She Was Pulled (Salazar Series #1)

Chapter 34

Chapter 34

Genuinely

Tumikhim si tita Dail bago nagsalita. Nandito silang lahat. Agad nagsiuwian nang malamang nandito na ako.

There's a ghost of smile on Lola Polly's lips. I don't know what's that for.

Salungat naman ang reaksyon ni Lola. Ang mga labi niya ay kanina pa tikom at bahagyang nakakunot ang noo.

"We are all here now to clear everything about Nella's sudden disappearance after we sent her to the US.

"Stop all that disappearance bullshit, Dail. My granddaughter was kidnapped."

"I'm sorry to interupt you, Madame. But she was not."

Galit na bumaling si Lola kay Mommy. "Fiona, gaano ka kasigurado na totoo ang salitang lumalabas sa bunganga mo?"

I saw pain frickled on Mommy's face.

"Delila." saway ni Lolo. Ramdam ko ang tensyon sa pagitan ng dalawa.

"I am sure of what I'm saying, Madame." Mommy uttered intently. "My daughter isn't-"

Mas lalong lumala ang reaksyon ni Lola. "You're daughter?!" tumaas ang boses niya. "Anak na ilang taon mong pinabayaan?! Anong karapatan ang meron ka para sabihin yan?!"

Tears pooled in my eyes. "You don't know anything!" Mommy bursted. I was taken a back when I saw Lola Polly stopped her.

Pahisteryang tumawa si Lola. "At parang magkasabwat pa yata ang mga-"

"Mama!" tito Dwayne interrupted. "I think you should go."

"Anong sinabi mo Dwayne?! Apo ko ang pinag uusapan dito!" pumutok ang boses ni Lola.

Tito sighed. "Yes, and Nella is my niece too. But you should calm down and keep silent, Ma. Or we can't solve this."

Padarag na umupo si Lola. Si Mommy naman ang nagsalita.

"Decades ago, when... I was pregnant." Mommy gulped. I sensed her struggle about this topic. "I almost got killed by... Ilana Tolentino." nagsinghapan ang iba sa narinig.

Sumikip ang dibdib ko sa ikinwento ni Mommy. Bakit?

"Even you?! That fucking bitch is obsessed with kuya!" tita Dail gritted her teeth.

Pinunasan ni Mommy ang kanyang mga luha bago muling nagsalita. "Alam ko. Natakot ako para sa a-anak ko." bumaling siya sa akin. "That's why I came up with the plan to file an annulment after I gave birth to... Nella." humikbi si Mommy.

Tears came gushing from my eyes. My arms are itching to hug her but we have to finish this first.

"Dave was furious when I did that but he was more furious the moment he knew my reason." narinig ko rin ang singhot ni Deila at Yra.

"Why didn't kuya sued that bitch?!" tita Diana.

Umiling si Mommy. "Pinakulong niya si Ilana. Hindi lang siya nagsabi sa inyo."

"W-Why did you l-leave me?" I asked hoarsely.

"Dahil alam kong mas magiging ligtas ka sa Daddy mo, anak."

"Then why didn't you get back with kuya when Ilana was still in prison?"

"I was traumatized. For two years. Nang handa na sana akong bumalik ay nalaman kong nakalaya na si Ilana." nakatingin siya sa akin habang sinasabi niya yon.

It was as if she was asking for my forgiveness. My face crumpled as tears keep falling.

"Patawarin mo ako, a-anak." basag na basag ang kanyang boses.

Yra pulled me for a hug. I cried loudly on her shoulder.

"Nagkaroon lamang ako ng pagkakataong makasama ka nang..." tumigil siya ilang saglit.  "N-Nawala si Dave." bumuhos ulit ang panibagong luha sa kanyang mga mata.

Silence filled the whole room for minutes until I broke it. "What happened years ago? The..." shit. "Hiking."

So Xy na nasa harap ko ang nagsalita. "Natatandaan mo pa ba ang nakita natin sa mall noon?"

My brows instantly furrowed and shooked my head.

"Elina." bumuntong hininga siya.

That name sounds familiar. Oh! "The girl that you wanted to paint." I said bitterly.

Matalim niya akong tiningnan bago siya nagpatuloy. "She's the reason."

"What do you mean?" I rose a bit.

"I'm sorry, Milady." mariin siyang pumikit. "But if we didn't do that..." hindi siya nagpatuloy.

"What?!" I spatted. "I almost got killed on that fucking hiking Xylox! How could you say that?!" I shouted hoarsely.

Umiling siya. May bahid na sakit ang emosyon. "Hindi yan parte ng plano, Nell." si Deila ang nagsalita.

Tears pooled in my eyes. "What plan?"

"Elina..." yon angnasabi ni Deila na ikinainis ko.

"I don't give a fuck about Elina! Can you just answer my question?!"

Lahat ng naroon ay natahimik.

"Nell." Deila cried. "Elina is abnormally
obsessed with Xy!" she cried hardly. "She threatened us that she'll kill you!"

"Muntik na nga akong mamatay non! At kung sana sinabi niyo sa akin ay nalayuan-"

"No!" Xy's voice boomed. His eyes are now bloodshot, filled with pain.

"Kaya namin yon napagplanuhan," patuloy ni Deila. "Kailanman ay hindi kami nag utos na ipapatay ka Nella! It wasn't us!"

"The only ones we paid to play the act are those who captured me and Lyeanne... We decided to do that so we can send you abroad while we solve the problems." new tears fell from her eyes.

Sa sobrang dami non ay pakiramdam ko sasabog na ang utak ko.

"Then..." my throat dried. "Who paid. Them?"

"Elina and her Mom. Ilana Tolentino." bumalatay ang sakit sa kanyang mata.

With parted lips, my eyes instantly drifted on Mommy. I watch her cry new fucking tears.

"N-Nasaan sila ngayon?"

"Prison" Xy.

"Do you not trust me then?"

"Nell... We just want you safe. We resolved it in just less than a month! We were excited to send you back here!" her voice cracked but she continued. "But then we couldn't find you! The goddamn guards tricked us!" she wiped her tears.

Ngayon ay si Lola Polly naman ang binalingan ng lahat. Pero bago siya makapagpaliwanag ay nagsalita na si Mommy.

"Its my plan."

Nagsalita nanaman si Lola. "Plano?! Na ano?! Ipakidnap ang apo ko sa hindi niya manlang kilalang tao?!"

"Mama." tito Dwayne warned that made Lola roll her eyes and shut up.

"Hindi ko ipagkakatiwala ang anak ko sa taong hindi ko rin pinapagkatiwalaan." mariin ang pagkakasabi niya noon, tila nagpipigil. Tila tinutusok naman ang puso ko sa kanyang sinabi.

"Tita was my mother's best friend. She was like a mother to me! How dare you accuse her of being a kidnapper!"

Gulat na gulat ako sa narinig. Fuck it! How many buried secrets are we digging today? Kahit si Mart sa gilid ni Lola Polly ay gulat rin.

"I just wanted to help. And, I'm not a kidnapper." Lola Pollu smiled genuinely.