The Hired Daughter

Chapter 5

Few hours had been passed and yet I could not get my sleep, why I had no choice but to get up. I needed to breathe some fresh air, I left my room and headed straight the hallway the one I noticed earlier.. the balcony.

Looking at my old phone I continued walking. A smile crept on my lips when my eyes found this balcony. From here, you could glimpse a good view from this beautiful fountain, so the room here in left wing was actually the front.

I looked down on my phone in my hand, I have got my new number and only Mom knew about it, even my friend Astrid did not know that I had changed my number. As Mom forbade me on having contact with the people I left there in Nueva Ecija.

I sighed and just looked outside, they really have a good life here. Dela Francia is really a prominent family and not just that, they were so down to earth, I sighed again, I hoped I would not regret this.

Mommy proposed a free education for me, she would funding my education in exchange.. I will pretend as her daughter. A part of it, I will have monthly money straight to my savings account, I did not agree at first but she was ever persistent and opened an account for me. Like what she said it’s for me, for me to have my personal money. I inhaled deeply, earlier the couple even mentioned about the trust fund, Venus’ trust fund. That they might letting me access that trust fund.

I let myself drank at the freshness of the air here before I decided to go back in my room. I jumped and almost scream with the person who standing just near where I was. The figure was leaning nearby the balcony and I needed to pass this creature before leaving the place. Despite of the darkness, I tried to see the person.

"Can't sleep?" a deep baritone said, it was Cast.

"Hmm, yeah.." I murmured.

"I see.." he put his hands in his pockets. Silence. "You know what.. I wonder how you did manipulate my Mom and Dad. But you can't fool me.." he said in a deadly tone and firmness in his voice.

"I-I don’t know what you were talking about!" my heart was in a ricochet. How the hell he did know about that?

"Deny all you want.. but I'm pretty sure, you're not my sister." he said nonchalantly, he stared at me before he left me dumbfounded.

I was too nervous and even wanted to call Mrs. Dela Francia about my interaction with her son. I swallowed hard and feeling light-headed as I walked through the hallway, back to Venus’ room.

I stayed up late, why the next morning I was too sleepy.. Thanks to my alarm, it saved my day. After taking a bath I changed to my dress, that one dress Mom had bought me, an emerald green dress for today. When I checked again the time it was already eight in the morning, it took me a while for dressing up.

The couple were already waiting for me in the dining when I joined them.

"Good morning, hija.." Mommy firstly greeted me.

"Good morning, Mommy." I kissed her cheek. "Good morning, Da-daddy." I kissed him on his cheek.

"Take your seat, hija, Cast couldn’t join us for breakfast coz he’s still sleeping now. Shall we start?" Daddy placed down his newspaper.

We were in the middle of our breakfast when I heard a baritone voice. "Good morning, everyone." he greeted as he sat down.

"I appreciate you as an early bird now Cast, this is the first time that we going to eat breakfast together.. after so many years. Thank you, hijo." Mommy’s voice waved.

"Mom, I woke up early because we have basketball practice.. with my friends." he casually replied.

"It's only Monday and yet you have practice? You should practice on weekends only." Daddy commented.

"Dad, we have a serious game next week, we need to be serious in our practice."

I just listened at them while chewing my food, I had nothing to say when they were all stranger to me. Mom skipped on feeding me some information as she believed that it was way better to come out naturally or in due time.

"Cancel your practice today, your sister's just only came back. She needs company, you can tour her around our vicinity." Daddy calmly said.

"Dad, I'm not going to babysit her, I can tour her around but maybe after my practice." Cast threw me a glance before he shook his head.

"Uhm, I-I’m fine here, Da-daddy.. I can stay in my room." I was almost pleading to him.

"Yeah, it's okay. We need a lot of things to catch up, you know girl talks." said Mommy.

"See? She can manage and besides Mom's never leaves her side." he just shrugged.

"Alright then, but don't be late tonight, we have to talk about your upcoming birthdays." my gaze went up, what birthday? Birthdays?

"Oh, we forgot to tell you, Sheina you both have the same birth month, you and Cast and it will be this month before ends. Cast and yours." he gasped. "We're happy that you’re going to celebrate your eighteenth birthday here, we'll be the most grateful parent's on that day." Daddy’s eyes became glossy.

Shocks! I’m going to have to celebrate my eighteenth birthday again, here. "Whe-when is my birthday?" that slipped out my mouth before I remembered about Mrs. Dela Francia’s briefing on me, that Venus was born on May twenty-ninth, great!

"May twenty-ninth and Cast was born on May twenty-second." Mom smiled.

"Oh-okay, but I already celebrated my birthday last month." I trailed off.

"Forget about your old birthdays, hija, from now on you'll be celebrating with us." Daddy happily said.

"Dad, Mom, I have to go. I'm full." Cast sat up.

"Remember, don't be late." said Daddy.

He did not bother to answer as he only kissed them both on the cheek, but he ignored on greeting me like I was not existed at all. Both the old Dela Francia, apologized about it.

After the breakfast, Daddy was off to work and Mommy and I left again.

We decided to go to Venus’ room, to my room. "Mommy, I think Cast has doubting my identity. Last night.. I bumped into him and he said, he wasn’t buying my lies and he’s accused me on manipulating you both."

"Don't worry about him. He might be just testing you but I know that he will soon accept you as his sister." Mom sighed. She left the bed and headed to the closet.

When she returned to me she has this frame on her hand, rather a photo. "She's Venus.. you two have resemblance, if she still alive.. you two could pass as twin." she smiled warmly. It was a photo of a little girl, her glowing brown eyes was really hard to ignore in this photo. Yeah, we have resemblance at first look, but it was strange to be looked like this photo knowing it was a photo of a little girl when I was a grown up woman now, fine, a not so grown up woman. All I could see is that we both have these brown eyes.

"She's pretty. But I don’t think if we really look alike." I chuckled.

"No, you too really look alike. That’s why Cast acting like that.. coz he was once close to Venus, way back, before she’s gone." she continued in a sad tone before she cleared her throat. "The guest room is ready in case you want to rest and your stuff will be there next. Some of the people who will work for your room will be here later."

"Thanks, Mommy, I can bring my clothes." I walked to my bags.

Mom let me carry out my bags as we headed to the guest room, while the other stuff should have been taken care of our house helpers.

I have this huge guest room for myself and not so far away from Venus’ room. And I learned we have the same floor with them, on the other side of this floor.

Later on, some of the said people arrived. We started to talk about the design.. and then I told them I wanted mint green with lime for my room. Since it was late afternoon now, the renovation will start asap by tomorrow.

Chilling in the living room with Mom, we were talking about things when Cast arrived. He greeted Mommy but then he was still ignoring me. Mommy just sighed witnessing what happened and how cold the treatment Cast’s giving me, but then she told me, he’d soon accepting me as his sister.

Like my first day here, we were all now on the long table for dinner. It was just now, we were silent..

"Cast, you will be Sheina's escort to her eighteenth birthday. You can ask some of your friends for her eighteenth roses and such. She doesn’t have friends yet so I count on you." Dad said not lifting his eyes from his plate.

"What about my birthday?" Cast asked Daddy.

"You can throw a party on your birthday or anything you want." that’s when his gaze went up.

"Anyway, Cast, go out with Sheina tomorrow. You two need some time to get to know each other." Mom suggested.

"Yes, and maybe we can go out of the country before your school starts." Dad added.

"Disneyland!" it’s too late to cover my mouth coz I already blurted it out.

Cast looked at me with amused expression on his face, followed by Dad’s laughed. "Yes dear, if you wanna go there, we'll all go there. Seems my daughter still stuck in her childhood days." Dad eyes glimmered.

A sly smile appeared on my face. Me and my mouth. I bit my lips, embarrassed of what happened, Mommy surely thinking now that I was taking advantage of her family. I looked at her, she was just smiling back at me with longing in her eyes.

Before the dinner was over they were talking with Cast about hanging out with me tomorrow, or else he would stay here at home.

That’s why the next morning, I early prepared for the day. I was wearing a royal blue dress and flats, and let my jet black hair down. And still here in my room waiting for Cast to call me.

I jumped at the knock on my door. "Senyorita, your brother is waiting for you."

"Co-coming." I was almost running on my way out of my room. Not wanting to mess with him to avoid him being annoyed of me.

And I almost tripped descending the grand staircase when I saw him clearly. He looked bored when his gaze met mine, while I was immobile gawking at him. He's wearing a black shirt and faded jeans, but seriously he looked too handsome in his casual attire. I suddenly felt ashamed of being his sister.

"Wow! My baby is now a lady!" Mom kissed and hugged me why I tore my gaze away from him.

"Cast, you take care of her. Don't leave her alone, she's not familiar here in Manila." Mom.

"Yeah, I know Mom." he uttered in a bored tone. "Come on, Sheina." he then faced me.