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Block 25

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[CIARA]

Tumingin ako sa paligid at naghanap ng pwedeng takasan.

Hindi na pwede sa pintuan dahil nakaharang siya doon. Tumingin ako sa malaking bintana sa aking likod. Hmmm..

"Don't even think about it, Ciara. I have bodyguards everywhere."

Sinamaan ko siya ng tingin at tumawa naman siya.

"What? You think I'd make things easy for you? I have cameras on every corner of this house, sweetheart. And I know my own son stole that key. Now sit down!"

Nagulat ako sa biglang pagbabago ng boses niya at wala na akong ibang nagawa kundi umupo sa upuan na nasa likod ng lamesa niya.

Pina-kalma ko muna ang aking sarili bago nagsimulang magsalita, "Anong ginawa mo kay L.Joe?"

"Don't worry about your dear friend. Pinatulog lang namin siya."

"Eh sa akin? Ano ang gagawin mo sa akin?"

I felt goosebumps on my skin nang bigla niya akong nginitian. May kung ano sa tingin niya sa akin na nakakapandiri.

"At first, I was dead set in killing you and let your father be alone." Hindi ako nakahinga pagkatapos niyang sabihin iyon. Nagsimula siyang maglakad papunta sa akin at iniharap niya ang upuan ko sa kanya. He crouched down para magka-eye to eye level kami and I swear I saw something evil in his eyes.

"But then, I saw you up close. You do look exactly like your mom, Ciara Mae. Maybe I'll just keep you all to myself." Inilapit niya ang kanyang kamay sa aking mukha at hinaplos ang aking pisngi. Agad ko itong tinabig at sinamaan siya ng tingin.

"You are crazy."

Umayos siya ng tayo at lumayo ng ilang hakbang mula sa akin.

"You know, it was supposed to be me. Ako sana ang magiging asawa niya."

What?!

Nakita niya siguro ang pagkagulat at pagtataka sa mukha ko dahil nagpatuloy siya.

"Sa akin siya ipinagkasundo, Ciara. She was supposed to be my wife, and I loved her. I was ready to die for her. I was ready to kill for her. But instead, she fell in love with your father - my best friend. At dahil mas mayaman ang pamilya niyo, no one complained. And once again, he beat me. Laging ganoon eh, ever since college, he beat me. He beat me in everything. All the girls I liked confessed to him; all the teachers praised him. Even sa kompanya, kahit na partners kami, laging desisyon niya ang sinusunod."

"Pero wala na akong pakialam doon, dahil alam kong mapapangasawa ko ang mama mo, and that's already everything for me. But no, he took her away, too. So I'm just giving him back the favor."

I clenched my fist and took a deep breath, "It's not my father's fault that he's better than you. It' s not my father's fault that my mom loved him."

Nakita ko ang pamumula ng tenga niya at nagulat ako nang bigla niyang hinampas ang lamesa, "HE TOOK. EVERYTHING. FROM ME."

Oh my god, wala nang pag-asa para makipag-reason sa kanya. He's crazy.

"I'm glad my mother never chose you. You don't deserve her."

Something flashed in his eyes and before I know it, he's already up in my face with his hand on my neck.