuckled a bit.
"Have you?" she asked back.
I also shook my head in response.
In the meantime, I made myself coffee and eventually sat across the table from her. We remained silent the whole time while she stared at the tree house and I scrolled through social media. One of the headlines is still about our family, and it really stinks that we're getting not-so-good publicity again.
"You should see her," Arielle finally said.
"Go see her first," I teased her.
I crossed my arms in front of my chest and pouted. I know I'm not going to win against my sister, but I'm just trying to tease her to see if she can give in.
"You're still petty," she said before she rolled her eyes and stood up. I smiled and stood up after she did. I'm just going to see mom if I'm with her. Plus, it'll just be awkward for me knowing that I've already read the letter she prepared for me.
We went upstairs, and Arielle was just about to knock on the door when Arianne opened it, and she was startled to see both of us.
"She's half awake, but you can see her now," Arianne said.
I was about to step backwards, but then Arielle held my arms and pulled me inside the room. There, I saw Mom lying in their bed with an IV drip in her hand. There were also antibiotics inserted, and she looked so skinny now.
She slightly opened her eyes, and when she saw me, she smiled. I just smirked at what she did. But I stiffened when I saw tears on the side of her eyes.
"You still came."