His Untamed Brat (Hot Trans Series #2)

Chapter 49

Naninimbang at tahimik si Ate habang pinapa-una akong sumakay sa likod ng malaking SUV ng mga Romualdez. I smiled as I could only imagine how spoiled she probably is by her husband and his family. May dalawang malalaking tao sa front seat— isang driver at isang bodyguard. Pinanood ko si Ate habang inaalalayan siya ng isa pang bodyguard upang makapasok na rin. Isang irap agad ang ginawa niya nang nakaupo. The bodyguard who helped her then went to a separate car behind us. Oh, the perks of being a pregnant Romualdez, huh? Hmm...

"I know what you're up to, Blythe." Panimula niya agad. Nanliliit ang kaniyang mga mata habang tinititigan ako. I was caught off guard. Gulat, sa bilis ng kaniyang konklusyon. Mabilis din naman akong nakabawi at humalakhak.

"Have you heard about the saying that the middle child is the most ruthless child? It's true." Kumindat pa ako sa kaniya. Napa-iling naman si Ate at napahilot sa kaniyang noo. Jusko! Paano kaya 'pag nalaman ni Kuya Miko na nas-stress lang sa 'kin itong buntis niyang asawa? Natawa ako sa isip ko.

"Alam ko na iyan noon pa, Bly. Pagkakita ko pa lang sa'yo sa ospital, alam ko nang anak ka ng kadiliman." Sarkastikong sabi niya. Natawa ako nang malakas kaya natawa rin siya. I playfully pinched her arm.

I arched a brow when I remembered why I wanted to talk to her in the first place. Hindi ko pa rin talaga makalimutan ang pakikipag-sundo ng mga Romualdez sa mga Lagdameo at Montallana. Engineer Teorico has mentioned that they are kind of doing business now. What business is it? Hmm...

"Hindi mo pa sinasabi sa 'kin kung bakit may kasunduan sina Kuya Miko at iyong dalawang pamilya? Kaya rin ba imbitado sila kagabi?" Seryosong tanong ko kalaunan. She sighed and looked away.

"It's only with the Lagdameos, Bly. We have nothing to do with the Montallanas." Aniya. Kumalabog ang puso ko.

"Then why the hell they were there?" Halos pasigaw kong sabi. Nagulat naman si Ate sa pag-iiba ng timpla ko. Shit, kumalma ka, Blythe!

"To give courtesy. You know very much how binded the Lagdameos are with the Montallanas. And Luca's wife is Melissa Montallana so it's—"

"Stop."

Natigil agad si Ate. Namimilog ang mga mata niya habang nakatitig sa 'kin. I looked away. I know, okay... I know.

Why did I even ask that, anyway? Stupid. Pinilit kong huminahon muna at patigilin ang paninikip ng dibdib ko.

"Papa invited them. It's been years, Bly... everyone has moved on." Halos duyanin ako ng boses ni Ate. May awa sa mga mata niya habang tinititigan ako. Tila ba nababasa niya ako. Ang nararamdaman ko. My heart ached at that. Everyone has moved on... ako na lang. Ako na lang ang naiwan. Even Dad... has moved on. Fuck.

"They did us wrong. Isn't that enough reason to not move on and forget?" Mahinanon ko ring sabi matapos nang ilang minuto. She weakly smiled at me.

"How can you make progress when you can't even lift yourself up from the past? Yes, they did us wrong. But it's not always revenge that can give us justice. Sometimes... it's forgiveness."

Napapikit ako. Namuo agad ang mga luha sa gilid ng mga mata ko. No... I can't accept that. No. They don't deserve forgiveness. They don't!

"Anong nangyari sa mga imbestigasyon, Ate? Bakit hanggang ngayon hindi pa rin sila nakukulong?" Pinilit kong tatagan ang boses ko kahit hindi pa masyadong nakakaahon mula sa mga bagong emosyong dumaan.

"Kahit pa sila ang itinuturong dahilan sa pagkaka-guho ng gusali, hindi pa rin sila ang sasalo sa kasong iyon, Bly. It was our Engineers. It was our firm. It was under their supervision. Kahit pa maraming testigong nagsasabing may mga tauhan ng Montallana'ng nanloob at hinaluan ng substandard materials ang nakalaang materials nila Daddy, eh, hindi pa rin iyon sapat talaga."