A/N: This was a rather long chapter kaya cinut ko😭😭
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The white walls and the buzz of the machines only worsens her anxiety. Everything was too loud, too quiet, too bright, too dark; everything was confusing. She was sick and stressed from all of this. Gusto na lang niya na kalimutan siya ng buong Pilipinas, subalit, kung sino pa yung taong gusto niyang maka-alala sa kanya, nakalimutan siya.
Nagkabaliktad ang kanilang sitwasyon, si Risa na ang nakalimot. Kaloka.
Alice nervously laughed, “Seryoso ka ba?”
Risa nods, “Yes. I’m serious.” The senator says, she brings up her hands to caress Alice’s face. “Ang ganda mo hija. You must be very close to me, anong pangalan mo?”
Alice’s snow-white skin was tinted with red and tainted with tears. She smiles bitterly. “Alice. Ako po si Alice.”
Risa smiles, “Alice. Such a cute name. Siguro favorite ng parents mo yung Alice in the wonderland. Nababalot ka siguro ng misteryo, noh?” She jokingly said.
This scene felt nostalgic to Risa for some reason. In her mind’s subconscious field, a blurry scene replayed.
She was wearing a face mask, but her eyes were… breathtaking. Risa found herself staring at her longer than what should have been. The woman was a chinita, with a pale skin as white as snow. Her long silky black hair did not go unnoticed either. At that moment, Risa wanted to risk it all for the woman whose eyes sparkled like the stars…
Risa finds herself falling in love once again with the mysterious woman; despite not knowing each other for more than an hour, she feels at home with her. Her heart was at ease, she did not doubt; she loved this girl before her memories were wiped out.
Alice covered her face with the back of her hand as she chuckled, rather, painfully. “Siguro nga po.” Alice sniffs, and wipes her tears. She gently removes Risa’s hand from her face and stands up.
“Saan ka pupunta?” Risa asks, confused at the abrupt leaving of the mysterious woman.
“Uuwi na po.”
Risa pouts, “You’re not going to stay?”
The other woman did not say anything, but smiled.
Before she leaves the room, she quickly puts on her cap and her face mask to avoid getting seen by the media.
Samu’t saring reaksyon ang lumabas sa mga tao ng mamataan ang alkalde ng Bamban na hagkan ang senadora matapos itong ma-aksidente.
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For some reason, natutuwa siya na may mga taong sumusuporta sa kanilang pagmamahalan, “Guontiveros” pa nga ika nila. Bagamat masalimuot ang kanilang pagsasama, may mga taong nagpapatunay na hindi masama ang mag-mahal.
𓆝 … … … …
Isang araw ang nakalipas, tuliro pa rin si Alice. Buwan na ng Hulyo, ngunit ang laman ng balita ay tungkol pa rin sa kaniya pati na din sa nagpapahingang senador, Risa Hontiveros.
Naisipan niya— tutal hindi pa naman siya nahahatulan, ay bumisita sa bahay ng kaniyang kapatid na si Seimen at kamustahin ang maybahay nito.
Ngunit, imbes na masayang pamilya ang bumungad sa kaniya, isang magulo at nagsisigawan na asawa ang tumambad sa kaniya. Takot na takot ang kanilang anak sa sulok.
“Seimen! Itigil mo na yan!” Sambit nito, papalapit sa nagaaway na asawa. “Itigil mo na yan! Mapapatay mo na sya!” Sigaw ni Alice, habang kinukuha ang kanyang hipag sa mapang-maltrato na kamay ng asawa.
Tinutok ni Seimen ang kaniyang baril sa dalawa. “Pakiealamera ka na naman Hua Ping. Tumabi ka, kung hindi, ikaw mapapatay ko.”
Hindi naman nag-atubili si Alice na patumbahin ang kaniyang kapatid bago man nito makalas ang kaniyang baril. And in the blink of an eye, Seimen was on the floor while his gun was thrown over across.
As Alice pins her brother down, a familiar scene crossed her mind.
And all of a sudden, she was three, and the thunder roars loudly. Her mother, was shot in the head after all the beatings. The same feelings washed over her: anxiety, fear, rage.
Hua Ping lost her composure, she choked her brother. Magagalit sa kanya magulang nila, pero ano ngayon, deserve nya matapos sa lahat ng nagawa niya.
This was her revenge not only for senator Risa, but for his abused wife.
But Seimen was two times stronger than her, easily overpowering her; the tables have turned. Fear and panic rushed over her as she was being strangled to death. She can see her brother’s red face, she thought it was funny.
Serenity randomly washed over her as she loses respiration. Her blood was no longer flowing properly, she choked.
“ito na ba ‘yon? Ito na ba ang last moments ng buhay ko?” She speaks in her mind. “Ang panget ni kuya…” —
“I miss Risa.”
BANG
A loud bang from a gun brought her back to life; slowly gaining consciouness, she realized she’s been splattered with blood.
Habang nakatitig sa patay na kapatid, dali-daling inakay ni Alice ang hipag bagamat malapit na syang mawalan ng malay. “Okay ka lang, ate Narsi?”
Narcisa, Seimen’s spouse, was in the brink of insanity; Alice noticed. Narcisa was unable to speak out however, running with her son in hand, they went inside Alice’s car.
Madami-dami siyang sasabihin kay Shiela…
“What?!” Shiela exclaimed as soon as they got in the mayor’s house. Narsi, and her son was quickly aided by Alice’s helpers. “Patay na si Seimen?”
“Oo.”
“Gaga…Anong sasabihin ni papa mo niyan…”
“Ewan. Wala akong pake.” Alice speaks firmly. “Pupunta ako ng Manila, magpapa-PressCon.”
“What?!” Shiela cried out. “Alice ano na naman gagawin mo?”
“I’ll address the issues.”
Shiela bits her bottom lip. Seriously, parang nakikipaglaro sa apoy si Hua Ping. Kung ano anong kapahamakan na lamang ang pinapasok nito. Una ay ang dali-daling pagpunta niya upang makita si Risa, pangalawa ay ang pag-patay sa kapatid, pangatlo naman ay ito.
“Te, tama na… Bumaba ka na lang sa pwesto mo. Let’s go back in Fujian—”
“Ha? Ayoko!” Alice stood with her statement. “I will stand for what is right. Kahit ngayon man lang, hayaan mo akong i-tama ang kamalian ko.”
