The Ruthless (Quantum Meruit Series #1)

45. Hope

45.
Hope

━━━━━━━

Ilang linggo akong tahimik matapos ang hearing na iyon. I didn’t want to dwell in it but I just couldn’t help myself.

Those ruthless eyes, those menacing smirks, those false accusations . . . They were carved in my brain.

Sinapo ko ang mukha gamit ang mga palad.

Nayeli said Sigfred’s cross-examination wasn’t what she was used to. She expected him to be more ruthless. In her opinion, he was still tamed when he cross-examined me.

I didn’t share her opinion.

He scarred me so bad I would never heal for a lifetime.

“Ang sabi ng officer dito, ‘di ka kumakain nang maayos,” Mama uttered softly as she looked at me like with worry. “Anak . . .”

“I’m fine,” I replied, unintentionally soft like her voice. “Wala kayong dapat ipag-alala.” I paused and stared at her. “How’s Queenie?”

She held my hand. “‘Yon, hindi pa rin namin makausap nang maayos. Noong isang araw nga hindi pumasok sa trabaho tapos nalaman na lang namin nasa Tagaytay at naglalasing.”

Queenie and his boyfriend broke up recently. Incompatibility, that was his reason which I hoped was real. He rarely came here to see me and it became harder now that he had something going through, too.

Everyone had their own lives to attend to but here I was, disturbing them. I felt a little selfish for wanting them here.

“Si Trinity ang susunod na witness niyo, ‘di ba?” tanong ni Papa na humugot sa akin pabalik sa realided.

Magalang akong tumango. “Opo.”

“Napakabait ng manager mo na ‘yon,” Mama commented. “Laging nangungumusta. Bakit mo ba sinasabi no’n na anak ng diyablo ‘yon e ang bait-bait?”

If  we were in a normal situation, I would have burst out laughing. But even that was harder to make now so I just smiled weakly at her.

“I still can’t believe Sigfred betrayed us like this,” sabi niya mayamaya pagkalipas ng katahimikan. “Hindi niya man lang ba naisip na kaibigan ko ang nanay niya? Agnes wouldn’t have let him handle this case if she were alive! And he was your goddamn fiancé!”

“Kaya mabuti talagang ‘di mo pinakasalan ang lalaking ‘yon, Willow,” Papa agreed. “He’s a beast. Gagawin ang lahat para sa kapangyarihan.”

Kumunot ang noo ko. “What do you mean by that, Pa?”

“May nakapagsabi sa’kin na gusto niyang maging Justice sa Court of Appeals. Ire-recommend daw ng JBC kapag naipakulong ka.”

I bit my inner lower lip and bowed my head.

“Although it’s not verified but you know . . . he’s an unscrupulous man.”

He wanted something in return from this, huh. A seat in the Court of Appeals?

I would have agreed if Papa said Sigfred wanted a seat in the Supreme Court. He was that ambitious of a man. Gusto niya ang pinakatuktok. Hinding-hindi siya magse-settle kung hindi ang pinakatuktok ang makukuha niya.

But unscrupulous? To the point that he would do this to have his way easy?

Could he really do that?

Nasa ganoon akong pag-iisip nang muli ay hawakan ni Mama ang aking kamay habang tahimik na humihikbi. I didn’t know what to do. Why was she crying all of a sudden!