Power

Chapter 1

I arrive at school and all I could hear is the issue of Cuenca's. I silently walk inside the school premises. My family is known because of how big our business is. My sister and brother are also famous. Madami silang circle of friends at halos lahat ay gustong mapalapit sa kanila and I'm their antonyms.

I'm the youngest so I'm the least person who will receive wealth from them kaya hindi sila nakikipaglapit sa akin. I don't mind it though I see friendship and relationship as temporary connection so why create one? 

I don't really need friends all I need is power kasi kung may kapangyarihan ako I don't need to beg and find ally sila mismo ang pupunta sa akin.

"Lexi!" I was about to enter my building kung nasaan ang classroom ko when I heard someone shouted my name.

Hindi ko na kailangang hulaan kung sino ang tumawag sa akin dahil kilalang kilala ko na ang boses niya. 

Gia Cuenca the eldest granddaughter of Cuenca fishing. I stared at her blankly. Alam ko na kung ano ang pakay niya. Hindi ko na kailangang tanungin pa siya.

"Lexi!" napaatras ako ng malakas niyang itulak ang balikat ko. Napahawak ako sa balikat dahil sa kirot na nararamdaman.

I know why she's mad but I can't understand bakit sa akin niya ibinubunton ang galit niya. Do I look like her doll or a punching bag?

"You heard what happened to us" nanggigigil ang boses niya. She pulled my arm tightly. I can feel how angry she was the way she holds me.

Pero tingin niya ba matutulungan ko siya? Dad warned my Mom. Alam kong hindi palalapagasin ni Daddy if I ever helped them.

"I can't. Ayaw ni Dad-" she pulled me closer to her and grip my arm tightly.

"Mukha ba akong humihingi ng tulong? I'm telling you to help us. It's for your own good too don't you think so?"

"Hindi pwede. Wala akong magagawa. Your family's issue is too big for me to handle"

That's why I want this family to go down and never stand up again. I'm tired of their threats. Gusto kong lumaban pero alam kong ako rin ang magsisisi.

"Then do you want me to tell the world of what your Mom did?"

Here she go again with here threats. She always threaten me with what my Mom did as if hindi rin masisira ang pangalan nila if ever na lumabas ang gusto niyang ipalabas.

"I-I'll ask Dad"

She smirk. Marahas niya akong itinulak. I didn't see it coming kaya hindi na ako nakailag ng bumanga ang bewang ko sa bakal na nasa likuran ko. Damn it ang sakit! Pumikit ako sa dahil sa sakit na naramdaman. Hindi niya naman kailangang itulak ako.

"You better do something, Lexi"

Umalis agad siya. College na siya at iba ang campus ng college sa senior high school. I appreciate her efforts na pumunta pa talaga dito. 

"You better not do something, Lexi. Not helping them is your last way of showing respect to Velez family, Lexi" Noah my cousin suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

He probably see us from the very start yet he didn't do anything ano pa bang inaasahan ko?. Pinagpagan ko ang uniporme.

"I hope you will stop bringing us disgrace" and he left.

Cuenca family is mad at me. Velez my family won't even see me as their part of them. I'm just Velez in paper nothing more. Hindi na ako nagreklamo nagpapasalamat na nga ako at hindi nila ako itinakwil. 

Hindi ko pinansin ang mga tingin sa akin ng mga kaklase ko. Kahit na sobrang pagkapahiya ang ginawa sa akin no one would dare

laugh at me kasi kahit na pinahiya ako isa pa rin akong Velez. Hindi man nila ako itinuturing na pamilya hindi pa rin nila hinahayaan na gawin akong katatawanan sa paaralan because they know kung ano man ang mangyari sa akin it will reflect to them because I am still a Velez.

Tahimik akong naupo. I put my airpods since wala pa ang teacher namin. Masiyadong maingay. I stare on the sky. I'm sitting near the window since I prefer watching the sky than talking to someone.

"Hi" someone pulled my airpod and bitches appeared in front of me. 

Kate Estacio she's close to my sister and she's really fond of me. She loves bullying me in front of my classmates and schoolmates because she knows na hindi ako lalaban. It's not that I can't it's just that Dad don't want any issues. I don't have the power yet.

"Na-miss kita" umupo siya sa upuang nasa harapan ko. She just can't go on with her days without pestering me.

"Opsss!" she throw my airpods on the window at wala akong nagawa kundi ang tingnan na lang ang kamay niya.

"Nalaglag" she smile widely. God knows how much I want to rip that mouth of hers. 

"Get her bag" one of her ally push me and pulled my bag. Mabilis kong hinawakan ang bag ko. Hindi ko alam kung bakit ako ang takbuhan nila kapag wala silang assignments. They will even resort to violence just to get what they wanted.

"Lumalaban ka na?" marahas na tinampal ni Kate ang kamay ko at tumama ito sa kahoy na nasa gilid ko. I bit my lower lip because it sting. 

"Huwag ka na kasing umangal kung ayaw mong masaktan"

She's brave because she's close to my sister. She knows na hindi ko siya isusumbong dahil ayokong magalit sa akin ang kapatid ko.

Hindi na nga niya ako gusto dadagdagan ko pa ba ang rason kung bakit galit siya sa akin.

Kinuha nila ang notebooks ko and after getting what they want they throw my bag on the floor. Ngayon ako ang walang ipapasa sa teacher ko. I sigh I. Kinuha ko ang bag at pinagpagan.

We checked our assignments and recorded it. My teacher allowed me to pass the assignment later before going home. They are lenient because of my family so when the bell rang ay agad akong lumabas para kunin ang notebook kina Kate. 

"My notebook" Palabas na sila ng makita ko sila. Tiningnan ako ni Kate.

"Oh right! Nakalimutan kong ibalik" tiningnan niya ang kaibigan "Give her notebook" 

Umalis agad ako upon receiving my notebook. Pumunta agad ako sa faculty at ipinasa sa tatlong teacher ko ang mga assignments ko. Bukas ko na lang daw balikan kaya umuwi na agad ako. 

My butler is already waiting in front of the gate. Lumabas agad siya sa sasakyan paglabas ko ng gate. He open the backseat for me at agad akong sumakay.

"Ayos ka lang, Miss?" I nodded. He close the door.

Inilabas ko ang Ipad and search again about the issue of Cuenca. Hindi ko alam kung tutulungan ko ba sila. Dad don't want it but I'm afraid Gia's threat may harm my Mom.

"The family of the deceased whistleblower insist that it was not suicide but murder"

It wasn't suicide? I can just create evidence to convince them that it was suicide. I screenshot the news and send it to Gia. 

'You can just create evidence to prove your innocence'

I send it to Gia. Iyon lang ang pwede kong magawa. Hindi pwedeng ako mismo ang gumawa dahil alam kong malalaman iyon ng pamilya ko and it will put me and Mom at risk. 

"Miss" Arnold lend me something. Nakalagay iyon sa isang paper bag na may tatak ng isang drug store. Lumipad agad ang tingin ko sa labas. Tumigil pala siya sa tapat ng isang sikat na drug store.

"Ayos lang naman ako" Kinuha ko ang paper bag at kinuha ang laman. It was a cold compress. Bumaba ang tingin ko sa kamay. 

He probably saw na namumula ang kamay ko. My wrist hit the steel when Gia push me at tumama rin ito nang tampalin ni Kate ang kamay ko at tumama sa steel ng bintana.

Inalagay ko ang cold compress sa kamay. I don't know though kung tatalab pa ito e kanina pa ito namumula.

"What did you found out about the whistblower, Manong?" He started driving again.

"Melani Almonte at James Almonte ang pangalan ng mag-asawa. Sampung taon na silang nagta-trabaho sa kompaniya. Si James ang head ng accounting habang si Melani naman ay manager ng isa sa mga factory ng Cuenca fishing" so silang dalawa ay mataas ang posisyon.

Nakakapagtaka na maganda na ang posisiyon nila at mataas pa ang sahod pero mas pinili nilang sirain ang kinabukasan nila? 

What push them to become the whitsleblower?

"May dalawa silang anak. Alex Almonte ang panganay atAlayna Almonte naman ang bunso. Nasa hospistal ngayon si Alayna" ibinaba ko ang Ipad.

"Why? Is she sick?"

"Ayon sa doctor nag-agaw buhay siya dahil sa food poisoning"

This is why she chose to blow the shocking reality. Her daughter become the victim of Cuenca's greed. It's sad how they chose to stay quite for the past years dahil hindi nila kilala ang biktima at ngayon lang naglakas loob dahil pamilya na nila nadamay.

"How is she?"

"Stable na siya noong nakaraan araw pero mukhang hindi niya kinaya ang nangyari sa magulang kaya nawalan siya ng malay at hanggang ngayon hindi pa nagigising"

Well her parents both committed suicide sinong hindi mas-shock no'n?

"How about his brother?"

I admire their parents for their bravery so I can't help but get curious about their children. The family of the deceased insist that it wasn't suicide so I wonder who insist it? Who among them didn't believe those lies?

"Alex Almonte is currently in the hospital. Palipat-lipat siya between sa kapatid at sa magulang. Inaayos niya ang sitwasiyon ng magulang" I nodded. He's probably busy "Ah... he requested an autopsy"

"He did?" Siya ba ang nagsabing hindi nagpakamatay ang magulang niya?

"Yes, Miss" I nodded. Mmmm I want to see him. "By the way Miss may nakakapagtaka sa kondisyon ni Alayna"

"What is it?"

"Ang sabi ay maayos na daw ang kondisyon pero kanina ng mawalan siya ng malay ay lumala ang kondisyon nito"

"Saang hospital siya naka-admit?"

"Co Hospital"

"What?!"