I stepped away from her. What the hell is she pulling now? "You threatened my life from leaving the country! Kaya wala ako rito. Ni hindi ko nga nakausap o nakita si dad! How dare you accuse me!" I shouted. She is still smirking. I hate her guts. "Sorry, not sorry. I already talked to my people and this one's going to be pinned on you. Can't help it, policemen discovered that it was not suicide in an instant. Figured I have---" I walked down the stairs para malapitan siya and without knowing it, my hand came flying to her face. Ayan. Sorry, not sorry. My insides are burning from this tension. Dagdag pa yung heart ko that's racing non-stop. I can't believe this woman... "How dare you lay your hand--" She was about to slap me back nang may maid na lumapit. "Uhh... excuse me, ma'am. May police po sa baba. They need you raw po." Police? I looked at her. Now it's my turn to smile. She stopped her action and looked like she is sweating too much. "I'll go--" Nanlaki ang mga mata ko nang hilahin niya ako nung pababa na ako. "What the hell?!" Her touch... I can't! I kept on pushing her hand away from my wrist pero ayaw! No... that stomach-wrenching feeling again... "You're coming with me!" she screamed. Pero kahit ano pang sigaw niya ay wala akong lakas para magpaalon sa kilos niya. Isa pa, I can't understand her now. I don't even know if I can stop this pushing feeling sa stomach ko! Her touch reminds me of those days... NO... "I can't--blurghhh!" I can't hold it back anymore. It is everywhere... Agad kong naramdaman ang pagbitaw niya sa akin. "Ah! What have you done, you insolent child!" she screamed. I looked up at her. She is horrified... my puke is all over her dress. I couldn't care about that now... my whole world is spinning and--- "Ma'am!" Everything's black. "WHAT?! You can't do that!" "We have a warrant of arrest, ma'am. All the evidence points towards you." What is happening? Opening my eyes, a sharp pain goes through my head. "Ah! Gosh!" I hold my head with both of my hands. Ang sakit! "Ma'am, are you alright?" a maid entered and asked. Wait? Ano na naman bang nangyari? I looked around and... I felt something in my heart. That warm feeling... I'M IN MY ROOM! IN OUR HOUSE! "Ma'am, do you want to head down? There's--" Right! I'm in this house to talk to dad. But... "Okay." I said habang unti-unting tumatayo. Naglakad ako palabas ng room. I noticed that my clothes were changed. "The hell?!---amp!" I quickly put my hand on my mouth. I did that? Naglakad ako pababa sa grand staircase. Nanlaki ang mga mata ko sa nakita ko. My step mom being handcuffed by policemen. "Ikaw ay may karapatang manahimik o magsawalang kibo. Anuman ang iyong sasabihin ay maaring gamitin laban sa iyo sa anumang hukuman. Ikaw ay mayroon ding Karapatang kumuha ng tagapagtanggol na iyong pinili at kung wala kang kakayahan, ito ay ipagkakaloob sa iyo ng pamahalaan. Nauunawaan mo ba ito?" "I don't understand because I did nothing! I have my lawyer! Hey!" she screamed as she was dragged into the police car. Anong nangyari? "Hindi ako makapaniwalang nagawa niya yun kay Mr. Ty!" "Oi! Baka marinig ka ng anak niya!" "Wait, akala ko ba suicide?" Whispers inside the mansion are going around. What the hell...? She... she did it? So what now...? I felt weak. Napaupo ako sa floor ng bahay. "Maam! Okay ka lang po?" a maid rushed to me. "What happened... why? WHY?!" I screamed, hot tears flowing out of me. I can't believe this... why would she even do such thing?! Tumayo ako at tumakbo paakyat ulit ng grand staircase. I need to know... I need to understand what the hell just happened! Nang makarating ako sa harapan ng pintuan ng room niya, I can feel my whole body trembling. Why can't I see him from the other side of this door anymore...? I thought he'll be there? I opened the door, and looked around his office room. Nang mahagip ng mga mata ko ang desk niya, I suddenly saw myself there... Last time I saw him was before I flew to New York. I sat on his chair and looked around his desk. "I miss this... dad, why didn't you wait for me?" I murmured, not minding my tears that are falling on the desk. Dad... I thought I could take pictures with you... I thought you said it to me before. That we'll do it? "Ah... ma'am? Parang kailangan niyo pong makita yung news..." a maid said. I quickly stood up and walked out of his office. A sound can be heard from the big flatscreen downstairs. "Balitang balita, suicide case ng milyonaryong CEO ng Tranquility Combat Hospital, ay nakumpirmang murder case pala! Ang suspek ay arestado kaninang alastres ng hapon mula sa kanilang tahanan. Napagalaman na ang dahilan ng pagkamatay ay cyanide poisoning. Lahat ng nakuhang ebidensiya ay laban sa kaniyang asawa na si Amber Ty, na ang hinihinalang motibo ay dahil sa pera." Pera...? I doubt that's even the case! She was talking about something before... about an evidence na binigay daw sa akin ni dad na makakasira daw sa family namin... what is it...? "Subalit may nakuhang matibay na ebidensiya ang mga pulis na talagang makakapagpatibay na ang motibo sa likod ng pagpatay ay hindi pera. Nakuha ng pulisya ang isang video na kung saan naroon ang biktima." Video...? Nanlaki ang mga mata ko nang makita ko si dad sa tv. Sa video na nagappear sa tv. Nagstart ang video sa kaniya, habang nakaupo siya. Ang bata pa niya rito! Maybe mga 5 pa lang ako nito... "I did... something wrong. I let a lot of people die because of my selfish greed. Gusto kong magsorry sa pamilya ng lahat ng nadamay... Alam kong alam niyo kung sino - sino kayo. I just... I needed to do it kasi alam kong kailangan ng hospital nila dad yun." He stops for a moment to catch his breath. What is he talking about? "...VIPs ang inuna kong pagtuunan ng pansin... kasi sila ang alam kong makakapagbigay ng pera sa akin. Alam kong kinamumuhian na ako ng lahat... at alam kong ikasisira 'to ng hospital namin pero huwag niyo sanang idamay iyon. Itong pangyayaring 'to ay sa amin lang ng asawa ko. Si Amber Ty. " What... I don't understand this at all... pero may masamang pakiramdam akong nararamdaman. "Hindi niya gustong umamin pero ako, hindi ko nakayang itago. I know it happened just a year ago, and sorry, hindi lamang sa pamilya ng mga sundalong tinanggihan ko, kundi sa buong bansa rin. I failed to offer service for our soldiers who fought for the war they were deployed at. I'm sorry, I'm sorry... Noong mga nakaraang araw ay may mga threats na naman akong natanggap... huwag niyo sanang idamay ang anak ko rito... she doesn't know a thing about this..." he proceeds to cry loudly in front of the camera. I never saw him like this before... "Ang naturang video ay ipinakikita ang biktima na umamin sa ginawa niya sa sumikat na case na FALLEN SOLIDERS kung saan maraming mga sundalo ang namatay dahil hindi kaagad nabigyan ng karampatang tulong. Ang hospital nila ay isa sa pinakasikat na combat hospital kaya doon pumupunta ang mga nangangailangan. Ngunit sa kasamaang palad, mga kababayan, ito ang katotohanan sa likod ng pangyayaring iyon. Napagalaman ding may mga banta ring natatanggap ang biktima kamakailan lang ulit ayon sa mga pulisya na hiningan niya ng tulong." Nagpatuloy pang magsalita ang reporter but I can't understand his words now. So is this it? The evidence those men and that woman were looking for? Ito rin ba ang dahilan kung bakit gusto niya akong magstay out of the country? Pero... dapat sinabi niya na lang! I know what he did was wrong... pero pwede namang-- wait. Parang narinig ko na yung story na yun before? Yung mga sundalo na hindi kaagad binigyan ng tulong nang dahil inuna yung VIPs? I think... narinig ko na? Don't tell me... "I was waiting, silently at the hospital. I'm holding him in my arms, but no one seems to notice us. Tapos nakita ko yung iba na pinapansin kahit kami naman nauna... my father got it worse." It's his story... "With his comrades... I saw everything. How powerless one can be. Basta, those guys want to get revenge for it." Comrades... His father was a soldier then? Halos magkasing edad lang kami so possible... and parehas din ng cause... Is this what he told me before? That we're connected? Kailan pa niya alam? So... my family is the one who's causing him all the pain after all this time? Yet... I didn't trust him... when it should be him. I'm the daughter of those who let his father... and the others die. But why did he agree on helping my dad when he said it's not only the money? What's the other reason, ha Marcus? Bakit mo pa rin ako tinutulungan after all these?