The Stolen Legacy

as if mourn

coffin-like silent tears smudging t

nd, swallowed by a hole that felt too sma

her black coat soaked through, clin

ery was ne

weeping relatives, no

reading the rehearsed eulogy and the

slicked-haired unfamiliar, watched with a curious

s didn't lea

Her whole world

system at five, who gave her everything a broken lit

had called her

ed up to it

business, and carried his name with pri

because in death, he had

e as if putting it there could change what it said. She had re

opted daughter, I leave my

o be transferred to my long-l

even know w

e always told her she remin

, not once, and yet the papers were le

de no

awyer, Mr. Cabrera, had only offered a polite sh

re his passing", he said, not even meet

ad

as away on a work trip he

pulated him? Had

ts that kept running

were no answers. Only a cold firm legal wa

s white. She didn't even have an umbrella. The rain beat against

A voice called b

y and detached as always. The kind of man who knew how

ed at hi

Your departure from th

rture. As though she was

. you are ki

d, voice

e now belongs to Miss C

orrow, "She's asked

pposed to

hese while and she's coming to take

en, with her eyes

cation allowance", he added

pocket and bringing

p you get back

took it slowly, her fingers damp and shaking. It was

't say t

ed to the mansion in Ac

rmth, His wife had already relocated back

om echoed with the ghost of laughter piano music, birthday dinners,

e suitcase with essential clothes, toiletries, a fra

d earrings, and branded handbags felt

e. It had always felt like a princess's suite, with crea

a tomb of

pride and joy. They had played duets there every Sunday mor

sed one,

again, but s

e locked, sh

closed behind her, not when the taxi took her awa

The streets were alive, with the chaos jeepneys swerving, vendors shouting, and neon

otel with flickering light

year ago, she would have been greeted

w face, another stran

athroom mirror, her makeup had smudged. Her ha

am I

ney, it was enough to live on for a few months, I

aced it inside the drawer, rig

at doesn't require a pedigree or connections. She submitted her res

d for more

her pride and searched for something she never thought she'd

on-light club in Makati. Her heels clicked on t

eather jacke

u Al

holding the door open. "Here we don't

epped

y Willia

Cortez