The Magnate's Holiest Sin (Cavanaugh #3)

Kabanata 35

Kabanata 35

Gone

"S. . . STD?" I whispered to the air, unsure if was hearing it right.

Nang tumingin ako sa kinaroroonan nila Papa at Mr. Zacharias Cavanaugh ay nanlumo lamang ako. Papalapit sila sa amin ni Divine, at nakabahid ang  pagkabahala sa kanilang mukha.

Bagsak ang mga balikat ko nang wala sa sarili akong umupo sa sofa. Divine sat next to me. Papa and Mr. Zacharias Cavanaugh took a seat on the three-seater sofa in front of us.

How is it possible? From whom did Laki get the disease? When he told me that he was untouched for five raw years. He would not lie to me. But to think that he already told me prevarications as to why he settled on leaving me, it was thinkable that he did veritably beguiled me. I deemed that he only said it to free me. Get rid of me as he thought that it was the only way to prevent me from carrying the same infection as his. That was his only lie.

I believed him. That before the lies, he was honest.

"The infection is five years hiding in his body. Wala siyang sinabi kung ano'ng klase'ng STD 'yon. Walang symptoms sa loob ng limang taon. Ngayon lang," si Divine ang unang bumasag sa namumunong katahimikan.

"F-Five years? Magkasama pa kami five years ago. O noong panahon na umalis na ako? But he told me that he never had sex with any woman ever since we lived together. How did the infection transmitted to him?" My innards were convulsing. Not because of the possible thought of him having sexual intercourse with various women, I chose to think otherwise.

Anguish, it was more than that, and somehow I find it fit to describe what I was feeling. In me, everything were aching for him. Though he did not tell me, I knew for myself what he genuinely felt. Words were unneeded. He did not have to tell me because I felt it too. I could not picture him suffering from the melancholy caused by the disease, and turning away from me. It burned, it bleed.

"I'm sorry to remind you this, Holy. But did you remember that day, in the hospital, you told me that you want to see my son? Why you feel like he's ignoring you? I made you think that he's just listening to you from the hospital room, and did not let you in."

Directing my eyes to Mr. Zacharias Cavanaugh who spoke, I gave him a slow nod.

"Y-Yes. Why, Mr. Cavanaugh?" Nabasag ang boses ko.

Hindi ko makakalimutan ang pangyayari'ng iyon sa buhay ko. Pagkatapos kasi no'n ay sunod-sunod na pang-aalipusta na ang naranasan ko. Kahit sa sarili ko ay naging masama ako, inaalipin ko na ang sarili ko no'n at hindi na ako kumakain dahil sa nangyari. I was glad that Lola Yashmita came to rescue me and defend me from those who had inflicted pain on me. And from those who had accused me of treason.

Mr. Zacharias Cavanaugh took a deep breath as if he was preparing himself from retelling an agonizing story. "Matagal na siyang wala sa ospital na 'yon. Pinalipat ko siya kaya imposible'ng maririnig ka pa niya. Binayaran ko ang mga nars na huwag sabihin sa'yo. Pinaniwala ko ang anak ko na nasabihan na kita tungkol sa paglipat, at sinabi ko rin sa kaniya na ayaw mo'ng pumunta. Sana ay mapatawad mo ako sa mga nagawa ko, Holy. Sinusubukan ko lang protektahan ang anak ko mula sa'yo, at mula sa palpak na ospital na 'yon."

Some questions in my mind got answered. That was why? Even if I would shout at the top of my lungs outside that hospital room, he would not hear me. It was all because he was not there. All along, he was not there to answer my plea. One second, I felt stupid. Kaya pala noong nag-away kami ni Laki sa opisina niya. Tinanong niya ako kung bakit hindi ko siya binisita? That I did not care for him? Because he was transferred and admitted in another hospital, and I kept on going to that hospital where I thought he was.