Chapter Seventy-Five: Text message
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Shamie's POV
"No," napawi ang ngiti ko when I heard that from Daddy. Bakit? Bakit No? May nagawa na naman ba akong hindi maganda ha?
"But Dad!" Reklamo ko at hindi manlang nila ako pinansin.
"Uubusin ko yung laman ng ref nyo," sabi ko sa kanila, and got out of the room and was about to go downstairs. But Dad stopped me.
"Shamie, stop it. If I said no, then it's a no. Nagpabala ka pa kung gusto mo yung gusto mo din yung masusunod," sabi ni Dad. Hindi ko alam na sinundan pala nya ako.
"You know your life is in danger now. Andaming nagse-send ng emails about you! Death threats to be exact." Sabi nya and that made me stop for a while. Just for a while.
"I'm still alive, and nothing suspicious had happened. I just want to help, give back. Gusto ko lang tumulong sa mga taong nangangailangan," sabi ko, at umupo ulit doon sa inupuan ko kanina.
"I can't afford losing a family member again," Dad said softly and now I get his point.
He's traumatized. Actually alam ko naman yung about sa death threats. Hindi sya directly nagme-message sakin, kay Daddy nya sine-send, minsan kay Liam pa. They're targeting my family, and not me. Mentioning that they'll do anything just to erase my existence.
"I'm not going to die," I said, assuring both of them. Hindi ako mamamatay. Walang mamamatay.
"Basta. Walang charity event na mangyayari na magpa-participate ka. We can hold a charity event, pero you can't join physically. Understand?" Dad already decided, and I have no rights to not oblige.
"Who are with you, noona?" Liam asked, changing the topic.
"I'm with Ers, she's downstairs." Sabi ko, and the both of them look at each other as if they're talking with their minds.
"Have they already moved in your unit?" Dagdag na tanong ni Liam.
"Ah, yes. Since the day I was discharged at the hospital," sagot ko naman.
The both of them then said we should head downstairs para makapag-snack.
So we headed downstairs, at naabutan namin doon si Erlyn na prenteng naka-upo sa sofa while looking at our photo albums.
"Good afternoon, sir, Liam," magalang na bati ni Erlyn when she saw us walking down.
"Good afternoon, too. Have a seat Ms. De Castro," sabi naman ni Dad sa kanya.
Dad then call the cook of this house and asked him to make a snack for us. Tinanong din nya kung dito ba kami magdi-dinner but I said no kasi I want to go home to my unit na din. Dadating si Thaniel mamaya.
Erlyn and Dad were talking and talking about business. Kaya eto kami ni Liam, kami ang magka-chikahan ngayon.
"Do you trust her ate?" Liam asked, but he's whispering so I know and I'm sure that we're the only one who could hear it. But why would he ask that kind of question?!
"I do, she's a friend." Tipid na sagot ko sa kanya at tumingin sa gawi nina Ers.
Nakita nya ako at ngumiti sya sakin bago ibalik ang atensyon nya kay Daddy at magpatuloy sa kanilang pinag-uusapan.
I should trust her, siguro hindi lang yung trust na naibibigay ko kay Thea, sa family ko, kay Thaniel, sa Sandalphon, kina Des, Kath, and Mars.
Si Erlyn, I started to get suspicious on her lately. These past few days, parang lagi syang hindi mapakali. I tried asking her if there's something bothering her pero lagi nyang sinasabing puyat at pagod lang daw sya. Lame excuse for me.
