THE HILARIOUS HUSBAND (LEE BROTHERS #2)

Chapter 57

CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN

❥ ELISSE GARCIA ❥

"NAGPUNTA ako rito dahil nakita ko 'to."

Inilapag ni Doktora Mendoza ang phone niya sa center table na nakapagitan sa amin. The screen faced our side, displaying the same article about the divorce rumors between me and my husband. Husband?

"Yeah?" Hope asked. Bakas ang pagtataka sa kaniya. Ako naman ay tahimik lang na inoobserbahan ang doktor na kaharap namin.

"I came to... help you both, as a couple," panimula niya, na bahagyang ikinasalubong ng kilay ko. "First and foremost, because I know the third-party allegation isn't true." Sinulyapan niya ako, bago niya ibinalik muli ang tingin kay Hope.

Hindi ako nakapagpigil at nagtanong na. "How do you know that?"

Nagpatuloy siya nang walang pag-aalinlangan. "I'm here to help you better understand Ella's situation as well."

"Ella?" Tumaas nang bahagya ang isang kilay ko. "My sister? Kilala mo s'ya?"

She nodded. "Isa s'ya sa mga pasyente ko. Alam ko rin na s'ya ang source ng rumor na 'yan." She gestured toward her phone on the table, still displaying the article.

"Wait, what?" Sa hindi malamang dahilan ay parang nabuhayan ako ng pag-asa na matunton si Ella. "Alam mo kung nasaan ang kapatid ko?" I asked, my focus narrowing to a single point. Right now, I didn't care why she had come or what she planned to discuss. I just needed to know if Ella was safe.

"Yes." Tumango siya. "Actually, nasa bahay ko s'ya. She needs proper counselling kaya hinayaan ko muna s'yang mag-stay sa 'kin. Isa pa, ang sabi n'ya, wala raw s'yang tutuluyan."

A shaky breath escaped me, relief washing through my chest.

Ella was safe. Thanks, God.

"Wait, doc?" Nag-leaned forward si Hope nang bahagya, ipinatong ang magkabilang forearm sa hita habang magkasalikop ang kamay niya. Nakatingin siya nang deretso kay doktora. "Pa'no mo naging pasyente si Ella?" tanong niya, kunot ang noo.

Saglit natigilan ang babaeng kaharap namin. Nagbuntonghininga siya, as if choosing her next words with extreme care. "I know I'm breaching confidentiality by revealing any of this without her consent. But... there are things you don't know about Ella. Things she never wanted any of you to find out. And given everything that's happening, especially knowing she's the source of the rumors spreading online... I can't, in good conscience, keep silent."

Kumabog ang dibdib ko sa naging salaysay niya. What had Ella been hiding from us all this time?

"Matagal ko na s'yang pasyente, and it all began after she lost her mother, Nina," she explained gently. "Nahirapan s'yang tanggapin ang pagkawala ng ina n'ya, and that grief alone required counselling. But on top of that came the pressure – your father's high expectations, the academic demands he put on her."

Nanatili akong nakatahimik, matamang nakikinig sa mga sinasabi niya. I had no idea how heavy the weight on Ella's shoulders had been, or how long she'd been carrying it alone. Gano'n pa man, hindi ko pa rin maintindihan ang point kung bakit niya kami dinamay ni Hope.

"But it's more complicated than that, Elisse," patuloy niya, nasa akin ang tingin. "Your sister has been suffering from borderline personality disorder."

Bahagyang nanlaki ang mata ko sa gulat. "W-What..." I asked. Gusto kong ipaulit sa kaniya ang sinabi niya dahil baka nagkamali lang ako ng dinig.

"She developed borderline personality disorder after her mother's death. Most of the time naman ay nama-manage n'ya 'yon nang maayos. But during intense stress or exhaustion, especially due to academic pressure, she experienced paranoia and dissociation."

Napatulala ako. Oo, alam kong naging mahirap sa kaniya ang pagkawala ng mommy niya, dahil gano'n din naman ako noong nawala si Mom. But I never imagined the depth or the complexity of what she'd been fighting beneath the surface.

"She struggled to regulate her emotions and could not self-soothe," patuloy niya pa rin. Hindi niya ako iniiwanan ng tingin na para bang sa akin niya gustong ipaunawa ang lahat. "This often led to impulsive decisions, bouts of anxiety, and periods of hidden depression. 'Yon ang itinatago n'ya sa inyo, especially sa daddy n'yo, because she was terrified of disappointing him."

May inilabas siyang folder sa bag niya at binuklat 'yon. Her expression carried both professionalism and empathy.

"When Ella's anxiety spiked, it often triggered paranoia or intense self-doubt. Dito na pumapasok ang mga episodes ng depression n'ya, kung saan nagiging tahimik s'ya at pinipiling umiwas sa mga tao. She developed a habit of masking her emotions, especially from those she feared judgment from. Like your father."

Nagbuga siya ng hangin bago nagpatuloy. "May mga pagkakataong nakakaranas s'ya ng dissociation. Defense mechanism n'ya 'yon. Paraan n'ya para ilayo ang sarili sa sitwasyong masyadong mabigat sa emosyon. During those episodes, she acted impulsively... doing things that didn't align with her true intentions. Sometimes even things that could hurt others unintentionally."

Parang nanikip ang dibdib ko sa mga narinig. I hadn't known Ella was silently battling this much. That her mind was a maze of pain, fear, and self-doubt hidden behind a calm exterior she never let any of us look past. Hindi gano'n ang pagkakakilala ko sa kaniya. Akala ko—

"Her Borderline Personality Disorder was actually manageable," patuloy ni doktora makalipas ang ilang sandali kong pagyuko. "Enough for her to continue her studies, socialize with classmates, maintain a relatively normal routine. However..." Saglit siyang tumigil, na parang nag-iisip ng tamang salita. "Matapos ang pambubugbog sa kaniya ng ama n'yo... nalaman n'ya na balak din pala s'yang ipagkasundo nito sa anak ng kaibigan ng daddy n'yo. That was why he pressured her so much to excel, to graduate with honors, to be worthy of the arrangement."

I felt myself go cold. Walang hiya talaga si daddy. Pagkatapos niya akong ipagkasundo sa iba, isusunod niya si Ella? Hindi pa ba sapat sa kaniya na isinakripisyo ko na ang kaligayahan ko? Gusto niya pang sirain ang buhay ng isa niya pang anak?

"Dahil sa ideya na ipagkakasundo s'ya sa hindi n'ya kilala at hindi n'ya mahal... it worsened her already unstable emotional state. And at that point, she developed erotomania and delusions of reference."

My heart slammed against my ribs, panic rising and threatening to choke me. "D-Delusions? W-What... what exactly do you mean?" Nanginig ang boses ko.

Humugot siya ng hangin. Saka niya sinulyapan si Hope, then ako ulit, bago siya nagpatuloy. "Alam kong simula nang mangyari ang pambubugbog ng daddy n'yo kay Ella ay kinupkop mo na s'ya at kasama n'yo ritong nakatira."

She opened the folder once more and gently slid a transcript toward me. When she spoke, her voice softened, almost apologetic.

"Ella believes she's in a romantic relationship with your husband, Hope Ryker Lee."