Caged In His Arms

Chapter 3

Kharis Elara's Pov

"Let me go, you jerk!" I squealed and pull my hands from his grip. Nagpupuyos sa labis na galit na  hinarap ko 'to.

"What the hell did you just do? Paano mo nalaman na nandito ako? Why did you even paid for it when I never asked you to do it?" I scoffed. Ilang mga taong dumadaan ang nakuhaan ko ng atensyon dahil sa ginawa kong 'yon.

I pressed my lip into thin line and closed my eyes.

"Can't you just be thankful that I helped you?" He asked, the muscles of his jaw were clenched as if he's just controlling his temper.

"No! And never I will be, I never asked you to do that, dumbass, and I'm sure as hell that those money you put there are Dad's," I fired up again and rolled my eyes on him. I folded my arms and placed it above my chest.

His sets of hypnotizing pools were burning with anger as our eyes locked in, I couldn't stand the chill it gives me that I had to look away.

"You're insulting me," he remarked, sa hindi malamang dahilan ay natagpuan ko ang sarili kong naguguluhan at nakatulala lang sa kanya.

"I earned that money out of hard labor Kharis Elara, I am not like you!" may diin sa bawat salita at may pinahihiwatig na sinabi nito.

Anger came rushing back in my system, how dare him?

"Not like me? Because I am troublesome? A burden? A good for nothing stupid daughter and you are not?!" pahisterya kong tanong sa kanya. 

I've always felt angry towards them, the world rather after this shits happened to me but this is the first time that I am fuming because someone slapped me the truth that I'm not good, I am the type of person that no one needs and easy to be replace.

"I didn't say that," maas kalmado ngunit seryoso nuyang agap. 

I harshly wipe my tears out from my cheeks and smiled bitterly.

"But that's your point, that's what you actually mean, Jupiter," saad ko saka mabilis na naglakad papunta sa gilid ng kalsada para pumara ng taxi. 

Mabuti na rin na binayaran n'ya 'yong bill namin sa restaurant, atleast hindi ko nagalaw ang five hundred pesos ko at mayroon akong ipambabayad sa taxi pauwi.

"Thank you," blurted out and closed the taxi's door with a right amount of force.

Isang pamilyar na itim na sasakyan ang tumigil sa harapan ng gate at mula ro'n ay bumaba si Lucy suot ang isang eleganteng corporate attire.

It suits her, mukha siyang kagalang-galang, hindi maiisip ng kahit sinong makakakita sa kanya ngayon na isa lang siyang katulong dati.

From rugs to riches.

Inirapan ko lang s'ya saka tinalikuran para sana pumasok na nang tuluyan sa loob nang hinablot n'ya ang kamay ko.

Like she has some sort of communicable disease, I withdraw my hand from her grip and throw dagger looks at her.

Natigilan s'ya sandali ngunit pilit din namang ngumiti.

"Nauna ka na pa lang umuwi, akala ko sumabay ka na sa mga anak ko," aniya. 

Like it's a natural reaction of my body whenever I get to see her. I rolled my eyes.

"Maghihirap muna kami bago ako sumabay sa anak mo pauwi rito." I gasped dramatically.

"My bad, that might still  not gonna happen though, kasi sigurado ako na kapag naghirap kami, iiwan mo na rin ang  Daddy ko at sa iba ka naman kakabit—," Natigil ako sa pagsasalita nang maramdaman ko ang pagdampi ng palad n'ya sa 'king pisnge pati na rin ang kirot na dala non.

"I'm sorry," maagap niyang sinabi nang makabawi s'ya mula sa pagkagulat dahil sa nagawa.

What she did broke the last piece of my patience for her. "How dare you?" I fired up with raw fury controlling me.

"My mother never inflicked me pain and you did? Sino ka ba sa akala mo, ha?!" sigaw ko at sinubukang hawiin ang kamay niyang pilit na humahawak sa 'kin habang humihingi s'ya ng sorry.

Ilang beses ko 'yong ginawa hanggang sa napalakas ang paghawi ko sa kaniya dahilan para mawalan 'to ng balanse at matumba.

"Mama!" Mabilis na lumipat ang mata ko kay Jupiter na kakababa lang mula sa isang taxi.

Kaagad akong nakaramdam ng takot sa klase nang lagablab ng galit na nakapaskil sa mga mata n'ya habang tinutulungan n'ya si Lucy na tumayo.

"Sumosobra ka na talaga!" galit ang mala-kulog sa lakas na asik nito sa 'kin. 

Lucy was quicked to stopped him as he tried to take a threatening step.

"It's my fault," she mumbled, tama 'yon kasalanan n'ya naman talaga ang lahat. Kung hindi n'ya ko kinausap at sinampal edi sana hindi nangyari 'to.

Padabog akong pumasok sa gate at tuluyan na silang iniwan.

"Ang maldita, manang-mana kay Ma'am Lorna, biruin mo itinulak n'ya ba naman si Ma'am Lucy." I stopped walking and turned to look at our maid who's shamelessly gossiping about me as I was about to pass by.

"May mga kapatid ka pang nag-aaral hindi ba, Faith?" may isang plastic na ngiting tanong ko sa kanya. She tried to look at me but she withdraw her gaze immediately and nodded.

"And Gia." She stiffened as I called her name. "P-po?" Maagap niyang sagot.

"Ikaw ang bread winner ng pamilya mo 'di ba?" With the same sarcastic smile, I asked her. Katulad ni Faith ay tumango lang rmdin s'ya sa 'kin.

The corner of my lips lift even more.

Itinupi ko ang aking braso saka 'yon ipinatong sa 'king dibdib.

"Then you two must be needing this job so much," I blurted out.

"M-ma'am." Nagbabadya ang mga luha sa kanilang matang tinawag ako.

"Don't cry, I'm not firing you from your job," I murmured. 

Their face brightens up.

"Salamat po Ma'am." Mabilis na nagsalubong ang mga kilay ko nang hinawakan nila ang magkabila kong kamay. Inalis din naman nila ang mga kamay nila sa 'king braso nang mapagtantong hindi ko iyon nagustuhan.

"Do you know what I hate the most?" I asked. 

Halos magkasabay silang umiling sa 'kin. 

"Alikabok, ihis, ahas, daga, langaw, gagamba, alupihan, and those who touches me without my permission and because of that, you two are fired, you may cry now, I  uttered calmly before I rolled my eyes and flip my hair.

Taas noo akong naglakad papasok ng bahay. 

Palibhasa mga katulong kaya sa katulong lang din kakampi!

Magkakalahating oras na rin akong nasa kwarto ko at tinatapos ang isang painting nang marahas na bumukas ang pinto at iniluwa non ang may madilim na ekspresyon sa kanyang mukha na si Jupiter.

"Don't your b***h mother taught you that you should knock on the door before you come in someone's room?" asik ko sa kanya.

"Well what do I expect? Babaeng malandi ang mama mo, malamang hindi n'ya kayo naturuang magkapatid ng magandang asal." Umigting ang kanyang panga dahil sa sinabi ko.

His hazel brown eyes darken into oblivion as he take a threatening steps towards me.

Mabilis na kumalabog sa kaba ang dibdib ko dahil do'n.

"You're not even sorry for hurting my mother."

"Why is your mother even sorry for becoming my Dad's mistress? For replacing my mother  immediately? Of course she's not! Because if she's,  then she'd never marry my Dad, she'd never replace my Mom in this house. Magkano ba ang kailangan ng puta mong nanay para iwan n'ya ang Daddy ko, ha?" I asked in between gritted teeth. I know I am crossing the line but they were the one who did it first.

Tinambol ng kaba ang aking dibdib at mariin akong napapit nang umamba siyang susuntukin ako.

I heard a sound and when I felt nothing, slowly, I openned my eyes. Sinundan ng mga mata ko ang matipuno niyang braso na nakaangkla sa gilid ng mukha ko.

Stain of fresh blood from his fist marked my room's white wall.

"I had enough of you disrespecting my Mama," he snarled, though I am scared at the intensity his eyes' giving me. I keep my facade cool and equal his gazes.

"You gonna hit me for that?" lakas loob na tanong ko sa kanya. 

He shook his head and smile, a smile that would sent an amount of fear on someone's spine.

"I'd made the game fair then," he mumbled. 

I was caught off guard when he crashed his lips with mine, it was forceful and aggressive, he poured his anger in my lips.

"S-stop," I mumbled and pleaded in between his forceful kiss.

Sinubukan ko siyang itulak ngunit masiyado siyang malakas at ni hindi man lang s'ya natitinag.

My sobs became harder as his lips made it's way to my jaw and neck.

Hinaklit n'ya ang kamay kong pilit na nanlalaban at mariin 'yong hinawakan gamit ang mga kamay n'ya.

"S-stop, p-please... p-please,"  I uttered.

Nanghihina ako nang humiwalay s'ya sa 'kin kaya naman napaupo na lamang ako sa sahig habang yakap-yakap ko ang aking sarili.

"Isusumbong kita kay Daddy," mahina kong sinabi, imbes na matakot ay umismid lang s'ya sa 'kin.

"Like he would actually believe you,  El? Your father knows how much you hate us and probably he'll think that what you say is just a made up story... be nice, sister. I play dirty when I get mad." Pagbabanta n'ya saka 'to umalis sa kwarto ko na para bang walang nangyari.