Forgotten Heartstrings

Chapter 27

Trigger Warning:

The following scenes contain descriptions of child abuse, sexual harassment, and emotional manipulation. These topics are highly sensitive and can be distressing. Please note that these actions are depicted as part of a fictional story and are not condoned or tolerated in any way. If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse, please seek help from a trusted person or contact local authorities or support services.

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Sasha's POV

I walk through the empty halls of the mansion, each step echoing in the vast silence. The grandeur of this place, with its marble floors and crystal chandeliers, always feels cold and unwelcoming. I stop in front of a large mirror, my reflection staring back at me, a constant reminder of the facade I’ve built around myself.

I smiled, brushing my hair with my fingers. Subrang layo na ng narating ko pero hindi ko alam bakit parang hindi ako masaya at hindi parin ako kumpleto.

My thoughts drift back to my childhood, to the painful memories that refuse to fade. I was just a child when my mother sold me. I remember her face, devoid of any emotion, as she handed me over to a stranger. The stranger’s grip on my hand was tight, and I remember looking back, hoping she would change her mind. But she didn’t.

Parang hindi man lang siya nagpakananay sa akin. Ano pa't niluwal niya ako kung sasaktan niya lang ako at ibebenta?

The years that followed were a nightmare. My stepfather was a cruel man, taking pleasure in my suffering. At 13, the abuse became unbearable. His touch, his presence—it haunted me. One night, after a particularly brutal encounter, I ran away. I had nowhere to go, but I couldn’t stay there any longer.

Life has never been easy for me while growing up.

Sariwa pa sa aking isipan ang traumang aking naranasan sa kamay ng sarili kong ina at sa aking step dad no'ng bata pa ako. Namatay kasi ang aking papa kaya parang naulila parin ako kahit nasa poder ako ng aking sariling ina.

"Pa, ayoko na po dito."

Those were the words I used to say whenever I got hurt by my mom and my stepdad. At a very young age, my mom forced me to get groomed by someone in exchange for a higher price.

Subrang sama. I couldn't blame myself for hating her til now.

Nang ipadala ulit ako ni mama sa bahay ng mga taong nagbayad pa sa kany ay parang impyerno ang nadatnan ko. Sinaktan nila ako no'ng hindi ako pumayag sa gusto nila.

It was traumatizing and until now, dala ko pa rin ang traumang iyon.

Tumakas ako no'ng gabing iyon at mag isang tumakbo sa madilim na daan hanggang sa makarating ako sa bahay. Nagsumbong ako at imbes na tulungan nila ako ay sinampal ako ni mama at pinalayas.

Naging palaboy ako sa loob ng ilang buwan. Halos mamatay ako sa gutom no'ng na abandonado ako.

The streets were harsh, but they were a sanctuary compared to the house I had fled. Malayo sa mapang abuso na magulang at mapang abusong stepdad. Demonyo sila. Wala silang puso.

Months after being a beggar, I ended up in an orphanage, a place that was supposed to be safe. But even there, the memories of my past haunted me. Gabi gabi akong binibisita ng aking trauma at hindi ako matahimik.

But, upon staying there, I learned to hide my pain, to mask my fear with a smile. The other kids didn’t know what I had been through, and I never told them.