Chapter 6: The Dark Side of Him

CASS

I was about to stand and leave when I heard a very loud thud on the table that caught my attention. Nakita kong nakatayo na si Chad habang nakapatong sa ibabaw ng lamesa ang dalawang kamao at igting-ang bagang nakatingin sa akin.

“Chad, my son—”

“What’s your problem, Cassidy?”

For the very first time, I was yelled like a criminal being confronted by a brutal policeman. Chadler was breathing heavily as his shoulders move up and down in a fast pace. He was already scary when calm but way worse when mad.

“Again Cass, what’s wrong with you?”

“Enough Chad! I won’t allow you yelling my daughter in front of me!”

Napatayo na rin si mommy-bear habang dinuduro si Chad to defend me like what mothers really do. I am completely scared and terrified.

“I can’t believe this!” He even shook his head in disbelief before violently pushing his chair backwards and stormed out of the dining room.

“I’m sorry about my son’s attitude. Even I didn’t see it coming. I’m so sorry, Cass sweetie.” Tita Devin is also in the state of shock while Tito-papa stood up and followed Chad. Everything was going pretty well at first, but I never thought it will come to this.

“I should be the one saying sorry Tito, Tita. I really can’t marry Chad. I just, I just don’t like him. I want to marry someone for love. Not for any other reason.”

“Psst! Cass! You’re spacing out!”

Napatingala ako bigla kay Trixy na ngayon ay tinititigan ako nang mabuti. Imbes na kumibo ay yumuko na lang ako sa arm chair at pumikit nang mariin.

Hindi ko malimutan ang gulong nangyari kagabi. Kung alam ko lang na iyon pala ang balak nilang ianunsyo, I would’ve called it off before we came on to this point. Kahit sino ay hindi gugustuhing makasal sa taong hindi n’ya naman talaga mahal. I know that what I did last night was right.

“What’s your problem besh? Alam mo, kanina ka pang umaga ganyan.” Pangungulit ni Trixy habang marahan na pinapalo ang braso ko ngunit nanatili lang akong tahimik.

I felt terrible. May mukha pa kaya akong maihaharap kina Tita? Matutulungan pa kaya ako ni Chad sa research ko? Bwisit na buhay to!

“Hey Cass! It’s Zeke!”

Agad kong inangat ang aking ulo at nakita si Zeke na mabagal at diretsong naglalakad sa labas ng classroom. Dali-dali akong tumayo mula sa upuan at kumaripas palabas para maabutan siya.

“Zeke!” I called him out but he just continued walking so I started running towards him while still calling out his name. “Zeke, wait please!” Nang matapat na ako sa kaniya ay agad kong hinila ang kaniyang braso para paharapin ito sa akin.

“Don’t touch me!” bulyaw niya bago marahas na inalis ang kamay ko sa kaniya at matalim akong tinitigan.

“I just want you to answer me, okay? It’s important,” pagmamakaawa ko kahit pa diring-diri itong nakatitig sa akin. Thankfully, he stayed and waited for what I’m about to say.

“Do you know anything about Tita Devin and Mommy-bear’s plan?” Nanginginig kong tanong habang pinananalangin na sana ay hindi niya alam. And also hoping he’ll get a little jealous even I know it’s impossible.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, and I don’t care.” Malamig nitong sagot bago ako agad na tinalikuran.

Nabunutan ako ng malaking tinik pagkatapos niyang kumpirmahin na wala nga siyang alam, ngunit matalim na punyal naman ang pumalit at tumarak sa dibdib ko nang sinabi niyang wala siyang pakialam.

I grabbed his arm again because I was about to tell him about the news pero bago pa makapag-salita ay biglang may humila rin sa kanya palayo sa akin at walang sabi-sabing sinuntok siya sa mukha. It was very fast that I didn’t even saw the man who did it and hurriedly went to Zeke to check on him.

“Zeke!”

“So, he’s the reason why you don’t want to marry me?”

Umalingawngaw ang nagngangalit na boses ni Chad sa buong eskuwelahan ngunit nakatutok lamang ako kay Zeke para tingnan kung ano ang masakit dito liban sa panga niyang namamaga.

“This guy is the reason isn’t he?”

Napalingon na ako kay Chad dahil masyado nang malakas ang boses nito kaya’t Nagsilabasan na ang mga estudyante sa kanya-kanyang classroom para makiusyoso sa amin.

Naging agaw pansin ang pag-iiskandalo ni Chad kaya’t pinagpipiyestahan kami ngayon. Bago pa ako makasagot ay agad na tumayo si Zeke at agad ring gumanti ng isang malakas na suntok.

“Who the hell do you think you are to punch me you fucking bastard?” Zeke also yelled back at his brother even though he almost lost his balance as he tried to stand. He fixed himself and then he wiped the blood on his lip but before he could ever step to give another punch, I already went in the middle.

“Tama na!” sigaw ko pero imbes na tumigil ay bigla na lang akong hinila ni Chad palapit sa kanya bago muling sinuntok si Zeke sa tiyan. Nang madapa na ang kapatid niya sa sahig ay binuhat n’ya naman ako na parang sako ng bigas.

“Zeke! Ibaba mo ako, Chad!”

I watched Zeke groaning in pain on the cold floor while holding his abdomen kaya’t naawa ako. Nagpumiglas ako mula kay Chad pero masyado itong malakas at lalo lang humigpit ang pagkakahawak sa akin.

“I’ll make you mine ,Cassidy!” Galit nitong bulalas sa akin bago hinampas ang pang-upo ko which made me scream. He was being violent!

“Cassidy!” I saw Trixy walking out of the room then when she turned her head to me, she got stopped and she knows she can’t do anything about this.

He brought me in an old bodega house outside the school building which was a bit dark and a messy place to stay in. It even got scarier when I completely saw the eerie setting of the place. Broken chairs are everywhere and rotting trash are splattered on the dirty floor. The foul smell of the place even made it worse and Chad’s scary aura could kill me any second.

“Chad! Let me go—ahh!” I haven’t finished my words yet but he already pinned me in the wall harshly, making my back hit the hard wall aggressively.

“Tell me you’ll marry me!” He yelled at my face as he tried to threaten me with his dagger eyes and his painful grip. My teary eyes stared at him to beg for mercy but it didn’t work.

“No.” I tried to speak in a tone that I wouldn’t sound mad to avoid pouring fuel on the fire. I thought I could tame him but before I knew it, he crashed his lips onto mine and he tried to deepen his kiss violently before moving away again.

“Now marry me Cassidy!”

“How many times do I have to say no? I will never marry you!” I already lost my temper because I felt disgusted with what he did. This is already harassment and this shouldn’t be tolerated anymore!

“Is it because of Zeke?” My confidence faded when he mentioned his brother’s name. Wala akong ibang nagawa kundi ang yumuko at umiyak sa harap nya.

“I love your brother Chad.” I said between my sobs then I covered my face. I couldn’t help but to be vulnerable and just give it up for there was no point in denying it.

“He’s not my brother.” He said coldly while still locking me up to a corner and maintaining his anger. I removed my hand to face him and try to talk him down.

“Just because I like him, doesn’t mean you can disown—”

“He is not my brother!”

I thought it was because of his anger that’s why he said that but I could see in his eyes that he was talking about something. Something that serious.

“W-what do you mean?”

“He’s a bastard Cassidy! You can never gain anything from him! Why do you even want that guy?”

Now everything started to make sense. From Tita Devin’s treatment to Zeke up to the times where his family always teased me to him Everything was like a piece of puzzle completing a huge picture I didn’t see before.

“He’s just my father’s child to another woman Cassidy! Between the two of us, I am a true Trevoir! The one who will have everything from my family’s wealth!”

Now I understand why Zeke always leave their house and stays in his own condo unit every weekends. Now I understand why everyone appreciates Chad and ignores Zeke’s hard work. It was not favoritism. It is something I have never even thought of.

But one thing is for sure, my heart will never change its feelings. I love him whether he’s a bastard or not.

“Do you think loving him would do you good? Do you even know what would Mom say to him? Do you think my family would allow you to be with that bastard? No! You are betrothed to me!”

After all the realizations, I finally looked up to Chad and with all the hopes I’m still holding onto and all the love I have to my angel, I spoke.

“I will only want him and I will never ever marry you.” I firmly said with my head held high and gained strength from the love I had always been gripping to have the courage of pursuing Zeke. I have to be tough for him.

“Really Cassidy? Well let me tell you this, you will never get any benefit if you get to be with him. Besides, it doesn’t have any benefit at all.” An evil smile crept on his face while he looked at me deeply, “your family will hate you forever and Zeke will be kicked out of our house. He would only hate you even more. He hates you already, doesn’t he? He never even liked you so, why would you force yourself with someone who don’t like you?”

I started reminiscing everything I did for him. Every sacrifice, craziness, stupidity and all the rule-breaking efforts I did for him. All of those were not appreciated and ignored by him. I received a lot of turn downs and shaming from him. Lahat na ata ng mga salitang masakit ay nasabi na n’ya for me to stop but, I did not backed down. Even it’s really too much that sometimes, I even cry at night, I never cared at all.

About him though, at least still owned a part of his family’s property. He still had a comfortable home. His parents still support his education and they still supply his meals three times a day. He had everything even though the treatment of his family is sadistic. If I cross the line and neglected what his family wanted and I told them it’s because of Zeke, everything he have would be gone. My family will hate me and since he was hated already, they will make his life miserable and God knows I don’t want that.

“Because I’m not loving him for him to love me back. I’m loving him freely.” Halos pumiyok na ako sa pagsabi ng mga katagang iyon dahil nagpipigil akong manghina.

I want Chad to see that I am devoted to Zeke. I still want Chad to see that I didn’t mind all of his threats which was a total success since he now looked so disappointed. His eyes were filled with pain as he laughed bitterly.

“I will never give up on you, Cassidy. I will do the same thing that you do to Zeke.”

In that very moment, I felt something in my heart changed. The pain I felt a while ago was now unbearable because I realized I have to do something that is very hard to do than loving Zeke. I think now is the right time to finally set my love free.

TRIXY

“Besh, I’m sorry.”

Nang makabalik si besh ay halos lumukso ang puso ko sa tuwa at tila ba ay may natanggal na malaking tinik sa dibdib ko. Pero agad rin naman akong nag-alala dahil namumugto ang mga mata n’ya at bumalik siya sa klase na bagsak ang balikat at nagpipigil humagulhol.

Niyakap n’ya nga ako agad nang magkasalubong kami saka siya nagsimulang mag-kuwento tungkol sa pangyayari kanina. Now, I don’t know kung bakit s’ya humihingi ng tawad sa akin.

“Sorry saan Besh?”

“Sorry kasi hindi ako nakikinig sa mga payo mo.”

Wala naman akong ibang sinasabi sa kanya kundi ang layuan niya si Zeke. He caused her a lot of pain that is too much for her to bare. Masyado itong nabaliw sa lalaking hindi naman sya kahit kailan tinapunan ng atensyon.

“Titigilan ko na si Zeke.”

My eyes widened at her sudden decision but at last, I felt relief when she finally said those words. I know it was not the right time to feel happy but I have been waiting for her to say it. I have been waiting for this day that she will finally realize how freaking wrong it is to fall for a total jerk.

“Ayoko nang pahirapan ang sarili ko Trixy. Ayoko na rin s’yang pahirapan. Ayokong ako ang maging rason ng pagkabagsak nya. Mahal ko sya ng sobra Trixy. Pero kung pagmamahal ko ang magpapahirap sa kanya, siguro ay mas tamang tumigil na ako. It’s for his own good.”

Well I thought she was going to stay away from him for her own good. Turns out, ang lalaking ‘yon pa rin ang rason hanggang ngayon. Now I really think she’ll never change even pigs could already fly.

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