"Hit," sambit ng player sa akin na mukhang kanina pa naghihintay. Bakas ang pagkayamot sa kaniyang mukha. "Sabi ko hit! Ano ba? Hindi ka ba nakikinig? Anong klaseng dealer ka?" sigaw niya sa akin. "Kagaganiyan mo, natatalo ako! Ayusin mo 'yong trabaho mo, tang ina!"
"I apologize, sir," saad ko. Nilapitan ako ng isang dealer na matagal ko na ring nakikita dito noon."Ako nang bahala dito. Kanina pa tumutunog ang phone mo sa dressing room, puntahan mo muna. Mukhang emergency."Kumunot ang noo ko. "Emergency?""I don't know. I was so annoyed by it so I checked. You got a lot of missed calls from Professor. Are you still a student?"Napatayo ako sa upuan ko at hindi ko na siya nasagot pa dahil nagmadali na akong pumunta sa dressing room kung nasaan ang gamit ko. Oh, fuck! I forgot to tell him that I would not be coming home tonight. Shit.Agad kong kinuha ang phone ko at nagulat ako sa fourth-six missed calls. Since when did he staMas lalo lang akong napaluha nang mapagtantong nasa reyalidad ako. Kahit anong pilit kong mulat ay ito't ito pa rin ang nakikita ko maging ang sakit na nararamdaman ko. Kung hindi lang sana ako pumunta roon sa casino, hindi niya ako pupuntahan para sunduin."Ismael...please naman..." Nanginginig ang mga labi ko habang paulit-ulit na binibigkas ang pangalan niya kasabay ng pananalangin na sana sa bawat pagbanggit ko ay makahatak iyon ng kapangyarihang maligtas siya. God, please. Don't do this to me."So, you're awake now." Napalingon ako sa nagsalita. Nakita ko si Mr. Vargas na nasa gilid ng kama kung nasaan ako, nakatayo habang pinagmamasdan ako. I suddenly remembered the handkerchief that covered my mouth. He was the one who made me inhale a chemical that knocked me out. "Nagustuhan mo ba ang pa-welcome ko sa 'yo?"Nakakunot ang mga noo ko habang nakatingin sa kaniya. Tama ang mga narinig ko kanina, may kakaiba nga sa kaniya. Parang hindi si Mr. Vargas an
He held my chin tightly. "That's why you seemed to forget about that ring we stole from you. Bakit ba hindi ka marunong makisabay sa plano? We made an effort to steal that para ikaw mismo ang lumapit sa akin and yet because you have a new one, you discard our chance. Masyado kang oportunista, tama si Roxsielle. You're giving your body to that man in exchange for money.""Hindi 'yan totoo! Hindi ako kailanman humingi ng pera kay Ismael!"Ngumisi siya bago marahas na binitiwan ang baba ko. "Sabagay, you are the one who's being used by him, at mukhang napagtatagumpayan niya na ang plano niya. You even said yes to him. Hindi nasayang ang pagpunta niyo sa Europe."Kumunot ang noo ko. "W-what do you mean?" natitinag kong tanong sa kaniya. How did he know that we were in Europe?"You still don't get it? Professor Mondalla is just using you and playing with you. Una palang ay ikaw na ang target niya—a woman who has nothing, who has no family either, no su
"I don't believe you. Hindi magagawa 'yan ni Ismael. Mahal niya 'ko," matigas kong litanya sa kaniya at pilit na kinukumbinsi rin ang sarili.What remains on me is hiccups between my sobs. How am I supposed to react to something like this? This is more of a nightmare than what I witnessed earlier.I don't want to believe this. This is not true.Muling tumawa si Raviel. Itinapat niya ang phone niya sa kamay ko. Narinig ko ang shutter sound ng camera, bago niya ipinakita sa akin ang litrato ng kamay ko na suot ang singsing na ibinigay sa akin ni Ismael. "I'll send it to him and let's see if he's gonna come for you."He's definitely going to come for me. Ismael will explain everything to me. I trust him."Now while we are waiting for him, why not give me the love you wasted for that man?"Dumapo ang mga mata ko kay Raviel na ngayo'y nasa tabi ko. He held my cheeks and wiped those tears from my eyes. He leans closer while looking at
"You're tightness gripping my dick is insatiable. Why not suck me?"Patuloy lang tumutulo ang mga luha ko habang nananalanging may magligtas sa akin sa sitwasyon na ito, pero paano? May tao pa bang nagpapahalaga sa akin para tulungan ako?Ever since I opened my eyes in this world, nothing has gone my way. Even my family despised me and wanted me to die. They cursed me. The one who I once believed who loves me, betrayed me; and now that I fell in love again, taught that it was fun to live, used and fooled me.Dumapa sa tabi ko si Raviel habang suot ang ngiting dumudurog sa pagkatao ko. My heart is full of hatred and disgust. Nakatitig lang ako sa mukha niyang mahimbing na natutulog na sa isip ko ay ilang beses ko na siyang pinatay. Nagdilim ang paningin ko."What the f-fuck, Jothea?!" Nakita ko na lang ang sarili kong nasa ibabaw ni Raviel at sinasakal siya. Dahil sa gulat ay hindi kaagad siya nakagalaw."I'm going to kill you!" sigaw ko b
ISMAEL'S P.O.V.The moment we landed back in the Philippines, my anxiety hit its peak. If I could just have the ability to turn back time or make it stop for a moment, I would, just to be with the woman I love longer. A week is never enough, not even a lifetime.We went back to our penthouse and I couldn't stop glancing at her, especially at her hand. She's now wearing the diamond ring I gave her. That makes me calm for a moment.Jothea decided to have a shut-eye. I grabbed that opportunity to call Mr. Tory to ask for some updates about the case we are working on and also tell him everything I heard from Jothea and Savannah yesterday, including my suspicions."Yes, Sir? Have you landed safely back in the country?" Mr. Tory greeted me when he answered my call. I am currently outside walking to the second floor so Jothea won't hear our conversations."Yes, I did. How is our search going?""It is confirmed. There's a tracker planted on Miss Alvandra's phone."I exhaled. I was right. That
"But according to the residents, your grandpa, the mayor, premeditated the arson; therefore, it wasn't an accident or gas leakage. At the time, an election was coming up, and he ordered his men to ignite a fire in a section of Laranez to show people how he gives his helpful hand in the hopes of rallying voters to vote for him again and keep him in office."My grandfather faked a fire to aim sympathy.I held my head in frustration. Now, I can see where Raviel was coming from. His family was found dead in that fake fire and he was vexing his grudge against me for the injustice they faced. However, it doesn't give him carte blanche to treat Jothea however he pleases. He should spare Jothea from this.The abrupt notification of my phone caught our attention, and when I checked what caused it, I saw a familiar, unknown number on the screen. I clenched my jaw when I saw the picture sent to me; it was the promise ring I had given Jothea.I stood up to call the unknown number. I was right. It
I walked to my closet, slid my hand underneath the drawers, and retrieved the pistol I had stashed away for a long time. I never had the chance to use it since I am not the kind of human being who uses violence, but now I don't think everything can get through with a good conversation. This will not be settled unless someone pays for it. I drove to the casino while calling Jothea over and over again. She really knows how to drive me crazy and instill anxiety and fear in me. The night is growing darker and yet she's nowhere to be found. Where is that woman for Pete's sake? "Love?" I almost bumped into the car in front of me when she answered. "Oh, God! Thank you for answering! I thought something had happened to you. Where exactly are you at?" "Ha? Uhmm...sa casino." Her words halted me. "Casino? You mean Golden Red Casino? What are you doing there?" "Just—" "Get out of that place," I begged. "Ha? But why? I'm still—" "Just listen to me, Jothea. Do it now!" In a fla
Binuksan ko ang mga mata ko sa pag-aakalang puting liwanag na ang sasalubong sa akin, pero hindi. Kadiliman ang nakikita ko sa paligid. Am I in hell?But when the light struck my eyes, agad kong nakitang nasa kotse ako. Nasa back seat habang minamaneho ng isang lalaki ang sasakyan kung nasaan ako."Jothea! You're awake! Thank God!"Napalunok ako nang makita ko si Ismael. Agad na bumalik sa akin lahat ng alaala ko."When I shouldn't. Stop the car. I'm leaving," saad ko pero hindi niya pinakinggan. "I said stop the car!"Hindi pa rin siya nakinig at nagpatuloy lang sa pagmamaneho."Utang na loob! Ano ba sa mga sinabi ko ang hindi mo maintindihan? Ihinto mo ang kotse at bababa ako!" bulyaw ko na puno ng galit. Bukod sa napurnada ang pagkamatay ko, ngayong nakikita ko siya sa harap ko, isang patunay lang 'yon na siya ang nagligtas sa akin. "I said pull over!""No! I won't listen to you! So shout what you want! Scream! I don't fucking care! No one's going to leave this car!"Nagngitngit an