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INES AVALON
I've just finished my last class when I pass by the IT building. I hear some voices and almost ignore them, but then I catch a familiar one. Slowly, I walk toward the back of the building and see Rhea standing alone while the other students are unconscious.
"R-Rhea!" My eyes widen as I take in the sight of her face, covered in cuts and bruises.
She jumps back when she sees me, trying to hide the wounds, but it's too late. As I get closer, my chest tightens. She's covered in injuries, and I spot old bruises too. I can tell this isn't the first time she's gotten into a fight.
"Bebelabs," she says softly, forcing a smile while hiding the pain behind it.
Tears well up in my eyes as I bite my lower lip, gently cupping her cheek. "Since when? When did they start hurting you?" I speak softly.
She quickly looks away from my eyes. "Wala lang ito at nagkataon la-"
"Hon, please," I say, and the tears finally fall.
I can't believe this is happening. I don't believe this is just some coincidence. It's my fault, it's our fault. If we hadn't announced our relationship to her, this wouldn't be happening. Now, she's the one getting hurt while we were completely unaware.
"Isang buwan na." She answers, letting out a soft laugh.
I lower my head, realizing it's been a month since we made our relationship public to her. I knew something like this would happen, but I never imagined it would get this bad. I should've never agreed to it if I knew this would happen to Rhea.
"I'm sorry, let's go to the clinic to treat your wounds," I say, gently holding her hand.
We walk quietly toward the clinic, my mind racing with so many thoughts, especially about the huge mistake I made. I shouldn't have let jealousy take over. I blame myself for how Rhea's life turned out this way. It all became a mess because of our rash decisions. I won't let something like this happen again. They will pay for hurting my wife. Every single one of them. All of them.
"Bebelabs, wag ka na umiyak, oh. Ayos lang talaga ako." She says sweetly, wiping my tears away. I remain silent and continue to treat her wounds. I offer a small smile and gently kiss her palm. How could they do this to her? She's just a normal student who wants to finish her studies for the sake of her sister.
"This is our fault, I'm sorry," I whisper. I can't bear seeing her like this. I never wanted her to suffer, especially not now when we're about to start a family together.
"Hindi mo kasalanan, may mga inggit lang talaga na hindi matanggap ang katotohanan." she says, trying to lighten the mood.
I smile, staying silent as I continue treating her wounds until I'm finished. After packing up the kit, I return to her side, looking at her seriously, especially at the cuts and bruises. How are we going to explain this to others? We can't hide it. The injuries on her body are too visible. I have something to take care of today, and I'm close to finding out who Red is and where he's hiding. But I need to set that aside for now and focus on solving Rhea's problem first. Nothing matters more to me right now than her, and the child I'm carrying in my womb.
"Bebelabs, sabay na tayo umuwi? Uwi na tayo?" She asks. I still want to discuss what happened, and the pain she's been through, but she brushes off the topic as if trying to avoid it completely.
I heave a sigh and nod. "Okay," I reply.
We've made it home, Rhea and I were quiet the entire ride until we arrived. She immediately went up to her room, saying she needed to rest. I understand because she doesn't want to face the three of them, especially now that she's covered in bruises. I'm here now on the rooftop. I sent a message to the three of them, telling them to come up because there's something important we need to discuss.
