Bad To You

Bad Blood

CHAPTER TWO

I was giving Kasey daggers of scowl look habang pareho kaming nakaupo sa harapan ni tito Ben. Hindi rin naman patitinag ang gago dahil ginantihan niya rin ako ng masamang tingin.

"Ahem," si tito. Marahil ay napansin niya ang umaakyat na tensiyon sa pagitan naming dalawa. "Well, since both of you are here, maybe we could dis–"

"Who the f*****g-hell-are-you?!" putol ko sa dapat sana'y sasabihin ni tito Ben. I was glaring at Kasey. "And what's so special about you at ganon ganon nalang ibinigay sa iyo ni dad ang fifty percent na share ng kompanya?"

Napansin ko ang paghinga nito nang malalim bago siya tuluyang nagsalita.

"12 years old ako noon nang makita ako ni tito Fernan sa lansangan. Kamamatay lang din ng mga magulang ko at ilang araw na rin akong mag-isa at pagalagala sa kalye. Your dad saw me in front of the Basilica church, almost dying because of sickness and hunger."

He paused for a while as if he is trying to control his emotions. Pff. Such a dramatic scammer.

"Nagising na lang ako na nasa ibang lugar na ako. I was at your dad's mansion. Iba na ag damit ko. Malinis na rin ako. Then your dad showed up and asked me kung gusto ko raw tumira sa mansiyon niya."

We both paused when we heard a slight sniff—it was tito Ben, crying. Binigyan ko siya nang masamang tingin bago muling bumalik ang atensiyon ko kay Kasey.

"Doon na nagsimula ang lahat. I was adopted by your dad. Pinag-aral niya ako sa Ateneo. Sinasama sa mga business trips at meetings  niya. Ipinapakilala sa mga kasosyo niya sa negosyo."

I sarcastically chuckled. "You think I would believe your fabricated story?" inis na inis na wika ko habang umiiling-iling. 

"C'mon tito. Don't tell me naniniwala kayo sa sinasabi ng isang 'to? What if he is a scammer? A spy? A swindler?!"

Pinatahan at pinaupo ako ni tito Ben atsaka niya hinarap si Kasey.

"Hijo, I think I might have seen you. Naalala ko na may dinalang batang lalake si Fernan during one of his meetings with the Nigerian clients back in 2010. Was that you?"

"Opo. Ako nga po iyon," sagot naman ni Kasey.

"And also, nagkita rin tayo on one of his business trips with the Australian clients in 2013?"

"Yes po. Kasama din po ako don at yo'n po ang unang beses na ipinakilala ako sa inyo ni tito Fernan."

"Oh, I remember. Goodness! Ikaw pala yong laging ibinibida sa akin ni Fernan."

I angrily stood up from my chair out of burst na kumuha sa atensiyon nilang dalawa. 

"This is insane, tito. We just can't be fooled by all of his lies!" galit na galit na wika ko.

"Hijo, umihanon ka. You have me as a proof na totoo ang mga sinasabi nitong si Kasey."

I gritted my teeth out of despair.

"I won't accept this tito. I won't accept that Last Will and Testament, and I won't accept that f*****g fake bastard! This is f*****g bullshit! f**k!" 

Padabog akong lumabas ng opisina ni dad as I headed back to my own office. Because of extreme annoyance, itinapon ko ang mga folders na nasa lamesa ko. 

I immediately poured whiskey on my glass as I heavily chugged it. 

"Pft. I won't let that Kasey Rodriguez touch even a single thing here in this company. And I will make sure to beat the hell out of him hanggang sa siya na mismo ang sumuko." I silently cursed. "I am Leonardo Aznar and no one dares to defy me. Not even death."