Pay The Price

Kabanata 46

I look at Dimitri who is now busy reading some documents. Tinupad niya ang gusto ko na bigyan niya ako ng espasyo. My heart hurts. I missed him so bad. I want to hug and kiss him. I want to make him feel my love again.

My phone rang in the middle of my daydream. Lumitaw doon ang pangalan ni Can kaya napangiti ako nang tipid. At least, I still have this man.

"Hi! Anong kailangan mo?" Pabiro kong sabi. Imbes na sakyan ang joke ko ay nakarinig ako ng buntong hininga.

"Bellsy, stop the act. I know you are not feeling well. Alam kong nasasaktan ka. Sinabi sa akin ni Mama." I sigh because of that. Si Hernanda talaga!

"Okay lang ako, Can. Magiging okay ulit ako." Sabi ko sa kaniya.

"What happened?" Tanong niya.

"Nothing." Pagsisinungaling ko.

"Tell me what happened. We're friends, right? I could help, Bellsy." I sigh defeatedly. Ikwinento ko sa kaniya ang mga nangyari. Tumutulo ulit ang luha ko habang sinasabi iyon kaya tumalikod ako kay Dimitri para hindi niya ako makita. "Bella, I hate that you are hurting. I hate that Dimitri is hurting too. You are both an amazing human being. You deserve all the love in the world."

Umiling iling ako at napangiti nang mapait. I deserve this pain. "Alam mong kasalanan ko rin. Pumayag ako sa kagustuhan ng Mama mo. Isa pa, walang sikretong hindi nabubunyag. So it's either me who will tell him the truth or Kristine."

"But you will tell Dimitri, right?" Tanong niya sa akin.

"I will, Can. I'm just gathering strength. Hindi ko pa kaya ngayon dahil natatakot pa ako. Naduduwag pa ako. Pero I will. Kahit anong mangyari, sasabihin ko."

"Bella, if you need help, you can call me. Kahit anong oras o kahit nasaan ka pa, pupuntahan kita." He said with his soft voice.

"Thank you, Can. You are the best."

I was still about to say something but I cut the line when I heard the door slammed loudly. Nanlalaki ang mata kong tiningnan si Kristine habang papalapit sa akin habang dinuduro ako.

"You bitch!" Ani Kristine at saka hinablot ang buhok ko at sinabunutan. Sobrang higpit ng hawak niya sa akin kaya napaaray ako sa sakit. What the hell did I do wrong with her again? Hindi ko na nga siya pinapansin noong mga nakaraang araw.

Bumukas ang pinto at pinagkalas kaming dalawa. Dimitri pulled me away from her and hid me on his back. Tiningnan ko ang braso ko at natantong kaya pala humahapdi iyon ay dahil kinalmot niya rin ako. Hawak siya ngayon ng mga kasamahan ko at ayaw magpapigil nito at gusto akong dambahin na naman.

"What is happening here? Bakit mo sinasabutan si Bella, Kristine?!" Galit na sigaw ni Dimitri. I could see the rage in his eyes when he saw marks of red on my skin.

"Huwag ka sakin magalit, Tri! Tanungin mo ang babae na 'yan sa gianwa niya. Really, Bella? You're gonna stoop so low? You really prove to me that you didn't have any class at all. Walang manners! Nakakadiri ka!" She said in a disgusted tone.

Kumunot ang noo ko. Anong pinagsasasabi nito? Anong ginawa ko sa kaniya?

"Ano ba ang ginawa ko sa iyo? Bakit galit na galit kang ganiyan?" Sagot ko.

She laughed sarcastically. "D'yan! D'yan ka magaling! Akala mo kung sinong anghel. Parang hindi makabasag pinggan. Pero ang totoo, demonyita naman! Ang galing mong umarte, Bella. Ang galing mo!"

I closed my eyes out of frustration. Hindi ko naman talaga alam kung ano ang sinasabi niya. Hindi ko alam kung bakit galit na galit siya sa akin. We didn't even had any interaction yesterday. Ni hindi ko siya pinansin. Wala akong ginawa sa kaniya.

"Ano ba ang sinasabi mo?" Naguguluhan kong tanong sa kaniya.

"Tigilan mo ang pagpapanggap, Bella! Mahiya ka naman! Didn't your parents tell you that lying is a sin? O baka naman wala kang magulang na magtuturo sa iyo?" Nakangisi niyang sabi. I felt a stabbed on my chest. Gusto ko siyang sampalin pero pinigilan ako ni Dimitri. "You don't have parents that's why you don't know how to be honest! You don't have parents to teach you good manners! Ah, sabagay, ano ba naman ang ituturo nang manunugal mong tatay? Siguro ay kaya ka rin iniwan ng nanay mo ay dahil sa sama ng ugali mo. She left you because you are a brat!"

Tumulo ang luha ko. I'm really sensitive when it comes to my families. At paano niya ito nalaman? Saan niya nakuha ang mga impormasyon na iyon?

"Can you cut that fucking bullshit and just tell me what the hell is wrong with you, Kristine?" Dimitri's voice thundered in the whole room. Maski ako ay nagulat sa sobrang lakas noon.

"That girl is a goddamn manipulator, Dimitri! She's not like a saint you think she is. Just because I knew something about her, she pulled some strings and threatened me. Ginamit niya pa ang mga magulang ko. Such a low class," Inis na inis na sabi niya.

"Wala akong alam d'yan!" Sagot ko.

"Stop acting like you know nothing. You told his aunt I knew about your goddamn plan, right? That's why she fucking bankrupt the store my parents own." Gigil na gigil niyang sabi.

Namutla ako. I didn't know what the hell she said. Hindi ko rin alam na gagawin iyon ni Hernanda.

"Kristine, I—"

Binawi ni Kristine ang kamay niya sa mga katrabaho ko at nagsimulang pumalakpak.

"And you want some beef, Tri? This bitch is fooling you from the very start. She wasn't really in love with you. She just made it look like that because her father has a debt to your aunt. Pangbayad utang ka lang niya, Dimitri. Hindi ka niya mahal."

My eyes started to sting the moment it shed tears. Napahawak ako sa dibdib ko sa sobrang sakit nito. She told him. And by the looks of him, he's shocked and can't believe on what I did.

"Bella, what is she talking about?" Malambing niyang sabi at saka lumapit sa akin. "You only love me because you are told to? Totoo ba ang sinabi ni Kristine."

Napapikit ako at tiningnan siya. Dimitri's eyes looks so pained. He looked so hurt to the point that I could feel the way his heart broke. Tiningnan ko si Kristine sa gilid at tumawa ito.

"See? She can't even talk. Kasi nga totoo na niloloko ka lang niya! Nagpapanggap lang siya!"

My heart finally broke because of that. The feeling of betrayal traveled in his eyes. Hindi ako nag- aksaya ng panahon at tinalikuran siya. Naglakad ako nang mabilis at pinindot ang elevator. I've had enough of this bullshit. Tama na. Pagod na pagod na akong masaktan. Kailan ba matitino ang buhay ko?

This must've been the payment for the months of my happiness, a lifetime of tears. Siguro oras na. It's my time to pay the price.