CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR: THE CHOICE SHE MADE PART 2Karmine’s Point of View“Bad ka! Ba’t mo itinulak ang Papa ko? Bad ka!”“Anak! Ryu, stop it! Shh!” Mabilis siyang inawat at niyakap ng ina. Nagpapasag at nagpupumiglas pa rin ang bata habang umiiyak at matalim ang tingin kay Howard.Napaiyak na lang ako sa kawalang-magawa.Napatakip ako sa bibig ko para pigilan ang munting hikbi na balak kumawala.At kagaya nga ng inaasahan ko ay ninakawan nga ni Howard ng buhay ang batang lalaki. Balewalang pinilipit niya ang leeg ng batang pilit na nagpupumiglas na makawala sa mahigpit niyang hawak. Ni hindi niya alintana ang pagluhod at pagmamakaawa ng ina ni Ryu para pakawalan niya ang bata.Ngayon ay iyak ng iyak ang ina nito habang hindi makapaniwalang kalong-kalong niya ang walang buhay na anak sa mga hita niya at nagmamakaawang buksan nito ang mga mata nito. Na hindi ito magandang biro.Napahawak ako sa dibdib kong sumisikip at nahihirapang huminga. Napatakip ako sa bibig kong nanginginig at nakaaw

CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE: THE PEOPLE SHE OWEDKarmine’s Point of ViewMas lalo ako’ng napaiyak pagkarinig ko sa pagkatok ni Howard sa pinto.Isa lang ang ibig-sabihin noon—naiinip na siya at gusto na niyang patayin ko sila kaagad. Pero ang mag-asawa ay nakangiti lamang sa akin. Para bang hindi sila natatakot sa kamatayan. Para bang payapa silang lilisan sa mundo. Kahit na walang kapayapaan sa gagawin ko sa kanila.“Mahal na mahal kita, Rio. Ikaw at si Ryu ang buhay ko. Hindi ko kahit kailan pinagsisihan na ikaw ang minahal ko, minamahal at mamahalin ko. Ikaw ang bukas at wakas ko, Rio. Ikaw at ikaw pa rin ang pipiliin ko. Mahal na mahal kita. Makakasama na ulit natin si Ryu. Hindi na niya kailangang mag-isa.”Pinanuod ko ng mabigat sa pagkatao ko at may luhang nanlalabo sa mga matako ang huling paalam ni Irma sa asawa habang matamang pinagmamasdan ang mukha ng kabiyak at marahang humahaplos ang mga daliri niya sa mukha nito.“Mahal na mahal na mahal din kita, Irma. Ikaw lang ang babaeng iib

CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX: THE HAPPINESS SHE CAN’T FIND PART 2Karmine’s Point of View“Come on! Please, don’t say that, Karmine! Please don’t give up yet! If you give up then whose going to help us? Whose going to save us from doom? You can’t give up, Karmine! What about us? What about your sisters? What about your family? What about the man you love?” I could see the panic and hysteria on his eyes because of what I just said. But what can I really do? Nothing! I can do nothing because I’d rather die than see the expressions and the judgment in my family’s eyes, especially my sisters’ and Robert’s eyes. I can’t afford for them to hate me, more so, fear me. It’s one thing that they’ve seen me killed people in their very own eyes without feeling guilt and remorse, but what more if they find out that it wasn’t the first time I stole someone else’s lives? God! Do You really intend to make me suffer? Don’t I really deserve to be happy? Don’t I deserve a happy ending? Why? Is it because I’

CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT: A DAUGHTER’S PAIN Karmine’s Point of View“A-Ate, Karine she... Oh my God! S-She’s in the hospital! She was hit and run by some driver! She was with Tita Agnes that...” Upon hearing that woman’s sinful and loathsome name my ears automatically closed and ceased to its function.Damn it!And damn that woman! I knew it was her damn fault why my sister is in the hospital now!Wala talaga siyang magandang maidudulot sa buhay ko—sa buhay namin ng kapatid ko!Humanda talaga siya sa akin kapag nakita ko siya. Kung kinakailangan kong kalbuhin siya ay gagawin ko!I hastily parked my car on the hospital’s entrance. Tinakbo ko ang distansiya mula sa entrance hanggang sa information desk.“Miss, ano’ng room si Karine Lopez?” hinihingal kong tanong.“Wait, Ma’am...” Impatiently, I watched her check something on her computer and when she’s done she looked up to me and smiled, “Presidential suite, room 305 on the third floor, Ma’am.”I just nodded my head at her before sprintin

CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE: A DAUGHTER’S FURYKarmine’s Point of ViewShe looks at me straight in the eyes with a glare that could sent me straight to hell, if and only if, it’s possible.“You shouldn’t invalidate what kind of abused I had gone through, Karmine. You have no idea what it felt like to be abused. Tingin mo ba ay masaya ang maabuso? Tingin mo ba nakakatuwa ang impyernong pinagdaanan ko? Hindi, Karmine! Hindi iyon masaya at mas lalong hindi iyon nakakatuwa! I was trapped in hell because of him! I suffered with his own hands!“He fucking raped me! He allowed his friends to touch me and use me! Hindi mo alam ang nangyari sa akin at ang mga masasakit na pinagdaanan ko because all you can see is just my mistakes! Oo iniwan ko kayo! Oo tinalikuran kita nang nagmakaawa ka sa akin at lumuhod sa harap ko! But do you have an idea how hard it is for a mother to turn her back to her own chi—”“Then you shouldn’t have turned your back at me! You should’ve chose me! You should’ve listened to m