THE SIDE PIECE (ENGLISH)

CHAPTER 9

TAMARA

Nyx and I thought Mom would be pleased that we had managed to find a way to keep us from being thrown out of the house, even if it was only for a month.

For the first few weeks, she treated Nyx fairly well. Then, one day, I was startled when she suddenly lost her temper and insisted on going up to my room.

Nyx had told me she was only going into town to buy something for us to cook for lunch. I wanted to go with her, but Mom was home, and it was strange that she hadn’t gone anywhere today. I had been wondering all morning how we were supposed to make it to our part-time job that evening if Mom stayed in the house all day. It seemed unlikely that we would be able to sneak out if she was still here by nighttime.

“Mom, what’s wrong?”

I was completely confused by her insistence on going upstairs and coming into my room.

“Where are that woman’s things?”

Instead of answering my question, she immediately demanded to know where Nyx’s belongings were.

Nyx and I shared my bedroom because that was the only way Mom would allow her to stay in our house.

“Why do you need to go through Nyx’s things, Mom? She’ll be back soon. Let’s just wait for her—”

“Move, Tamara!”

Rather than listen to me, she shoved me aside so forcefully that I nearly fell onto the bed. She marched straight toward the walk-in closet and began opening every door.

I quickly got back on my feet and tried to stop her from rummaging through Nyx’s belongings.

“Mom, please stop. You shouldn’t be going through Nyx’s things—”

“I said move!”

She shoved me aside again.

I cried out when my elbow struck the cabinet beside me.

“Mom—”

My eyes widened when I saw that she was already holding the pouch where Nyx kept her money and other valuables.

“Mom! Give that back! That belongs to Nyx!”

I raised my voice as I tried to stop her, but she shot me an irritated look and blocked me from getting any closer.

My mouth fell open when I saw her quickly stuff Nyx’s money into her pocket before pulling out a necklace.

I stared at it in disbelief.

It was the gold safety-pin necklace Nyx had been wearing the first time I met her.

I still remembered exactly what she had told me about it.

Even though she couldn’t remember anything about her past, she said she had always felt that the necklace was extremely important to her. Even when she had been in the asylum, she had never allowed anyone to take it away from her.

“Is this a real diamond?”

Mom stared at the heart-shaped pendant attached to Nyx’s safety-pin necklace.

I rushed toward her and tried to snatch it back, but she immediately pulled it out of my reach.

“I’m losing money every single day, Tamara. It looks like we have a thief living in this house. And this is the proof.”

She held Nyx’s necklace up.

“You’re already useless to me, and now you’ve brought a thief into my own home!”

“Mom, you’re mistaken! Nyx didn’t steal that necklace! It really belongs to her—”

I stopped when Mom let out a mocking laugh before lowering her head and glaring at me.

“You think someone who owns a necklace this expensive would work as a maid? Are you even thinking, Tamara?! Just admit that you’re stupid enough to have been fooled by a thief!”

With an irritated motion, she threw Nyx’s pouch aside. It was nearly empty now that she had taken all the money and the necklace.

“Mom, please give it back! It belongs to Nyx!”

I continued trying to stop her.

She halted but turned an irritated glare on me.

“When I come back, that thief better be gone, Tamara! If the two of you are still here when I return, I’ll throw you out, too!”

With that, she continued toward the door.

“Mom!”

I hurried after her.

I wasn’t going to let her keep Nyx’s necklace.

“Mom, please give it back to me—”

I stopped calling after her when two people entered the house.

I knew the visitors all too well.

I froze halfway down the stairs, especially when my eyes met Silas Fortier’s.

Fortier Luxe was a prestigious jewelry brand known not only in the Philippines but also in France.

I froze when I saw Silas’s familiar, infuriating smirk.

There was no way I could forget what he had tried to do to me the first time we attended one of his family’s events.

His mother had become close friends with Mom, which was why our family was invited to nearly every event they held. As far as I knew, Silas’s mother was one of the few people who knew our true identities, which explained why she and Mom were so close.

Mom immediately looked at me after greeting the guests.

I stared in shock when I noticed Nyx’s necklace already around her neck.

Mom smiled at me before turning toward the visitors.

“They’re here to discuss your engagement to Silas. You already know what you need to do.”

“E-engagement?”

My eyes widened.

She had never mentioned anything about this to me. I was completely blindsided.

I wasn’t even ready to have a boyfriend, so how could she expect me to get married?

And more importantly, I didn’t want to marry Silas!

“Mom, I’m not ready to get married—”

“And who told you that you have the right to make that decision?”

Her voice was quiet but firm enough to silence my protest.

“But, Mom—”

“Is there something wrong with your daughter?”

Silas’s mother’s question made Mom immediately turn toward her.

I noticed the way she addressed Mom.

We’re not even married yet, and they’re already calling each other in-laws?

“It’s nothing. Please excuse me and my daughter. I just need to talk to her upstairs.”

Mom immediately called for one of the household staff to entertain the guests before grabbing my arm and dragging me back to my room.

She shut the door behind us.

I was still stunned when she suddenly grabbed my face. Her nails dug painfully into the sides of my jaw.

“Don’t you ever dare say anything inappropriate in front of my guests, Tamara! This is the only way I can get this property back! If you refuse to marry him, your father will not come back to the Philippines! Do you understand me? I know you’re stupid, but you’re not completely brainless. I know you understand what I’m telling you!”

I fought back tears.

I wasn’t stupid. I understood exactly what was happening.

But I wasn’t foolish enough to marry a man who had already shown me that he had no respect for me even before we became husband and wife.

If I became his wife, there was no doubt he would force me to do whatever he wanted.

And I didn’t want that.

“But do I really have to marry him, Mom? I can talk to Dad so we can find another way to keep the house and property—”

I didn’t get to finish.

She slapped me.

I froze.

I was so shocked that I couldn’t even bring myself to look at her.

Mom had never raised a hand against me before.

Not once.

But she had just slapped me.

And I didn’t know how I was supposed to feel about it.

“I thought you had some sense, Tamara. You’re smarter than Tamiko, so I expected you to understand our situation without making things difficult.”

I finally looked at her.

The disappointment in her eyes was unmistakable.

It was a look I had only recently started seeing from her.

When Dad was still providing for us properly, Mom had always been happy and full of energy. But over the past few months, she had become angry and irritable all the time.

She had also started treating me differently after Tamiko disappeared.

At first, I thought she was simply stressed because my twin sister had suddenly run away.

Now, I no longer understood why her attitude toward me had changed so drastically.

“Your engagement party with Silas is tomorrow night. The wedding will be next month. Fix yourself before you come downstairs. Make yourself presentable, and don’t do anything stupid in front of your future mother-in-law and fiancé!”

Those were her final words before she walked out of the room.

The moment her back disappeared through the doorway, my tears finally fell.

I felt utterly helpless.

It seemed Mom had already decided how my life was going to turn out, and there was nothing I could do to change it.

That was how Nyx found me.

I cried even harder when she approached and asked what had happened.

“What’s wrong, Tam? Did you and your mom fight?”

I threw my arms around her and sobbed against her shoulder.

“Nyx… Mom took your money and your necklace. I’m sorry. I couldn’t stop her. I’m so sorry…”

I kept apologizing through my tears.

Nyx fell silent, making the guilt inside me grow even heavier.

I knew how important that necklace was to her, yet she didn’t blame me.

She couldn’t.

Ever since she came to our house, she had done nothing but help me. She always went out of her way for me and patiently taught me so many things.

She had practically come to treat me like a younger sister.

And having Nyx in my life felt like finally having an older sister of my own.

“Are you angry with me, Nyx?” I asked when she remained silent.

“I’ll find a way to get your necklace back from Mom.”

Determination replaced the tears in my eyes as I stood up.

“What are you going to do, Tam?”

I composed myself before turning back to her.

“Mom has guests downstairs, and I need to face them. We’ll talk later, Nyx. I promise I’ll get your necklace back.”

I turned away.

“Tam, wait—”

I didn’t give her a chance to stop me.

I walked straight into my twin sister Tamiko’s room to borrow some of her things.

I knew Mom expected me to make a good impression on Silas and his family, so I needed to look presentable.

Tamiko’s walk-in closet was practically overflowing with expensive clothes, so finding something to wear wasn’t difficult.

A few moments later, I caught sight of myself in the mirror.

For a moment, it almost felt like I was seeing Tamiko again.

I was wearing her clothes.

I sighed before leaving the room and heading downstairs to do what Mom wanted.

You can do this, Tam.

I repeated the words silently to myself as I descended the stairs.

I had to show Mom that I was willing to do whatever she asked of me if it meant protecting Nyx.

If marrying Silas was the only way to keep Mom from throwing Nyx out of the house and the only way to get her necklace back, then I was prepared to do it.

Even if it meant marrying a man who had once tried to take advantage of me.