Chapter 27 Both naked

THE sun has not risen, but a commotion started in Chrismith's house. Even though Nica's head was still heavy and she still wanted to close her eyes, she forced herself to get up. Her headache was exacerbated when her stepmother's shrill voice dominated.

"Margaret, calm down, we can only settle this with proper conversation." Luisa pleaded to her friend. She looked at her son, who just finished putting on clothes, confusion was visible on his face.

"How can I calm down, Luisa? She's the daughter of mine and they are both naked!" Margaret pointed at their offspring.

Janice went in a corner of her bed as she held the blanket over her chest to cover the nakedness of her body.

"I'm sorry, Aunt, but I don't know how I'm here and what happened to us." Chris looked at his mother with eyes asking for help, whilst combing his messy hair using his fingers.

"I don't need your sorry, and don't tell me you don't know because you're not here if you didn't touch my daughter!" Margaret felt as if all of her blood rose to her head when Chris denied what they think is obvious.

"Margaret, please, don't make a fracas yet. My husband is still asleep and it won't be good for him to be shocked." Luisa pleaded as she was worried about the mess and its effect. Her attention is divided right now. She is also worrying if the husband of her friend finds out what is happening.

"What's the matter, Margaret, and you're being loud this early? Think about our in-laws..." Alfonso stopped speaking when he saw the situation in his daughter's room. He was wondering at first why Luisa was there. He looked around and squinted when he saw Chrismith.

"Uncle, I will explain," Chris said whilst raising his hands as a sign of submission.

"They slept together, Honey!" Margaret reported to her husband while crying. "I don't know what to do now, how about Nica?"

"Is that true?" Alfonso's voice was calm, but he looked at the young man with raging eyes.

"Uncle, I don't know the right explanation for this, but believe me or not, I don't know what happened..." he could not finish what else to say when he rushed at him and punched him in the jaw.

The three women in the room simultaneously screamed in shock. Luisa quickly approached her son to protect him from Alfonso's rage. Margaret hugged her husband so as not to hurt the young man while Janice hid under the blanket because of her fear of her father.

"You, bastard, you're two-timing my daughters?!" The veins in Alfonso's neck and arm tightened as he clenched his fists.

"Please, calm down first, let's talk about this in the living room." Luisa was panicking.

Chris felt bad for his mother because she almost begs just so Nica's father would not hurt him. When he recalled the young lady, he felt a certain fear. He does not want her to be mad and their wedding would be canceled.

"I'll wait for you outside!" Alfonso's breathing was ragged and he went the way out of the room.

"Hija, get dressed first and go out as well," Luisa said to Janice before she assisted her son out of the room. She ordered him to go to their room first to clean himself. When she closed the door of the room, she noticed the door of Nica's room is open. She quickly went near it to know if she is already awake.

"Have you been awake for a while, hija?" Luisa asked the young lady when she saw her sitting on the bed and massaging her temple.

"Enough to hear everything," Nica said, as cold as she can.

Luisa felt pity for the young lady because she could feel the pain she was feeling now. Her eyes were filled with anger as she looked up and gazed at her.

"I thought you were different from them." Nica grinned bitterly and bit her lower lip to stop her rasping voice.

"What do you mean?" She asked, confused. She wanted to approach her and hug her, but she shook her head when she read what she wanted to do.

"All of you are fake! You are also their accomplice to destroy my life and crush my heart!" Nica gasped, suppressing a cry in front of Chris' mother.

"I don't know what you're talking about, hija. I know how I treated you at first was bad, but the concern I showed you these last days were true."

"I know you planned all this so that your son would not marry me." Nica laughed to ease the tightness of her chest. She tried to suppress the tears that wanted to escape her eyes.

"You're wrong with what you're thinking—"

Nica laughed bitterly whilst shaking her head, she did not let her finish speaking. "You are successful for now, but I would not let you destroy me completely!"

"Nica, hija, let's talk about this first."

"I want to be alone," Nica said and turned her back on her. She has to push her away now, thus she would not see her true weakness.

Luisa hesitantly left Nica's room. She understands if she does not want to believe her. She is confused right now and she does not know who she should talk to first to fix the mess. She was able to sigh with relief when she saw that her husband is still asleep. She just let him and decided to face the mess involving their son by herself.

"Why did you let something happen between you and Chrismith?" Alfonso furiously asked Janice.

Janice's tongue suddenly receded and she could no longer remember the script formed in her mind before even facing everyone. She was unable to meet the questioning eyes of the young man as well.

"What kind of question is that, Alfonso?" Margaret irritably asked her husband.

Alfonso ignored his wife, he resumed confronting his daughter. "You know he would be married to your sister tomorrow!"

"I'm very sorry, Dad! I got carried away by desire because I was drunk and I love Chris." She confessed to her father, her head was bent down.

"Janice, I am really sorry for whatever I did to you last night, but I can't remember anything that's happened. I apologize as well for not being able to reciprocate your feelings. What I can only remember from last night is that I was laying on the sofa." Chris' mind was messy and he does not know who he should explain to for everything to be cleared.

"Are you saying it's my daughter who attacked you and brought you to her room?" Margaret's voice went high again.

"It's not like that, but..."

"You have to take responsibility for my daughter!" Margaret angrily cut off the young man's explanation.

"Let's wait for Nica Joy," Alfonso said and he sounded troubled.

"Alfonso, can you be a proper father to our daughter even just for now and don't only think of Nica?!" Margaret furiously disagreed with her husband.

"Will you shut up for a while?" Alfonso impatiently rebuked his wife. "You know I'm always doing anything for the two of you and I almost forgot that I have one more daughter!"

The shock registered on Luisa's face with the argument that she heard between the two. Now she understands why Nica said that they are all fake.

"Don't tell me your decision is up to Nica?" Margaret asked her husband in disbelief. He was like a different person in her eyes at this moment.

Nica stared at her father from where she was standing, they did not notice her because they are talking seriously. By how loud their voices are, she could almost hear their conversation from her room.

"Didn't you think your daughter could get pregnant?" Margaret continued to poke her husband's conscience.

"Have you thought that I could, too?" Nica could not stop herself from interfering with her stepmother. They were all surprised when she spoke.

"Nica—" Chris' attempt to approach her was canceled when the young lady motioned her hand not to come close to her.

"Have you thought that I could be pregnant, too?" Nica sarcastically asked Margaret, who was startled.

Janice felt anxious when she saw the determination on the face of her half-sister. The win she thought to be in her hands seemed to disappear.

"Don't tell me..?" Margaret's eyes widened and she could not utter what was on her mind. Her confidence in crushing her lessened when she thought that something had already happened between her and the young man.

"Yes!" she answered her stepmother without any hesitation. "So, if you'll ask who has more right in Chris between Janice and me, it's still me!" She added, holding her head up.

Chris and his mother could only stare at Nica. He did not expect that the young lady would still want to be married to him despite everything that has happened. He wanted to rejoice because she was fighting for him, but he knows he is only a part of her intention to rebel against her family.

"You're only saying that in order for your sister to not be happy. I know nothing has happened between you and Chrismith yet." Margaret could not accept everything that she heard from Nica.

"We were sleeping in the same room since when we came here, so how can you say it's impossible?"

"I know he's not that kind of man, right, Hijo?" Margaret sounded desperate, she obviously wants him to deny Nica.

Nica gazed at Chris as if she was daring him, the words ‘‘prove to me now that you really like me’’ can be read in her stares.

Even though her mind does not want to believe that the young man really likes her, her heart is expecting it to be true. Her half-sister seems to lose her color and her face was pale because of the tension she was feeling.

"I'm sorry, I learned how to love your daughter and I was not able to stop myself from owning her," Chris stated whilst not taking his gaze off Nica.

"Oh, my God!" Margaret's face looks horrible right now. Her daughter is now crying because of the shame of being defeated. They did not expect that the moment would still side with Nica.

"How about my daughter, Honey?" She asked her husband while crying. This time, what was flowing from her eyes were not fake tears. She is weeping for her daughter, whose heart is crushed and bleeding right now.

Even Alfonso does not know what to say, thus none of his daughters would be hurt.

"It's only right for the two's wedding to be continued tomorrow."

They simultaneously looked at the one who spoke. Luisa quickly approached him because she was worried.