Buong umagang iyon na hindi nagsasalita si Drew. Iyak lang ito ng iyak at ayaw akong paalisin sa hospital room nya. Dumating si Juno na galit na galit. Hindi na ito nakapasok sa university at itinawag ko na rin kay Matt na a-absent ito sa trabaho.
"Nasaan ang putangnang paksyet na iyon?!" kulang na lang ay bumula ang bibig nito sa galit.
Narito kami sa labas lang ng kuwarto ni Drew. Tulog ito dala ng gamot na in-inject sa kanya para kumalma.
Alam kong kanina pa gustong sumabog ng galit ng batang dela Cruz dahil namumula ito mula leeg hanggang mukha. Hindi lang maipakita sa ate nya. Kahit ako ay gustong balikan si Art nang mamasdan ko sa ospital na putok ang isang gilid ng labi, may pasa sa braso at galos sa tuhod si Drew.
"Itinawag na sa akin sa opisina na dito rin sa ospital dinala. I almost beat him to death. My lawyer is on the way here. The assailant's father is one of our board members. My lawyer and I will to talk to him. I need to go pero baka magising si Drew," sabi ko.
"Dito lang ako, Kuya. Babantayan ko si Ate. Pero si Hope..." nagkaroon ng pag-aalala sa mata nito.
Hindi ito ang tamang panahon pero nagkaroon ng bahid na tuwa nang tawagin ako ni Juno ng kuya. Sinasadya man niya iyon o hindi.
"Susunduin ko sya mamaya pagbalik dito," sagot ko.
"Eh...hindi kasi ano...baka ma-shock si Hope kapag nakita ang kundisyon ni Ate. Baka ano, makakasama kay Hope," sabi nito na umiwas ng tingin sa akin.
"Ipapaliwanag ko na lang sa bata na ..."
She cut me off. "Ano, kung mag-i-stay si ate dito overnight, ako na lang ang uuwi para may kasama ang bata sa bahay. Kung ok lang, kuya, ikaw na lang muna magbantay kay ate. Ano kasi, para kapag nagkita yung mag-ina, ok na. Basta umuwi kayo bukas, mag-aalburuto si Hope kapag matagal wala si ate."
Ganoon na nga ang napagkasunduan namin. I went to the police station and met my lawyer there. Naroon na rin ang ama ni Art at ang lawyer nila. It was a tedious process dahil sinampahan din ako ng kaso for physical injuries but my lawyer was able to work around on it, and we also filed a case for attempted rape on Drew's behalf. Art's father also threatened to leave his post as one of the hotel's board members and withdraw his stocks.
"Go ahead! You think I fucking care?" I told him.
"Have your documents ready and I will sign it now!" I shouted inside the police station. "Kinukunsiti mo ang katarantaduhan ng anak mo!"
"That girl is giving him sexual motives...."
"No, she was not. We have witnesses to prove how she tried to avoid your son many times over, and we have CCTV to show that your son attacked her. And watch your language, Mr. Cena. I can sue you for slander!"
"And don't try me! Ipapakalkal ko kung may mga dati ng kaso ang anak mo now tha he turned out positive on drugs when he assaulted my daughter's mother!"
Nagulat ito, pati ang lawyer nya at lawyer ko. I know I lied but not for long. Hope will be my daughter. I just want to give them the idea na hindi lang si Drew ang kalaban nila.
I left them wide-eyed and the fuck I care!
Tinawagan ko agad si Ralph on the way to the hospital, "Ralph, I need you to work on Mr. Domingo Cena's shares. He will pull them out anytime soon and he's just threatened to leave the board. Make everything is ready for me to sign. Once he sent his papers in, it's irrevocable. I don't want him or his family connected to my company."
"O bakit? What happened?" Ralph asked.
I told him what happened. " He may tell a different story to other board members, so we need to watch out for it. We might have an emergency board meeting tomorrow afternoon via conference call."
BINABASA MO ANG
Claiming Andromeda #B1
General Fiction***LOSE THE TRUST... LOSE THE HEART!*** Kung ikaw si Andromeda, will you still wait for your 'prince' who seems to take his time, or stay beside your 'knight' who never left you?
