CAUGHT

CHAPTER 14

ELLAH MARIE CECILIA

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Louhan. Ano ang ginawa mo sa akin? Kahit saan ako tumingin, kahit ano ang gawin ko, mukha mo pa rin ang una kong nakikita. Minsan, naririnig ko ang boses mo. Lalo na ang maganda mong boses habang kumakanta ng gabing iyon.

I don't want to think about you anymore. Pero lagi kong naalala ang mga tawa mo at ang mga halik mo. Minsan, parang nararamdaman ko ulit ang init ng yakap mo sa akin. And I know I shouldn't be thinking about you kundi ang pamilya ko. Pero mas lumala pa yata nang pumunta si Aldrus at isiwalat sa akin kung ano ang ginagawa mo. I missed you more.

"Ahem."

Tila isang pwersa ang mahinang tikhim na iyon at hinila ako pabalik sa kasalukuyang mundo kung saan nakaupo ako ng matuwid sa kama at nakaharap sa labas ng bintana ng kwarto ko dito sa ospital.

"Good morning, Ms. Ellah. Meron akong gustong sabihin kaya naparito ako."

Lumingon ako kay Agent Langston. Nakasuot siya ng puting turtleneck sleeveless shirt at kulay itim na jeans.

Saka ko napansin na wala si Rocky at Ate Sari rito sa kwarto.

"Pinalabas ko ang kaibigan mo at si Ms. Gomez dahil gusto kong kausapin ka ng pribado tungkol sa isang bagay."

Kumunot ang noo ko. "Ano 'yon?"

"Tungkol sa bank account mo na iniimbestigahan namin. Totoo nga ang suspetya mo na hindi si Megan ang kumuha non. There was no sign of hacking nor stealing."

Bigla kong naalala ang pinag-usapan namin noong unang araw niya sa bahay.

"Can we talk?" tanong ko. 

Pinaunlakan niya ako at sabay naming iniwan ang aking mga kamag-anak. Sa tapat kami ng sasakyan niya tumigil.

"I'm sorry, gusto ko lang sanang malaman kung pwede mo bang i-check ang bank account ko then sa akin mo na lang i-report. Meron akong almost one million sa account at kay Kuya naman, mas malaki pa kesa sa akin. Nagulat na lang ako na isang araw ay wala ng laman. Huwag mo ng i-report kay Tita Lalyn at Tito Fonce ang malalaman mo."

Ngumiti siya sa akin at tumango. "Of course pero pwede ko bang malaman kung bakit?"

Napatingin ako sa dalawa kong kamag-anak na para ng nagtatalo. I sighed. I had trust issues now, all right. Pero itong sa dalawa kong kamag-anak, I feel like something's wrong. I just want to make sure.

"I think they both have the access to my accounts since namatay si Daddy. Kaya gusto kong malaman kung involve ba sila sa pagkawala ng pera ko."

Although, si Tita Lalyn ang nagbigay ng pera sa akin noong mawala ang account ko, gusto ko pa ring malaman kung paano nawala ang pera. I know, they were never after the money nor the company because they have their own and even greater. Or maybe they really are.

"I get it. Makakaasa kang hindi ko ipagsasabi sa kanila ang tungkol sa bank account mo. If you want, I can take a look at their—"

"Ah, no thanks. If it's proven that they're guilty or not, then that's when I'll let you know what I want to happen."

Ngumiti siya ulit sa akin pero hindi naman abot sa mata niyang walang bahid ng emosyon. "I'll update you soon."

"Sino ang kumuha, kung ganoon?" I know I'm void of emotions now, but the feeling of betrayal slowly crept within me, again. At nang ibunyag ni Agent Langston ang pangalan niya ay nanumbalik sa akin ang sakit ng pagtataksil.

"I haven't proven it yet, pero malaki ang tsansang siya rin ang nagbigay ng karapatan kay Mecca Shagan Cabrieas na gamitin ang mansyon para lokohin ka."

"P-Pero bakit? Bakit niya gagawin iyon?" I gripped on to the blanket, restraining the sadness I am feeling right now. I knew there's something wrong!

"The only way to know is to confront—"

"No," I snapped. "Don't bust them out, yet. I want to catch them off guard and make sure they couldn't make any more excuses!"

"It's dangerous. Paano kung may gawing masama sa'yo kapag na-sense na may nalalaman ka?"

"I will take care of myself. I will be cautious and just make sure, they'll pay for fooling me." I said between gritted teeth.

"If anything, call me immediately."

Tumango ako sa kanya. "Thank you for this information, Agent Langston."

"It's my job," she breathed. "But we're not still done. We still have a lot of catching to do. Huwag kang mag-alala, we have lots of evidence and witnesses. Now, we have a lead. Baka maging susi ang sinuman sa kamag-anak mo na mahanap natin si Megan—"

Pareho kaming napalingon sa pinto nang may kumatok. Pumasok siya at lahat ng galit na nararamdaman ko ay muli kong ikinubli sa aking mga mata. They shouldn't know anything.

"Agent Langston! I didn't know you're here," bati ni Tito Fonce. His hair is tousled and he's only wearing a pair of shorts and a white shirt—pambahay, parang nagmadali. And he even know Agent Langston is here! "You had a report?"

"Kinakamusta ko lang si Ms. Ellah. I think she's fine now."

Bumaling sa akin si Tito at ngumiti. "Y-Yeah, she is."

"I need to go, Sir, Ms. Ellah," paalam ni Agent Langston at lumabas na ng kwarto. Nakasunod pa ang tingin ni Tito Fonce sa kanya bago bumaling sa akin at nagtataka.

"Did she report something?" He stood just beside me and curiously watched my face.

"May ilan lang siyang tinanong." I kept my cold voice sound the same like before but in the end, it cracked.

"Like what?"

I kept my emotions restrained but the feeling of betrayal is just creeping within me, flowing in my every veins, shouting inside my head. Asking to be unleashed and point a finger, ask everything that I wanna hear.

Pinilig ko ang ulo ko at tumingin sa labas ng bintana ng kwarto. I watched the sunset and let it distract me. To let it calm me. I watched the hues of the sun to blind me, to silence my thoughts.

"Bakit naglilihim ka sa akin? I don't have a good feeling about this, Ellah."

I almost laughed of what he said.  "I always knew that there's something wrong, Tito Fonce. And I was right." All along, I was fooled and spied and betrayed. At hinding-hindi ko iyon mapapatawad.

"Right about what?" litong tanong niya.

I mentally sighed and decided to shut him off like I always do. Hindi na ako sumagot pa sa kanya at hinayaan ang sariling malunod sa ganda ng papalubog na araw sa labas. Slowly, peacefulness is taking over me. Kalma lang, Ellah. It's not yet proven and the agent is not sure who it is. Not now.

I heard Tito Fonce sighed beside me. "I don't know what you're into, hija. But I want you to know that you can trust us."

Trust? Really, Tito? Then, why are you all doing this to me?!

I want to shout that at his face pero wala na. Umalis na siya ng kwarto. Tumalikod na siya. They never really stayed with me since before. They always come and go. Pero mas masakit lang ngayon na may kinalaman na rin pala sila sa nangyari sa akin. They come and killed me even more. And in the end, they'll leave.

The door closed and my tears fell at the same time. Are there more secrets? Are there more traitors? Can't this world be a lot more cruel to me? I never really understand why it's me. Saan nanggagaling ang lahat ng ito?