Evicted (TLS #2 - COMPLETED)

Article 2 - Section 37

I was silently watching Brent spoke up as he laid up evidence that points out to Fryje being the insinuator of the dad's accident.

I was silently hoping but seriously doubting that Brent would actually side with me. I mean, he was in love with Fryje. At least that's what that bruha wanted me to believe.

"How much are you inheriting from your father's fortune?" tanong niya pero tinitigan lang siya ni Fryje. Nagsimula nang magbulung-bulungan ang mga tao sa court. I don't know how her mom came up with a new counsel immediately. But maybe because it was an immediate assigning of case, hindi yata masyadong handa ang abogado niya.

"Fifteen percent." Tipid na sagot ng bruha matapos ang ilang segundong pagtitig kay Brent.

"Fifteen percent of the total assets?" I saw how she gritted her teeth with the next question.

"Fifteen percent shares of the company." Napangisi ako dala ng sagot niya.

Maski ako ay nagulat sa last will ni Daddy. More than half of his total assets were named after me and my mom. Kahit sa shares sa kompanya ay halos doble ng shares niya ang shares na binigay ni Daddy sakin. Dad owned sixty-five percent of the company shares, he gave fifteen percent to Fryje, Another fifteen for Tita Arlene and the rest was under my name. Ang bahay lang nila at ilang sasakyan ang nakasunod sa pangalan nina Tita at Fryje the rest of the real estates and other properties was under my and my mom's name.

"Attorney Rebekah Claire Alarcon, the youngest daughter of the victim, would receive thirty-five percent of the company shares, sixty percent of the total asset of the victim and a monetary trust fund amounting to six hundred million pesos." Ani Brent habang nakaharap sa judge at pinapanood ang judge na basahin ang mga papeles na nakaproject rin naman sa isang gilid para makita ng mga spectators.

"Do you think the division is unfair?" Baling niya kay Fryje, not minding the dark gaze my evil sister throws into him.

"I repeat, do you think it was unfair?"

"Yes." Sagot ni Fryje bago umikot si Brent paharap muli sa judge.

"No more further questions, your honor." Ani niya bago naglakad pabalik sa table niya. Sandali siyang tumingin sa banda namin ni Mommy kaya nagsalubong ang mga tingin namin. He gave me a smug smile which made me roll my eyes.

Ang yabang.

"Focus." I mouthed. He just shrugged his shoulders with a smile bago binaling ang atensyon sa papel sa harapan.

The cross-examination of the witnesses started. Kasama dito ang mga taong mismong nagsagawa ng ambush, mga kasama namin sa bahay, maids na nakastay-in sa Alarcon Mansion at ang secretary ni Daddy.

"How was the victim as an employer?" tanong ni Brent sa forty-something na secretary.

"Sir Kiko, isn't much of an ideal boss, he demands a lot, he's rude and he never seems to care how his employees feel. But then, no one would ever complain about that since he makes sure that everyone is being compensated well."

"Ilang taon ka nang nagtratrabaho sa kanya?" 

"I've been with the Alarcon's for over thirty years." kalmadong saad ng sekretarya.

"So, what do you think of Mr. Alarcon as a father?" sandaling lumingon ang sekretarya sa kabilang dako ng court kung nasaan si Fryje bago iyon lumipad papunta sakin. She then smiled at me.

"Sir Kiko, may not be the best dad out there but he loves his family." tumulo ang luha ko nang marinig ang sinabi ng sekretarya habang nakatingin nang diretso sakin.

"His family?" tanong ni Brent na nakapagpabaling ng tingin ng sekretarya papunta sa kanya.

"Yes. His family, Arci and Ma'am Rosalie." narinig kong muli ang diskusyon mula sa mga tao sa paligid.

"How about the accussed and her mother?" tanong ni Brent sabay nang pagkumpas ng kamay sa direksiyon ni Fryje.

Sandaling natigilan ang sekretarya sa tanong na para bang nag-iisip pa ito ng mabuti bago huminga ng malalim at nag-umpisang ihayag ang parte ng buhay namin na kahit kailan ay hindi ko nalaman.

"Bago ako maging secretary ni Sir Kiko ay nagtratrabaho na ang tatay ko sa mga Alarcon. Ang mga Alarcon ang nagpaaral sakin kaya ako nakapagtapos ng pag-aaral. Halos sabay rin kaming lumaki ni Sir Kiko kaya nandoon ako noong panahong ikinasal sila ni Ma'am Arlene at bago pa 'yon." muli siyang huminga ng malalim bago tinapunan ng tingin si Mommy sa tabi ko.

"Ma'am Rosalie had been with Sir Kiko eversince. Bago pa dumating sa buhay nila si Ma'am Arlene ay andoon na si Ma'am Rosalie. But a recession happened years ago, hitting the Alarcon's businesses. Ma'am Arlene then took the opportunity to take over the Alarcons. Kailangang kailangan ng mga Alarcon noon ang tulong ng pamilya nila, at dahil nag-iisang anak lang si Sir Kiko, he was left with no choice but to marry Ma'am Arlene." mariing pumikit ang mga mata ng sekretarya na para bang hirap na hirap siyang alalahanin ang memoryang kinukwento. The court was too quiet too as everyone was engrossed with her short trip memory-lane.

"Hanggang ngayon ay tandang tanda ko pa ang iyak ni Sir Kiko matapos iutos sakin na itaboy si Ma'am Rosalie na sumugod sa opisina para tanungin kong anong nangyayari. They were both crying at that time at kahit ako na nanunuod lang sakanila ay nahihirapan din." isang matalim na tingin ang ibinaling ng sekretarya sa direksyon ni Tita Arlene.

"Hindi namin alam na buntis si Ma'am Rosalie noon..." mabilis akong napabaling sa pwesto ni Mommy dahil sa sinabi ng sekretarya. Pero walang sinabi si Mommy, she was just quietly sitting beside me as her tears roll down her eyes.

"Dumating si Ma'am Arlene at nagpang-abot ang dalawa. Sinubukan kong awatin si Ma'am Arlene ng kaladkarin niya si Ma'am Rosalie pero maski ako ay naihulog niya lang sa hagdanan." nagsinghapan ang mga tao sa loob ng court, maski ako ay hindi makapaniwalang napabaling kay Tita Arlene. I already knew what happened to my sibling even before the secretary finished the story.

Noon pa man pala ay bayolente na siya.

"Ma'am Rosalie lost the child. Sir Kiko wasn't able to take that well, lalo na at bigla na lang nawala si Ma'am Rosalie sa ospital. He became an alcoholic. He keeps on asking for annulment pero hindi pumapayag si Ma'am Arlene. Halos mabaliw noon si Sir Kiko, Ma'am Rosalie appeared a year after that. No, nahanap si Ma'am Rosalie. She was kept somewhere in Bulacan and was..." naluluhang bumaling muli ang secretary kay Mommy.

"She was... she was molested." mabilis na pinunasan ng sekretarya ang sariling mga luha.

"Objection your honor! The witness' statement is irrelevant to the case." puna ng abogado ni Fryje. Sandali lang siyang tinanaw ng judge bago ibinasura ang apela niya at sinabihan si Brent at ang sekretarya na magpatuloy.

Tumango naman ang sekretarya bago muling humugot ng malaim na paghinga para magpatuloy.

"Ma'am Rosalie was a wreck then. She doesn't want to be touch by anyone. Sir Kiko stopped drinking alcohol at nag-focus sa pag-tulong kay Ma'am Rosalie. Mas nabuo ang loob niyang makipaghiwalay na kay Ma'am Arlene but she suddenly got pregnant. Kinailangan pa naming ipa-DNA test si Fryje pagkapanganak sa kanya dahil walang maalala si Sir Kiko na ginalaw niya si Ma'am Arlene." nakita ko ang panlalaki ng mga mata ni Fryje bago mabilis na bumaling sa ina niyang matalim ang tingin sa sekretarya.

"A year later, Ma'am Rosalie finally recovered. I'm not sure how they got back together but another year later ay nabuntis rin si Ma'am Rosalie kay Arci. And I've never seen Sir Kiko that happy." pagtatapos ng sekretarya.

"Are you pointing out that the victim had actually treated his daughters unfairly?"

"Yes. I think he did. Mas malaki ang pagmamahal na pinapakita niya kay Arci. He do care about Fryje but he wasn't as attached to her as he was with Arci."

"Do you think she can actually attempt to kill her father?" mas direkta nang tanong ni Brent.

"I don't think so." sagot niya na ikinagulat naming lahat.

"I think she was aiming for her sister's life." dugtong niya bago pa man muling bumuka ang bibig ni Brent para magsalita.