Lying on the bed, her eyes fluttered, and her vision blurred as she was greeted by a bright light - the ceiling light. She tried to get a sense of her environment, her senses still quite feeble and numb from the impact of the car crash. Her ears were ringing, she could faintly hear arguments over the room. There were sobs, cries, screams, and hints of anger, grief, and frustration.

"Matteo, please, huminahon ka."

"Paano ako hihinahon, Giselle?! Sabihin mo sa akin kung paano ako kakalma?! OUR SON IS DEAD!"

Unti-unti nang nagkakaroon ng malay si Maddison. She began to regain her senses, yet she remained silent. Nahihirapan rin siyang magkumilos dahil sa mga injuries niya mula sa aksidente.

"I JUST LOST MY SON! Paano mo ba natitiis yon, ha?!"

Matteo was throwing a fit, punching the wall, and flipping the objects on the table, causing Giselle to flinch. And yet still, pinilit niyang magpakatatag and she stood her ground.

"I lost my son too. Hindi porke't hindi ako umiiyak at nagwawala ay hindi ko siya mahal. Mahal ko si William."

Wala na si William? Maddie thought. No, it can't be. Hindi pwede- paano?! She was the one who fell into the pit. Bakit siya ang nabuhay?!

She was shocked, tears began to form in her eye. She didn't know how to react. Iiyak ba siya? Sisigaw? Magwawala? Even if she wanted to, she didn't have the strength to. But while she lay paralysed on her bed, the news definitely broke her. William, her brother, her bestfriend, her defender, her soulmate. When William died, a part of Maddie died too and she would never be the same again. She would not smile the same way again. She would not laugh the same way again. She would not live the same way again. Though her voice could not crack at the moment, her heart definitely did.

"Ang sa akin lang, may isa pa tayong anak na kailangang asikasuhin. Si Maddison. We need to stay calm and collected for her too-" Giselle struggled to keep her composure and repress her voice from breaking only for Matteo to interrupt her sound advice.

"No! Hindi ko 'yan anak! Wala akong anak na suwail at bastada! Ano bang pakialam ko sa ampon na yun?!"

"Matteo!"

And another one bites the dust. As if one heartbreak was not enough, she just had to take another jab to the heart. Ampon. Ampon lang siya? She was never loved. She never belonged. She was never seen nor heard. She tried so hard and she was never the one. It's as though she was stabbed through the heart again and again and again.

That was the final straw. A tear fell down her eye as her spirit fell down too. She doesn't have love anymore. Only grief. Let it be grief then. And perhaps stricken with grief, her stifled sobs were alien sounds her parents -- oops -- Giselle and Matteo did not anticipate to hear any sooner.

Giselle turned quickly to confirm whose voice it was, and to her dread, and relief, Maddison was awake. It was quite the oxymoron, yes. It brought her heart joy to see her baby girl alive and awake. Though she was not hers biologically, Maddison was Giselle's delight. She only wished Maddie had awaken a little bit later when she and Matteo had figured out how to deal with all this.

They were only to break the news of William's death, which in itself was devastating enough, and now, she accidentally found out she did not belong to the family she knew all her life. Giselle felt her pain. Her eyes were filled with horror as she hurriedly approached her daughter in bed and brought her close to her, safely tucked in her warm, loving embrace. 

"Oh, baby, no. No. I'm so sorry," mangiyak-ngiyak na sabi ni Giselle habang hinahagod ang likod ng umiiyak na si Maddison.

"W-William? S-Si Kuya? Mom... Si Kuya William.." Maddie struggled to form a coherent thought. Gulong gulo siya. Ano bang sasabihin niya? Yung pagkawala ng kapatid niya? O yung pagkaampon niya? Even then, she loved her brother more than she loved herself. 

"Wala na si William. He's dead." Matteo said coldly, never meeting Maddie's eyes.

"N-No! No! That's not possible! H-Hindi eh! Ka-Kasama ko lang siya kanina- We-W-We were in the-" utal utal na sambit ni Maddison habang humahagulgol.

"Maddie, it's ok, baby. Shhh... It's ok," Giselle tried her best to console Maddie while Matt did nothing. His inaction was not out of spite, but of a little bit of guilt and uncertainty how to show affection towards Maddie.

"No! No, this isn't real!! William!!! William!!! William, nasaan ka?!!! William please!!! This is not funny! Bumalik ka na please!!! Y-You can have my shoes- Sige na, payag na ako matutong maggitara at kumanta with you. W-We'll make music together, sige naman oh! Come on, jump from that cliff, William! I promise it's safe a-and you can stop fighting... Please bumalik ka lang! Please. PLEASE. PLEASE! William!!!" Maddie was at a stage of denial, bargaining, and grief. She would do anything to take her brother back.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry... He's not coming back. I'm so sorry. Baby, tahan na please. Shhh."

Unti-unting kumalma si Maddie sa pag-iyak. Though she wanted to weep and bargain some more, her strength was still at a limit. It was as though her heart sank through a black hole, sucking the life out of her.

The storm was beginning to calm down, only for it to gather again as the patriarch opened his mouth and decided to point his finger to his wife.

"Kasalanan mo toh eh! Hindi ba pinagbawalan ko na silang magparty? Eh kinonsinti mo eh! Tignan mo tuloy yung kinahihinatnan! Nadisgrasya ang mga anak natin! NAMATAYAN TAYO NG ANAK, GISELLE! You're so stupid! And careless! Wala kang kwenta!"

Normally, Maddie would come to Giselle's defense. But not today. She suffered too many losses in a matter of seconds.

Giselle was no longer surprised Matteo would blame her. She was just counting the seconds until he did and it came. She slowly let go of Maddie, but did not stray too far

"Matteo. Are we really going to do this right now?"

"Yes, Giselle. Because we literally wouldn't be doing THIS right now if hindi mo lang sila pinalabas! Ano ba sa tingin mo ang mangyayari, ha?! I warned you na walang magandang kahihinatnan yang party party na yan! Well, see? Was I wrong?"

"Ok. You were right. I'm sorry. Now can we stop? Tama na, please." Giselle conceded softly as tears fell down her eyes.

Matteo scoffed. "Tama na? Tama na? Talagang ididiin ko sa'yo toh! Gamitin mo namin kasi yang kokote mo sa susunod! Bakit ba kasi hindi ka nalang marunong sumunod?! YOU KILLED OUR SON!"

"Ok. Sige na. Mali na ako. Kasalanan ko na. Kasalanan ko kung bakit namatay ang anak natin. Kasalanan ko kung bakit nasaktan ang isa pang anak natin. Kasalanan ko na lahat. And I will carry that guilt with me to my grave. Masaya ka na?"

Matteo met her teary eyes that stabbed a part of him deep down. He was fuming knowing she was right. He went too far.

"Hindi mo po kasalanan yung nangyari sa'kin... dahil hindi niyo naman po ako anak," Maddie worded out her thoughts. She felt unworthy of any love or sympathy.

"No, my sweet girl, no." Giselle cupped her daughter's face and gently moved a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"It's ok. I'm sorry po."

"Sorry? How is it na nakaligtas ka? How is it na nasa labas ka ng sasakyan while William was stuck inside? Ano, magic?" Matteo pressed on interrogating Maddie.

"H-Hindi ko pa alam-" Maddie felt overwhelmed by the series of questions that followed too soon. All this attention and pressure caused her to panic.

"What do you mean hindi mo alam?? Summa Cum Laude ka tapos di mo alam?? Ano?? Pinabayaan mo ba ang kuya mo??" - Matteo

"N-No, Dad, I swear- I would never leave William- No-" At this point, Maddie was completely panicking. She wasn't guilty but Matteo was scaring her.

"STUPIDA!" He rebukes her, causing her to jump and hug her knees, and once more cry.

"Matteo, tama na!" Giselle tried to mediate the situation.

"Eh ano nga?! SAGOT!" But Matteo would not give in.

"Hindi ko pa maalala, Dad! I'm sorry!" Maddie broke.

"Do NOT call me 'Dad'! Hindi kita anak!" Matteo shouted as he aimed to hit his daughter. Agad namang umiwas si Maddie as a reflex reaction, using her arms to shield herself from Matteo's cruel blows.

But the blow never hit her. No. Giselle had a tight grip on Matteo's wrist, preventing him from landing any display of violence towards Maddison.

In this moment, Giselle was beyond strong, it may be her love for Maddie, her grief for her son, or simply her having enough of Matteo's abuse.

In this moment, she was a different person. Her eyes had no trace of fear nor sadness nor guilt, although tears had occupied the space. She sharply locked eyes with her dear husband, and if looks could kill, Matteo would be suffocating on the floor by now.

"MATTEO. I SAID. STOP." Her tone was empowered with gritted teeth.

Matteo was dumbfounded by her display of power. Not once in the course of their whole marriage has she ever defied him or proved strong enough to fight him until this moment. Indeed, a mother's love is a very powerful lethal weapon. 

He tried to break free from her grasp and save his ego, but alas, his strength could never match hers. If he were to push it, he would lose a hand. So this is what being helpless feels like, huh?

"You've gone too far. Ilang taon akong nagtitiis sa pang-aabuso mo. I can handle you beating me to death, but I DRAW THE LINE when it comes to MY children. YOU. WILL. NOT. I repeat, you will NOT. HURT. MADDISON. Naiintindihan mo?!"

Matteo nodded as Giselle's grip was dragging him on his knees.

"Say it."

Nothing. Matteo merely chuckled at her display of power. But she is not a force to be messed with. She pressed on a pressure point in her wrist, forcing hin to his knees.

"I SAID. SAY IT."

"Oo na! Naiintindihan ko!"

"Hm. So this is what power feels like, huh? How does it feel to be so helpless, Matteo? Anong pakiramdam that you have no choice but to cleave to the one above you?"

"Giselle, enough! LET. ME. GO."

Matteo was scared shitless, alright. She had a feisty aura and the stance that of a warrior. Fearless. Ruthless. Powerful. He could've sworn he saw her eyes go red. Or that could have been just his fear playing mindgames with his eyes, because in the next second, Giselle's whole demeanor changed.

There was no more fire in her eyes, or just in her in general. She repressed back to the old helpless battered wife. She let go of him and backed up, full of guilt and shock and tears.

As she broke free of his arm, a cufflink of Matteo's fell on the bed, such minor detail caught Maddie's eye. Maddie herself was stunned by what had just occurred.

"I-I'm sorry. Hindi ko sinasadya-"

And *SLAP*.

She was so apologetic about almost breaking his wrist like a twig, and Matteo swung his arm again and hit his wife. He could see the judgment from Maddie's eyes and he did not want to be seen as weak, not by anyone, not even by her. After what had transpired, he was enraged that he swore to teach his wife a lesson, it would surely leave a mark.

Giselle fell back towards Maddie's hospital bed, her hand on the side of her lip that bled by Matteo's cruel hand.

"Know your place, woman. We have a funeral to plan."

That's all he said before he took off to whatever errand, leaving the two vulnerable, stupefied, and locked in a warm embrace, mother cradling her daughter's head towards her heart. Just like that, Maddie's heartbreak was once more swept under the rug. At this moment, maraming tanong ang nasa isip niya. Like paano na siya ngayon wala na si William? Sino ang tunay niyang mga magulang? Bakit siya pinaampon? Did no one ever love her? Does she still have a place in this family? Anong gagawin niya?

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A/N:

Ahhhh hindi pa dapat mag-eend dito. It's quite refreshing going back to my old works. It was especially hard to write this while I was sick, ANDDD hindi ko maalala ang majority ng plan ko tho I think more or less this is what should happen, but it really awakens that passion in me. Anyways, this chap was going to contain more, kaso ampanget kasi some scenes nandoon pa sa next so this would then be lacking scenes. So it feels uncomfy and messy. But thinking about it, baka overload na toh since 3 things talaga nangyari - William's death, revealing na ampon lang si Maddie, and Giselle's outburst. Wellll, hanggang sa susunod na UD! HAHAHAHHAHA