Chapter 3

"What? Dad, you're not allowed to control me. I'm not a robot," agad kong sabi kay dad.

Nag salubong ang dalawang kilay niya, bago tumikhim at nilingon ang bisita, "I'm sorry about my daughter, she's just a stubborn kid."

My blood immediately boiled because of dad. Me, stubborn? Stubborn na pala ngayon ang mag salita ng opinion mo? What? Because us teenagers doesn't have the right to talk back to adult people because we will be called, "disgraceful"? Fuck toxic Filipino culture.

Mr. Chua just laughed, "It's okay, I understand, but I hope you will convince your daughter to---"

I cut him off, "Excuse me sir? We're living in a democratic country wherein young and adult people have the right to say their opinion, so you don't have the right to decide for me because I have my own brain. Plus, you're not allowed to control me because I'm not a robot."

Sa sinabi kong iyon, all of them here in the dining table looked at me in disbelief. Nakakunot na ngayon ang noo ni dad, at halatang nag pipigil lang dahil may bisita.

"Lyric Chelsy, shut up, I'm not asking for your opinion about this," dad said while he was looking at me sharply.

I cleared my throat, "I assume I have the right to say what's MY opinion about this, because this is my life we're talking about, not yours," sabi ko habang pinipigilan kong ngumisi.

"What an unrgrateful child," I heard my sister said kaya nabaling sa kanya ang atensyon ko.

"Ungrateful your ass," I whispered to myself. I raised an eyebrow on her, "Maybe you're talking to yourself," this time napangisi na ako sa kanya.

Agad siyang nairita sa akin kaya umalis siya dito sa dining area. Tita was about to follow her, but she just remained seated.

"I assume the arrangement will be finished by tomorrow?"

Napabaling ang tingin ko kanila dad nang mag salita si Mr. Chua, "Yes, of course," dad said without even looking at me.

Ngumiti si Mr. Chua, "Well, my task here is finished," with that ay tumayo siya at nakipag kamayan kay dad, "Update me if their will be changes, but you know me partner, I don't like that."

"Mason, say goodbye to your future fiancé," Mr. Chua said at agad na sumunod si Mason.

Mason was about to kiss me on my cheeks when I stepped backward, "You may now leave. The door is open," with that ay lumabas ako ng dining area at umakyat sa kwarto ko.

Padapa akong nahiga sa kama ko at kinalikot ang phone sa bedside table. I was supposed to check on my social media accounts, when I saw Basti's name on my phone. Calling me. Kagabi kasi, we exchanged our numbers, so we have this communication again.

"Ano kailangan mo?"

[Bakit ganyan boses mo? May nangyari ba?]

I sighed before seating down on my bed, my back was leaned on the headboard of this bed, "Nothing. I just feel like I don't have any freedom anymore."

[Huh? Bakit, ano nangyari?]

I sighed again, while I'm playing with my hands, "Mason wants to marry me, and dad allowed it."

[Gago?! Yung lalaking nakaaway ko?]

I nodded my head, even if he will not see it, "Yup. That bastard."

[Ano plano mo? Knowing you, hindi ka basta-basta papayag diyan.]

"Pwede mag rebelde nalang? I hate my dad," I said while I'm looking at the window here in my room.

Suddenly, my gaze went down to the picture frame on my bedside table. Picture namin iyon ni mom when I celebrated my 6th birthday. Iyon ang huling kita ko sa kanya, because after that, I didn't had a chance to see her. Ang alam ko lang, she's now with her first family.

Yes, first family. Kami ni dad, ay second family nalang. My family is a messed. Second family kami ni mom, kahit hindi naman sila kasal, because I was just a mistake. Nabuo lang ako dahil sa isang one night stand.

And when mom left the country to go back to her original family, doon ko nalaman na may pamilya din palang nauna si dad. In short, anak ako sa labas. Resulta ako ng isang pagkakamali isang gabi. Hindi planado ang pagkakabuhay ko. I'm the living memory of their wrong doing.

Kaya hindi ko masisisi yung kapatid ko kung bakit hanggang ngayon, hindi niya ako matanggap. Kayo ba naman, isang araw umuwi ang ama niyo sa bahay niyo, at malaman niyo na nagka anak pala ito sa ibang babae. Sino matutuwa?

[Lyric, alam kong grabe pinagdadaanan mo ngayon sa dad mo, pero huwag mo siyang kamuhian.]

Kumunot ang noo ko, and was about to say something when I heard a knock on my door, "Basti, may kumakatok. Call you later, ciao!"

Pagkababa ko ng tawag, I walked towards the door and opened it. Si tita pala yung kumakatok.

"Hija? Are you okay? I'm sorry about your dad, and about that sudden arrangement of  yours, wala akong alam tungkol doon," Tita said and smiled apologetic to me.

I cleared my throat, "It's okay tita, sanay naman na po ako sa ganon ni dad."

She looked at my room before bringing back her gaze to me, "Can I go inside? Only if you want, hija."

I pursed my lips before opening wide the door of my room. She got the messaged, kaya pumasok na siya sa kwarto ko. I sat down on my bed, habang si tita ay naupo sa sofa dito sa kwarto ko.

"Ano pong pag uusapan natin?" I asked while I'm looking at her.

Ngumiti sa akin si tita bago umiling, "Nothing much, I just want to check you if you're doing okay. After all, I treated you as my daughter already, and it hurts for me as a mother to see my daughter having a hard time."

Napangiti ako. Hearing those kind of words coming from tita, ang sarap sa pakiramdam. Matagal ko ng alam na she treated me as her real daughter. As for me, the reason why I'm calling her tita ay dahil I respect my real mom, and she's okay with that.

"I'm doing fine po, tita," I said and smiled at her.

She stood up and walked towards me. She bent down so we can be on the same level, "If you need anything, feel free to talk to me. Kahit sobrang out of this world pa iyan."

I looked at her, "Tita, how did you manage accepting me?"

She smiled sweetly at me before caressing my hair, "Sino ba ako para magalit sayo? I was mad at my husband, hindi sayo. You're the victim here."

After that talk, umalis na rin si tita sa kwarto ko. I was about to close the door of my room, when my sister's hand went up, stopping me. Irita ko siyang tinignan.

"What do you want?" Irita kong sabi.

She smirked at me, at agad akong nangilabot doon, "I want you dead, you parasite. Binebrain wash mo si mom, how could you!" She accused me.

I raised an eyebrow on her, kahit na kinakabahan ako kung anong gagawin niya sa akin, "Do you have any proof that I brain washed your mom?"

Nangigili siya at hinila ako papasok sa kwarto niya. I immediately covered my nose nang maamoy ko ang amoy ng droga sa kwarto niya. Yes, my sister is a drug dealer, and a drug user.

She locked the door and walked towards me bago niya sapilitang tinanggal ang kamay ko sa ilong, so I can inhale the drugs.

She smirked at me, "Asan ngayon ang tapang mo? Nawala?" She laughed at nangilabot ako doon. She's different today, maybe because of the drugs she's using every single day.

Nahihilo ako at nasusuka sa amoy ng kwarto niya, kaya tumakbo ako papasok sa banyo, na agad ko ring pinagsisihan. Once I got inside the washroom, she pulled my hair before bringing me to the bathtub na may laman na tubig. Sinubsob niya ng paulit-ulit ang mukha ko sa tubig, drowning me, hanggang sa mang hina ako.

"Wala ka pala eh," she said laughed again before going outside the washroom, living me and locking me here.

Nakaupo ako sa sahig habang yakap ko ang dalawang binti ko. I was already crying while the water in my face was dripping. Nanginginig ako habang tinitignan ang banyo, looking for a window.

Nang makakita ng bintana, I stood up and walked towards it. Mabuti nalang malaki ito at kasya ang tao. I opened it and slowly went outside. Paglabas ko, I balanced my self habang nag lalakad papunta sa kwarto ko.

When I went inside my room, agad akong nag palit ng damit. I'm now wearing my Adidas black shorts and a blouse I got from H&M. Tulala akong naupo sa kama ko, remembering what happened earlier.

That was the first time she did that to me, at nakakatakot. Natrauma ata ako.

Scared about what happened, I reached for my phone, wallet and keys before going out using the terrace again. Good thing, nakalabas ako ng bahay nang walang nakakakita sa akin. Habang nag lalakad ako, I called Basti so we can meet.

[Saan? Sa convenient store?]

"Yes, please be quick," I said before I end the call.

Bumili lang ako ng tubig bago lumabas ng convenient store. I saw Basti seating on the bench where we sat down yesterday. I ran towards his direction and hugged him tightly. He was shocked at first but he manage to caress my back. Hindi ko namalayan na umiiyak na pala ako sa dibdib niya.

"Hey, ano nangyari?" He asked while he was rubbing my back.

Umiling ako, my face was still burried on his chest. Patuloy lang ako sa pag iyak habang hinahagod niya ang likuran ko para kumalma, hanggang sa humupa ang emosyon ko, and I managed to look at him.

He was looking at me, before his hands went up to wiped my tears away using his thumb, "Ano nangyari?"

Huminga ako ng malalim before getting the water I bought. I was having a hard time opening the lid of it, kaya si Basti na ang nag bukas non para sa akin.

"Thank you," I murmerd.

Hindi siya nag salita at inintay niya muna akong makainom. Nakalahati ko agad yung tubig bago ko iyon tinabi. Now, I'm looking at Basti.

"M-my sister...." panimula ko and I already shivered in fear.

Hinawakan ni Basti ang magkabilang balikat ko, "Hey, nanginginig ka."

"M-my sister d-did something t-to me," I managed to say that kahit na nanginginig ang pag sasalita ko.

Basti pulled me towards him so he can hugged me. I felt him carssing my hair and whispering words para pakalamahin ako.

"M-my sister i-is a d-drug dealer and u-user, and t-that's tha f-first time she did that to m-me," I said while my face is buried on his chest.

"I-i'm s-scraed. I-i don't w-want to g-go home," I mumbled.

"Lyric, hey," he pulled me away so he can see my face, "kung may mangyaring ganon ulit, feel free to contact me. Don't be scared, sagot kita."

We stayed for a little while, bago kami umuwi. Gaya ng dati, hinatid niya ako hanggang sa tapat ng bahay ko. I was afraid to go inside pero ano pa bang magagawa ko? At the end of the day I have to face those monsters inside this house.

But before I could walked inside our gate, Basti pulled me closer to him. Napakunot ang noo ko sa kanya and my eyes automatcally closed when I felt his lips touchd my forehead.

Kumurap ako ng ilang beses pagkatapos dampian ni Basti ng halik ang noo ko. I looked at him in shocked, and I saw him biting his lips.

"Tandaan mo, sagot kita Lyric," he said and he already walked away, living me here infront of our house.

I breath a large amount of air, before opening our gate. Tinahak ko ang daan papunta sa terrace mg kwarto ko. Inabot ko yung rope na ginamit ko para makababa kanina, at iyon ang ginamit ko para makaakyat muli sa kwarto ko, nang may humawak sa braso ko, stopping me.

"Remember Chelsy, in the end, you will be mine," Mason said and grip my jaw tightly.

"M-mason, bitaw, masakit," I said at binitawan niya ako.

He smirked at me, "You, will be mine, Chelsy," he said and dinuro ang noo ko, "Tatak mo iyan sa kukote mo. Hindi ka makakawala sa akin."