Am I Still The One?

Chapter 37

Ken's POV

Blackness is all I can see. Noises from them is all I can hear. I can hear Chandler in front of me and Jeni's struggle to untie herself. Bakit kailangang ma-damay pa siya? At tama ba 'yung naririnig ko? Ianne and Mr. Emerson's voices?

Kung ganun man, bakit? Anong ginawa ko para mang-yari sa akin ito? Para ma-damay mga minamahal ko?

I want to see Chandler. For the last time, if this is the end of my life. "Please, let us go!" I pleaded but no one seemed to hear it.

I closed and opened my mouth to remove the cloth over to it, "Yejenia! Are you okay there?" I asked. All I heard is her noises, I can't decipher her answer.

"W-what? No, you can't! Okay, let's say you can but you can't make me love you! You know that!" Chandler stated. I was touched by those words, hearing those from my boyfriend.

I bursted into tears.

"So, you really want this girl, right here? Hi, Ken. Remember me?" She held my chin up and then slapped me so hard that I can't feel my cheek anymore.

"No! Don't hurt her!" Chandler pleased. A part of me wants to see him, but the other part doesn't want to. It doesn't want to see him hurt, and I think it's my heart.

It hurts but I want her not to stop, and just kill me. Kill me so I can't feel this pain anymore. Kill me for them.

Ianne scoffed and I felt her breath behind my ear. She pulled my hair tightly, "Don't hurt her? If you only know. I pity you, babe."

"I don't care about what you know! Just don't hurt her! Stay away!"

Kasabay ng sakit sa pag-ka-kahila ni Ianne ng buhok ko ay ang pagkirot ng puso ko dahil pi-nag-ta-tanggol niya pa rin ako. Lalo pa akong umiyak, "I am fine, Chan." I promised.

"Stop it for now and save it for later. After all, I like you for my son." The guy that sounded like Chandler's dad said.

"Dad?! What are you saying? Are you still sane? Are you stirred up by this prostitute!?" And I finally confirmed it, it is him--I saw him in the van before they put the cover over my face. My own questions swallowed my mind that I don't feel my hair is being pulled.

"Prostitute? That's what you call me? How about her? She seduced you! You didn't even lay your eyes to her back then!" Ianne angrily screamed and tighten her pull. I tried to grab my hair back but I couldn't.

I sniffled. What they say is true, the truth hurts. I was the one who loved him first, I think he had just pity me that's why he let me to be his girlfriend.

"Look, she's crying! Even she realized it. You'd just pity her. You don't love her! You are still crazy for me! Come on, don't be embarass."

"Don't be embarass? You want to hear the truth? I had been so stupid liking you--I don't know what's gotten into you, you're not like this--that I didn't see her pure and loving heart, but I am so thankful that I came back to my senses. I love her more than someone can think of. I love her for everything she is. I had loved her not because she first loved me, but because I saw--Hmmpp!"

I am speechless. I am touched once again but this is not he was supposed to feel. I want him to despise me, right? I want him to stay away from me. I don't want to hear his words anymore!

"Stop it! You are crazy, Chandler! You ought not to love her! I don't want her for you!" His Dad bellowed. I got weak and fell on the ground. He doesn't want me for his son? W-hy?

I heard a wood crunched and crushed. Then, someone made me sit, and hugged me from the back. "Are you okay? Don't listen to them! You know how much I love you, right?"

I reached for his face, held it and sobbed. "If loving me means hardships, you don't need to love me anymore. Please, stop loving me. I am not deserving of your love. It's too unconditional, that I may not be able to bring it back to you."

He shushed me and locked his lips in mine. Then, he stopped, "If loving you means hardships, I want to accept those all just to love you. What is love if you're not with me? I just need you to trust me. Trust me--"

I heard a loud crash, and Chandler is no longer in front of me. I touched the floor and got a greasy liquid on my fingers. I smelled it and knew it is blood. "Chandler!"

"Stop being crazy, son! I want to kill these people now if I could! Ianne where is the other one! It should be here now. If your men fail one more time--I hate it that you brought my son here--I won't forgive you."

"I think they're on the way. And about that, I think they had thought Chan is Thaddeus."

Mr. Emerson snapped, "Tidy him up. Tie him up in the chair again!"

"You heard him. Why are they still not here?" Ianne asked. Just then, there's a bang on the door.

"F*ck you all! You will be dead for doing this to us!" Thaddeus's voice threatened. The men--not too far--laughed.

"Thaddeus? Is that you?" I called out while lingering my head around, trying to locate him.

"Ken? Are you okay!? Are they h--"

I was pulled by someone and dragged into the chair again. Moreover, they covered my mouth again.

"Fix things up. We'll start the process." I heard the despicable man ordered.

Process?

So many questions inside my head made me dizzy.