CHAPTER 1

WARNING: CONTAINS SENSITIVE TOPIC. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.

CHAPTER 1

"Snow... Hindi namin inaasahan ang nalaman namin!" sambit ni Mama Neria.

Isa siya sa mga madre na kalapit ko rito sa bahay ampunan. May katandaan na siya pero hindi mo pa nakikitaan ng pagod sa trabaho bilang pangalawang ina rito sa amin.

Paalis na ako sa bahay ampunan dahil may kumumkop na sa akin.

"Huwag mo na ulit babanggitin na kinupkop ka nila, Snow. Sila ang tunay mong mga pamilya," dugtong pa ni Mama Neria.

Napanguso ako. "Hindi po ba mas angkop iyon? Iniwan nila ako rito, Mama Neria."

Napadilat ako ng mata nang maputol na naman ang panaginip ko.

It was just a dream again, and how I wished I could just stay there forever. Inside that dream, where everything was softer and kinder than the life waiting for me on the other side of sleep.

I groaned.

Gusto ko ulit umidlip pero mabigat ang ulo ko at masakit ang aking katawan. Napaungol ako at dama ko na kung nasaan man ako, umaandar iyon ngayon. The light was inconsistent, and it was only then that I realized the flickers were coming from streetlights we were passing through.

All I remembered was that I had just been walking down the parking lot, waiting for Roxo because I'm gonna help him, when someone covered my mouth. I ran the moment I broke free. Pero may matigas na bagay na tumama sa ulo ko na siyang ikinawalan ko ng malay.

The fear suddenly enveloped my body when reality finally sank into mine.

The sound from the speaker of the car was playing 'All Apollogies' by some known band... Nanlaki ang mata ko nang napunta na ang paningin ko sa kung sinuman ang nagmamaneho.

He was wearing a golden mask shaped like a bull's head, visible to me in the rearview mirror. Gumalaw ang ulo niya, indikasyon na naramdaman niya ang kaunting galaw mula sa likod.

"Gising na ang prinsesa... Kumusta? Ang tagal mo namang nakatulog, napalakas siguro ang palo ko sa ulo mo," he said without looking back at me.

"S-Sino ka..." nanginginig kong sinabi.

His voice was something I did not recognize. I was sure it was being filtered through some kind of voice changer. Even so, the strange sound of it did nothing to shrink the fear crawling up my chest.

It wasn't a prank by some of my management... My head is wet, nang ipinadausdos ko ang aking kamay roon, nakakita ako ng dugo.

"Malalaman mo rin 'pag nagkataon, Mrs. Del Villarda..."

Nanlaki ang aking mata. How did he know my hidden surname?!

"Hindi mo ba ako kilala?! I am Snow Blaire! The famous artist! Kapag ako nakalaya rito... mananagot ka!" nabasag ang boses ko.

He just chuckles. Kuminang ang kaniyang ginintuang maskara dahil sa pag-open niya ng kaniyang cellphone. He's dialing something in his phone while simultaneously driving.

I was literally kidnapped!

I wasn't hand cuffed and there's nothing in my mouth. Malaya ako kung tatalon ako sa kotse niya kahit na may kabilisan na ang pagmamaneho nito. Pero bakit parang naninigas ang buo kong katawan? Kahit gusto kong tumakas, hindi ko magawa.

His aura is screaming... that I almost smell death from him.

He pressed the phone to his ear and I felt the cold press of dread settling into my bones. Nag-init na ang mata ko.

"Hello..."

Is this where it ends? My career, my life, my name that I had built so carefully in this industry? Why did this man know pieces of a secret I had buried so deep? Bakit pakiramdam ko, wala akong kawala kahit tumakas man ako ngayon at tumalon, parang kilalang-kilala niya ako.

"Who are you that keeps calling me, huh?" a familiar voice came through the lane. Ngayon ko lang din napagtanto na naka-loud speaker ang cellphone niya.

"Nasa akin ang asawa mo... papatayin ko siya kung hindi ka makakapagbigay ng ransom sa akin," he said through his altered, mechanical voice.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Roxo suddenly said.

I gritted my teeth and felt the sting of tears gathering in my eyes. Hearing my husband's voice right now was not a comfort. If anything, it made everything worse.

So this man, already knew that I was married secretly to Roxo. My own blood. My own uncle. And now, he's using this to what? Blackmail us? Gagatasan niya kami?

He was using it as leverage!

Gag* rin pala ang mga tao ngayon, wala silang pinagkaiba kay Roxo!

"I don't have a wife," Roxo suddenly said. "So whoever you've kidnapped... You're in the wrong number."

"Eh sino itong kasama ko ngayon? Kabit mo?!"

"Let her scream. I want to hear the voice of whoever it is. Baka kapag nakilala ko ang boses at nalaman kong kakompetensya ko siya sa negosyo, baka tulungan pa kitang patayin siya nang malinis."

I gritted my teeth.

Nilingon ako ng lalaki. "Sumigaw ka raw! Ano?! Kung gusto mong mabuhay!"

I mouthed a 'f*ck you' at him. I didn't spilled out any words.

Hindi na ako baguhan para isipin na masamang-masama ang asawa ko! He had dignity and his name existed on the edge between power and a very dangerous cliff. There were always threats against him. And a call like this was probably nothing new to him, just another anonymous voice trying to shake someone unshakeable.

Maraming teyorya kung may asawa na siya o wala pa. May mga ganitong senaryo pero kadalasan ay sa management ni Roxo sila tumatawag bilang panakot lamang... At ang iba sa kanila ay media pa dahil masyadong tanyag si Roxo sa mata ng mga tao.

Sobrang sekreto nito na halos nakakalimutan ko na kasal na pala ako. Lalo na at kami-kami lang nakakaalam na ikinasal kami ng sarili kong tiyuhin para lang sa negosyo at magpayaman pa lalo.

"I can't hear any sounds but my favorite music, 'All Apologies.' That's all you know about me? My favorite song? And now you're making up stories about a wife I don't have and kidnapping her?" Roxo laughed, low and unbothered.

"Hindi ba ikaw si Roxo?!" the voice of the man thundered. "May asawa ka! Kaya dapat matakot ka!"

I opened my mouth and was ready to shout for help.

Totoo ito, Roxo. I was being kidnapped! Should I shout? To let him know that I am physically here?

Pero bigla akong nawalan ng boses at ganang sumigaw nang mapagtanto ko na, wala siyang pakialam sa akin.

He should honestly be glad if someone finished me off. All he ever wanted was the wealth that came attached to my name.

"Yes. But I'll never hand over any ransom just because you grabbed somebody. Just kill whoever it was," he said.

Hindi dapat ako nasasaktan sa sinasabi niya. Pero mas lalo lamang lumaki ang apoy na namumuo sa loob ko. I was beginning to be beyond angry, and to have hatred for him!

Unti-unting naputol ang tawag. Umuga ang kotse, dahil malakas na napapreno ang lalaki! Sumakit ang sintido ko dahil sa labis na impact na nagawa niya. Through the blur of my tears I still saw him reach into his pocket and pull out a knife.

Nilingon niya ako at ikinulong niya ako gamit ng kaniyang kamay. I looked at him so soulless, as if death was just a word for me. He began stabbing the cushion of the head rest right now.

"Bwisit! Palpak! Palpak ka! Wala kang pakinabang!"

Imbes na matakot at mangamba sa buhay ko, pinagkatitigan ko na lamang siya.

He continues driving the blade into the headrest cushion, over and over.

"Bwisit! Bwisit! Bwisit!" he cried out as if he was such a psycho being defeated.

"Paano ba 'yan? Ayaw kang bigyan ng asawa ko ng pera," mapait kong sinabi.

Even wearing a mask, I still saw that inside it, was a very mad and almost killing face.

"Edi papatayin na lang kita niyan! Mukhang wala namang pakialam sa 'yo ang asawa mo!"

The truth is, that was the reality.

Okay lang siguro kung mamatay na ako ngayon? Sino ba namang magmamahal sa asawa kung kapamilya mo siya? Paano ko rin siya mamahalin kung tito ko siya?

Nakakadiri ang ganoon. Kaya siguro patago lang itong namamagitan sa amin. Wala sa tamang pag-iisip ang pamilya ko para itali ako sa lalaking kadugo ko! Dahil gahaman sila sa pera, yaman at kapangyarihan!

"I-I'll give you money..." I suddenly said.

"Sa tingin mo gagana sa akin 'yan?!" tumawa siya pagkatapos niyang sabihin iyon.

I looked at him and found myself seeing a strange mirror. We were both furious at the same person. The difference was that I hid it neatly behind a composed face, while he wore his rage like an open wound.

"Ransom lang ba ang gusto mo? Kaya kong ibigay 'yon sa 'yo. May galit ka ba kay Roxo? Puwede rin kitang tulungan kung gusto mo..."

Napangisi ako at tila hindi ako naiinis na parang masisiraan na siya ng bait. Dahil alam kong hindi para sa akin ang galit niya.

"Basta tulungan mo rin ako," sambit ko.

Unti-unting tumulo ang luha sa aking mata.

"I was mad at him. I think we're on the same page." my voice trembled with the idea. "I w-want him to be killed. By my own hands."