Shattered Heart

Chapter 9 : "The Inheritance Dilemma"

All the family members seated around the table directed their gaze toward Diego, who was nursing a slap from his mother. His right hand cradled his eye, extending down to his cheek.

"I'm ashamed to have such a useless child like you," Marisa lashed out at Diego, her gaze then shifting to her other sons as she added with disdain, "In fact, all of you are useless."

Jackson pressed for an explanation once more. "Please, tell us what you did with such a significant amount of money and why you took it from the company in such a manner."

Marisa began her explanation, "Yes, the money. I took it to take care of myself, and also in that manner because I am the wife of Miller and the first to give him a male child. That position belongs to my first son, so..."

However, Diego didn't allow her to finish her justification, abruptly cut her off. He spoke with firm determination as he lowered his hand from his cheek, revealing blood trailing from the side of his eye.

"I am not your son," he declared emphatically. "We are not your children. We disown you from today as our mother. Of what use are you to us anyway? We are men and will continue to live with our father's name. Disowning you won't take away our share from our father's company. Instead, it will reduce your value. From now on, we will be given our share individually and equally, me and my brothers, directly from Jackson, not you. You will receive only what is meant to be your share. How could a mother care only for herself and her selfish needs, forgetting her children? I thank God you have no daughters, for if you did, I would fear for their safety if they inherited any of your character."

With that, Diego made a decisive exit from the dining table.

Marisa, infuriated by Diego's actions and words, shouted, "How dare you, Diego! Come back here! I am your mother, and you can't change that, you stupid brat!"

Her other sons followed suit, standing up one by one and leaving the dining table. Marisa, still yelling, attempted to stop them. "Come back here, you little brats! How dare you walk out on your mother like that!".

As the last son tried to leave, Marisa rushed to him, struggling to restrain him and yelling, "How dare you, you little brat!" In response, he grew angry and forcefully pushed her away, shouting at her to release her grip.

Marisa's reaction to her sons' disowning her was unexpected. She ended up falling back into the chair she had stood up from, and rather than showing anger or frustration, she started laughing. Jackson didn't back down from his stance. He gave her a warning, "You have only tomorrow to return that money, or you will regret taking it."

Marisa responded by rushing toward Jackson, appearing as though she might engage in a physical confrontation. She leaned over him, her chest almost pressing into his face as she shouted, "So what are you going to do, Jack? Are you going to kill me? Will you murder me, you little i***t? Who do you think you are?" After a few moments of this, she abruptly left the room, leaving a sense of tension behind.

As for her sons, Marisa issued a warning, "As for you little brats, I'm going to teach you the lessons of your lives."

Despite the brief drama, Jackson and the others at the table continued their meals. Antonia, however, was visibly shocked by the incident. It had clearly affected her to the point that she lost her appetite. She decided to leave the dining area.

Mrs. Veronica, noticing Antonia's departure, inquired, "Antonia dear, are you okay? You didn't finish your meal."

Antonia offered a response, "I'm very much okay. I've eaten enough, and my belly can't handle more," punctuating her words with a dramatic laugh.

"Alright, dear. Good night, then," Mrs. Veronica bid her farewell. Antonia left the dinning room, with her mistress, Eliana, following her.

Exhausted, Antonia flopped onto the bed as if she had just endured a long and trying day. Her face pressed into the mattress, and her arms sprawled out to the sides. She remained in this position for a few moments before slowly rolling over to gaze up at the ceiling.

"I can't believe what happened tonight," she murmured to herself. "Was all that fighting because of me or something?"

Turning her attention to her mistress, Eliana, who was also in the room, Antonia sought answers. "What really happened there? What's wrong with everyone? What's the problem in this family?" The weight of the evening's events hung heavily on her mind.

Antonia, still puzzled by the evening's events, sought answers from Eliana. "Is it a long story, Miss Antonia, but it's all tied up to the father/husband's inheritance," Eliana replied.

Antonia was intrigued and inquired further, "Wow, so what is Jack's role in the fight?"

Eliana explained, "Actually, he's the one in charge of the father's company. His father left it to him to take care of and also provide for the family members. But everyone seems to want their own share rather than being taken care of through monthly payments from Master Jackson, which are actually quite generous and more than enough. It's simply greediness because they believe Jackson takes the lion's share when, in reality, he takes nothing more than an equal monthly cut, just like everyone else."

Eliana abruptly stopped speaking as Jackson entered the room.

"Hey, baby," Jackson greeted as he approached Antonia and settled on the bed beside her, a chuckle escaping his lips. "My family is insane. I can't believe what happened tonight."

Antonia, however, didn't share his amusement. She simply looked at him, her expression serious.

"Are you okay, my love? What's the problem?" Jackson asked, placing his hand on her shoulder and gently sliding it up to her cheek. "Talk to me, dear. What's the problem?"

Antonia's response was direct and unfiltered. "You are the problem. How can you just come in here happy after everything that happened at the dining table? Nothing is funny about tonight, Jackson."

In response to her words, Jackson withdrew his hand and instead held hers.

"I know nothing is funny about tonight," he admitted. "I'm just trying to be happy whenever I'm close to you. I don't want to spoil the sweet moments being with you. When you're not here, everything about this family drives me crazy. There's no happiness, no laughter, no smiles in me. But now you're here, and I have something to be happy about. After all the pain I experience from them, I'm happy being close to you, baby. In you, I find my peace."

Antonia then suggested her mistress leave the room, understanding the need to maintain a somber atmosphere after the evening's incidents.

"I'm not supposed to laugh after all this," Jackson continued, "but neither do I want to succumb to depression and negative thoughts. Despite the differences among my mothers, everyone is still my family. I don't have anything to be happy about when things are going wrong. Maybe I should just divide the inheritance so that everyone can find peace. After all, my father wouldn't be happy to see his family tearing apart. I'm tired of this pain."

He moved towards the window, gazing outside with one hand on the wall and the other resting at his back. Antonia, sensing the sadness within him, approached and hugged him from behind.

"It's either the family or the company," Jackson continued, "one has to go for the other to stay. Most people would choose family first, so the company has to go. My stepbrother Anthony, the third wife's first son, is in prison because of the same problem. Who knows what will happen next?".

Antonia's soothing words filled the room. "Nothing will happen next," she assured Jackson gently, "Don't let the words of your tongue destroy the blessings of days to come. No matter what happens, you need to have faith and keep pushing. In one way or another, I believe there are solutions to these problems without losing your family or the company itself. You just need to have patience and keep seeking solutions. Some problems are not solved in a day; it takes time."

Antonia then nestled herself into the small space between Jackson and the window, pulling him into a deep and passionate kiss. Their embrace seemed to last for an extended period, a moment of solace in the midst of turmoil. However, it was abruptly interrupted by the unexpected sight of Mrs. Marisa outside the house. She was standing in the rain with an unknown man, both shielded by umbrellas.

The shadows of Antonia and Jackson on the windowpane cast their reflections on the ground, illuminated by the light in the room. The man outside noticed the shadows and looked up at the window, where he saw Antonia and Jackson sharing their intimate moment. He glared at them, his attention fixed above, which also drew Mrs. Marisa's gaze upward. She moved closer to the man, apparently urging him to leave, demonstrated by her attempts to open the taxi door and pull him away. However, the man appeared resolute, standing firm and continuously glaring at them, ignoring her efforts to persuade him to leave.

The man outside continued to glare at them for what felt like an eternity, a tense 30 seconds that seemed to stretch on. Finally, he entered the waiting taxi, which drove off slowly. Mrs. Marisa turned her gaze upwards once more before she eventually made her way inside the house.

Inside the room, Jackson appeared deeply concerned. "I don't think you're safe in this house. You should stay in a hotel or somewhere else," he advised Antonia, his voice reflecting his distress. He turned and walked to the bed, sitting down heavily.

Antonia, however, was resolute. "I'm not leaving this house. I'm staying," she replied firmly.

Jackson's face showed his worry. "Antonia, this is not a child's play. This matter is serious. I won't be around all the time, and neither will my mom or sisters. I don't want to put you in a bad situation. They might use you as a tool against me because their focus is solely on the inheritance. None of them in this family, except for me, my mom, and my sisters, truly care about you. I don't want them to exploit you, please. You need to stay somewhere else. You can invite your friends to stay with you, and I'll take care of all the expenses. It's just for your safety."

Antonia was left speechless, her emotions swirling. She simply lay on the bed and covered herself with a blanket, her silence speaking volumes. Jackson, understanding her decision, gently opened the blanket near her head and planted a tender kiss on her forehead, bidding her a quiet good night. Antonia still remained silent.