27 "Ihahatid na kita," pagpupumilit ni Maddix nang sabihin kong mag tataxi na lang ako. I can't even look at him because I'm afraid he'll see how angry I am with him now. There was a dress that was ready for me; maybe he bought it, or I don't know; he just gave it to me so I could have something to change. "Sabing hindi na! Mag tataxi na nga lang ako!" Hindi ko napigilang sambitin iyon gamit ang iritang boses. He even said kanina na nag-aalala siya. Akala mo naman ay totoo iyon! I know that I'm trying to act normal. I don't want to show that I'm very angry, and I heard what his mom said, pero naiirita ako kasi subrang kulit niya na akala mo naman ay talagang nag-aalala siya sa'kin, pero ang totoo ay pakitang tao lang niya iyon. Mapagkunwari lang siya. Kung naloko niya ako noon sa bawat pag-aalala niya, ngayon, hindi na dahil alam ko na ang pakay niya. Natigilan siya at tumitig sa'kin. Nag-iwas ako ng tingin. Wala siyang nagawa nang makita ang irita ko sa kanya. Nagtawag lang si
28Everyone was amazed to enter the largest ship owned by Maddix Villaranza. We were greeted by huge chandeliers and expensive furniture throughout the place. I was right; the previous ship we were on was big, but this ship is far bigger. Even I couldn't help but be amazed and hipnotized by the whole place."Woah! Nasa barko ba tayo? O nasa palasyo?" I heard Bella say that beside me."Welcome, Everyone. In the meantime, is it okay for all of you to wait on the sofa right in front of the receptionist for us to prepare the keys to your rooms?" Magalang na sambit ng isang empleyado na lumapit sa'min.Sinunod namin siya, we sat there, and because this place was so big, there was plenty of seating for the guests. We are 67 graduates, and we are all here. I know na malaki ang kinikita ng bawat paglayag ng barko, pero pakiramdan ko ang laking sayang ng binigay nilang free vacation samin."While waiting, You all can also connect to the free wifi, and we are offering complementary drinks. We h
(TRIGGER WARNING: This chapter might contain elements of crime, abuse, drugs, sex or violence.)29Imbes na magpatuloy sa pagpunta sa room na sinasabi ni Maddix ay hindi ako tumuloy. Nangangalaita ako sa galit sa bawat salitang narinig ko kay Freya. How dare she say those words to me? Ano? Alam ba niya ang plano ni Maddix? Sinabi ba ni Maddix sa kanya? Mas lalong kumulo ang dugo ko nang maisip iyon.Pero sa gitna ng tuluyan kong pag-alis sa palapag na iyon na pagtanto ko na kailangan kong pumunta roon. Bakit ako aalis? I shouldn't be affected by what she said. Lumiko ako at nagpatuloy ako sa paglalakad papunta sa room na iyon. I rang the doorbell, and in less than a minute, it opened. I saw Maddix wearing only a towel and no top. He saw me staring at the towel, so I saw his smirk. He held my wrist and pulled me closer to her, trying to kiss me, but I pushed him away. I'm even more annoyed by his smirk now. I feel like he's thinking about what he'll do next to play with me."I'm just
30"Pero, Tito, you didn't say to me na may balak kang ganoon!" Hindi ko na maiwasang magtaas ng boses nang sabihin nito na may iba pa siyang inutusan para magpuslit ng druga sa loob ng barko."Why are you angry, Iha? It's done. You did a great job na maglagay ng drugs sa iniinom niya bago pa makita ng mga pulis ang ibang druga sa loob ng barko. Hindi ko sinabi sayo na agaran mo siyang patikman ng druga, pero ikaw ang mismong nakaisip na agad. Now, he is positive in drugs, and finally, you already get the revenge you want. Masisira na siya ngayon at dahil iyon sayo. I'm sure that your papa is now happy because of what you did," sambit nito habang prenteng nakaupo.Umawang ang labi ko."P-Pero--""Huwag mong sabihin na nakukunsensya ka? Nagawa mo na tapos ngayon ka pa nakukunsensya?" Biglang siyang tumawa na para bang may nakakatawa.Napapikit ako at wala nang pake kahit na umiiyak na ako sa harap niya. Ang tatlong lalake na iyon ay ang pulis na tinutukoy ni Tito. He is the one who tol
31It was a long, miserable night for me. Nagkulong ako sa kwarto at inubos ang oras sa kakaiyak, ni hindi ko magawang maka idlip sa dami ng nasa isip ko. Para akong nababaliw sa lahat ng tumatakbo sa isip ko, sunod-sunod, iba-iba. Mali ako. Nagkamali ako. After hearing what Tito Peter said, napagtanto kong tamang magalit si Maddix sa'kin.Napapikit ako nang maalala ko ang sinabi nito noong nag-usap kami sa phone. "I only trust my family, Liyah. I feel that if I trust others, I will be destroyed. I was once breached because I give so much trust; it is not obvious, but I am afraid of being destroyed again because of my trust," that is his exactly what he said.Alalang-alala ko pa ang lahat ng sinabi niya noong gabing iyon. The person who breached his trust, si papa kaya iyon? There's a big posibility that he is, kaya galit siya sakin dahil anak ako ni Franco. Napapikit ako ng mariin at hiniling nasa ay maglaho na lang ako.Mas lalo akong kinakain ng konsensya ko pagkatapos ng lahat ng
32Maddix's POV"What my niece did was really..." Napapikit ito at napabuntong hininga."It was her. She planned all of this with Alfredo. She planned it to destroy you. She thought that you were the reason why Franco died; it's not an excuse that she was young because she was at the right age now; she was blinded by anger, and what she did was bad. I stared blankly at Peter Fernandez, a general and Aliyah's uncle."Mahirap sa'kin na ilaglag ang sarili kong pamangkin, but I don't want to tolerate what she did. Maraming madadamay sa ginawa niya. I'm here to tell you that we will accept whatever decision you make. Kung ipapakulong niyo siya, ihaharap ko siya," seryosong sambit ni General Fernandez.Napatitig ako sa basong nasa harap ko, hindi na nagulat sa sinabi niya."How could she do this? We will talk to our lawyer about it, General Fernandez. We will sue her at mabubulok siya sa kulungan! I am not going to say thank you for what you confess right now---" I cut mom from talking.We
Maddix's POV (Continuation)Tinignan ko siya mula ulo hanggang paa para sana ipakita na hinahanap ko ang sinasabi niyang hindi siya bata, pero mas lalo akong nainis dahil bigla akong nainitan nang hagudin ko siya ng tingin.What the hell, Maddix? Just what the hell?"Bata ka pa. Wendell is 28 years old. Babaeng gaya ng nasa paligid mo ang kailangan niya, Bata. You think you can do what those woman doing?" I said that again to remind myself. Nababaliw na ako."Umuwi ka na. Hindi ito playground," mariin na dugtong ko pa at lalagpasan na sana siya, pero hinarangan niya na ako! God knows I did my best not to look at her chest with that slight showing! Bakit ba siya nagsusuot ng ganito?!"And what makes you think na hindi ko kaya?" Oh damn! Stop it, Aliyah! Hindi ka nakakatulong. Umuwi ka na lang at huwag ng babalik sa gamitong lugar!Umigting ang panga ko at tinignan siya ng masama. "Why? Are you going to kiss Wendell?"Thinking about that want me to punch Wendell lips. Ang sarap burahin
34Aliyah's POVNalaglag ang balikat ko habang isa-isa nang tumatayo ang mga kasamahan ko sa trabaho sa kanilang mga upuan. Biglaan ang desisyon na kahit magandang balita iyon sa'kin bilang empleyado ay hindi ko kayang maging masaya."Congratulations, Miss Aliyah! We're so happy for you. Everything your hard work is now paying off. You deserve it," maligayang sambit ng mga nakapaligid sa'kin at isa-isa silang lumapit para batiin ako sa promotion.They are happy now because the CEO appointed me to manage the hotel branch in the Philippines. They say that I deserve all of these. Gaya ng sabi nila lahat ng pagod ko ay nagbunga na, but I don't know if I can go home to the Philippines, even though it's already been 6 years.Pinatawag kaming lahat dahil sa may mahalaga raw na announcement. I know that the hotel branch in the Philippines was already done, but I was a bit shocked when the CEO announced that she was appointing me as a Hotel General manager.I should be happy. This is the best