The Fake Heiress

Chapter 21

Red

Nanigas ako sa kinatatayuan at pakiramdam ko'y nabibingi ako. Tito and Grandmama were on my side, not knowing how to touch or help Tita Stella. Grandmama is crying, so is Tito who is panicking. Ngunit wala akong naririnig.

Suddenly, everything fell silent around me. I can see everything, I can see Blaire shaking like a leaf, her hold on the gun loosen and it dropped on the floor.

Bumagsak rin siya sa sahig, nanghihina ang tuhod habang hindi makapaniwalang nagawa niyang barilin ang sariling ina. I can see her shaking her head slowly, again and again na para bang nawawala siya sa sarili, her tears falling, uncontrollably.

I watched as the door of my hospital room flew open and police officers, doctors and nurses came in. I let go of Tita Stella's unconscious body as the doctors and nurses lifted her and put her in a stretcher. Then they rushed out of there, disappearing from my sight.
Sumama sa kanila si Grandmama at si Tito Steve.

The police officers arrested Blaire. She's still shaking her head non-stop. One police officer picked up the gun and put it inside a zip lock. Then they took her away, trembling, crying and seems to be losing herself.

I watched all of it happened but I didn't hear a single thing. Pakiramdam ko'y nag-ugat ang mga paa ko sa sahig.

Two nurses guided me to sit on the bed but I couldn't make my feet or my legs cooperate. They stayed rooted on the ground.

Wala pa rin akong naririnig na kahit ano. The nurses had to pull me by force para lang mahila ako at mapaupo sa kama.

I can feel myself still shaking and my tears still falling non-stop. What will happen to Tita Stella? She wouldn't die, would she?

Pinahiga ako ng nurse at nakita kong may kung anong itinurok siya doon sa tube ng IV ko.

I glanced at the door when I saw Zyan rushed in, he immediately went to my side, his eyes examining my whole body. I can see his lips moving, he's saying something but I can't hear it.

My eyes feel droopy and Zyan's worried and frustrated face was the last thing I saw before my eyes fluttered close...

I woke up inside my car. Sobrang bilis ng takbo ng sasakyan ko at hindi gumagana ang break. Napaiyak ako sa takot at kaba habang paulit-ulit na inaapakan ang break ng kotse pero hindi talaga ito gumagana.

I wanted to call my mom or my dad and even just Grandmama. Or Zyan. Hindi pwedeng ganito ako mamatay. My death can't be this lonely and tragic...

My whole life flash before my tear-streaked, blurry eyes as my car went straight into the side road barricade, breaking it. Then I fell into the ocean.

Lumubog ang sasakyan at unti-unting napuno iyon ng tubig. I took my seatbelts off and tried slamming my hands to the car windows but I don't have enough strength to break it.

My lungs slowly restricted, needing air so much. Hanggang sa tuluyan na akong nawalan ng malay...

Muli akong nagising at ngayon ay nasa gilid na ako ng kalsada, nakatayong mag-isa. Madilim at wala akong makita.

Nang mag-angat ako ng tingi'y nakita ko ang mala-demonyong ngisi ni Melynda habang nasa tabi niya si Lylian na humahalakhak ng malakas.

The knife glinted in the dark and in a span of a second, Melynda stabbed me in my stomach.

Napasinghap ako sa gulat at sakit na naramdaman sa aking tiyan habang nakakapit sa braso ni Melynda. My mouth widely ajar.

Tears fell from my eyes as blood flow from my stab wound like a faucet. I looked at Melynda's face as I brokenly said in a hoarse voice. "Mom...I am sorry...How could you do this to me?..."

Lylian laughed from behind her. "Now you will be nothing but a fake heiress. Your existence will be concluded as that."

Melynda pulled the knife out and stabbed me again on the other side of my stomach, and then she pulled it again and stabbed me on my side. She twisted the knife inside me before pulling it again.

Then she stabs me in the heart. Napayuko ako, nakatingin sa katawan kong punong-puno na ng dugong umaagos pababa. The last thing I saw was red then my body dropped to the ground, lifeless in my own pool of blood.

Sa pangatlong pagkakataon ay nagising ako sa silid ng isang ospital. This time, I saw Tita Stella on the floor.

With her eyes unclosed,  mouth wide open and blood flowing out of the small hole in her forehead, she's dead on the floor.

I was trembling as I looked around wanting to ask for help but when I looked down, I saw my own hand holding a gun. The gun I use to shot Tita Stella in the head.

Nabitawan ko iyon, I screamed as I took several steps back, crying while my eyes couldn't leave Tita Stella's lifeless body.

"Saffirah! Saffirah! Wake up! Wake up!"

Nagising ako sa paulit-ulit at malakas na yugyog sa aking balikat. Bumukas ang mga mata ko at bumungad sa akin ang nag-aalalang mukha ni Zyan.

My eyes are wet from tears and my body is sweating, shaking uncontrollably.  Zyan gathered me in his arms and hugged me.

"It's okay... It's just a bad dream. It's not real. It's okay..." Paulit-ulit niya iyong binulong sa akin habang hinahagod ang likod ko.

Pero hindi ko magawang kumalma. Kumalas ako sa yakap niya.

"How is Tita Stella? How is she Zyan? Okay na ba siya? Is she stable?" Mabilis at sunod-sunod kong tanong sa nanginginig na boses.

Zyan looked away for a moment. His hand raked on his hair frustratedly as he looked down in pure anguish, not knowing how to tell me the truth.

I had never prayed as solemnly as now.  I prayed that I'm reading his reaction wrong, that I am misunderstanding his actions. I prayed that Tita Stella is actually okay now. Unconscious but in a stable condition. I prayed that this isn't true...

But the Zyan looked at me, both his arms holding my shoulder as he said, "I'm so sorry, Saff. I am so sorry. She's gone..."

Zyan tried to hug me but I screamed and pushed him away. My hands gripper my hair as I screamed and cried repeatedly.

"No...no...no..." I sobbed as I covered both my ears.

"It's all my fault... I killed Tita Stella... It's all my fault..."

Zyan didn't know how hold me or comfort me so he had to call the doctors.

Naramdaman ko  na lang ang muling panghihina at paghila sa akin ng kawalan...