In Bed with The Governor (R+18 English)

Chapter 12

I could only stare blankly into nothingness.

It felt like half of my life had been taken away from me. I had no strength left, no reason to keep going. I couldn’t bring myself to look at my mother lying inside her coffin.

There were people who came to offer their condolences, but I didn’t even know most of them.

“Adriana, eat something first so you’ll have some strength,” Bulma said.

I only looked at her.

“Later, B. I’m not hungry yet,” I answered weakly.

She sighed and sat beside me.

“I understand that the sadness you’re feeling right now is unbearable. But you need to eat. You need to regain your strength. Emma wouldn’t be happy if she saw you like this.”

Tears immediately rolled down my cheeks as I looked at Bulma.

“I-I’m trying, B. But even drinking water feels difficult. My heart hurts so much. I have so many regrets.” My voice broke. “I-If I had only known that Mama would be taken away from me this soon, I would’ve made the most of every second I had with her. I wish I hadn’t let my awkwardness get in the way. I wish I had given her more time with me.”

Bulma pulled me into her arms, pity evident in her eyes.

“Just cry until you’re tired. But remember this, Adriana. There’s no use regretting the things we should’ve done once they’re already gone. They can no longer feel all those things we wished we had done for them before. What you can do now is fulfill the things that would’ve made her happy. Your mother was a good woman. Despite everything, she never forgot you. Fate was simply cruel and took her too soon.”

She gently rubbed my back.

“If you want to make it up to her even though she’s no longer here, live a happy and peaceful life. Choose to be happy even on the days when you don’t feel like you can. Especially on the days when everything feels too difficult.”

I sniffled and nodded.

Bulma wiped my tears for me.

“Come on. Eat something first, then go home and get some rest. We’ll take care of things here for now.”

I shook my head.

“I don’t want to. I’ll just take a nap here later. I’m not leaving Mama’s side. Tomorrow, I won’t be able to be with her anymore. I need to make the most of every hour that she’s still here. I can still see her face.”

Bulma fixed my hair and let out a deep breath.

“Adriana, our condolences.”

I turned around and saw two of my friends standing nearby.

I gave them a small smile and thanked them.

Bulma took care of them afterward, while I forced myself to eat at least a little.

My eyes remained fixed on my mother’s coffin in front of me.

A sob escaped my lips.

I forced myself to swallow even though it felt like there was a huge lump lodged in my throat.

I didn’t know how I was supposed to live without her.

⸻

It was already afternoon the next day when we buried my mother.

I think I had cried until there were no tears left inside me.

I simply stared blankly as they slowly covered her grave with soil.

Eventually, everyone went home.

Everyone except me.

I asked to be left behind, and Bulma understood.

I hadn’t seen my stepfather after the funeral. He had suddenly disappeared.

Why was it that whenever someone died, even the sky seemed to grieve with us?

“M-Mama…”

My voice trembled as I stared at her grave.

“I never got to tell you how much I missed you. How much I loved you. We spent years apart. And now that we finally had the chance to be together again, you were taken away from me so soon.”

My voice cracked.

“It’s just so unfair.”

I closed my eyes as a cold breeze brushed against my skin.

“Let me be sad for now, okay? Don’t worry about me. I’ll try to be happy for you.”

I sniffled.

“Don’t worry about me anymore. I’ll be okay. I’ll manage somehow.”

I took a shaky breath.

“Thank you, Ma. I love you so much.”

I stood up and looked at her tombstone.

“I hope you’re happy wherever you are now. I have so many questions, but I’ll bury them with everything else and let them fade away.”

My tears fell again.

“I love you so much.”

I quickly wiped them away.

Taking one last deep breath, I walked out of the cemetery as the rain began to fall.

I hailed a taxi outside and asked the driver to take me to my stepfather’s house.

I didn’t know what I was supposed to do next.

When I arrived, the house was eerily quiet.

I was halfway up the second floor when I saw Yoa standing there with a serious expression on his face.

It looked like he had been waiting for me.

“We need to talk,” he said coldly.

I nodded and followed him.

He stopped by the large veranda and turned to face me.

“Aren’t you going to change?”

“Tell me now. I’m okay. Don’t worry about me.”

“Your mother asked me to tell you the truth only after she was gone.”

“What truth?”

“That she had cancer.”

I froze.

“What?”

“She didn’t want you to be sad. She wanted to make the most of the days she had while she was slowly making up for the time she lost with you. But life really has its own surprises.”

He paused.

“She got into an accident.”

I shook my head in disbelief.

“You knew Mama had cancer?”

He didn’t answer.

I walked toward him and slapped him across the face.

“What the hell?” he snapped.

“You knew my mother was sick, yet you still had the guts to bring another woman here. And you deliberately acted like that even when you knew Mama was here.”

My voice rose with every word.

“Have you no shame? People have such a high opinion of you, but behind closed doors, your disrespect screams so loudly. Have some decency and respect. You don’t even have an ounce of it.”

My breathing became heavier.

“I don’t know what was really going on between you and my mother, but the things you’re doing are disgusting. You’re disgusting!”

My heart was pounding violently.

I didn’t even understand where I was getting the courage to speak to him like this—to hurt him like this.

I was blinded by anger.

“You have absolutely no shame. Yes, my mother never complained to you, but you should’ve at least considered that she was sick. You never even thought about whether she was hurting.”

I glared at him.

“You caused her so much stress, and I wouldn’t be surprised if her accident had something to do with you and that woman.”

Yoa’s expression immediately hardened.

He grabbed me firmly by the shoulders.

“You don’t talk to me like that, Adriana. What the hell do you know?”

His voice was heavy and ice-cold.

“You know nothing about what happened, so don’t act like you knew everything. Do you think your mother would’ve lived this long if it weren’t for me?”

His eyes burned with anger.

“The audacity of you accusing me of things I’m not guilty of. You should be ashamed of yourself too. Even though I knew you would only be a burden to us, I accepted you because of your mother’s request. I considered her request for the sake of our—”

“What?”

I challenged him.

He abruptly released me.

The force nearly made me lose my balance.

“Shut up!”

I flinched.

The look in his eyes frightened me.

“What exactly are you trying to imply, Adriana? I understand that you’re grieving. I understand that you’re not okay. But accusing me won’t help you.”

He pointed a finger at me.

“You’re only making things harder for yourself. You’re looking for someone to blame because you want to bury your regrets.”

He stepped closer.

“You don’t do that to me. Not once has anyone dared to do that to me.”

I couldn’t speak.

I was trembling from fear and the cold that seemed to settle over my entire body.

Yoa looked at me and cursed under his breath when he saw my condition.

When he moved toward me, I instinctively backed away until my back hit the wall.

Before I could say anything, he lifted me into his arms.

I was about to struggle when he shot me a sharp look.

“You’re so damn stubborn.”

He carried me into my room and carefully placed me on the bed.

He grabbed a robe before disappearing into the bathroom.

A few moments later, he came back out.

“I already prepared your bathtub. Fix yourself up and don’t give me another problem. I’ve had enough already, so don’t add to it.”

He looked at me.

“Talk to me when you’re okay. And don’t force yourself to pretend you’re strong. I know you’re not.”

Then he walked out.

I remained sitting there with my head bowed, crying silently.

Eventually, I forced myself to stand.

I went into the bathroom and sank into the bathtub.

I stayed there for hours.

Until I didn’t even realize that I had fallen asleep.

⸻

“Sir Gov, Adriana isn’t answering. Maybe she’s tired. She might already be asleep, but she told me before that she’s a light sleeper. Even the slightest noise wakes her up immediately.”

Yoa suddenly stopped.

He stood up and hurried upstairs.

“Call our doctor.”

“Why, Sir?”

He didn’t answer.

He practically flew up the stairs.

He opened my bedroom door.

I wasn’t on the bed.

He immediately rushed into the bathroom.

I was submerged in the water.

“f**k!”

He quickly pulled me out and grabbed the robe from the side, covering my body with it.

He cursed repeatedly under his breath before immediately performing CPR.

Bulma rushed into the bathroom and froze in shock.

“Come on, Adriana,” Yoa muttered angrily.

He performed resuscitation again.

“Diyos kong bata ka!” Bulma exclaimed in panic.

“Where’s the doctor?”

“He’s still on the way.”

Yoa’s clothes were already soaked through.

Then I suddenly coughed.

My body felt unbearably weak.

Yoa immediately stood and looked away when the robe slipped slightly.

Bulma glanced at him discreetly.

He raised an eyebrow at her.

She simply winked.

His expression darkened.

“Freak,” he muttered.

Bulma suppressed a grin before helping me get dressed.

When she was done, Yoa carried me to the bed and carefully laid me down.

“Get her dressed properly. The doctor might arrive soon.”

Bulma nodded and immediately helped me change.

A few moments later, the doctor arrived.

They watched silently as he examined me.

“She’s just stressed. She needs proper rest.”

I slowly opened my eyes.

Yoa and the doctor stepped outside to talk.

After a while, Yoa returned to the room.

I was already sitting on the bed, but I couldn’t bring myself to look directly at him.

He approached me angrily.

“How many times do I have to tell you to stop giving me another problem?”

His voice was irritated.

“Your mother just died. Don’t start doing this now. I still have a lot of things to do. You’ve given me nothing but headaches.”

I looked at him shyly.

“I-I’m sorry. I didn’t realize I had fallen asleep.”

His eyebrow immediately lifted when he heard me say po.

I froze and awkwardly scratched my eyebrow.

“I-I didn’t mean to. I-I mean…”

“Just rest.”

He sighed.

“Spare me this time. I still have a lot to do. I’m tired from dealing with your mother’s funeral. You should rest too.”

He turned toward the door.

“Next time, you can give me another headache.”

I couldn’t say anything.

Yoa left, leaving me alone with Bulma.

She walked over and sat beside me.

“You know, you’re really something.”

I looked at her.

“Even though I know Gov only saved you because he had to, you still got mouth-to-mouth from him. I don’t think your mother would be angry about it anyway. It’s not like there’s anything between them.”

My expression immediately darkened.