Chapter 4. Agreement

Helsey Pov

I was already at the coffee shop, sitting in the corner, where I was going to meet Brandon's mother.

My hands trembling, I rubbed it while his mother still hadn't yet arrived; I didn't want to look like a tremulous person in front of her. While I was nervously watching some people who were entering the coffee shop, I kept calming myself.

"There you are..." A nifty voice tinkled as I raised my head, seeing her how gorgeous she is; she was more like her daughter, Bianey. I just realized it. Maybe because our last encounter with her was mad, that's why she looks like an evil mother.

"So..." She paused and pulled the chair to seat; she sat in front of me. "Good spot," she added and smiled.

"What do you want from me?" I asked.

"You're in hustled?"

"No, but I have something more important to do than waste my time arguing with you," I said, and she chuckled.

"Ha-ha-ha, you're funny. Why does my son pick...?"

"That's all you wanted? To insult me? Then I should go—"

She held my hand and tried to stop me as I stood up to leave her. She quickly held her hands back, and I sat back.

"I know you need money." She started

"I'll give you, she said, and I baffledly looked at her.

"But in one condition." I let her talk about what she was trying to point out.

She opened the envelope and placed a cheque on the table.

I watched her as she got another piece of paper from the envelope.

After she had done so, she faced me and smiled. An evel smile of a mother that I hadn't seen from my mom

"I know your mom really needs it, but could you please sign this? She showed me the paper, handed it to me, and I read it.

I furrowed my forehead as I read it. "Agreement?" I asked, then she nodded. "No," I said, thrusting the paper at her.

"What?" Her eyes widened in shock.

"Your mother is in need of money, right? I'll make it in a hundred million." My jaw dropped as she said that she offered me that kind of amount in exchange for leaving her son.

That's a lot of money; That would be enough for my mom's operation but why was she so desperate to split Brandon and I? Why would she do that to her son?

"I offered you this, but would you please stay away from my son's life? You aren't meant for each other." She said,

I pounded my fist on the table and asked, "Are you that desperate? Do you think everything you can buy money?"

I don't care if the customers have all their eyes on us.

"No, but if you didn't sign this, she said, looking at the agreement paper.

"I'll force myself to tell you this."

"Then tell me, I said while I leaned against the chair and crossed my arms.

"Alright, alright." She smirked and inched forward.

"What if I tell you... Hmmm? She paused, thinking with a hand on her head.

"That Brandon is going to marry someone soon."

I felt a surge of heat running through my head as she said it.

She leaned back and looked at me as if she was mocking me.

I felt hopeless fighting for Brandon; she was more powerful than me. Why was she like this? She's a selfish mother who wants her son to obey her. She tied her son's happiness to hers.

"So... what now?" She asked.

"You know what? She straightened her back. "If I were you, I would accept the money and sign this paper. It helps you a lot, especially about your father's case."

"Don't include my father's case in your stupidity, Mrs. Wilsome!"

"You're an adamantine kind of girl, aren't you understandand? Brandon Rhey has been set to marry another woman. Doesn't he tell you?"

"He gets to Hawaii as we have family dinner with the girl whom he will marry soon; they have been spending time together, knowing each other, and I think Brandon seems to like her, and he wouldn't---"

My phone rang, so and she stopped taking..

I got my phone from my handbag, and I stood up and walked a little distance from her.

I looked at her; she was looking at me too.

"Helsey? Where are you?" came a worried voice from the line as I answered it.

"I was near the hospital, aunt, why?"

"Yo-your mom... " Her voice trembling as she said, and I cut it,

"What? What happened to her?" I ask.

"S-she..."

"Aunt! Tell me... What happened?" I panicked as I heard her sobbing.

"Please come back here." I didn't let her continue on what she was saying; I ended the call and went back to the table where I was seated and Brandon's mother.

But she wasn't there as I went back to get my handbag.

I don't mind, and I hurried to get to the hospital. I immediately exited the coffee shop and walked through the hospital. It wasn't that far, so I could jog through there.

As I cross the street, I am almost hit by a car, which makes my knee soften.

"I'm sorry," I said, and I bowed to the car since the driver let me cross the road.

I can't even breathe normally as I think about what was happening in the hospital. I shouldn't leave her there.

"Aunt?" It seems I scared the people on the inside of my mom's room as I slammed the door.

"H-helsey..." My aunt cried as she walked towards me.

Her hands are trembling as she holds my shoulder; I felt like I was being washed by cold water as I saw the electronic vital sign monitor straighten.

I burst out crying and ran to her bed. "N-no... No! Mom! I tried to wake her up.

"Don't do this, mom, please." I begged her and shook her shoulder.

"This can't be, Aunt. What happened?" She comes closer to me and rubs my back as she calms me down.

"What happened?" I shouted. The nurses and doctor were standing in the corner of the room as they watched me, saying, "I'm sorry."

"Mom, Didn't I tell you I would have found a way to cure you? M-mom, please be awake." I sobbed while holding her cold hand.

"Helsey..." My aunt kneeled down beside me while trying to get my hands away from my mom.

"She wouldn't be awake anymore."

"No Aunt! She can't leave me. I need her Aunt; I need my mom."

"Helsey," She said, hugging my back and crying.

"She didn't wait for me to back."

"I am the worst daughter aunt."

"Shhh. Don't say that."

"M-mom..." I murmured. I put my cheek at her palm and rubbed my cheek.

Why do you leave me like this, mom? You're unfair, you're so unfair, mom. I thought you would fight for me. But why? I was just out of the hospital then. Then you're gone."

"You know I love you. You're unfair, I said while holding her hand tight.

"How can I go back to work knowing my strength is now gone?"

Now that she's gone, no one would sit at her rocking chair where she's always sitting on the terrace. No one would ask me if I was okay. No one would be the reason for my happiness if I got home from work.

I lost my father, and now my mother... I don't know how to start; it's killing me to lose them both, and it's killing me to lose my strength. My mom wouldn't go back to this world.

She's gone while I'm not by her side...

*

As I waited from the hospital bench with my puffy eyes, there were still tears of it, stunting while I looked straight at the door of my mom's room.

I leaned my back to rest as I felt like I was going to collapse from crying; my head was hurting, and my body was so tired.

I raised my head as it leaned against the wall while I closed my eyes, calming myself down. I didn't want to distract myself from sitting.

"Helsey." I opened my eyes and saw my Aunt in front of me.

She handed me the bracelet I gave to my mom, the bracelet I bought from El Nido.

I put it on from her hand, and my lips started trembling as I remembered the day I put it on my mother's hand.

My Aunt sat beside me.

"She's free. She's now free from the pain she endured. From the illness she deals with every day." I said and with my voice cracked.

"But now, I'll be the one to endure the pain of the fact that she is gone." I said while staring at the bracelet in my hands.

"How can I move on if I see the terrace of our house? All I can think is her. Run through upstair and promptly enter her room after I got home from work. Talking to me like she didn't even have illness, she laughed like nothing hurts. The one who, despite the pain she felt, still loves to tease me every time." I sobbed.

"Hopefully, she will take me; I'm tired." The tears are starting to fall again; I can't barely see how my eyes are puffy. My heart tightened as I breathed.

"Don't say such things, Helsey! Your mother will be mad at you! My aunt said. "She doesn't want you to see her like that, so please Don't make her sad too."

I cried while leaning my back against the wall. I couldn't help it, but this was the only way to relieve my feelings. I'll cry until no more tears seep from my eyes.

I called Brandon, but he's unreachable.

I called Mira and Bianey, but they were unreachable.

I sighed. "Why does everyone seem so busy when you need them the most?" I murmured while closing my eyes.

I don't want to call Reagon either; I know he's much busier than Brandon if he doesn't. Then neither sleeping nor drinking alcohol.

\*

While I'm waiting for my aunt, she's checking our bill in the hospital. While  was sitting on the corner where there's a bench in front of the hospital cashier.

She walked toward me. "Someone paid our bill," she said when she approached me and handed me the institutional billing.

I straightened my back. "What? Who?" I was startled as I read it.

"It's Mrs. Wilsome," I murmured.

No! This can't be!

I grabbed my keys from my bag and stood up and walked away.

"Where are you going, Helsey?" My Aunt shouted, but I continued walking through the parking lot.

I headed to Brandon's house as I felt nervous. Why did Mrs. Wilsome do this?

No! I don't want to think about it.

\*

"Is Brandon here?" I asked the guard when I arrived at his house, but it seemed he didn't know me. He's new here."

"Brandon?" He asked me back.

"Uhmm. Mr. Wilsome, the owner of this house."

"No, as I knew they flew to the State just this afternoon."

"What?" My body smoothed after knowing he went to State, and again... He didn't even tell me.

"Did you know when he was back?"

"I don't know," he said.

I drive back to the hospital, where my mother has been scheduled to be cremated.

My tears started trickling down my cheeks. I wiped it with my hand, thinking she would really leave me. She wouldn't come back, and I wouldn't see her smile again.

Why does Brandon decide to return to the state at this point in my life? I need him, I need them, and I need someone to rely on now.

As we return home, I put my mom's urn in my room. I want to feel my mom's presence even though she's no longer here.

2 months Later.

"Helsey... Wake up, Helsey!"

"No!"

"Helsey!" I felt the hand perch hard on my right cheek, and as I opened my eyes, I saw my Aunt with her worried face. Did she slap me?

"You're having a nightmare, she said. "I was worried why you're shouting this early morning." She added, I scratched my head.

"I'm sorry, Aunt; that was a bad dream, though."

"Okay, I'll be downstairs preparing for our breakfast, she said, exiting my room.

I got awake, but my body feels so tired.

I comb my hair every time I go downstairs. I looked at the calendar when I saw the date; it's been 2 months since I haven't heard from Brandon Rhey. It's been 2 months since he and Bianey deleted their social media. I hadn't had communication with them; I never saw them even almost every day I passed by Brandon's house.

Mira was also in State; we didn't communicate since she was there. She might be busy running their family business, I miss her so much.

I miss Brandon Rhey so much.

"Ouch." I felt like something was kicking my stomach.

While watching the mirror and realizing I haven't had my period for the past 2 months.

I look at myself in the mirror while showing off my stomach and fitting my shirt.

"This can't be, " I uttered.

My body has been changing a bit, and my stomach looks bloated.

This is insane!

Am I pregnant?

No!