“Just because of my shoes, she’s saying nönseñse again. Jealousy is a disease, Marga. You should consult a doctor because you badly need it.”
Marga arrived at the school theater of Maxwell with her parents. She ran off upset when she realized that Cassie had already taken over and played the role of Juliet.
Daniela chased after her. “Marga. Marga, wait.”
“This is all your fault, mommy,” Marga cried. “You and daddy. I should have been up on that stage. I should have been Juliet.”
“Marga, I am so sorry.”
“An apology can’t fix this, mommy. It won’t. If you and daddy weren’t fighting, you would have been able to take care of me.” She scratched the rashes that had still not disappeared entirely. “This would not have happened to me.”
Backstage at the the school theater, a cleaner spilled some trash on the floor and Mina bent down to help. Carlos, who stood at a distance was staring and checking her out intently.
Robert appeared on the scene. “Carlos,” he said and Mina turned around.
Carlos was silent for a while. “Ah, I was just looking for Daniela. I’ll go check downstairs.”
Robert stared suspiciously as Carlos left. Miss Alfonso came down the stairs and saw Daniela standing there. She asked how Marga was, and Danny girl began with her ranting, complaining bitterly about how she had given Marga’s role to someone else.
“Mrs. Bartolome, let me explain.”
“Explain what? My daughter worked hard for that role. She even came all the way here even when she had allergies, and what did you do? You gave it to someone who’s not deserving.”
Carlos arrived on the scene. He apologized to Miss Alfonso and asked her to give them a moment to talk. “Daniela, don’t make a scene here,” Carlos pleaded.
“What do you want me to do? Just let what they did to Marga slide? To think they gave the role to Cassie,” Danny girl said bitterly.
“Daniela, stop it. The role was originally given to Cassie. But did you see Romina complaining when they gave it to Marga?”
“Wow, so Romina is really your standard now.” Danny girl stormed back inside.
Robert and Mina were alone backstage when Daniela came storming in, demanding that Mina stop influencing her husband. Carlos followed a second later.
“How greedy can you get?” Danny girl hissed. “You already took my dad from me, now you want my husband too? How many more men do you need to satisfy your need?”
“Aren’t you tired of accusing me?” Mina asked. “You don’t have any reason to think about me like that.”
“Don’t I? I have every reason to doubt you, Romina. You are not only my husband’s ex, you are the first woman he wanted to marry.”
“That’s enough, Daniela,” Carlos said.
Danny girl turned to her husband. “It’s so obvious that you never got over the fact that she chose to marry dad and not you.” She turned to Robert. “And my dearest dad, you raised a child that’s not even yours.”
“Daniela, stop it,” Robert demanded. “This is too much.”
Unknown to them, Marga stood behind a curtain, listening.
“This is not the right place to talk about this,” Robert added.
“Dad, if you don’t want to discuss the truth anywhere or with anyone, then you just have to tell your wife to stop flirting with my husband!”
Romina gave Danny girl a slãp. “I took all the insults you kept throwing at me, Daniela, but to accuse me and treat me like this in front of your father?”
“Romina,” Robert said, trying to calm her down.
Mina ignored him. “Daniela, if you don’t trust your husband’s lövê for you, then tie him up inside your house!”
Daniela glared at Mina. She raised her hand to slap her.
Robert held her daughter’s hand in midair. “That’s enough.”
“Dad.”
“Daniela, I guess it is too much to ask you to reconcile with each other. This has gone too far. Stop it. Please. Carlos, take your wife home.” Robert walked away with Mina.
Carlos and Daniela left the backstage and Marga came out of her hiding place. Carlos came back again and found his daughter there. “Marga,” he said. We need to talk.”
Kristoff arrived home and his father invited him over to join him at the table. Kristoff mentioned that the food was a lot and Bernard told him that he didn’t know what he would like and that was why he had bought so many.
“This is a lot of food for two people,” Kristoff said.
“The more choices, the better,” Bernard stated. He began dishing out the food. “Here’s your burger, your pizza. Congratulations son, on your performance. You did great, both you and Cassie.”
“Thanks, dad.”
“Even the people who were beside me couldn’t help but be amazed. You were born for that role.”
Kristoff laughed. “Dad, it’s okay.”
“Kristoff, I just want you to know that am so proud of you.”
Kristoff smiled. “Thanks, dad. That’s a lot, coming from you. I just wish that mom was able to watch my performance too.”
“Son, maybe you shouldn’t expect too much from her so you wouldn’t get disappointed. Let’s not ruin this night because of her. Come on, let’s just eat.”
Marga admitted to Carlos that she had heard what her mother had said backstage at Maxwell, that her grandpa Robert wasn’t Cassie’s real father.
“You shouldn’t have eavesdropped,” Carlos scolded.
Marga was shocked. “So it’s true. Cassie’s not a Mondragon? She was just adopted? Who are her real parents?”
“Marga.”
“I need to know the truth.”
“No, Marga. If you’re thinking of telling Cassie this, forget it.”
“But why not? She deserves to know.”
“Only your grandpa and Romina can tell her about it. We don’t have the right to meddle, especially you.”
“Dad.”
“Put yourself in Cassie’s shoes. What if you were in that situation. This is not our secret to tell, so promise me you won’t tell Cassie.”
Marga was sulking silently now, scratching those irritable rashes. “Yes, daddy. I promise.”
Robert couldn’t seem to understand why Daniela had picked to argue at the school their kids were at, when he had thought that things were getting better between them.
“Robert, am really sorry,” Mina began, “But Daniela won’t stop. She’ll always be causing trouble.”
“I don’t think anyone heard her earlier.”
“If Cassie gets hurt, I’ll face Daniela,” Mina vowed. “Even if she’s your daughter. Until when are we going to wait to tell Cassie the truth?”
Robert was silent for a moment. “Romina, right now Cassie’s at a stage where she wants to know everything. If we tell her the truth now, it might break her. She’ll be entering college soon, and after that, she’ll build her own path. I don’t want her to see me differently.”
Romina hugged her husband.
“Mamma, daddy,” Cassie said, coming over. “Is something wrong?”
“Nothing, sweetie,” Mina said.
“Not at all,” Robert added.
Mina took her daughter’s hands in hers. “Congratulations, you did so well in the play.”
Cassie was all smiles. “Thank you, mamma.”
“We’re so proud of you,” Robert added.
Cassie was beaming with joy. “I just want to thank you for watching the play earlier.”
“As long as it’s for you, we wouldn’t miss it for anything,” Mina said. “We’re so proud of you.” Mina hugged her.
“May I join you?” Robert asked. “I lövê this.” He joined in the embrace.
“I miss this,” Cassie said happily. “I hope we’ll always be like this, daddy.”
Robert smiled. “Nothing needs to change. If there’s anything that bothers you, we’re here. Don’t worry, okay?”
Cassie smiled again in response.
“We lövê you so much, Cassie,” Mina sang.
“I lövê you too, mamma and daddy.”
Neil walked in on the scene and snapped a photo. He asked them to pose and he took another picture.
Hector was in his gambling den when he received a phone call.
“Hector,” Alvin said on the other line.
“You son of a gun,” Hector snapped. “You’re already out and you didn’t even bother calling me. Where are you?”
“Where else? The old hangout.”
“What you waiting for? Get yourself here. Right now. Be right there.”
Alvin hanged up and Hector ordered the bettors to place all their bets on the side of the table so his men would start collecting them.
Daniela engaged in another argument with Carlos, saying that she was the one who had to be upset because he kept comparing her to Romina. “Even in how I raised Marga. Tell me Carlos, do you regret marrying me instead of Romina?”
“I didn’t say anything like that, Daniela. My point is that you think about what you’ve done. You even dragged Cassie, who doesn’t know anything into this.”
Marga came out, prepared for school. “When on earth will you stop fighting over Cassie and her family?” she began. “It’s always about them. Everytime you argue, I keep hearing their names. They’re ruining our lives, our family. And you just allow them to do that to us.”
“Marga, that’s not true,” Carlos objected.
“No, daddy, that’s the truth. I guess I don’t have to record the both of you to make you realize that, right? I hate them.”
Danny girl was trying to hide a smile.
“And I wish they never became a part of our lives,” Marga added before walking out.
“You see, Daniela,” Carlos accused. “Do you see the result of what you’ve done to us?”
“How’s that my fault?” Danny girl asked. “She was just telling the truth. Romina and Cassie are ruining our lives.”
“Marga knows the truth about Cassie,” Carlos revealed. “She heard everything you said after the play. Now tell me how this isn’t your fault.”
Danny girl couldn’t find a comeback this time. She was speechless as she stood there like a very bad bad employee being scolded by her grumpy boss.
In Robert’s office at Camila, Romina was staring at a photo of Cassie and Kristoff, where they wore the Romeo and Juliet costumes they had used for the play.
“It was just last minute that Cassie found out she would be playing the Juliet role again,” Robert commented.
“That’s my girl-child right there,” Bonita complimented. “She got that from me, you know? She’s always ready.”
Robert laughed. He asked Mina about the preparations for the company’s party, and Mina told him that she and Bonita were taking care of it, alongside HR and the marketing department.
“We have verified the addresses of our old employees so we can send the invitations,” Mina added.
“That’s good,” Robert said. “We will invite all their family members, since the company’s one big family.”
“So… does that mean you’ll be allowing Cassie at the party?” Bonita asked.
Mina seemed surprised by the question. “Yeah. Is something wrong with that?”
“It’s just that Jepoy told me that Cassie went back to Novatas. She was asking around about what happened back then.”
Mina was more surprised than ever.
“And most of Camila’s employees…” Bonita went on. “They know what happened.”
Mina glanced at Robert.
“I think it will be better if we don’t bring Cassie to the party,” Robert said to Mina.
At Maxwell, Nadya complimented Cassie’s new shoes, saying that she should have let her mother get her the same pair of shoes.
“Why?” Cassie asked, clueless like always.
“Caasie, don’t you know?” Nica began. “It’s one of the limited edition shoes the company just released. You’re so lucky. Am jealous.”
“Am sure you didn’t know huh?” Fatima whispered to Cassie, teasing.
“How did you get it anyway?” Nadya asked. “Did you pre-order?”
“Ah, daddy got them for me during the holidays,” Cassie replied. “That’s why I also don’t know.”
Marga came over with Maureen, and Maureen noticed Cassie’s shoes. She asked Marga if it wasn’t the same shoes she had wanted.
Marga stared at the shoes for a while. “They’re nice.”
“Thank you,” Cassie said.
“That was what I liked to say,” Marga insulted. “But, they are a waste on someone like you.”
“You really don’t like being happy for others, do you?”
“Truth hurts, doesn’t it?”
“What’s your problem?”
“Do you really have to ask that? Am looking at it right now.”
Kristoff arrived on scene. “Marga, stop,” he said. “He turned to Cassie. “And Cassie, please just ignore her.”
“Am not really planning to, Kristoff.” Cassie turned and eyed Marga. “Just because of my shoes, she’s saying nönseñse again. Jealousy is a disease, Marga. You should consult a doctor because you badly need it.”
Marga smiled mockingly. “Jealous? Me? You’re being so proud, Cassie. And you’re saying that to me.”
“Marga, please stop,” Kristoff pleaded.
Marga ignored him. “I have nothing to be jealous about, Cassie. Because the truth is, you have no right to be here. At all.”
Cassie was confused. “What do you mean?” she simply said.
Daniela was making her way towards them.
“Can you handle the truth, Cassie?” Marga taunted.
“Marga.” Danny girl reached them and began dragging her daughter away. “What do you think you’re doing?” she asked.
“Am just putting her in her place because that’s the truth. She has no right to be here. Her mother is destroying our family, and she’s getting away with it because of grandpa.”
Daniela looked frustrated.
“That’s so unfair, mommy,” Marga went on with her ranting. “She doesn’t deserve any of this, because she’s not a real Mondragon.”
“Marga listen to me. That was the reason why I objected to their marriage before. Your grandfather chose to marry that woman, even when he knew that Cassie wasn’t his daughter.”
“But mommy…”
“Just listen,” Danny girl snapped. “Your grandfather knows that Cassie is not her child but he still loves her a lot. What do you think he’ll do when he discovers that you told Cassie the truth?
“He already kicked me out once before, when he learned that I was against their marriage. I wouldn’t be surprised if he cuts us off, if he learns that you’re the one who told Cassie the truth.”
Marga was flustered. “Am sure he wouldn’t do that to me.”
“Oh, Marga, believe me. Your grandfather can do that to you. That’s how crazy he is about those two. He already did it to me once before. And if he cuts you off, everything that rightfully belongs to you will go to Cassie. Is that what you want?”
Marga was speechless. At the gambling den, Hector instructed his men to keep an eye on the bettors. He noticed Alvin among the crowd and he asked him to stay by his side so he could personally keep an eye on him.
“You know how gullible you are,” Hector said. “You might end up getting framed again. It’s only the two of us now, so stick with me.”
“I have a plan, Hector,” Alvin revealed. “And I won’t let anyone fòöl me again.”
“What’s your plan then? Are you gonna go back to the factory?”
“Why would I work there when I can just get something from it?”
“I was right, I knew you were cheating!” a bettor was yelling. He pointed out a guy and Hector’s men held him hostage. “He’s cheating!”
Alvin watched as his brother stormed over to the accused who was now being held down.
“Another moron,” Hector said, pulling out a pocketknife. “I warned you, didn’t I?” Hector plunged the knife into the guy’s hand. Alvin and the other bettors were horrified as Hector dug the knife in deeper even as the guy yelled in pain. “I already warned you. Don’t you ever come back here. Get out!”
Daniela talked with her bratty lãpdög over lunch. “My gosh,” Savannah said. “If you hadn’t been able to stop Marga from telling Cassie the truth, you’d be homeless by now.”
“I wouldn’t just be homeless, Savannah,” Danny girl lamented. “He wouldn’t think twice about kicking me out of Camila, and throwing away everything I worked so hard for.”
“Would he really do that? I never thought he’d value Romina’s daughter more than you.”
“Unfortunately, yes.”
“Well, if that’s the case, just make sure your precious daughter won’t say anything. Otherwise, you’ll lose your rights as a Mondragon.”
Daniela looked on angrily. At Maxwell, Cassie walked around campus with LJ and Fatima, who couldn’t understand why Marga had created a scene this early morning. Cassie seemed preoccupied with her thoughts.
Kristoff called out and ran over to her, and Fatima and LJ gave them some privacy. “Cassie, I just wanna know if you’re okay. You looked shocked earlier because of what Marga said.”
“I just don’t understand Marga sometimes,” Cassie mumbled. “But…am alright.”
Kristoff didn’t seem convinced. “I just wanna know if you’re okay too.”
“Why’d you ask that?”
“I noticed that you were avoiding me earlier.”
“I wasn’t avoiding you, Kristoff. I just had a lot on my mind.”
“Am just worried. About our friendship. I just wanna know if everything’s okay.”
Cassie looked away for a second. “Yeah. We’re good. You have nothing to worry about.”
Robert told Bernard that he wouldn’t be bringing Cassie along for the company’s party because of what had been going on lately. Bernard mentioned that his employees didn’t know anything. He asked what he was so afraid of and Robert told him that some former employees would be attending, and he couldn’t risk them saying something.
“How long will you keep this going?” Bernard asked. “You can’t keep Cassie from attending your parties and staying away from all the people you work with forever.”
“I’ll hide the truth for as long as I can. Am doing it for Cassie’s own good. I want the truth to come from me, not others.”
Kulas went to Primarosa and gave Carlos some food his mother had cooked. He asked when he would be visiting them again, and Carlos told him that he had a lot of work to do.
“I know you son,” Kulas said. “You’re ignoring me because of what I did to Romina’s daughter.”
“It’s not just that. Daniela and I haven’t made up yet. I don’t want to make things worse between us.”
“You should only care about her, son. Women like her aren’t easy to come by. She knew we weren’t that rich and yet she married you. She humbled herself, she swallowed her pride, and when things got tough, she never gave up on you. She’s nothing like your mother, so if I were you, I’d cherish what I have, Carlos.”
School had ended, and Daniela waited as Marga went to use the washroom. Robert came in a moment later and when Marga saw him, she retraced her steps and slid into a nearby chair to eavesdrop on them.
“So what now, Daniela?” Robert asked.
“An so sorry, dad,” Daniela mumbled. “I just got carried away. I was jealous, and I wasn’t thinking right.”
“That is no excuse. Do you think your apology will fix everything? You’ve hurt my family again, Daniela.”
“Am your family too, dad.”
“So act like one,” Robert snapped. “Stop trying to find ways to ruin my family. Am doing everything I can to keep us together, but let me tell you this now; I will not let you tear my family apart. Even if you’re my daughter.”
Marga had a dumbfounded look on her face from where she sat.
“You have disrespected Romina way too much,” Robert went on. “And you have no right to expose the truth behind Cassie’s identity. Good thing no one else heard what you said.
“Because if that happened, I wouldn’t hesitate to cut ties with you and your family. It would be painful for me too, so don’t force me, Daniela. Don’t force me.”
When Marga and Daniela got home, Marga apologized, saying that she had heard all that her grandpa had said to her. “I promise not to tell Cassie anything. I just don’t want to see you that hurt ever again.”
“It’s okay,” Daniela said. “Thank you.”
Carlos arrived as they hugged. He asked what they were doing outside, and Daniela told him they had also just arrived. She asked Marga to go in so she could talk with her dad.
Marga gave her a look.
“Don’t worry. We aren’t going to fight,” Daniela assured.
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
Marga went in and Carlos asked what had happened.
“Marga promised that she wouldn’t say anything about what she knows,” Daniela said. “But still, am sorry.”
“Me too. I let my anger get the best of me.” Husband and wife hugged and reconciled before going in.
Later that night in her room, Marga was staring at a photo of Cassie mischievously. “Just because I can’t tell you anything doesn’t mean I’ll not fight for my place, Cassie,” she thought to herself. “After all, I am the real Mondragon.”
Alvin met up with his aimless buddies. He had brought along some booze. “I never had a drink in prison,” he lamented. “Time to make up for it.”
“I thought you didn’t have a job. Did you win the lottery?” one of his buddies asked.
“Or maybe you sold drugs?” another asked.
Alvin sprang up to his feet and grabbed the guy. “Bastard!”
“Chill out, man.”
Alvin shoved him. “You better shut your mouth or else you’ll be dëâd.”
“I was just kidding. Jeez, don’t take it seriously. We’re buddies. Sorry man.”
“Just stop asking questions,” Alvin said to both buddies. “Be grateful am sharing these with you.”
“Is this the start of a better life?” the other guy asked.
Alvin gave him a look. “Of course it is. It’s time to make those people pay. And I won’t stop until I get everything they have.”
At the parking lot of Camila, Daniela talked to Savannah on phone, saying that she had only been able to patch things up with Carlos by making Marga keep quiet about what she knew.
“So does this mean you’ll stop bothering Romina and Cassie for the good of your family?”
“Like hell that’s gonna happen,” Danny girl grumbled.
Alvin was approaching.
“I just need a plan,” Daniela added. “So they won’t pin the blame on me.”
“So, how you gonna do that?”
Daniela noticed Alvin walking towards her, a satisfied smile on his face. “Alvin?”
Alvin walked away, and Daniela hanged up. She went over to her car and found Alvin standing there. “What are you doing here?” she demanded. “Didn’t I make myself clear? You shouldn’t come here.”
“I ran out of money,” Alvin sneered. “Everything’s too expensive these days, so am outta cash.”
“Are you nuts? I just paid you cash, now you want more?”
“Come on, Daniela, can’t you help a friend? Fine. If you won’t help me, I’ll just look for a job.”
“Good idea,” Danny girl snapped.
“How about I start with Camila? I hear that Romina’s a big tycoon here. She might help me out.”
Daniela had a flashback of the deal she had had with Alvin years ago, and how she had drugged Romina during the bachelorette party and paid up Alvin later. Danny girl then angrily gave Alvin some money, telling him not to spend it all. Alvin smelled the money cheerfully as Danny girl stormed off.
At the Mondragon Mansion, Robert and Mina came down from the stairs all dressed up. Cassie was busy sorting out some things.
“Cassie, what are you doing?” Mina asked.
“Just fixing the things I need in teaching the kids at Novatas, mama.”
“Am sorry, dear,” Mina mumbled. “But, can you stop going to Novatas for now? Do you remember what happened the last time you went there?”
“But ma, am not letting what Mr. Kulas said affect me.”
Romina was at a loss for words.
“Cassie, I hope you understand,” Robert cut in. “Mr. Kulas and his family live there. We don’t know what he will do when he sees you again. We’re just protecting you.”
“From what?” Cassie asked.
“From people like him. We’re just trying to keep you from getting hurt.”
Cassie glanced at her mother.
“Cassie, we’re not there all the time to protect you,” Robert added.
Mina took her daughter’s hand. “Sweetie, I hope you understand.”
Cassie stared back at her without another word. There was general cleaning going on in Kulas’ house. Jessa came in and offered to help. Gino told his brother that Jessa was now their neighbor, and she could even move in with them in the future.
Jude was confused. “Huh? What you talking about?”
“Something’s going on between Jessa and dad,” Gino grumbled. “They’re always together.”
“Do you really think so?”
“She already had her car fixed. Why else is she still here? You’re the cop here. You’re the one who can really tell what’s going on.”
Jude stared as Jessa flirted with his father.
Back at the mansion, Cassie asked Esther why her parents had suddenly changed. Esther asked what she meant by that and Cassie told her that she couldn’t understand why they didn’t want her to go to Novatas anymore.
“Because of what happened, I can no longer go and help the people there,” Cassie complained. “What’s so dangerous about going there this time?”
Esther was at a loss for words. A maid came over and informed Cassie that her parents were already leaving. Cassie looked sadder than before.
At Camila, Savannah badgered Daniela to tell her what was going on and why she had hanged up on her.
“It’s Alvin.”
“Alvin?”
“Nevermind.”
“Come on, Danny girl. What’s going on?
“Forget it, Savannah. It’s just an annoying pest that keeps coming back. But don’t worry, I got this. I just need to find a way to exterminate it.”
Marga arrived at the mansion just as Robert and Mina were about to leave. She had her ‘good girl act’ on, greeting her grandpa, and even Mina and Cassie.
“We don’t get to see each that much since we moved out,” Marga complained.
Mina had a phone call and she took the lead while Robert stayed behind to talk to her granddaughter.
“Okay, I have a very important meeting today,” Robert began. “But we can schedule this so you can tell your parents about it first. Then we can go shopping and buy whatever you want.”
Marga’s eyes were wide open greedily. “Promise?” she asked excitedly.
“Promise. But for now, you can stay here and hang out with Cassie. I’ll try to come home early so we can have dinner. Sounds good?”
“Sure grandpa,” Marga said excitedly. “I’ll be looking forward to it.”
Kulas was counting the money he had made so far when Jude walked in. He mentioned that Jessa was there again and Jessa told him she had nothing doing and that was why she was helping his father. Kulas had a phone call and he left the money on table and answered the call. The old man went out and Jude took his father’s seat, and gave Jessa a look.
“Jude, is something wrong?” Jessa asked.
“Let me get straight to the point, Miss Jessa. Do you like my father?”
Jessa chuckled. “Your father’s really nice.”
Kulas was coming back in when he heard them talking. He stood outside and listened.
“Anyone would be lucky to have him,” Jessa added.
Kulas was smiling to himself as if he had just won the lottery.
Back at the mansion, Marga mocked Cassie as she helped out the maids with their work. She asked Esther about the snacks she had asked for earlier and Esther told her that it was being prepared.
Marga was upset. “What? I asked for those snacks a while a go.”
“Don’t talk to Esther that way. You can’t just have everything you want in a snap,” Cassie pointed out. “They’re doing other things in the house.”
“That’s why they’re paid. Grandpa is paying them.”
“That’s the point, Marga. Daddy’s the one who pays them. Even he doesn’t shout at them. So you should not talk to nanny like that.”
“So you think I don’t have the right?” Marga asked, smiling mockingly. “We both know that…”
“Know what?” Cassie cut her off, giving her a look.
“That you know nothing.” Marga went back to sit back in the couch like the bratty wannabe princess she was. When Esther asked them to stop fighting, Marga snapped at her and told her to go and get her snacks.
Alvin came out of a washroom at Camila. He stared at a poster of the Thanksgiving party. “Why settle for a tiny fish when I can catch an even bigger one?” he thought to himself.
Cassie was going through her things in her room when Marga walked in.
“What are you doing?” Marga asked.
“Nothing.”
“Weren’t you supposed to go to Novatas to teach the kids?”
“Mamma and daddy didn’t allow me.”
“Oh my gosh,” Marga mocked. “The little princess trapped in her castle. That’s too bad since that’s your only way of getting out of this house.”
Cassie stared at her in annoyance. “If you’re here to annoy me, not now.”
“Don’t tell me it’s because of what happened during the giving,” Marga went on, undeterred.
“Marga, do you know anything about what Mr. Kulas said?”
“Why? Have you not talked to your parents about this yet?”
“I did. But now they’re even stricter towards me.”
“Well don’t ask me. Am not the one who said it. Grandpa Kulas said it, so he’s the only one who can answer why he called you a little mistake.”
In Romina’s office, Bonita told her that everything they needed for the party was ready.
“Am sure everything will go on smoothly,” Mina said.
“Then why the long face? You look really stressed out. Is there a problem, Romina?”
“It’s Cassie. Am just worried. She still hasn’t updated me yet.”
Robert came in. “Romina, Cassie’s at home with Esther,” he said. “Don’t worry.”
Bonita excused herself.
“I just want to make sure. I’ll call nanny now.”
“Ok. Go ahead.”
Mina called Esther on phone. “Hello nanny. How is Cassie?”
“She’s taking a nap,” Esther answered, staring as Cassie slept in her bed back in her room. “She probably forgot to text you. Should I wake her up?”
“No, nanny. But please remind her to text me as soon as she wakes up. I was worried about her.”
“Okay. Bye.”
Finally satisfied that things were fine, Mina exchanged smiles with her husband.
Cassie opened her eyes as soon as Esther left her room. She had a flashback of her encounter with Kulas. “Don’t sound so proud kid!” the misërãble swine’s irritating voice kept ringing in her head. “You were basically born from a mistake! Do you know that?! You’re a product of a mistake!”
She had another flashback of how her father had tried to explain things to her: “The reason Kulas said that is because I fell in lövê with your mamma. Everyone thought we were seeing each other, even when your mom was still with Carlos. That’s why Kulas said that.”
Cassie had another flashback of the night Mina had admitted to keeping things things from her when she had pretended to be asleep: “Am sorry, Cassie. Am sure you must be so confused by what you heard. But please believe me. It hurts me to keep things from you. I just don’t want my past affecting you.”
Cassie stared at a family portrait. “Am sorry mamma and daddy,” she thought to herself. “I didn’t want to do this, but I need the answers to the questions still in my head.”
Cassie arrived at Kulas’ house and Mryna took her inside. Kulas asked what she was doing there, and Cassie said she just wanted to talk to him.
“Just go home,” Kulas snapped. “Do your parents even know you’re here?”
Jude walked in on the scene and Kulas asked him to take Cassie home.
“Mr. Kulas, I just want to know something,” Cassie pleaded. “What did you mean when you said I was a mistake? What happened back then?”
Kulas and Jude exchanged looks. “Cassie, my dad’s right,” Jude said. “It’s better if you go home. Your parents might get mad. You shouldn’t leave on your own. Now come on, I’ll take you home.”
“Mr. Kulas, am begging you,” Cassie went on stubbornly. “Please tell me the truth. Please.”
“Why do you keep asking questions, huh?” barked the miserable one-eyed-old man. “You wanna know the truth?”
Jude tried to stop his father from opening his big foul, rotten mouth
“You heard what the girl said.” Kulas stared at Cassie with disdain. “Do you really want the truth?”
Cassie stared back at the misërãble swine, her eyes wide with surprise, suspense and anticipation. She was poised and ready to hear those fateful words that would change her life forever.
