Substitute: The Villain

Chapter Seven

Nobody knows what happened to Dominique and Monique that day. Ang alam lang ng mga tao ay naunang nakauwi si Monique kaysa kay Dominique.

Umiiyak sa gilid ng kalsada si Monique ng matagpuan ng mga pulis at magulang nito. Ayon dito ay pinatakas ito ng nakakatandang kapatid ngunit nahuli si Dominique ng mga lalaking kumuha sa kanila.

After three days ay of searching ay may nagbigay ng tip sa mga pulis na may natagpuang walang malay na dalaga sa dulo ng bangin at kasalukuyang nagpapagaling sa ospital.

Pinuntahan agad nila Emilia at Gabriel ang nasabing ospital. At bumungad sa kanila ang kalunos-lunos na sinapit ng anak. Puno ng bugbog ang buong mukha nito at katawan, habang nakatulala itong nakatingin sa kawalan.

Umiiyak na niyakap ito ng ama nito habang halos hindi makikitaan ng anumang reaksyon si Emilia sa nakitang kalagayan ng anak. Ilang araw itong tahimik lang at walang kibo. Hanggang sa makauwi ito mula sa ospital. Ayon sa doktor ay marahil malalang trauma ang inabot ng dalagita sa mga kidnappers nito, at mukhang matatagalan pa bago ito bumalik sa dati nitong sigla.

Wala itong kinakausap ni isa sa pamilya nito, kahit ang kakambal nitong si Monique. Sa pagdaan ng mga araw ay unti-unting nawawalan ng pag-asa si Gabriel. Awang-awa siya sa sitwasyon ng anak. Sinisisi niya ang sarili sa nangyari dito, at napagdesisyunan na ipagamot ito sa Amerika, kung saan naroon ang mga propesyunal na mga manggagamot na maaaring magpagaling sa anak.

Ngunit isang araw ay may narinig na kalabog sa itaas ang mag-asawa. Galing ito sa kwarto ni Dominique.

"Ate, tama na!" Sigaw ni Monique habang mahigpit na hawak-hawak ni Dominique ang buhok nito.

"I told you to get out! Pero ipinilit mo parin yang juice mo! Sabi ko ayokong kumain! Ngayon natapon sa kama ko yang juice mo. Puwes, linisin mo!" Bulyaw ni Dominique dito.

Niyakap ni Gabriel si Dominique palayo sa kapatid nito, habang ang ina naman nila ang nagpatahan kay Monique na hindi matigil sa pag-iyak.

"Dominique, stop it!" Saway ng ama nito habang nagpupumiglas si Dominique sa braso nito.

"No! You all get out! Umalis kayong lahat dito! Mga wala kayong silbi!" Sigaw nito sa tatlo.

Nagbubulungan na ang mga katulong na usyusong nakikinig sa ibaba.

Nang makawala sa ama ay buong lakas na itinulak ni Dominique ang mag-ina palabas ng kwarto nito. "Mga salot kayo sa buhay ko! Bakit paba kayo bumalik! Lumayas kayo sa bahay ko!"

Pagkatapos nitong sabihin ang masasakit na salita na iyon ay padabog nitong isinirado ang pintuan sa mukha ng mag-ina.

Naiwan mag-ama sa loob ng kwarto at pagkatapos ng ilang oras na pakikipag-usap ay napakalma rin ni Gabriel ang anak.

Nang gabing iyon ay kinausap ni Gabriel ang asawa sa desisyon nitong isama na muna sa Amerika si Dominique. Sa palagay niya ay mas makakabuti dito ang tumira sa malayong lugar para makalimutan nito ang trauma na inabot nito sa mga kidnappers nito na kasalukuyang nasa kulungan.

Iyon din mismo ng hiniling nito sa kanya. Na sa hindi malamang kadahilanan ay ayaw nitong makita ang kapatid at ina nito pansamantala. Naintindihan naman ni Emilia ang lahat at madaling pumayag sa suhestiyon ng asawa.

Hanggang sa dumating ang araw ng pag-alis nina Dominique at Gabriel ay ni hindi man lang kinibo ni Dominique ang ina at kapatid. Walang lingon-likod itong pumasok sa sasakyan, habang naluluhang nakatanaw naman ang kakambal nito dito.

After ten years...

Today is a double celebration for the Montemayor family. Today is Monique's graduation day for her business course, as well as the day they will formally announce Monique and Pierce's engagement, which has been long chosen by the family elders.

Monique was dressed elegantly in a well-known designer gown with a diamond necklace and earrings. Her natural makeup and simplicity won her praise. Pierce also looked dazzling in his three-piece black Armani suit for tonight's event. Gone is the boy next door vibe, and he's developed into a stunning man who women in the party can't stop swooning over and chatting about.

Despite the fact that it was an arranged marriage, the couple appears to have no problem admiring each other.

Everyone knows Monique is madly in love with her fiance. She has had a crush on Pierce since the first time they met. Pierce has been visiting her father for business purposes ever since he returned from the United States. That is why, despite her desire to be a doctor, she pursued a business management school in order to be closer to him.

Her parents noticed that their youngest daughter had an intense interest for the young man, so they decided to talk to Pierce's parents about it, and they consented. On the assumption that the marriage will benefit both parties.

Pierce had no problem with Monique because she was the perfect woman for him to marry. She was simple, lovely, well-educated, and ideal for him as a housewife. He didn't want his marriage to be a visual feast because he was well-known in the media. He'd rather have an obedient wife than a pain in the neck. He once considered marrying the woman he loves, but in his world, he can only choose to buy the things he wants, not the person he should be with.

"Did you see your sister, Monique?" Emilia asked from behind him. He didn't bother staring at her prospective mother-in-law since he was too busy glancing down the stage. He was expecting Mr. Scott's appearance because he was the possible large investor for his new project this year. When he spotted Mr. Scott's familiar back, he said excused to his fiancee and Mrs. Montemayor.

He followed Mr. Scott into the garden, but to his astonishment, he was immediately grabbed and dragged into the darker part of the garden, where his lips was covered with a soft hand. He could tell it was a woman right away.

He couldn't see clearly because of the darkness, but he did notice her addicting expensive perfume and her porcelain skin, which was exposed due to the low cut fiery red dress she was wearing. He could hear the woman's enticing laugh.

He heard her ask, "Did I scare you, honey?" He couldn't help but be swayed by her seductive voice and smell.

Who is she?

"Pierce!" called Monique from behind.

Oh shit! He had forgotten that today was his engagement day, and that he had a fiancee inside waiting for him.

He was about to shove the woman away when she suddenly grabbed the back of his neck and kissed him passionately.

He was dumbfounded and completely forgot about his fiance. He responded to the woman's passionate kiss without thinking about the consequences if they were ever caught by someone.

"Dominique!" He heard a man's voice, and the kiss was cut short as she was pulled away from him.

When the lights in the garden suddenly lit up, he saw the culprit's face and was shocked when he saw that it was his childhood friend, whom he hadn't seen in ten years that he kissed a minute ago.

"My mistake, I mistook you for Michael," she says, sheepishly smiling at him. He looked at the man who was hugging her and, for some reason, his blood ran cold when he saw his hands firmly gripping Dominique's waist.

"Sorry for the inconvenience. My girlfriend got drunk tonight and had no idea what she was doing," said the man who is currently holding Dominique.

He couldn't find the perfect words to express how awful their situation is, because the investor he was looking for was none other than the man who is currently holding Dominique.

"Please contact me here tomorrow for my apologies for my girlfriend's inappropriate behavior," he said, handing him a business card. "For the time being, I have to take home my girlfriend because she couldn't make it inside her parents' house tonight," Michael explained before carrying Dominique out into the garden.

He wasn't sure what his reaction should be. But he involuntarily touches his lips and recalls how gentle her kisses were tonight. He'd probably need a cold shower tonight.

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