Chapter 43

43 ii. Hands of Fate

“You heard me. I have no need for a grandson who brings dishonor to this family,” the old woman merely raised an eyebrow at the poor girl who knelt in front of her.

“Please... I will do anything. Please save him,” Mary begged Dominus’s only living relative to help save him.

She knew he needed immediate medical attention and possibly rehabilitation efforts later on to go back to his functioning self.

She doesn’t have the financial capacity to help Dominus and the only one who can, unfortunately, has not extended much help yet.

“Can you really do anything to save him? Are you sure about that? Or should I expect the worse from someone like you? After all, you are the cause of all the bad things that have happened. You are a bad karma for my grandson! From the moment we met, I knew you were a bad thing. A good-for-nothing social climber out to rob this family’s treasury and bring shame to us all!” the old woman looks at her with no trace of pity or second guesses.

“I will do anything. Anything at all, just please save him. Everything you want, please. It is my fault, all of this is my fault. I’m a bad omen, I am selfish and greedy. I am everything you just told me just now. Please just help me. Please help me save Dominus. He is your grandson, the heir of the Saitos,” the girl uttered the words the old woman has expected from her.

The old woman signaled for her assistant to come over. She handed a pen and paper to the girl.

“What? What is this?” the girl looked up at her with a confused gaze.

“It’s a document saying you are giving up on Dominus and will never show your face to him again in exchange for a hundred thousand dollars. Don’t worry, I will pay. I will give you a hundred thousand dollars and more if you want. I just want you out of my grandson’s life. I can’t have someone like you ruining this family’s future. You have tainted the family’s reputation long enough,” the old woman clarified, clearly irritated.

.....

“But I don’t want your money. I love Dominus and I don’t want to give up on him. Please let me stay by his side. I will be invisible to the public. No one has to know. I will be invisible from anyone else, please just let me stay by his side,” the girl was just staring at the piece of paper and the pen being handed to her.

“Whether you get the money or not is none of my business. Just sign that piece of paper or you can have my grandson and let’s see you try to save his life,” the old lady turned her back and started to walk away.

Mary crawled towards the old lady and held into the hem of her dress as she started to go up the stairs.

“Please save him. I- I’ll do everything! I’ll do anything! I’ll sign it and anything else you wanted for me to do. All I need is for you to save him, I will follow your wish. Just save him, please!” the girl grabbed the pen with trembling hands and affixed her signature to the document.

The old woman did not even look back at the girl, her conscience finally taking root. She couldn’t look at that pathetic girl who won’t even accept the money in exchange for losing her love.

The girl was left at the foot of the stairs, her eyes focused on the old lady as she walked away with her head held up high.

She covered her lips with her hands as her shoulders shook from her sobbing. The assistant gave her a cheque which she just crumpled on her hand.

She let out a cry and found herself fainting as the servants around her came rushing. Even their hearts were taken aback by the scene that happened.

They helped her up and someone even got her a taxi. All she knew was that she became aware of nothing else except when the taxi finally stopped in front of her house.

Her mother almost stumbled as she ran to greet her daughter who was in a miserable state.

She took her inside, comforting her crying daughter who just handed her a crumpled cheque.

She felt her heart constrict as she understood what happened. She kissed her daughter’s forehead and told her things will be fine in the end.

“Fate should never have let you meet. Look what that family did to you. Whether you are a bad news or not or Dominus was the bad news in your life, who are they to judge that? Who gave that family the right to judge my daughter? Did I ask for money from them to raise you? Did they feed you?! How dare that woman insult you like this,” her mom said angrily, her voice trembling from anger over the injustice her daughter suffered.

“Mom, please. It is fine, don’t be angry at them. Don’t be angry at anyone. What matters is, that Dominus will be fine now. He will receive the treatment he needed, he can go back to the life he once enjoyed,” she tried to pacify her mom, seeing her unnerved with anger over what she had to go through.

“I just have to disappear. Mom, please help me to disappear. Let’s move out of this town without a trace. His rehabilitation will take years, I don’t want to risk it all coming to a halt because of me,” she said in a much calmer tone.

“My daughter, I will take you away from here and we will leave without a trace. But I will do it not for his family’s sake, I will do it for you. I don’t want you to involve yourself with that guy again and the miserable family he has. I want you to live a happy and stable life. Promise me, once we move, you will never see him again, promise your mom this and I’ll help you start over again,” she gripped her daughter’s shoulders, her emotions and protective instinct taking over her.

Mary nodded, she won’t see him again. She will disappear without a trace. If it is what is needed to keep him alive.

To keep the peace amongst the people in their lives, and ultimately to keep Dominus alive, the heartache she has to suffer all her life seems to be a small price to pay.

Her mother smiled softly at her, assuring her she will move on from this. She will find a better man someday. One whose family won’t treat her the way his did.

She made her thumb run over her ring, caressing it longingly, it is the only thing that was left. The only thing left for her to remember that they once met.

It’s the only thing that’s left to remind her of the life they almost lived, of the plans they had for the future. She wondered if Dominus will miss her the way she will.

She hoped he won’t have to deal with this pain that she is suffering from. It’s like acid being poured on an open wound, and yet no one can see it. No one can treat the wound or wash the acid off.

But she will bear it all. She will bear all the pain this world imposed on her if it means he will live.

As long as they occupy a spot in the same universe then she can bear it all. The thought that he will be living a comfortable life somewhere in this world is enough to keep her living as well.

As long as they can stare at the same sky and admire the same stars. Then, she can bear anything.