1. When Tragedy Strikes

Juliana's point of view

Wow!

Staring at the transcript of my result, I couldn't believe I passed.

I did! OMG! I really did!

Dad would be elated to hear of the good news - I smiled, reminiscing how hard I studied to be able to get a scholarship. My hard work did not go to waste after all. It paid off. I giggled to myself and gazed at the results again for the umpteenth time. I just couldn't stop myself from repeating the process. It seemed so... Surreal, even to my own eyes.

Dad; he worked so hard just to make sure I succeeded. I could wait no longer to get home and present my results to him. Indisputably, he would be astonished and overjoyed at the same time.

Frankly speaking, he was the reason behind my zeal to get a scholarship so badly. I wanted nothing more than to be able to take us out of the poverty I grew up in. To be able to give him a better life. A life he actually deserved.

Ever since I was just a kid, the way loan sharks harassed him had never gone unnoticed by me. Having lost my mother to the cold hands of death at the young age of five, dad had become my life, my responsibility, my everything... My whole world revolved around him. I always wanted to please him at every chance I got.

"Hey, Julia!" Mia, my childhood best friend since kindergarten, back hugged me. "I have superb news."

I suppressed the urge to smile and when I turned around, I furrowed my brows, feigning ignorance. "What news?"

"You mean you haven't seen or heard of it yet?" She squeaked.

Again, I suppressed a laugh. "Seen what?" I questioned, my brows still furrowed in fake confusion.

"OMG, besty! How could you have not seen or heard?" She questioned in disbelief. Her big round eyes, almost bulging out of their sockets.

I raised a brow questionably.

"THE RESULTS FOR THE SCHOLARSHIP EXAMINATION WE TOOK ARE OUT, GIRL!! AND GUESS WHAT? YOU PASSED!" She squealed and engulfed me in yet another tight hug. "I can't believe this, can you?"

"Here." I disentangled herself from her and showed her the transcript. "I already knew before you. How about you, did you pass?"

Mia's face fell.

I swallowed. It seemed she did not. I suddenly didn't feel as happy anymore because I knew how hard we studied together and her dream to get into the institution was now shattered. "I'm... Very sorry to hear that... Next year will...be a good year. A better year. You will pass the exams and..." I rambled off, not even getting what I was saying myself. How then did I expect her to get it? I mentally hit myself on the head for being stupid and not having the right words to say at the right time to cheer her up. .

"Guess what?" She remarked, her voice laced with sadness.

I hummed, confused. "What?" I managed to ask, awkwardly.

"I PASSED!' She squealed. "I actually did!"

"What?" I furrowed my brows in confusion.

"Didn't you hear me? I F-ing passed!" She repeated.

A smile crept its way up my lips. I was about to embrace and congratulate her when suddenly realization hit me like a speeding truck; I was just deceived by my best friend - she made a fool out of me and turned me into a stutter monster. "I'm. Going. To. Kill. You." I enunciated each word, gnashing my teeth.

"Catch me if you can!" She stuck out her tongue and ran away.

I chuckled and lunged after her with my bag positioned as a weapon.

~~~~~~~

"I'm so happy we both passed." I smiled at Mia, looking down at our hands laced in each other's.

"Me too." She smiled back. "I couldn't contain my happiness when I saw the placed results, so I looked everywhere for you; to share the wonderful news."

"My dad will be so proud. I can't wait to see his expression when I share the news with him." I voiced, imagining what his first reaction would be.

"I know right." She giggled. "My mother will be proud, but my dad, I doubt. He is such an irresponsible parent."

"Mia? Please don't speak that way about your father." I reprimanded.

"And why not?" She rolled her eyes. "That's just what he is. Never, not even for once has he supported my education. It's been my mother from the beginning. All father does is gamble his money away and spend the rest of it on useless stuff. He is the worst father ever, I swear."

"I'm sure he will change." I said, attempting to make her feel better with my words.

"Change?" She huffed. "I have been deceiving myself with the same belief for the past eighteen years of my life."

Again, not knowing the right thing to say at the awkward moment, I decided to change the topic of discussion. "Did Sarah pass as well?" I asked about her next-door neighbor.

"I don't know, but I doubt." She rolled her eyes. "She doesn't want to continue schooling. She told me so herself. She isn't the serious type." She chuckled.

And I just laughed along.

We continued talking until we arrived in front of her house.

"See you tomorrow. Goodbye, besty,

Take care." Mia waved

"Goodbye, Mia." I waved back as she opened the gate to her house and walked in.

Not able to wait any longer to get home and share the wonderful news with my father, I increased my pace and ended up running.

Sighting an unfamiliar car parked few miles away from our house, a strange feeling settled in the pits of my stomach.

My heartbeat skyrocketed and my eyes almost bulged out of their socket the moment I saw an armed man unlocking our gate and letting himself in.

My jaw dropped to the ground.

Discreetly, I tiptoed into the house as carefully as I could.

"Please let me go. I promise I didn't see anything. Why is he doing this to me? Please stop this," I heard my dad beseech; his voice quivering. "It was the aspiring governor, Mr. Eduardo Fernandez, that sent you to kill me, right?

"Shut up!" I heard the unknown man boom. "This is all on you!"

I got startled by the tone of his voice and maneuvered towards where the voices were coming from - the living room.

As I got closer, their voices became louder and clearer.

"Please don't do this. Let me talk to him. I'm sure we can settle this amongst ourselves." My dad beseeched. The fear in his voice, I had never witnessed. It scared me.

"I'm going to blow your brains out if you don't shut your mouth right now!" The unknown man threatened.

By the tone of his menacing voice, I was becoming more afraid for my dad with each passing second.

I needed to do something, and fast!

Gently pushing the door to the living room open, I took a sudden intake of breath and my hand flew over my agape mouth before I could let out a scream. Inside, was my dad at gunpoint, on his knees and surrounded by not one, but five haggard, dangerous-looking men.

At that moment, I wanted nothing more than to run into the room and shield him, as he had always shielded me.

Right on cue, his gaze met mine. "Don't come in, princess." He muttered. "You're a target."

I wouldn't have understood what he said if I had not read his lips.

He placed a single finger on his lips, signaling me to keep quiet.

I shook my head. For the first time, I didn't want to listen to him. I couldn't. If I were to go file a report in the police station, it would take me approximately thirty minutes to get the police to the house, but I couldn't leave him in their custody. I feared I would not come back and meet him alive. I could not help, I was useless - I knew, but my feet were glued to the floor. I couldn't leave even if I wanted to.

My glistening eyes met with his once more and he began to shake his head slowly — he didn't speak a word, but I could understand his unsaid words. He wanted me to stay put. He wanted me to promise not to go in and lastly, he wanted me to avenge him.

"Shoot him." One of the men ordered.

"No! No, don't! Please. No! No! No!" I muttered with my eyes shut. "Don't do it." I silently prayed for a miracle to happen.

"This is not the end." He smirked. "Tell your boss this; he might succeed in killing me, but he can never cover up his crimes forever. One day, his secrets will be out in the open and the public will see him for who he truly is. My death won't go in vain a—"

Bang!

Bang!!!

Bang!!!

I heard three, loud gunshots. My breathing ceased for a minute as I realized what had just happened; my dad had just been shot. A painful lump suddenly got stuck in my throat. I wanted to scream, but I couldn't. My voice suddenly disappeared. I wanted to move, but my feet were glued to the ground. My grip on the results loosened and it flew away. My legs became wobbly and I felt lightheaded. Raising my head and seeing him - my dad, lying in the pool of his blood was the final straw. I hoped it was just a nightmare.

My legs gave away and darkness consumed me.