Chapter 10
1171 Words
It was Monday, and I stifled a yawn as I walked towards the College Building. I hadn't been able to sleep early last night because of our Business Math assignment.
This morning, Mom scolded me when she found out I left the wedding party without informing the bride and groom on Saturday.
Even though I told her I accidentally fell into the pool, she didn't care. To her, the impression and opinions of others mattered more than I did.
As I walked down the hallway, I noticed a group of students clustered together. They were glued to their phones, their faces reflecting a mix of emotions.
What's going on?
"Poor Lailee. They say she can't even speak now."
"Tsk! Tsk! She's traumatized. Why did she even go to a bar? Isn't she supposed to be nerdy?"
"They say it was all premeditated. No one heard her cries for help."
Lailee? There was only one Lailee I knew of-Lailee Montalgo, a cousin of the prominent Montalgo family. Her mother was one of them.
"Was she really r***d? Maybe she was just being flirtatious and then played the victim."
"Shhh, Erika, stop it! What if Crixx hears you? And besides, Lailee is known to be conservative."
My eyes widened at what I heard. So it's true-Lailee Montalgo was r***d?
"Bebs!" Merry called out as soon as I reached our classroom. We shared the same minor subject this semester.
I sat beside her, and the whispers of our classmates filled the room.
"Have you heard about it, Bebs?"
"I just overheard it in the hallway. What exactly happened? How's Lailee doing?"
They all looked at me with sadness in their eyes. Even though I didn't know Lailee well-she studied at a different school-I couldn't help but feel sorry for
They all looked at me with sadness in their eyes. Even though I didn't know Lailee well-she studied at a different school-I couldn't help but feel sorry for her.
"She was r***d last Saturday inside a restroom. Her friend reportedly found her unconscious on the floor, bleeding."
A pang of pain hit my chest. No woman should ever have to go through something like that.
"Do they have any leads on who did it?" I asked.
"That's the thing-they don't know. All the CCTVs were turned off when the incident happened, and Lailee can't talk right now because of the trauma. Only she knows who did it," Lorry replied.
"Unbelievable. Poor girl. I heard she suffered lacerations. These days, it's really unsafe to go to places like that," Lorry added.
I gasped, turning to Merry. I couldn't even imagine what Lailee must be going through. The man who did this to her was a monster.
"I hope they catch the r****t soon. He deserves to rot in prison," I said angrily.
"I don't think prison will be enough for her r****t," Merry replied. "The Montalgos are powerful, and Lailee is the only female cousin in their family. They might even resort to torture."
"Zephyr is furious about what happened," Lorry chimed in. "He reportedly caused a scene at the bar, and Kailus had it shut down immediately. The owner couldn't do anything."
That's terrifying. Still, if I were in their position, I'd probably be just as enraged, especially given the circumstance.
My last class had just ended, and I was walking out of the room when I noticed people staring at me. Some looked angry, others sympathetic, but most seemed shocked.
"Oh my gosh! Isn't that her brother? Do you think he knew all along?"
"She has a r****t for a brother now. Acting all perfect huh?"
Do you think he knew all along?"
"She has a r****t for a brother now. Acting all perfect, huh?"
Were they talking about me? I was about to approach them when Merry came rushing over, panting.
"Bebs... hurry up! The police are at your house right now," she said breathlessly.
"What? Why?"
"They're arresting Ruiji."
I froze, unable to process what she'd just said. Why were they arresting Ruiji? What did he do?
"Bebs?!,"
Without another word, I ran out of the building. When I got to the parking lot, Manong wasn't there yet. How am I supposed to get home in time? My thoughts were interrupted by a loud honk.
"Get in, Bebs."
I climbed into Merry's car, with Lorena in the backseat. Merry drove like a maniac, but I didn't care.
When we arrived at the mansion, there was a crowd gathered outside. Reporters and police swarmed the area. I pushed my way through to find Mom.
"Ruiji, my son. Oh my God!" Mom cried, tears streaming down her face.
Ruiji was being handcuffed, and Tito Eman clung to him, refusing to let go.
"This is unreasonable! You can't just imprison my son based on false allegations," Tito Eman shouted angrily at the police.
"UNREASONABLE? Oh, please, Emanuel! Your son r***d my granddaughter!"
We all froze at the furious outburst from the elderly Donya Heralda Montalgo. Her chest heaved with anger as Don Conrado, her husband, supported her.
"I know my son. He'd never do that. This is a mistake," Tito Eman insisted.
"If this is just a false accusation, then why doesn't your son prove it, Emanuel? He needs to come with us for interrogation," said a man who resembled Crixx.
The police finally managed to escort Ruiji into the car. The Montalgos followed in silence. I ran to my mom, wrapping my arms around her as she sobbed.
"This is a nightmare! Your brother cannot go to jail!" Mom wailed.
I gently rubbed her back, trying to calm her. I didn't fully understand what was happening, but I couldn't believe Ruiji would go this far to satisfy his desires. Or would he?
"Brie, take care of the mansion. We're going to see Ruiji," Tito Eman instructed before leaving with Mom.
As soon as they were gone, I stood frozen, tears streaming down my face. The guards were busy shooing away the remaining reporters when one of them called out to me.
"Miss Brie! What do you have to say about your brother's charges?"
"Miss Brie! Did you know about this? Why would Mister Ruiji commit such a crime?"
"Miss Brie!"
I ignored them and went straight to the movie room. Picking up the remote, I turned on the TV. The first thing I saw was Kailus being interviewed.
"As of now, my cousin is in a fragile state. Despite her trauma, she managed to identify her assailant when she briefly regained consciousness earlier today."
"Mr. Montalgo, what can you say about the Da Silvas insisting that Mr. Ruiji is falsely accused of r**e?"
Kailus looked directly at the camera.
"False accusations or not, Ruiji must be interrogated and face the court.
Besides, my cousin would not go this far to lie. She-"
I turned off the TV, unable to watch anymore. Everything was falling apart-the Montalgos' rage, the Da Silvas' tarnished reputation, and Ruiji's case.
Suddenly, it felt like the world had gone dark.
- Writer
