Chapter 12: Cousin?

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Candy just finished her homework. She stretched out her arms and checked her watch. There's still enough time to mail Neo's letter. She picked up his letter from her pocket and read it again to make sure she didn't miss anything.

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"Don't congratulate me for the "accidental promotion".It's not a celebration at all! I want my boss to come back and I will rejoice the day he comes back. I do… Because I love him!

No, I haven't met that-girl again. I have been very busy trying to catch up with my work I can't think of anything else. Last night, I practiced my speech with my staffs a dozen times. By the time we finished, it was already around midnight. There's only my assistance left in my audience and this is not the only time. What a cheerleader she is!

My job is way too difficult. I am very miserable. The hard thing is I can't talk to anyone about it. My staffs must not know that I'm scared since it would stir panic, you see. So every day I have to look cool and confidence although inside I am anything but. Glad that we write anonymously. You're the only one I can talk to about this. I am lucky that I can be myself with you otherwise I would go nuts by now."

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Poor Neo, thought Candy.

She then felt unpleasant feeling enveloped her heart again. Does he like his assistant? Do they do other things at midnight? Feeling ashamed to herself, she shook her head. What am I thinking?She should be happy that someone cared for Neo just like she's happy she had Albert…

There was a gentle raping on her door. A housekeeper came announcing, "Ms. Candice, Madam Elroy wants to see you. She's waiting in the veranda."

"Okay!" said Candy.

She quickly got up and walked to meet aunt Elroy. While walking, she quickly browsed her letter to Neo one more time, folded it and shoved it into an envelope.

Inside the glass-wall veranda, she found Aunt Elroy was already waiting for her. The matriarch sat in her favorite chair crowded by her indoor plants and flowers sipping her cup of tea. Candy knocked at the glass door to get her attention. Aunt Elroy turned and lifted up her face.

"Ah my dear Candice," said Aunt Elroy intriguingly much friendlier than she had ever been. "Come on in."

"Good afternoon, aunt!" Candy stepped in.

Aunt Elroy stared at Candy, studying her face very intensely, much more than even the first time they met.

"You want to talk to me, aunt?" asked Candy uneasily. She waited.

Aunt Elroy's gaze lowered and Candy found her staring at the envelop in her hand. "For William?" Aunt Elroy's sharp tone returned. Her friendliness ended there.

"No, it's not," said Candy truthfully. She put the envelope in her handbag. That letter was for Neo.

"Better not," Aunt Elroy said dryly, didn't seem to believe Candy. "Sit down." She gestured at a seat across from her. Candy inched and sat obediently. Aunt Elroy kept her eyes on Candy again until Candy felt uncomfortable and started to turn away.

"What do you know about your parents, Candice?" Aunt Elroy began.

"I know nothing about them," said Candy truthfully.

"That's sad," Aunt Elroy remarked stiffly. "How did you end up in Pony's home?"

"No one knows. One day, Sr. Lane heard some noise at the front door. She checked and found me at the door step. She and Ms. Pony then took care of me. That's about it."

"What about the other kids in Pony's home?"

"Some was found at the doorsteps too, some was left by charity agencies, some was abandoned and picked from the street or somewhere by Ms. Pony or Sr. Lane or neighbors... Everyone has their own stories. There are so many of us."

"How many?"

"Oh, we're one large family!" Candy smiled. Aunt Elory didn't return the smile. "There are about ten children in addition to Ms. Pony and Sr. Lane. Children come and go. For each one that leaves a new child is adopted."

"Ten! I feel sorry for you," said aunt Elroy in acid sympathy. "They must make the kids work so hard to manage their big house."

"Pony's home isn't that big." Candy looked around. "Perhaps it's a bit smaller than this veranda."

"Really?"Aunt Elroy looked about. "How distressing," she snorted with an unhidden tone of disgust.

Candy was about to respond it was perfect, they all loved it there but aunt Elroy had moved on.

"Are you still in touch with them?" aunt Elroy demanded. It's weird. Aunt Elroy never showed lengthy interest in Pony's home before. It made Candy squirm in her seat.

"I visit Pony's home and see Ms. Pony and Sr. Lane at least once a month. I make good friends with all the kids there but once they leave, we usually lose contact since they are too young to write letters. I used to be in touch with Tom but we lost contact since he moved to Texas. I still meet Jimmy occasionally. I attended his wedding last year."

"Is he now? With whom?"

"Bertha. She's one of Mr. Cartwright's housemaids. Mr. Cartwright is the ranch owner where Jimmy and Bertha work," said Candy enthusiastically.

"Oh brother! He does little to change his social status," answered Aunt Elroy contemptuously.

Candy was furious. "Jimmy and Bertha are happy together! Bertha is expecting a baby. Jimmy is Mr. Cartwright's most trusted groom. Mr. Cartwright just appointed him as the stable head in the ranch. Mr. Cartwright also puts Jimmy in school to major in ranching concentrating in horses!" cried Candy indignantly.

Aunt Elroy sipped her tea, showing little interest. "Do you love those two charity workers who took care of you, Candice?"

"Ms. Pony and Sr. Lane? Yes, of course I love them. They -"

"What about your real parents for putting you in that... tawdry place."

"That place is not at all tawdry." Candy refused to allow aunt Elroy to continue shaming Pony's home. "It was the only place I want to be to grow up. I am thankful for my parents, without them I won't be born and grow up in there. So yes, I love my parents!"

Aunt Elroy sliced a piece of coffee cake and gave it to Candy, eyes holding hers. "What if I told you that I know who your mother is?"

"Sorry?" Candy almost had the piece of cake she just swallowed came right back up again.

"I just a had a meeting with a very skilled investigator. He told me who your mother is." Candy almost gasped. "This might surprise you, Candice. You and William are cousins," said aunt Eroy, giving Candy the most startling news she had ever heard in her life.

"What!?" Candy exclaimed.

" Honestly, I'm not entirely surprised," continued aunt Elroy. She watched Candy with that mysterious look. "I always thought your resemblance to her was striking."

"R-resemblance? Her?"

"Remember how Anthony and William often say you look like Rosemary? And yet, they haven't seen Helina."

"H-helina?"

"So, I hired a detective to study who your parents are." Aunt Elroy repeated the story she had told Albert. Helina fell in love with someone and ran away from home. When her father finally found her, she had already died.

"Helina had blonde hair and green eyes like yours," aunt Elroy continued. "To avoid scandal, all her photos were taken down from all Andrews mansions. But we still have some collections in the storage." Aunt Elroy pulled the cloth that covered a large rectangular object next to her revealing a portrait painting of a woman underneath.

"This was taken when Helina was eighteen shortly before she ran away from home." Aunt Elroy paused before adding in disgust, "With her forbidden lover."

Candy froze, looking at the painting. The woman looked very similar to Rosemary. Helina was equally pretty with porcelain skin, larger pair of green eyes and curly blonde hair.

"Helina is Rosemary's mother's sister. So that makes you and Albert cousins." Aunt Elroy fixed Candy with a piercing gaze. "FIRST cousin," Aunt Elroy reiterated pointedly.

"W-who did the investigation?"

"It's confidential."

The air was hot but Candy felt her hands icy cold. "Cousin?" Candy whispered, choked. "How do you know that it's correct? Does Albert know?"

"Let me be blunt, Candice," snapped aunt Elroy sharply. "William just started to catch up with his work . He just spent weeks on the road to be where he's at. I don't want him to spend a few more weeks on the road just to come back to America to calm you down. He'll learn about this when he comes back in a few months."

"Surely to hire a second investigator-"

"Another interdependent detective?" asked aunt Elory wryly. "Then soon something will leak to the media who'll gladly make a circus of the reopen wound that our elderly had managed so hard to cover. That shall not happen!"

"Still-"

"Let me make this clear, Candice." Looking sharply at Candy, aunt Elroy leaned forward and spoke in a biting tone. "We wait until William come back! Until then, this matter is strictly confidential. Under no circumstances should you discuss it with anyone else whatsoever. Is that understood?"

Candy nodded faintly.

"Now that you and William are cousins, do me a favor. Live farther away from him. I can give you a fully equipped mansion with your own set of servants for your new title," Aunt Elroy said unflinchingly.

I'm Albert's cousins. Can't marry Albert!A sad chill slid down Candy's spine. "No need," Candy whispered. "I-I will move to my apartment until further investigation is made when Albert is back."

"The choice is yours," said Aunt Elroy dryly. "Remember, William has hundred years of family tradition is his hands. He has no time to deal with petty private issues. I trust that you get my message as intended."

Candy looked at aunt Elroy but she had picked up her book and started to read as though she's not there.

Candy stood up. "Understood, aunt Elroy."

Aunt Elroy rang a bell and a maid entered. Aunt Elroy talked to the maid but Candy didn't pay attention. After some noises, Alfred the driver entered. Aunt Elroy gave him instruction on how to take care of Candy's move to her apartment. Without looking again at Candy, aunt Elroy swished her away with her hand.

Blown by the fact, Candy gave it all to look strong. She nodded politely and pivoted for the exit. She went straight to her room to pack. Twenty minutes later she was already in the car on the way to her apartment which she shared with Albert when he had amnesia. Candy cried remembering the beautiful memories she had with Albert. She stopped at a post office to mail her letter to Neo.

-To be continued-

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NOTE:

Mr. Cartwright: a character from manga. The ranch owner, remember?

groom: a person who takes care of horses.

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Thanks for reading.