Fairytales Gone Wrong

Chapter 6

APOLLO

A CONTINUES KNOCK ON MY DOOR disturbed me from my deep sleep. Inis na inis akong bumangon at tumungo sa pinto saka binuksan iyon. Alas siyete pa lang ng umaga at sabado ngayon kaya sa pagkakaalam ko ay wala akong trabahong dapat puntahan.

“What?!”pabulyaw na tanong habang pikiy pa ang isang mata dahil sa antok.

“S-Sir, good morning po. May naghahanap po sa inyo sa baba,”saad ng isang katulong na pinadaanan ng tingin ang hubad kong itaas na katawan.

“Who?”

Just because I'm the CEO doesn't mean, I don't deserve rest.

“M-Mga pulis po.”

“Pulis?”tanong ko at napabuntong-hininga. “Sabihin mo baba na ako.”

After saying it, I closed the door and went straight to the bathroom to clean myself up. I turned on the faucet and let the cold water run over my hands. But no matter how hard I scrubbed, the memory of the girl won't wash away.

The authority is here and I have a feeling that it has something to do with what I discovered two days ago.

That girl. The one they imprisoned for fifteen years.

Her frightened eyes still haunt me and I can't sleep for two days. The moment our gazes met, I felt like the world stopped. She was surprised and so am I. She looks at me with fear at first, and after a few minutes, her eyes lightened up with hope.

“Damn,”I murmured and washed my face.

They locked her up for fifteen years and the thought alone made my stomach churn.

“They're monstrous,”I mumbled again.

Damn! I've known them almost my entire life!

Matapos kong linisin ang sarili ko ay nagbihis at agad na nagpasyang bumaba. Agad konh nakita si Officer Liam sa sala na napatayo nang makita ako. Pinaupo ko siya at gayon din ako.

“Good morning, Officer. What brings you here early this morning?”tanong ko at sumenyas sa mga katulong namin na magdala ng inumin.

“Good morning, Mister Calientes. Your house is pretty big ah,”natatawang sabi nito.

“Well, it's my mom's not mine. Ano bang sadya mo officer?”

“I'm here for your statement regarding what happened two days ago,”anito na sumeryoso ang mukha.

“Statement? Hindi pa ba sapat na sinumbong ko sa inyo ang nakita ko?”

“We just want you to say more about the Olivares,” sagot niya at naglabas ng mga litrato namin ni Freya. “You're Freya's boyfriend and you know her almost all your life. Pumupunta ka sa bahay nila, natutulog pero wala ka man lang napansin?”

My forehead creases because of his tone.

“First, I am not her boyfriend, we're childhood friends. Second, I only go to their house once or twice a month because her mom invites me over for dinner and third, I've never spent the night there. I don't do that. Kahit gaano pa kalayo ang bahay ko, hindi ako matutulog sa bahay ng ibang tao. If hotels aren't an option, I'd rather sleep in my car.”

He stopped. Maybe he got the wrong information about my relationship with Freya. I sighed, crossed my arms over my chest and leaned my back against the backrest of the couch.

“Listen, Officer. The Olivares were one of the respected families. I'd grown up seeing them at celebrations, charity events and family gatherings. They smiled at everyone, donated generously and carried themselves like honorable persons. Sa tingin mo ba, paghihinalaan ko sila? Just like you and everyone else, I was tricked too.”

Ilang segundo lang akong tinitigan ni Officer Liam at napabuntong-hininga saka tumango. Tumayo na rin ito at naglahad ng kamay.

“Your statement is enough. I believe you, Mister Calientes. Thank you for your time.”

“No problem.”nakipagkamay ako sa kaniya at hinatid siya sa pinto.

“By the way, the girl you saved. Visit her, she'll be happy seeing her savior,”anito at tuluyan ng umalis. Napailing na lang ako.

Visit her? Why would I do that?

“ANONG GAGAWIN NATIN SA BAHAY NI STA. LUISA?”

Nilingon ko si Quintus na nasa passenger seat habang hawak ang cellphone nito at nag-chat sa kaniya tiya na si Nanay Lydia.

“I just want to visit the girl I saved,”pranka kong sagot.

“Why? Is she your type?”he teased and smirked. “Well, I can't blame you. She's pretty and her face screamed innocence.”

Matalim ko siyang tinitigan. “Shut up, Q. Do you want to die?”

“Jeez! Kumalma ka nga, nagbibiro lang ako.”

Napalatak ako at tinuon ang atensyon sa daan. I am also questioning myself, why? Why do I have to see her? For what?

Ilang minuto pa ay narating namin ang Bahay ni Sta. Luisa, a home for people like her. Agad kaming sinalubong ni Nanay Lydia na na-heads up na Quintus na dadating kami.

“Tanghali na kayo dumating, halika, sa office tayo,”anito at naunang naglakad.

Habang naglalakad ay may narinig akong komosyon at nang madaanan namin ang tila kainan nila dito ay natigilan ako. Kitang-kita ng dalawang mata ko kung paano tapunan ng tubig sa ulo ang babaeng iyon. Napaawang ang labi ko dahil sa aking nakikita.

That was an obvious bullying!

Tumayo lang ang babae at nakangiti pa ito. I don't know why I suddenly felt a kick of anger. These girls are bullying her and she just smiled at them, or does she even know she's being bullied already?

She stood up and was about to walk away when someone tripped her foot. She falls down. My eyes widened and my fingers formed a ball of fist. Akmang lalapit ako nang hilahin ni Q ang aking kamay.

“What are you doing? Let's go!”

Hindi ko alam ang gagawin ko kaya nagpatianod ako kay Q. I can't just pop up out of nowhere and help her. She needs to know how to fight alone in this cruel f*****g world. I let out a sigh and went straight to Nanay Lydia's office.

“Maupo kayo, Mister Calientes at Quintus—”

“I'm taking her,”I told her.

Shock wriiten on their faces. Hindi ko din alam kung anong pumasok sa isip ko para sabihin iyon. But I just feel the urge to keep this woman away from those girls who are bullying her. It's making me mad.

“Bakit?”tanong ni Nanay Lydia.

“I will hire her as a maid in Calientes Mansion,”sagot ko. Maybe in that case, no one will make her life harder.

“Seryoso ka?”dagdag ni Quintus.

I nodded. “I am.”

After that, Nanay Lydia processes her documents. And when she gave it to me, I looked unto it. Her name was written in the folder.

“Raelle...”

She doesn't have any surname. I sighed.

.

“Wala siyang surname, hindi niya rin kasi alam,”ani Nanay Lydia.

I nodded. She has the same name as the girl in my childhood. Maybe it was the reason why she had a soft spot in me. Am I hoping that she is the Raelle in my past?

Napailing ako. Raelle Montejano died in a car crash. They buried her. Raelle now can't be the Raelle I knew.

INABOT NA KAMI ng gabi dito sa Bahay ni Sta. Luisa dahil marami akong dapat pirmahan para sa funds na binigay ko para sa mga victims at si Quintus ay nagsagawa ng free general check up para naman sa mga staff. He's a general doctor and he is still in his second year residency. Nang matapos si Q ay pumunta siya ng kusina para kumuha ng tubig habang ako ay dumiretso sa kotse.

“What is taking him so long?”I said while looking at my wrist watch. Thirty minutes na hindi pa rin siya bumabalik.

Damn!

I decided to follow him in the kitchen. Bumalik ako sa loob at dire-diretso sa kusina. Kumunot naman ang noo ko nang may mapansin akong anino na lumabas mula sa kusina. Tumatakbo ito na tila ba magmamadali.

I cursed as I ran fast to the kitchen. Quintus might be in danger.

“Quintus!”sigaw ko at naglakad palapit kay Q na nakaupo habang may hawak sa bisig nito. “Q! Okay ka lang—”

I froze. The woman in his arms is Raelle. She's unconscious and motionless. Q's arms are stained with blood as he holds her.

“s**t! Apollo! Call an ambulance—”

“You're a doctor, you idiot!”

“Oh! Oo nga pala. Buhatin mo siya, dalhin mo siya sa clinic.”

Napakurap ako at tumango saka walang sabi-sabing pinangko siya. Because of what I did, I found myself staring at her face from only inches away. Her cheeks were flushed and tears slipped from her closed eyes. I can't deny the fact that her beauty is ethereal.

“Baka matunaw 'yan, pare,”nakangising sabi ni Q.

“f**k off, Q.”