Chapter 39: Chapter 39

"W-What did you say?" I growled as I stared at Valjerome.

He kept crying as he leaned down towards my foot. "I'm sorry, Jazzie. I'm sorry for everything."

I faintly sat on the floor, dumbfounded and kept putting on my mind what he had said earlier.

The person who adopted me killed my parents themself.

I laughed as tears streamed down my cheeks.

The one whom I considered my father was the reason I was orphaned early.

I wanted to talk back, scream in pain, fly into a rage, but I couldn’t because my mind was overwhelmingly confused. I feel like I’m going crazy with what I’ve found out.

"I'm sorry," Valjerome pleaded again, keeping his head on the floor.

I didn't pay attention to him anymore and stood up weakly. "Stop making a scene, Valjerome. Go to sleep, you're bothering your maids," I spoke emotionlessly and out of my sense walked away.

I finally left him in his room. I don’t know how I got down the stairs without falling because my attention was almost in vain. Manang immediately met me and anxiously inquired but I just passed her by. Next, Jaime approached me to offer me a ride in the car, I just stared at him and then nodded softly.

"Take me to Mrs. Montevardo's house," I said softly as Jaime started the car.

I could feel Jaime looking at me but I didn't bother to look back at him. I kept my eyes out of the window¾thinking, asking, hurting.

I remember again the times when I was still with my parents. The moments of laughter, playing around, the tenderness and the other memories until it was replaced by pain once our maid informed me that they were gone. Because of my young age, I no longer questioned when they said Mommy was involved in an accident, I focused more on mourning and encouraging myself to get up.

On that same day, I met Valjerome's parents. They introduced themselves as close friends of my parents and said that they would take care of me first until I could stand on my own. I just let them adopt me because I had no other choice. Besides, they were very kind to me. Even Valjerome was very caring to me the first day we met. He was always accompanying me to eat, accompanied me anywhere just so I don't feel alone. That went on until we grew up, everything has changed when we both got married.

"We are here," Jaime grabbed my attention.

It was only then when I came back to my senses and I wandered around. I nodded sparingly in gratitude and then got out of the car.

Jaime had left but I remained staring at Valjerome’s parents ’house. It's funny to think that the heaven seemed to be syncing with the hardship I'm feeling right now. At the same time as the rain was pouring down, I remembered the memories I had made in the house in front of me. I laughed and shook.

Even just for once, I never thought badly of them.

I stayed in my position for a few minutes. I could see the concern of the guards as if they wanted to approach me but they couldn’t, perhaps they also knew I needed to be alone at these times. When I was done reminscing, I then walked towards the mansion. Even though I was very wet and cold because of the pouring rain, I didn't pay attention to it. As soon as I entered the door, Valjerome's mother immediately greeted me.

"Oh dear! Why did you shower in the rain? Look at yourself," she said worriedly as she attended to me. He called a maid for a while to get a towel and other supplies.

"I-Is it true?" my tongue rattled, I don’t know if it’s because of the cold or the pain I’m feeling.

Confusingly she looked at me.

Tears welled up in the my eyes again. "Did Papa Civor really kill my parents?" I faintly asked.

Her eyes widened in shock. She could not answer me right away, which caused my tears to flow.

"Why?" my hoarsely drone. "What did my parents do for you to take their lives? I don't remember anything they did wrong."

"Jazzie, sweetie..." she whispered and was about to approach me but I quickly blocked my hand to stop her.

"Please, tell me the truth. I'm going crazy with everything I found out. Why? Why do you have to adopt me if you're also the reason why I'm orphaned? I hope...I hope this didn’t happen. So it is not this painful. I hope I didn't get close to you, I hope...I didn't love Valjerome. "

The one who has been acted as my mother looked at me softly. There is the grief, sadness and pain in the look she gave me. He sighed for a moment and took the towel that the maid had just brought.

"Dry yourself first. Don’t worry, I'll tell you everything," she gently promised.

I could do nothing but let her come to me and took care of me. I feel like I have completely lost my strength in everything that has happened. I was numb in pain. I was losing myself because of overthinking.

We went to the living area and there, I was given a hot tea. I just stared at it and didn't bother to drink. Moments later I felt my companion's deep breath.

"Your mother and I are best friends," she began the story.

I lifted my eyes to her and listened dumbly.

She smiled sparingly and looked at nowhere. "Our husbands both live in the same world," she continued.

I frowned the moment I heard what she said.

Valjerome's mother glanced at me. "Yes, your father was also a mafia leader, Jazzie."

Shocked, I couldn't utter any words.

She sighed again for the nth time and leaned on the couch. "Unlike in TV series, mafia is different in the real world, Jazzie. You have to be cruel to protect your loved ones." The lady smiled bitterly. "But your father..." she paused and continued, "betrayed his own group."

I might be confused but I tried to understand what she was saying.

"I don't know the full details because they keep it private. The only story of your mother was when the group your father was managing started to riot. Even the mafia enemies of your clan started moving to hunt down your family."

I looked at my hand when Valjerome's mother held it. She looked at me softly as if she wanted me to understand everything even if it was difficult.

"We planned to save you and your family, Jazzie. But..." I saw her swallow and struggle to continue speaking. "Your parents asked us to kill them and keep you so you could be safe," he said.

I shook my head. "No. They won't leave me," I reasoned.

"Yes, I know it's hard to accept and believe. I'm not defending my husband either. But your parents know that no matter what they do, they will still be caught. Your enemies or your own group will still kill them because that's how a mafia acts, my dear. Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth. But your parents don't want to die in their hands. They'd rather have my husband finished them off than anyone else. They want to make sure your safety. As one of the most powerful mafia in the world of the organization surrounded by our family, we were able to provide the protection your mother demanded. We pretended that we were one of your father's treacherous groups, so we had the right to kill them."

"Right?" I laughed as I interrupted. "What right do you have to take my parents' lives?!"

"This is the world of the mafia, Jazzie. We follow the law of the organization and not the law of the country. You cannot kill the enemy of the other mafia if they do not have any arrears with you. Nor the request of the parents has been easy for us, dear. Your mother is my friend, the only friend, "she muttered. "Your parents know that once the enemies catch you, you will all die. That's why they chose us to finish them off and turned out that you are the payment in return just to keep you safe."

"No...I can't accept it," I said.

"I know my husband has done a big mistake to you, as well as my son. I'm also not asking you to understand everything. But I want to tell you that no one liked everything that happened. The world we are living in is a lot different, Jazzie . "

I was speechless and just quietly cried.

"My son...he loves you, Jazzie. So much. But like your parents, he also had to make a decision that was against his will. He became stupid and hasty because of agitation and anxiety. I'm not justifying what he did to you, I know it's wrong. I'm also not asking you to get back at him, dear. But...I hope one day, you'll be able to forgive him. "

I smiled bitterly and wiped away my tears. "I didn't think it would take six years before he was able to explain everything to me. I hope...I hope he went to me right away and talked to me. It hurts, yes. It's speenful, but I also deserve to know everything right away. . "

Valjerome's mother took my hand again and was struggling as she let out a deep breath.

"Gjakmarrja, also known as blood feud. My husband died because of it and Valjerome knew that you are the next target. Even if it hurts for me to push you away, to get divorced and forced you to nullify your marriage so that the enemy cannot track you down, he did it just to protect you. Like I said, I don't justify what my son did, Jazzie. But I just want you to know that it wasn't easy on his part either. He had to get ahead of the opponent before they do something to you. He fought the other group as soon as he could, he ended their lives, making sure that no one would take revenge on you. "

She slowly let go of me and burst into tears. "But, sweetheart, my son is also a human. Because of the fight, I almost lost him."

Although shocked and confused, I still tried to speak. "W-what do you mean?" I asked bravely.

"My son had a lot of gunshot wounds, Jazzie. One of them was shot in the chest which caused him to be critical and put him in a coma for five years."