Shame to Fame; The Rise of the Duderte Empire

5 - Explanation

It was no news that the Young Master of the Duderte Empire was insanely handsome. It was the word that was on the lips of all the maids.

They would stand in a group of threes to fives and talk about how handsome and hot they thought their Young Master was. 

Anabelle, the maid that had gone to call him for dinner was narrating her ordeal when the head of maids, Mrs. Elle stepped behind them.

"Not only is our Young Master handsome, but his voice is also a huge bonus. He spoke to me in a voice yesterday and I almost melted. It was deep and gruff. It vibrated all my insides!"

"That must have been a huge turn-on for you!"

"You bet! I have a huge crush on him. Since we're on this topic, I'm in charge of his room from now on."

"No fair, Anna! I want to hear his beautiful deep voice as well!" The maid with black hair said waving the rag in her hand in the face of the maid she called Anna.

"So do we." The other maids agreed.

"Well, I said it first so..." Annabelle replied with her chest shot out and her shoulders up in the air. She crossed her hands and had a smug look on her face

"Oh, Anna..."

Mrs. Elle chose this time to talk. She sighed and spoke,

"What are you doing here?"

Immediately her voice was heard, the maids jumped and turned to face her. Even Anna who was feeling like she was going to be the newest Mrs. Duderte was looking down at her shoes.

"Won't you get back to work?" Mrs. Elle yelled and they scrambled off but not after bowing to Mrs. Elle.

Mrs. Elle shook her head and walked to the Dining room. Tomorrow was when it would all start.

She let out a sigh for the unforeseen future. 

THE DUDERTE MANSION.

7 AM.

"Get out!" Arthur yelled.

"Young Master..."

"Get out of my room! Now!"

"Young Master..."

"Leave the room." A voice said solemnly. All eyes turned to Mr. Robert who stood at the door with two bodyguards behind him. The maids bowed and left the room. 

"Young Master, you should get dressed." 

"I'm not going anywhere."

"Young Master."

Arthur glared at the man in return his chest heaving up and down in a rhythmic manner.

"Go." Mr. Robert said taking a step back. The bodyguards stepped into the room. Arthur took a step back his eyes looking between the two bodyguards.

"We don't want to hurt you."

"So stop coming near me." 

"They're not going to hurt you. Just..."

"Back down." An old voice was heard from behind them. All ears turned up at the sound of the man's voice. The bodyguards froze and slowly stepped to the side with their heads bowed. And then,

WHACK!

All eyes turned to Robert sharply. What was that sound?

"What are you trying to do?" The old voice asked and slowly, Mr Robert turned to face his boss. His back was aching from the cane that had been hit against his back. He tried to hide the pain as much as he could but it was his spine aching.

"Nothing, Master." He let out with difficulty.

"Get out of the room. I want to talk to my Son." Rodrigo Duterte, Arthur's father instructed. 

"Yes, Sir." Mr. Robert said bowing his head. His back gave a groaning sound and Arthur winced a bit. The man slowly backed away with the two bodyguards tailing behind him.

"Fool," Rodrigo muttered stepping into the room. His cane before his feet followed with a soft thud sound that followed his footsteps.

"Sit down." He instructed pointing at the chair near him.

"I'm not going with you to your company."

"Will you keep quiet and sit down?! You're so quick to jump to conclusions. That's not a very good character of a businessman." Rodrigo exclaimed.

"Takes after his mother so damned much..." Rodrigo sighed to himself.

Arthur slowly took his seat on the green leather one-seater couch close to the coffee table.

His room was much more than he could ask for. The room was big enough to contain a Queen-sized bed which had green covers on it. There were three couches opposite the bed, right beside the door to his Closet.

The couches were surrounding a coffee table. Two one-seater couches on opposite sides such that they were facing each other and a two-seater couch facing the bed. On the coffee table that had glass on its surface and the green legs, were different sorts of fruits all gathered in a green fruit bowl.

"Why is everything so green?" Arthur asked averting his gaze from his bed.

"I thought your favorite color was green. Is it not? Let me know. We'll renovate it all immediately." 

"No... I... I like green. I just... It's so much green."

"Right right. I guess we can do without a green bedsheet. It seems a bit much." Rodrigo said eyeing the duvet with a slight chuckle.

"It is. And the slippers too?" Arthur asked with a deep chuckle. 

"I chose that myself," Rodrigo said with a smile. Arthur looked to his father and slowly, the smile etched on his face washed down his face and he cleared his throat awkwardly.

Rodrigo let out a sigh and nodded his head in understanding.

"I... I believe I owe you an explanation. You see, I-"

"You don't need to explain anything." Arthur cut him off with no sign of remorse.

"Yes, I do. I need you to forgive me before I die. I can't keep bearing the guilt that you hate me. How am I to face your Mother when I see her?"

Arthur looked up at the mention of his mother. He glared at his Father so hard that the man thought his head was going to come off his body.

"Why? Why did you do it?"

Rodrigo released another sigh. The memory of him killing his wife flashed in his head. It was still as fresh just like he was still in that hospital room.

"I... I had to." 

"You had to kill your own wife?"

"Except, she wasn't my wife back then..."

"What does that..."

10 YEARS AGO.

 JIANG GENERAL HOSPITAL. 

10 PM.

"Come on, Arthur. I know you're tired. Go home with Elle and Robert. I'll watch over Mum."

"No. I want to stay with my Mum." 8-year-old Arthur argued with his Father while shaking his head stubbornly.

"Arthur, don't be stubborn. Do you want to disturb Mum's sleep?"

Arthur shook his head negatively before looking down at his fingers with a dejected look on his face.

"Go with them. You can come back after school tomorrow. Then you can stay as long as you want. I won't disturb you or ask you to come home." Rodrigo persuaded rubbish his son's head.

"Can I hug her one more time before I go?" Arthur requested in a small voice.

"Of course you can, Son. You definitely can."

Arthur looked beneath his wet eyelashes at his Mother's pale face. Even though her face was as white as a sheet of paper, she was the still most beautiful woman to both Rodrigo and Arthur.

Arthur took a small step towards the bed and wrapped his arms around his mother's neck. He lowered his small torso hoping his mother would raise her hand and hug him back and then they'd all laugh about it and say it was just a prank. But it never came.

However, before he left his mother, he whispered in her ear in a small silent voice,

"I wish you were here. And I miss you so much, Mum. I can't wait for you to get better and carry me and twirl me like you always do. I miss you, mama. And I love you so much."

He had no idea why he had told her that that day. His mind just told him to do it. Thankfully he did, because the next time he saw his mother's face was in her coffin.

"Alright, there you go champ. Go home now. Make sure to eat all of your veggies. And sleep early."

"Alright, Dad. Goodnight."

"Night, son. I love you."

"I love you too Dad."

Rodrigo pulled his son in for a departing hug. Mrs. Elle was holding Arthur's school bag while Mr. Robert stood by the door.

"Off you go."

Arthur smiled and looked at his mother's pale face one last time before making fake the door.

"Goodnight, Master." Mr. Robert and Mrs. Elle greeted simultaneously with a deep bow

"Hm."

They then exited the room. Rodrigo let out a sigh and got up to get some water for himself. Just then, the woman on the bed opened her eyes. Rather slowly.

"Did he..." Rodrigo muttered looking down at the doll beside the water dispenser. Seems like his son had forgotten his doll. He shrugged and just then he felt a weird energy in the room.

Slowly, he turned his back to see his wife seated on the bed. However, her face was looking down, not at him.

The cup of water in his hand fell to the ground but that was not his concern at the moment. He ran to his wife's side and slowly sat down on the chair that he had occupied earlier.

"Honey? Honey, are you finally awake?" He asked his heart leaping with joy. However, he got no response from the woman on the bed.

"Honey?" He called shaking her shoulder. Was she not fully awake?

Suddenly, Mrs. Duderte turned her head to her husband sharply. Her eyes were bloodshot red while she stared at her husband with a murderous intent.

Rodrigo shifted in his chair. What was going on?

"Who are you?" She asked in a cold voice. Rodrigo's face scrunched in confusion. Was she asking who he was? His own wife?

"Is that a joke? It's me. Rodrigo. Your-"

He had not the chance to finish his sentence when he had been sent flying along with the chair he was sitting on.

A groan escaped his lips. He tried to stand but he soon noticed he was unable to move. When his wife kicked his chest, he crashed into the water dispenser so now both the machine and the small tank were on his legs.

His wife was coming near him. She was walking in a way he had never seen her walk before. He had to do something. Even if her memory were gone, why was she attacking him?

Suddenly, the woman ripped the tank and the machine off her husband's leg. Rodrigo's eyes widened and he was quick to roll out of the way before she dropped on him.

"What are you doing?! Don't you know who I am?!"

"You're Rodrigo Duterte. The one who killed my whole family. I'll kill you."

"What? Your fam-" He hadn't finished his sentence when she charged at him again.