Reflection 2
“Do you remember that orphanage visit you made with Nana and Mama before?”
“Yes. What about that?”
“It seems there’s a similar event coming up soon. Do you know about it?”
“The opening of a new orphanage?”
“Exactly. But Amber told me this afternoon that the official invitation arrived at the office. And perhaps tomorrow or the day after, Mr. Carolus will meet with you.”
Oh dear. An orphanage. A charity event? Why were they discussing something so unimportant?
It was Farrah who, before going back to sleep, reviewed the results of the day’s conversation. At first, she thought she would learn something important. But what?
“Elice? Why are you silent?”
“I-I…”
Farrah’s eyes widened dramatically as she faintly heard Elice’s sobs from the other side. She sighed lazily.
“I remember Nana, Garrett. You know? When we visited the Harmony House orphanage, Nana told me.”
Farrah’s body tensed. She wondered.
What did Mama tell Elice?
Strangely enough, Garrett was asking a similar question.
“What did Nana tell you?”
“Nana said she wanted me to give the speech at the dedication of the new orphanage. She said she had always been the one to say it. But from now on, she wanted me to do it.”
“Elice.”
“I didn’t expect Nana’s words to actually come true.”
Elice’s sobs filled Farrah’s ears. She grumbled, completely unaffected by Elice’s tears.Content rights by NôvelDr//ama.Org.
“Ah! I thought it was something important. But is it?” Farrah asked irritably. “Don’t you want to talk about something else?”
But by the end of that day’s taping, Farrah had actually learned nothing important. Just casual conversations that were completely unimportant to Farrah.
So, Kurt would not be surprised if he found his wife looking bored. He did not scold her at all when she decided to take a rest under the thick blanket.
Farrah ignored Kurt, who also lay down next to her. She remained silent. Closing her eyes, but not falling asleep right away.
Why hadn’t Elice and Garrett talked about anything important in the last two days?
She did not want to think about it, but for some reason it made Farrah a little suspicious.
Garrett wouldn’t ignore me, would he? Especially with everything that has happened lately.
This possibility bothered Farrah. It made her uneasy. So, when she turned her body away from Kurt and opened her eyes, Farrah frowned. Followed by a frightening thought that popped into her head.
Garrett and Elice don’t know I was eavesdropping, do they?
*
Elsewhere, in Ariel’s apartment to be exact, Ruben came to answer the man’s call. With an uneasy feeling and sweat already beading on his forehead, Ruben tried to calm himself. He kept reminding himself that what he was doing was in accordance with Ariel’s orders. And as for the reality he was getting, it had nothing to do with him at all.
“How are you, Ruben?”
Ariel looked disheveled. He had looked disheveled for three days now. Not like his usual self. And it all started the day Ariel asked Ruben to do a completely unreasonable task. To spy on his own mother. To find out everything Farrah had been doing all this time.
And now Ariel called Ruben, hoping that what he suspected was a mistake. That everything was not as he thought. Maybe not? Who knew, maybe Ariel had heard wrong.
But Ariel’s hope was just an empty hope. And he knew it when Ruben lowered his face. He said heavily.
“It is as you suspected, sir.”
Ariel was stunned for a moment. He needed time to really understand what Ruben had just said. Maybe Ruben was joking and would soon retract his words, right?
No. Ruben was not joking. Instead, he looked serious.
“W-what do you mean? Say everything clearly.”
“As a matter of fact, everything is Mrs. Farrah’s doing.”
There was a moment of silence. Ariel felt her chest tighten. Especially at the explanation Ruben gave next.
“The accident with Mrs. Daphne was indeed a scenario created by Mrs. Farrah.”
Ariel’s fear turned out to be real. That Farrah had indeed committed acts that were completely beyond reason. Farrah killed Daphne. She had killed her own biological mother.
“And not only that, sir. As far as I know, Mrs. Farrah was also involved in the deaths of other family members.”
Ariel stifled a grin. Softly, his voice sounded bitter as he asked, “What do you mean?”
“That’s right, sir,” Ruben nodded helplessly. “The deaths of the late Mr. Harlan and Mr. Allan were also due to Mrs. Farrah’s intervention.”
Ariel shook her head. Denying the truth.
“No.”
Ruben could not help but lower his face even more.
“It’s impossible.”
For how could Ariel believe such a terrible reality? The woman who gave birth to him and raised him all this time was a heartless person. Able to do anything to get rid of her own family.
“It’s impossible, Ruben,” Ariel muttered desperately. His face flushed. Tense with the pressure of tears and a choking he could not hold back. “Mom would never do that. They’re mom’s family.”
Ruben closed his eyes for a moment. He was well aware of the turmoil Ariel was going through. But he still had to deal with everything he knew.
“Forgive me, sir,” Ruben said as he lifted his face. “It’s all because of Pasific Energy.”
Ariel knew it was the largest coal mining company in Oceana. A legacy and pride of the family that had passed through several eras. Not only rich in money, but the historical value and pride there could not be compared to any other wealth in the world.
“W-what?”
Ariel’s eyes seemed blurry this time. Bitterness was clearly present, choking Ariel’s throat. As if he refused the presence of the air he needed.
“Because of the Pasific Energy?”
Ruben only nodded once. And that was more than enough to shake Ariel’s legs. He almost stumbled. Immediately he held on to the table, fear running through his body.
If Farrah could heartlessly get rid of her own family, what about others? Those who had no blood ties at all? Those she hated to death?
Ariel shook his head. He tried to push away the bad possibility, but the horror made him ask anyway.
“And what about Elice? Have you investigated?”
“Yes,” Ruben nodded. “Mrs. Farrah hired Teddy to get rid of Elice.”
*