PARALLELED: Wait! Why Am I Suddenly Filthy Rich?

Chapter 15: A Decision To Stay

Inside a high-rise building located at the heart of Manila, there was a small room with only bed and an end table. And the person who occupies inside, is a teenage boy who got forced to live there, in exchange of her sister's life.   

"Hey! Wake up kid! You've got some work to do!" 

A man who came inside kicked the boy, waking him up in an instant. The boy was bewildered yet he still manages to follow the man. He doesn't want to end up getting beaten up again like the last time.

It was already been two weeks since his life in hell started. To avoid worrying his sister and even try to look for him, he left her a letter saying that he went away to study on a faraway school related to computer. He assured her in the letter that he's got a scholarship granted and that everything was free for him. And that he will just pay her a visit when he's got a free time.

'Visit? I don't even know if I could get out of this place, alive.' 

"Here. This will be the bank you'll hack this time. Make sure to transfer the money in small amounts per account. We don't wanna get caught. It will be too tough to hack other banks if this method gets figured out and will be all over the news. So better do it right. Got it?" The man, which is the same man who came in their place last time, told him when he reached his "station".

He nodded twice and sat in front of his personal computer. Then he started working. He was almost over when suddenly, a message from his social media account prompted on the side of the monitor. He was forbidden to open his accounts, but in order to convince his sister about his whereabouts, he was still sending and exchanging messages with her from time to time.

The boy slowly turned. He saw that the man manning him was busy on his phone and was not actually keeping an eye on him. It's now his chance.

He immediately types his reply to his sister while still doing his "job" at the same time. But as he read the next message his sister sent to him, his fingers paused and he struggled to stop his tears. 

"I know you're in danger. I have been noticing people tailing me everywhere."  -From: Sister Ugly

The teen boy who read this was not able to type a reply immediately. He doesn't know what to say. 

"You're not alone Haru Kobayashi. I'm here, your older sister."  From: Sister Ugly

"I will save you, little brother. Where are you? " From: Sister Ugly

"Haru? I promised Mom and Dad. Please."  From: Sister Ugly

Reading the last message, Haru finally gathered his thoughts and typed a reply. 

"No need. I'll get out of here myself, sister. Just go and leave our place now. These people are really dangerous. Let's meet on the place where Dad used to bring us. I promise to be there tomorrow. I promise."  

Haru typed his last reply before closing the social media chat. He's already made up his mind. He'll escape from this hell. Alive.

"Guardian?"

Tanya called out her guardian, the night after she finally decided to go out from her isolation. She has been gathering her thoughts for a week and finally was able to come up with a decision. 

"I came as thy called, dear Tanya." The guardian said after showing up.

Tanya looked at the guardian in the eyes. "I know that it's still not the 100th day, but can I give you my answer now?" She asked.

"Didn't you already give me an answer at the very first day?" The guardian asked.

Tanya do remember her firm decision that day. But after being realized with the painful truth, she was shaken. She knew that she can't face Samantha and Mr. Tan without confronting them. And if she will end up picking a fight with the two, she knew that it will definitely turn out as her loss.

She doesn't want to be around with those traitors, anymore. Thus, she ends up choosing the opposite of her initial decision. She realized that trading this family she has now with a fake family and friends from her original world is utterly stupid.

She has to move on.

"I know. But didn't you also shunned me the truth to make me realize that it would be a mistake?" Tanya asked back.

The guardian replied with a genuine smile. "I just gave you the truth dear Tanya, thy can still decide to go back." 

Tanya firmly shook her head. "No guardian. I won't." She said and walked towards her balcony. She looked up to the moon above and stared at it. "All my life, I've always wondered what it's like to have a family. To have people looking out for you. I have always been alone ever since. Though the sister's in the convent did not love me less, I still feel like I really have no one. Even a friend. All I have was just enemies." Tanya chuckled. 

"But when Manty became my friend, I felt like I instantly had a friend and a family in one. She was like a big sister to me. A big sister that always looks after her younger sister. That's what Manty is like." Tanya sadly smiled remembering her moments with Samantha. "But I guess, she was just putting an act to win me over and be her cloak. I concealed her identity without me knowing. She must have been seeing me as a pushover freak who always fights with bad people yet keeping the boss under her protection. I was so clueless and stupid." Though she struggled to stop it, but a tear still escaped. 

"Hey... guardian. Am I someone not worth to love as a family?" Tanya asked the guardian who's behind her. "You said that you are me, right? What do you think? Am I not worth it? Maybe if I did not meddle with their businesses and just mind my own, Manty wouldn't have approached and used me, right? Surely, I'd be spared with this heartbreak." 

"One's action might be influenced by one. But decisions are made by only thy self. Thus, thy decisions are your own and not others fault. Thy friend decided to use you. And it's not thy fault nor you had a power to stop it." The guardian walked beside Tanya. "As such, thy worth can't be measured with such circumstances." It continued.

Tanya let her tears fell for a while and continued staring at the moon. 

Moments later, Tanya spoke. "I'm no longer going back Guardian. I now choose to live in this world as Tanya Gasque. A billionaire bachelorette living in her glass-walled mansion with her family. This is my decision. And this time, it's really final." Tanya announced and returned back inside her room.

She walked inside knowing that the guardian has already left after she gave her, her answer. She closed the glass door and looked back at the shining moon. May this world be good to her.