The Billionaire's First-Born

CHAPTER NINETEEN

It's too hard for us to imagine what led Monique to commit suicide. My parents didn’t have any idea what her real reasons were because I told the people involved in the investigation to keep everything secret from them. They thought that break-up was the reason she committed suicide. They had no idea that Monique took her own life because of a traumatic experience.

Seeing my parents blame themselves made me sad. I told myself that I had no right to tell them the truth because I was considering their health here. Their health is at stake here. The suspects are already incarcerated, so why should I tell them?

Am I right? Why do I feel like I'm doing bad things?

I leaned against the tree behind us. Marco's eyes remained looking at me while I was staring at the setting sun.

I raised my lips in a smile even though I knew it wasn’t genuine. It seemed like Marco noticed my expression, so I wasn't surprised when he also leaned on the tree behind us.

We fell silent for a couple of minutes before I answered his question.

"Monique takes her own life because she doesn't trust us. She never trusted us in everything, Marco," I said, thinking about the reason why she took her own life. "She thought we would judge her. She thought she couldn't trust us with her problem. She thought—"

"She thought she could hide her reasons from us forever," he said, which made me look at him. He smiled at me when he noticed my gaze. "Monique took her own life because someone violated her that night. Am I right, Solanna?"

My eyes widened a fraction because of what he said. I secretly turned to look at the area where we were to check if our father was around. I secretly held my chest and sighed in relief when I saw him resting like us near the nipa hut from afar.

I turned to look at Marco, but his eyes remained on the setting sun. He didn't even bother to look at me to see if I also had an idea of Monique's reason.

"I saw her that morning before I went here to the farm," he said. I continued to listen to him. "Someone was talking to her on the phone and it seemed like someone was threatening her at that time. Monique ordered me to call our parents at that time. That's when I noticed that there was something strange in the way she acted."

I slowly lowered my head to restrain myself from crying in front of him. Even though it was three months ago, until now, the memory of how she touched me to seek help at that time kept on bothering me. Until now, I can still hear her cries. The way she tried to seek my help that morning made me blame myself for what happened to her.

I feel like it’s still not enough for me to see those suspects that are still alive. I feel like it's still not enough for me to see them breathing and alive in jail. Seeing them have a comfortable life in jail made me furious.

My sister didn't deserve this kind of justice.

"She told me t-that someone drugged and violated her that n-night," he said before I heard his silent sobs.

I did nothing but move closer to him and put his head on my shoulder while tapping his back.

"She told me that she couldn't tell our parents what happened to her, and she also forced me to stay q-quiet and act like no one knows what happened to her," he added before he turned to look at me. "I promised her a lot of things, but it seems like I can't fulfill that now that she's gone."

I let him cry until he calmed down. I told him what happened at the police station and how Monique’s class adviser helped me get Monique’s justice. I knew that he was still resentful of what happened even though the tears in his eyes were still visible even though he smiled genuinely at me.

"I know that Monique is finally happy wherever she is now, Marco," I said, which made him smile a bit. "Everything happens for a reason. I know Monique will be happy when she sees you smile and keep your promises to her, right?"

He shrugged at me and didn't even speak when we saw our father, who was now smiling at us while waving his hand.

"From now on, you will take care of our parents," I said, but he didn't turn to look at me. His eyes were fixated on where our father was. "Show them that even though Monique is no longer here, you can still be able to take care of them, especially now that I'm leaving as well."

That's when he decided to turn to look at me. "Why?" he asked. "Where are you going, Solanna?" I just shrugged and smiled at him. "You told me before that you needed to work somewhere. Where are you going? Are you trying to keep it a secret from me just like what Monique did?"

My brows furrowed because of what he said.

I said, "No," while pinching his red cheeks. "Your sister is going to work somewhere far from this place, and don't worry because I'll send you a lot of money and chocolate once I save up. Is that okay with you, Marco?" I smiled at him, but he didn't reciprocate my smile.

"I don't want your money even though you bring me lots of bags of chocolate," he said. I did nothing but frown in front of him. "But if it's for the good of our parents, then go."

"Why do you sound like you're upset with my decision?"

He puckered his lips. "I'm really upset with you, Solanna, and you can't change my mind." I chuckled because of what he said. "Mom told us that we needed to go home early because she cooked your favorite spring rolls."

"Spring rolls aren't my favorite," I said, which made his lips purse a bit before he decided to get up from his seat. I asked, "That's your favorite dish, isn't it?" before my eyes narrowed a bit while looking at him.

"Indeed."

I hurriedly stood up from my seat and jokingly put my hands across his shoulder. We agreed to go to the nipa hut where our father was to take him home.

We harvested a lot of peanuts, and I will help mom sell them at the market tomorrow morning. My best friend texted me before that we would meet, and Spencer and I also agreed that I would meet him at the basketball court tomorrow because he would also give me something. I don't have any idea what he will give me, but I don't know why, but I felt something weird towards him.

Ever since I decided to quit my job, he has always checked on me. He always asked me if I was okay or if I still had my savings. He always asked me about my whereabouts and where I was.

I felt something weird, but I don't want to conclude anything because I don't have enough evidence to judge him.

I stared at the candle on the veranda. I watched that last candle melt until the fire that lit it was completely extinguished. I sighed heavily because of the thoughts that were gradually entering my mind right now.

I was just staring at the candle when I saw a white smoke pass in front of me. I shut my mouth and secretly closed my eyes for a few minutes before I decided to enter the living room.

Monique doesn't want me to be seen lighting a candle on the veranda before. She always bans me because she thinks that I’m just wasting a candle. She doesn't have any idea that I do this thing whenever I have a problem.

I know that it sounds weird to other people, but lighting a candle for me is a part of my healing cycle. I do this whenever I have a problem. I will think about my problem and whisper it to the candle before I blow it until it dies. My friends taught me about this kind of cycle, and somehow it still helps me whenever I have a problem.

Okay, Just because you have a problem does not mean that you just have to rely on the candle to get rid of your problem. Of course, you should think of solutions to your problem because I'm not a belied person. I only do it because... because I want to!

I felt a bit horrified because of what I saw. I'm also afraid of ghosts and I believe in them because I've seen ghost like them once in the comfort room of our house.

Monique has this habit of bluffing us every time she has a chance, and I know that even though a few months have passed since she died, there's a possibility that she will appear in our dream or in real life.

"Where have you been, Solanna?" my father asked me when I hurriedly sat down in the seat where I was supposed to be. I saw how he furrowed his brows when he saw me gasping for breath because of what I saw. "Are you okay?"

I slowly nodded my head and didn't dare to tell them what I saw. I know that each of us is still in the healing stage. As soon as I can shut my mouth, I will shut it.

There's nothing wrong if I keep it a secret from them, right? It isn't a big deal. That smoking isn't a big deal. Keep that in your mind, Solanna Anastavia Javier.

My mother said, "Henrietta called me a while ago," which made me turn to look at her with confusion plastered on my face. "She asked me when they could pick you up, Solanna."

I shrugged at her. "Maybe next week or one of these days maybe. I still have a lot to settle before I leave, mom," I said, which made her nod at me.

"Is it okay if I tell her next week?"

"It's your choice," I said before I averted my eyes from her.

Remember, Solanna. It wasn't their decision. You are the one who presented yourself as the maid of the family. You're doing this not because of your parents' request. You're doing this as compensation for what they did to your family. You're just doing your part, and your parents are not the ones to blame for the decision you made.

You just need to get along with them.

Two years wasn't a big deal, Solanna. After two years, you will be able to study, and you will get the course you want. After two years of serving their family, you will be able to do whatever you want.

They were simply assisting your family, and you will be assisting their family as well. Henrietta herself said that you will not clean their house because someone will do it for you. They hired me because they wanted me to keep an eye on their son at all times.

Based on what she said, it seems like I will still look like a personal secretary for their firstborn.

I wished that I could reconcile with that man, because otherwise I would voluntarily leave their house even if they tripled my family's debt to theirs.

I wished that he wasn't like the man I met a month ago.

That spoiled chimpanzee.