Afflicted (TLS #3 - COMPLETED)

A R T I C L E 3 - S E C T I O N 1 6

"WOW! I never expected to get a call from you," Colton said with a cocky smile on his face.

Kahit ako rin ay hindi ko inakalang gagawin ko 'to. Colton Torrenueva is my cousin on the maternal side. We were closer when we were younger but went on separate ways during our teen years. Iba kasi and hilig ng isang 'to.

Colton liked women, booze, and parties. Samantalang ako ay purong si Lauren lang ang kasama noon. Ngayon namang may sarili na kaming mga trabaho ay hindi rin kami madalas na magkita dahil sa kasalungakatan ng trabaho namin.

I am a lawyer. I worked to fight for justice with words and substantial evidences.

My cousin also fights for justice. In his own way though. And I can guarantee with my life that it was nowhere near legal.

"How can I help you?" he asked. I took a deep breath and decided to go with this. I'll definitely do everything to take Lauren out of that hellhole. I don't care to what expense.

She doesn't deserve to be in there. Maruming makipaglaro ang mga Quintos, yes. But I can do the dirtiest thing if that would mean salvation for Lauren.

I sighed before taking Roselle's pictures on my briefcase and handed it over to him. He took it with his brows furrowing.

"I want you to—"

"Why do you have this? How do you know this woman?" putol niya sa sasabihin ko. I saw how my cousin's face darkened as he stared at Roselle's picture.

"Kilala mo?" tanong ko pabalik sa kanya.

Colton didn't respond but it was pretty obvious that he does know her and with the look on his face, I'm pretty sure that they were far from being friends.

"What do you want me to do?" he asked after a short while.

"Hukayin mo lahat ng pwedeng mahukay sa kanya. Her darkest and dirtiest secrets, her childhood, just everything! I need to know everything about that woman." Nag-angat ng tingin si Colton. Wala na ang mapaglarong ngisi nito sa labi kanina at napalitan na ng madilim at seryosong ekspresyon.

"What did this woman do to you?"

"Sa'kin? Wala. Pero dahil sa kanya isang inosenteng babae ang nakakulong ngayon at pinagbabayaran ang kasalanang ginawa niya."

Ibinaba ni Colton ang mga pictures sa lamesa at mas sumeryoso ang mukha habang nakatitig sa akin.

"Please tell me this woman didn't kill anyone." Gusto kong matawa sa pakiusap niya.

"She did and she put all the blame to another victim," gigil kong sagot pero agad ring natigilan nang makita ko ang mariing pagpikit ng mga mata niya.

"What's wrong?"

"She did it again . . ." rinig kong bulong niya sa sarili bago siya tumayo at tumingin sa 'kin.

"I already have the files for this woman, I'll give it to you. But I won't settle with just letting this woman rot in jail, JD. I also have accounts to settle with her," he said before he left my office.

Bumaba ang tingin ko sa nagkalat na litrato ni Roselle sa harap ko. I picked the one where she was staring coldly at the stage. 

"Looks like you're in for a bigger trouble," bulong ko sa litrato niya bago iyon binalik sa suitcase ko.

"Ma . . ." Kitang-kita ko ang pag-atras ni Lauren nang makita si Mama sa tabi ko. I wasn't actually planning to bring her with me but she insisted. She wanted to see Lauren so bad.

Isa pa, I'll be needing my mom's help this time, too.

Jasmine P. Lopez is a well-known name in the field of law. My mom's one of the prime lawyers of her time. Tumigil lang siya sa practice after the 'accident' that disabled her from bearing children again.