No One Will Know (PUBLISHED)

XI. One Way Or Another

XI. One Way Or Another

"What are—oh my god," I uttered to myself when I looked at the pictures Pamela handed to me. Halos maputol ang paghinga ko habang tinitignan ko iyong mga picture.

I already knew that Thomas was a pig, but this... this was so fucking low of him.

"Saan mo 'to nakuha?" I asked Pamela as I shuffled through the pictures. The pictures covered a span of two months. And the pictures were so clear—Thomas and Sabrina couldn't deny that it was the two of them.

"I have my ways," Pamela said, shrugging. "You have to get Thomas inside the room first, then si Sabrina... and for the finale, si Harvey. You think you can handle that?" she asked me.

It felt like them was a drum inside my chest.

My heart was beating so fast.

This... this felt like everything's starting. For real.

I nodded at her. "Pero... akala ko magkaibigan si Harvey at Thomas," I uttered, still in utter disbelief. Maiintindihan ko pa kung si Nathan ang ginago ni Thomas. Pero si Harvey? Among his friends, it was Harvey who Thomas was always with.

I guess devils can't change their ways.

"You seriously should stop assuming, Mallary. These people... I don't even think they have limitations. Thinking that the enemies have limits, that's the first step to getting yourself killed."

Hindi pa rin ako maka-hinga. Isa-isa kong tinignan iyong mga litrato. Mga litrato ni Thomas at Sabrina na pumapasok sa hotel room. I didn't even know if they had sex inside that room... but if these photos would be given to Harvey? To Harvey who had a bad history of anger management?

Fuck.

Hell would break loose.

"Yan 'yung panahon na break pa si Sabrina at Harvey. 'Wag mo na akong tanungin kung paano nangyari o bakit magkasama si Sabrina at Thomas dahil hindi ko alam," she said while I was still going through the incriminating photos. "What's important is we're now giving Harvey a motive."

Napa-tingin ako kay Pamela. "A motive?"

She smiled—the kind of smile that would make the hair at my nape shiver in fear.

"To destroy his friend," she said with a sinister smile. "That's what you want, right?"

* * *

"Fuck."

I almost flinched when I heard a loud bang coming from upstairs. Hindi ko sigurado kung marami bang naka-rinig 'nun dahil sobrang lakas ng tugtog. Or because most of the guests were already hammered.

Nang sigurado na ako na nagsisimula na iyong plano, iniwan ko iyong cellphone ni Thomas sa isang gilid. With the chaos I brought upon them, he wouldn't bother to wonder kung bakit nasa sahig iyong phone niya.

After that, I sneaked inside the room where I left Nathan. I lay beside him, and rested my head against his body. I closed my eyes as I silently counted until the door swung open.

"Nathan."

Andres.

I felt Andres poking Nathan until the latter woke up. I pretended that I was sleeping soundly. Hindi ko alam kung naniniwala sila, but when I heard faint voices, I figured that the mess was so big that these two guys didn't even bother going out to talk.