Chapter 67

Aviena’s POV

“I will, Wife… I willl…” mahinang saad niya na niyakap pa akong muli sa pangalawang pagkakataon. Mas lalo lang akong napahagulgol ng iyak because this is the first time I ask for help. I always feel like everything is just my burden to carry but right… how can I fucking forget that I have River? I have River, to begin with.

“I’m sorry…” Mas lalo lang lumakas ang hagulgol ko nang sambitin ‘yon.

“I’m sorry for not thinking about what you feel at all. I’m sorry for being scared… I… just don’t want my daughter to live her life being scared of the world. I’m scared that she’ll kill her… I’m scared of all the decisions Ate will do…” mahinang saad ko.

“When did everything start?” kalmado niyang saad nang kumalma ma ako. Natulala naman ako roon. Hinawakan ni River ang kamay ko.

“You don’t have to tell me now if you’re not fine, love… I’m sorry for asking a question. You may take your time…” bulong niya bago ako hinalikan sa noo. Ngumiti naman ako sa kaniya at umiling.

“6 years ago… When I came back home, I realize I was pregnant and Ate was already trying her best to get your attention. She wanted for me to give you… I said that time that I was pregnant… I thought she’ll stop but…” Naramdaman ko ang panginginig ng aking tinig doon. “But... she wanted to kill her… I… I almost lost our Camillia…”

Akala ko’y wala na akong iluluha pa subalit napahagulgol na lang ako lalo ng iyak. I can’t even see River’s expression now.

“And I’m fucking nowhere to be found… You experience all of that but I fucking didn’t know anything…” he was mad but he looks like he was mad at himself. I just hold his hands before shaking my head.

“It’s my fault that I tried to hide it from you… I already know that I have Camillia but I still keep on doing things that will hurt her. That I didn’t even tell you that…” ani ko na umiiling sa kaniya.

“It’s my fault that even if I received death threats from Ate, I still try my best not to show it to you… She’s still my sister… and I care for her so much… Na kahit gawan niya ako nang masama, pakiramdam ko’y patatawarin ko pa rin… But ut’s different now, River… I don’t want her to even go near my daughter… I can’t afford her to hurt our daughter first before I do something,” sambit ko.

“I’m sorry for leaving you behind without even telling you what’s really happening…”

“I won’t say that it’s fine, Aviena… I won’t say that it’s all fine… Don’t ever think that this is just your problem… Camillia is are daughter… and you’re my wife… Even when Camillia’s not born into this world yet, we’re already one… We’re already family… And your burden is also mine to carry… We’re husband and wife, to begin with…” saad niya sa akin. I was more guilty about my decisions because of what he said. Napapikit na lang din ako roon.

“But you don’t have to feel guilty about those decisions back then… We’re going to protect our daughter together, Love… We will decide together this time… We’ll do those things we regret from the past…” bulong niya sa akin kaya napatango ako sa kaniya.

With that heart-to-heart talk we had, I realize that I was too selfish. I always knew that I just always decide things without even informing those people that were important to me, starting with my family. When I got fake married and even got pregnant with a threat… It’s not that I don’t trust them but I just don’t want them to be involved with the burden that I’ll carry.

And sometimes it’s not right at all. I didn’t realize that I’m already locking my doors.

“You should eat now… What do you want to eat?” tanong niya sa akin.

“Hmm, I’m fine… I heard you talking earlier… Can you tell me about the information you gathered? Where’s Ate now?” tanong ko sa kaniya.

“We’ll talk about that later. What you need to do for now is to eat… Want me to buy you food?” tanong niya kahit na ang dami naman ng pagkain sa lamesa. Akala mo rin pista sa sobrang dami niyon.

“Fine, I’ll just eat some porridge,” ani ko dahil wala rin akong ganang kumain.

“I can perfectly hear if you have some information to share,” sambit ko pa.

“Later…” he said but it seems like he doesn’t have a plan to tell me.

“I thought we’ll solve this together? Why don’t you just tell it to me now?” seryoso kong tanong habang tinititigan siya ngayon. Napabuntonghininga na lang din siya sa akin.

“I’ll tell it later when you’re completely fine… Just rest for a while… Here… Eat,” sambit niya at sinubukan pa akong subuan. Tila wala rin siyang balak na sabihin hanggang hindi pa ako kumakain. Wala rin akong nagawa roon.

“I can complely use my hands you know,” seryoso kong sambit sa kaniya na pinakita pa ang kamay ko.

“I know… just let me take care of you now…” saad niya na sinubuan ulit ako. Wala akong nagawa kung hindi ang tanggapin na lang ‘yon. Natahimik naman kaming dalawa ni River habang kumakain ako. Pareho ring nakatulala lang. Siya sa akin. While I was just thinking about things. Lalo na ang tungkol kay Ate. She’s very different… I wonder what happened.

“Did you tell my family about this?” tanong ko sa kaniya. Umiling siya roon.

“Not yet but don’t worry, I already put some security around your house. They’re mostly looks like civillian,” aniya sa akin kaya agad akong napatango. I didn’t think about it at all dahil pakiramdam ko rin ligtas sila roon. They are not just my family. They are actually my sister family too kaya hindi ko rin talaga maiintindihan kung sakaling gawan ni Ate nang masama ang pamilya niya although she already did it to us, her niece.

“Thank you…” mahina kong saad dahil it seems like River already did things while I was asleep.

“There’s no need for that,” saad niya na nailing na lang sa akin.

After a while ay nagpahinga na rin ako. River was so busy talking to his guards and most of the time he was busy on his laptop. I can’t do anything right now dahil alam kong gusto niya muna akong magpahinga. He saw me at that state earlier.

Kinabukasan, I was completely fine at gusto ko na rin talagang makipag-usap kay River.

“What now?” tanong ko sa kaniya.

“Don’t you dare tell me that you want to rest again. I didn’t ask yesterday,” seryoso kong sambit sa kaniya kaya agad siyang napabuntonghininga. Alam din talagang magmamatigas ako.

“Fine…” Napanguso pa siya at walang nagawa. May tinawag siya mula sa labas kaya ibinigay niya sa akin ang isang portfolio. Nahinto ako roon bago siya nilingon.

“Your sister is part of big syndicate. She was one of the whore of one of their minor boss. Codename J,” aniya kaya napaawang ang labi ko. Pinakita niya pa ang isang lalaki. Hindi ko maiwasan ang mapatikhim doon.

“People can’t track them at all. It’s a worldwide syndicate and they’re protecting your sister as of now,” he said so I just can’t help but be shocked by the information he was saying to me. A worldwide syndicate? Why would my sister even join that? I can’t help but think about different things while I was looking at River now.

“What do you mean Whore? What? Syndicate? Why would she even join something like that! My sister will never do that! Baka nagkamali lang kayo nang imbestigasiyon! Ate will never do that,” hindi ko mapigilang sambitin. Napailing pa ako dahil hindi pa rin makapaniwala sa mga impormasiyon na narinig mula kay River.

“Are you sure you’re really fine?” tanong niya sa akin na hinawakan pa ako sa palapulsuhan.

“That will be the only information I’ll share to you for now,” saad niya bago inalis ang pagkakahawak niya sa akin. Ako naman ang humawak sa kaniya dahil do’n.

“What? Tell me all things you know about my sister,” seryoso kong sambit. Tinitigan niya lang ako bago inalis ang pagkakahawak ko sa kaniya.

“You don’t have to force yourself. You’re not completely okay… I’ll tell you about it later,” aniya sa akin. Tila he doesn’t really want to say things to me now. Tinitigan ko lang siya. He was so serious when he said that.

“You won’t be able to take it,” mahinang saad niya na umiling pa sa akin. I just hold his hands.

“Tell me about it, please…” I want to know. I don’t think I can sleep if they won’t tell me about anything. Napabuntonghininga siya roon. Naupo ulit siya sa tabi ko bago ako pinagmasdan.

“Your sister was abused by the syndicate… she was also tortured and got raped…” he said kaya nahinto lang ako. I can’t even open my mouth to say anything. River was just looking at me while holding my hands.

Para akong masusuka sa ideyang naranasan din ni Ate ang pang-aabusong nangyari sa akin noon at parang bumabaliktad ang sikmura ko sa ideyang mas malala pa ang natamasa niya roon. She was raped… Damn… Ramdam mo ang panghihina ko sa rebelasiyong sinabi ni River. Hindi ko rin mapigilan ang pagtulo ng luha mula sa aking mga mata. I was so mad… with everything… I was mad at her but I can’t hide the fact that I care about her… That I don’t want her to experience things like that. Hindi ko mapigilan ang paninikip ng dibdib dahil hindi ko man lang alam na may pinagdadaanan siyang ganoon. How did everything happened? Paanong nangyari ‘yon? Why… why did she experience that?

Hindi ko na rin namalayan na kinain na ako nang dilim sa dami nang iniisip.

Nang imulat ko ang aking mga mata, River was so worried while looking at me.

“How do you feel?” tanong niya sa akin habang nagtataka. Hindi ko mapigilan ang mapakagat sa aking mga labi roon. Napapikit na lang din ako habang inaalala ang lahat nang napag-usapan namin kanina.

“I’m fine…” ani ko. He didn’t say anything. Nanatili lang ang mga mata niya sa akin.

“Do you know Ate’s location know?” tanong niya sa akin.

“We already got her location but it has a tightened security. We’re planning to get her tonight,” he said.

“I also want that Z guy to rot in hell,” hindi ko mapigilang sambitin.

“We will do that, Aviena,” aniya sa akin kaya napatango ako.

That night, River is also gone. Balak sugurin ang building kung nasaan si Ate. Gustong-gusto kong magtungo roon but I can’t. Alam kong hindi pupuwede dahil paniguradong isa lang din ako sa magiging pabigat kung sakali ngang magkagulo. I just can’t help but to walk back and forth in the hospital. Hindi ko rin magagawang lumabas dahil naroon ang ilang body guard ni River. I know that he’ll just get worried if I did something unusual. Napapikit na lang din ako dahil hindi mapakali. I don’t want those people who did that to Ate live in peace.

Nakatayo lang ako sa tapat nang bintana nang mapatingin sa folder na bagong bigay ng isang guard kay River. He tried to lock it in the locker here. Hindi na rin naman kasi siya umuuwi.

Nilingon ko ‘yon bago sinubukang hulaan ang password. Nagawa kong hulaan dahil pinagmamasdan ko siya kanina.

Agad kong kinuha ang panibagong folder. Nahinto lang ako nang makita na si Ate ‘yon habang pabalik-balik sa building kung saan sumugod sina River ngayon. Iba’t ibang lalaki ang kasama sa bawat araw na pumapasok sa loob but when she came out, laging gulo-gulo ang buhok and she have different vibes when she entered the place.

I was about to look at it more when I immediately stop at the last page. Tuluyan ko nang nailaglag ‘yon nang makita ang ilang litrato roon. It was Ate’s body… With a lot of bruise… And a lot of things that you supposedly not to see. Napaawang lang ang labi ko roon bago tuluyang napaluha. She’s… She’s more broken than I am…

“What now, Aviena? Enjoying looking at my photos, huh?”