CHAPTER 28
"D-Don't do that..." pagmamakaawa ko kay Greg. "They're all I have. Don't take it away from me. Kahit ako nalang, Greg. H'wag mo lang idamay ang pamilya ko."
Paikot na naglakad si Greg sa lamesa sa gitna. Hindi ako makatingin ng deretso sa screen ng malaking T.V. This was painful to watch, seeing Rake like that. I'd never imagine him trapped because of me.
"Just please..." I said again. "You can kill me all you want. H'wag lang sila..."
Tumawa ng mapakla si Greg at huminto sa kinauupuan ko. "You have a heart now. Tinuro ko ba 'yan sa'yo?"
"Hindi..."
Nagulat ako nang may luhang pumapatak sa mata ko. I saw him shocked too. Diretso akong nakatingin sa gulat na mata ni Greg.
"But I found it anyway... Even if I least deserve it. Ngayon lang may nagmahal saakin ng ganito, Greg. That man loved the every broken pieces of me even if I broke him too many times. I'm glad he found me that night, I'm really happy we've met though it turned out not fine." huminga ako ng malalim at pinahid ang mga luha nag pumatapatak sa mata ko. "All this life, I wanted to fill that void in my chest. But he's trying to fix it without me asking... Minsan lang may sumugal saakin ng ganito kahit hindi ako karapat-dapat, Greg."
"Nawala ang ilan taon pagtuturo ko sa'yo dahil nagpakabaliw ka sa iisang lalaki, Ericka. I'm very disappointed when I found out. Ikaw ang pinakapaborito ko sa lahat dahil ang sabi mo, walang sino man tao ang magpapaamo ng puso mo."
Greg expression turned bitter. Parang ang tagal din kinikimkim nito sa loob ang mga nagawa kong pagkakamali ever since I returned that day. I made a mistake lowering my wall, I came back less stronger. But it made me feel things, made me believe that we all deserved a happy ending even though we're the villain in someone's story.
Kahit na ang daming pagkakamali na hindi kayang itama ng iisang sorry lang. I'm still willing to own that mistake and make it right. Pero huli naba ang lahat para maasama ang kasiyahan na ninanais ko?
"Akala ko rin, wala... It was unexpected, kahit anong pagde-deny ko sa sarili ko na wala akong nararamdaman sakanya alam kong niloloko ko lang ang sarili ko. But here I am, anyway, kahit ako nalang ang parusahan mo dahil ako naman talaga ang nagsimula ng lahat ng ito..." I snipped. I never thought I would cry like this infront of him.
"Hindi ikaw ang nagsimula ng lahat, Ericka. Your family's curse started it. Nakita ko ang pag-iibigan ng iyong magulang. Your father just like you, fell blindly inlove with your mother at nakalimutan na niya ang mga plano namin para sa kumpanya."
Natahimik ako. Hindi ko alam ang kwento ng mga magulang ko. Kahit noong nabubuhay pa ang aking ina, madalang lang siya magkwento tungkol sakanila ni papa. She hated him that much na ayaw niya na ipaalala saakin na mayroon pa akong ama. She didn't want me to raise my hope high like her. When in the end, it would all go down to disappointment.
Napahawak ako sa ulo ko dahil sa biglang pagsakit nito. It was like all the pasts were haunting me. Memories after memories. Pain... Hatred... And why I became the monster I feared of. Ang sabi ko dati, hindi ako magiging katulad ng aking ama. But I did. I was worse than him.
"I killed your father, Ericka. I tossed him in the ocean para walang ebidensya kapag may naghanap sakanya. That's how it ends. Between me and your father."
I looked at him in disbelief. Unti-unti nanaman bumibilis ang tibok ng puso ko sa narinig ko. He killed my freaking father and he took advantage of me. And now he had the audacity to treat me like I'm the one who owed him?
"Hindi ko alam kung bakit sobra-sobra ang galit mo saakin kung gusto mo lang naman ay kayaman ng aking ama. You can fucking have it! I don't wan any of it! Just leave my family alone!" sigaw ko sakanya.
Yumuko si Greg ng bahagya at pinantayan ang tingin ko. "Dahil hindi ako magiging masaya kapag nakita kang masaya. We should share the same fate, Ericka. Dahil pareho lang tayong dalawa, alam mo kung gaano ka kasama sa mga taong nasa paligid mo."
"I'm willing... To take the consequences para mapatawad ako ng mga taong nasaktan ko. We're different, Greg. I've someone who will love me for the rest of this life, and you're not. You'll die alone and no one will ever care for you. Kaya may taong tumutulong sa'yo dahil lang sa pera at kapangyarihan na hawak mo. But when lost all of that, pupulutin ka sa lansangan."
"Hindi mangyayari 'yan dahil naplano ko na ang lahat sa aking buhay, Ericka."
"Gaya ng pagplano na paghihirap saaking ng ganito, tama ba? I really thought na totoo ang lahat ng pinakita mo saakin. Totoong may pakialam ka sa'kin at kapakanan ko lang ang iniintindi mo. I guess it was all part of your show to execute your plan properly!" napahawak na ako sa dibdib ko sa sobrang sikip nito at nahihirapan na ako huminga.
"We always need to be smarter than the world we live in, Ericka. Kung hindi, pagkakaisahan ka ng mga tao." Kinuha ni Greg ang papel at nilapit saakin kasabay ng pen sa gilid. "Sign this and we're all done."
"You'll kill them kapag pinirmahan ko ito!" iyak ko. "I know your game!"
"Guess my game... It has different rules. Nasasayo nalang kung anong desisyon ang pipiliin mo." Itinaas muli ni Greg ang kamay at sumenyas sa kanyang alagad.
Hinatak ko mabilis nag hawak niya at pinirmahan ang dapat pirmahan. Kilala ko siya kapag hindi nasunod ang gusto niya. He would hurt then for me to sign it! It was the least I wanted to see. I would do everything to save them kahit napakaimposible mangyari ngayon.
Tumawa ng malakas si Greg at bigla ako napaluhod at napayakap sa sarili ko. Someone was taking over my body again. I shut my eyes hardly to stopped myself from screaming. Sobrang sakit bigla ng ulo ko at tila may pumupukpok dito.
I opened my mouth to catch for breath but I still couldn't breathe. Bakit ngayon pa ito nangyayari?! No! I needed me to save them. Ayokong magpatalo sa gusto manalo sa kalooban ko. I tried to fight back so it won't take over my body.
But then it was too late. Everything went dark, I could hear the screaming in my head. Someone was blaming me for what was happening now. Nakasabunot padin ako sa aking buhok habang nagpapatay-sindi ang ilaw. I heard them panic but Greg remained calm and commanded his guards what to do first.
It was too late. Bumukas muli ang ilaw, tumigil na ang pananakit ng ulo ko. I was now smirking while staring at Greg's back. Tumayo ako ng dahan-dahan at idinantay ang kamay saaking bewang. Greg sensed me bigla siya lumingon sa harap ko.
I licked my lower lip while eyeing him devilisly.
"Just. In. Time."
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Alam niyo yung feeling na tapos na siya sa isip ko? Yun yon. Haha. Kahit gustuhin ko i-edit, hindi ko na magawa. Maybe in the future nalang. 🙃
Enjoy anyway!
