Unveiling The Mask Behind (High Class Issue Series #4)

Chapter 34

Chapter 34: Sol

"Wala ka ng ibang ginawa kung 'di ang patunayan sa akin na isang pag-sisisi na pinanganak kita!"

Hearing those words was like knives stabbing me straight to the heart. If there's one wish that I want to be granted, that would be to rip off my ears for now just to not hear her unpleasant voice, triggering every part of my sanity. She never falters. She always says what comes out of her mind, even though it would tear me apart. It was her who I consider as a poison, a poison that has no cure at all.

"Ang kailangan mo na nga lang gawin ay ang ipasa ang exam pero bakit nagawa mo pang mangopya?! You're caught cheating, Serina! Ganyan ba kakitid ang utak mo?! Hindi ka ba talaga nag-iisip?!" sigaw ni Mama at binato ako ng isang makapal na libro na tumama sa braso ko. Hindi siya natinag sa isang beses lang dahil sinundan niya pa ito ng pangalawa at pangatlo hanggang sa maubos ang mga librong nakapatong sa lamesa niya.

She was raging that I could almost see her veins being engorged. She was furious when the professor called her only to find out that I was caught cheating in the exam. Yes, it was my choice to cheat, and I understand why she's really mad, but can she just listen to me first? For once, can she please take me away for being oppressed?

"M-Ma, I'm sorry," I apologized with my palms together. Tears were non-stop from falling on my cheeks as I face this woman. There's a distance between us, and I bet that if I stepped closer to her, that will be the time that she will hurt me until her anger vanished.

Her lips curled in a trembling manner and raised a brow at me. "Sorry? Do you think a simple apology would make things better?!"

I squeezed my eyes shut when her voice filled my ears again. My hand turned into a fist, reminding myself to maintain my composure before she went wildfire. I don't want to get to that point. I want her to understand me. I want to be heard just for once!

"I made that choice because I was pressured, Ma. Sinubukan ko. Buong mag-damag akong nag-aral kasi ayaw kong bumagsak, ayoko pong sabihin niyo na binigo ko na naman kayo—"

"But you did, Serina! Lagi ka na lang sumasablay. Nakakahiya na may bobo sa Altamirano!" pagputol niya sa balak kong sabihin at sa sinabi niya ay binigyan niya lang ako ng pagkakataon para ipunin ang mga salitang matagal ko nang kinikimkim.

"This cheating disappointed you, I know. I understand why you're angry, but how about me? What about my feelings, Ma? Seeing you having high expectations pressured me. I tried so hard to memorize and review everything. I was confident that I could pass the exam, but when the test paper was given to me, my mind went blank. I lost track of everything that I reviewed!" I blurted and started tweaking my hair because of panic. As I remembered the time how scared I was, looking at my test paper with no answers, my hands started to tremble to an odd rhythm.

"So, you're saying that it was my fault? Kasalanan ko kung bakit ka nandaya?!" tanong niya at halos manghina ako nang hawakan niya ang braso ko nang mahigpit na parang kulang na lang ay mabali na ito. Nanginginig siya dahil sa galit at sa pagbaon ng kuko niya sa balat ko ay unti-unti akong nawawala sa diwa ko.