Alice Pov:
The world came back in blurry fragments. White ceiling, the rhythmic beep of a machine, and Wesley's hand, warm and reassuring, clasped in mine.
"Ouch," I winced, the pain in my side a searing reminder of what had happened.
"Wesley nasan ako ,anong nangyare?"
He looked at me, his eyes filled with a mix of relief and guilt. "You were shot, Ate If only I had known po about Papa's plan sooner, you wouldn't have gone to that hearing."
" But how did you even know?" I was confused, the reality of the situation still sinking in.
"ate Shiella called me po sabi po niya Papa was going to try to kill you. I raced to the Senate building, but it was too late po You were already... His voice trailed off, choked with emotion. "I'm so sorry, Ate. I couldn't get there in time."
I squeezed his hand," No wala kang kasalanan" trying to offer comfort, but my own heart ached with a different kind of pain. The pain of betrayal, the pain of being judged, the pain of knowing that the people who were supposed to love and protect me had turned their backs.
The anger, a hot, burning ember in my chest, threatened to consume me. Ms. Risa's condescending smile, the whispers of doubt, the weight of their judgment - it all came crashing down, a tidal wave of hurt that left me gasping for air.
They had all judged me, condemned me, and now I was paying the price.
All I felt was a fierce, primal need to survive, to fight back against the injustice of it all. I wouldn't let them win. I wouldn't let them break me.
----------✂️Time skip
Wesley's gaze met mine, his eyes filled with a mixture of apprehension and determination.
"Ate, please don't be mad at me for what I'm about to say."
"Why would I be mad?" I asked, confused. "What's going on?"
He took a deep breath. "I told Senator Hontiveros the truth, Ate. I told her how Papa used you in his POGO business."
The world seemed to tilt on its axis.
"What?! Why, ? Why would you do that? ayokong makulong ang papa"
"He needs to pay for what he did, Ate," Wesley said, his voice firm despite the tremor in his hand. " He needs to be held accountable."
I let out a heavy sigh, the weight of the situation pressing down on me. "You know na mahal ko si papa, even though he used us. But I don't want him to end up in jail."
Wesley's expression softened."Ate, do you want to spend the rest of your life paying for his sins? po You didn't do anything wrong. He did."
His words hung in the air, a stark truth I couldn't deny. The fatigue of constantly covering up, of living a lie, had finally caught up with me. Maybe, just maybe, it was time to stop carrying the burden of his guilt.
The days stretched into an endless white canvas, the private hospital room my reluctant stage. My wound, a stubborn reminder of the attack, refused to cooperate, keeping me tethered to the sterile environment.
"Nurse, when can I finally escape this bored room Po" I asked, my voice a mix of frustration and longing as she tinkered with my IV drip.
She smiled, her eyes conveying a mix of sympathy and professional detachment. "Once your surgery is fully healed, po Mayor."
"Oh, I'm dying for some fresh air," I said, trying to inject a bit of humor into the situation. But the words felt hollow, a desperate attempt to break the monotony.
Just then, Tita Christine entered, her presence a welcome distraction. She carried a basket of fruit, a colorful splash in the otherwise sterile landscape.
"Be patient Alice hindi ka pa gaanong magaling" she said, placing the fruit on the bedside table.
"Tita, please," I pleaded, my voice weary. "I'm going stir-crazy in here."
"Shhh, you need to rest," she said, gently patting my hand. "No more arguing."
There was no point in fighting. I was a prisoner of my own body, trapped in this white cocoon. So, I surrendered to the routine, the endless cycle of sleep, eat, shower, repeat.
The boredom gnawed at me, a relentless beast that I tried to outrun with distractions, anything to keep my mind from dwelling on my predicament.
Then, like a phantom limb, the memory of Ms. Risa's accusations at the hearing surfaced. Her words, laced with venom, branding me a liar, echoed in my mind. A wave of anger, raw and unyielding, washed over me."I hated her. I didn't want to see her, hear her voice, or even think about her hmm kainis" Her judgment, her condemnation, felt like a poison seeping into my soul, leaving a bitter aftertaste.
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SO TIRING DAY MGA BEBE 😚KEEP READING UNTIL YOU DIE THANK YOU SO Mu--
