Present Time - Cassandra's Point of View

"Ha... Haha... Hahaha! Hahahaha!!!—" while I was busy laughing after hearing the truth, I started spiraling my gun, releasing bullets around the building. I don't care if bullet may retract and come back at me, I just can't accept the fact that my Mommy would still be alive if it wasn't.... for Dad. Hindi sila mamamatay kung... kung naging maingat ang tatay ko. Pero, hindi. Hindi iyon ang sapat na dahilan para idamay si Mama, hindi iyon ang sapat na dahilan para tanggalan ako ng oportunidad na makita silang dalawa!

"Hahahaha. Oh my God, hahahaha." I continued laughing as I crazily spread my bullets around, hitting walls, hitting old wires, hitting everything this bullet may randomly storm through, hanggang sa maubusan ako ng bala, but I reloaded it shortly after. This time, my tears started streaming down my face, and still... laughing like that crazy Erica. That Tita Erica.

After a few minutes of shooting a blizzard in the building, itinutok ko ang baril ko kay Sasha habang ang mata ko'y nagmumugto sa galit, halos maging pula na sa pagpipigil sa mga luha kong pinupugaran ng galit.

"Hindi sapat na rason 'yon para patayin mo ang nanay ko! You knew then na bibisitahin niya ako for the first time, then... why couldn't you give us a chance?!" garalgal kong pagsigaw.  The injured Tita Erica and Tita Taya were about to meddle in, so I changed the trajectory of my focus to them. Sinusubukan pa ni Agatha mangielam kahit nasa bingit na ang buhay niya, pero tumingin lang ako sa kaniya, wala na siyang laban. Isang putok na lang, mamamatay na siya.

"Yes, it was! Muntik akong mamatay dahil sa Mama mo! My conscience and guilt always haunt me every night before I sleep. Kung hindi lang nagbigay ng rason ang Mama mo na patayin siya, hindi siya mamamatay! And I wouldn't be crazy, I wouldn't have to go to a therapy, I wouldn't have to go through hell! Hindi ako mababaliw kung hindi siya naging apid! Since that night... I have always questioned my worth, Cass. You don't know what I went through after that! All the interviews, the interrogations I had to go through. I even sacrificed my own money para lang hindi mabunyag na ako ang pumatay sa nanay mo! The... there was also a time when I almost committed suicide because of your Mom, because of your family, because of you!—" sa mga oras na 'yon, hindi ko na mapigilan ang sarili ko't binaril na siya sa balikat niya, dalawang beses. I saw Tita Erica and Tita Taya, trying hard to run towards Sasha to save her, pero unang pumasok sa isip ko ay patayan si Tita Taya, which I immediately acted upon it. I shot her head five times, kaya agad siyang natumba nang wala nang buhay. Aza, then, just smiled at the scene, hindi nangingielam.

Agatha, on the other hand, kept her strength solid at tumayo na parang hindi nasaktan. Habang rumaragasa ang dugo sa ulo niya, she tried her best to summon her gun on her hand mula sa semento at itinutok sa akin. I couldn't see anything on her face, but blood and tears. Parehong naglalabanan. Parehong nagkakarerahan paibaba sa tiles ng floor dito.

"We... we were the closest friends, Cass. Ganito tayo, o... G-Ganito, d-diba...?" she emotionally stated as she mimicks a pinky finger being bonded with another. Ako naman, without furder ado, hindi ako nag-hesitate na itutok din sa kaniya ang baril ko.

"You... you saved me from l-loneliness. I... I thought kasi back then since hindi ko ka-level si A-Aza... dahil she's... she's older! She's more matured. Then... I found you. Of all the fake shits this world has to offer to me ever since I was a kid, I found you, Cass... I... I fucking found you. I found you!" hagulgol ulit ni Agatha while her gun's still focused on mine, specifically, on my head. Hindi ko na rin pala napansing may tumutulo na ring luha sa mukha ko. It was too late for me to realize na may dinamay akong mga inosenteng tao dito sa misyon ko. Kaya napagtanto ko rin, e. Sila ba talaga ang kontrabida sa kuwento ko? O ginawa ko nang kontrabida ang sarili ko sa sarili kong kuwento?

"You... you stole my Voliuo, you killed him! Then, my kuya, you killed my kuya in front of my own two eyes... Tapos... tapos ngayon, si... si Mama? What now, Cass? Ako na yung next? Ako na?... Mag... magkaibigan tayo, Cassandra, e... but you broke our friendship, you cut the string, you held my trust off of you! Now... na ako na lang ang natitira sa pamilya namin, I will make sure na ikaw ang susunod na mamamatay—" my eyes widened when suddenly, Aza, from Agatha's behind shot her to death, kaya hindi na natuloy ang mga sinasabi ni Agatha.

"Ugh. There's so much drama. Ano? Is this not going to end like be for real! This is taking too much time of my personal life!" Aza seemed to be so much irritated by frustratingly meddling in. Umirap pa nga siya.

"Ikaw ang pumatay kay Voliuo, diba?" sabi ko.

"Oh, come on. Bakit naman napunta sa'kin 'to? Ano, ako susunod na papatayin mo, you reckless murderer!—"

"Answer the damn question, ikaw ba ang pumatay kay Voliuo?—"

"What if sabihin kong I had a part of it, pero... iba ang pumatay. Guess who?" she looked up, maarteng nagbibigay ng facial gestures sa akin habang tini-tic-tac-toe niya yung dalawang daliri niya sa kaliwa niyang kamay. I did not answer her question, pero tumitig lang ako sa ganiya bago tignan ang nagyayakapan na si Sasha saka si Tita Erica, the killers of my parents.

"I guess you'll find out eventually." anas ni Aza. Ibinagsak ko ang baril ko sa sahig bago tawagan sina Ferlin na pumunta na rito. Nakita nila ang mga bangkay ng mga namatay. Si Tita Ashley, Hiro, Tita Taya, at si Agatha. They even seemed to got so surprised, pero tinapik ko na agad sila sa realization na kaya kong gumawa ng mga bagay na nagagawa rin ng iba. I ordered Ferlin na itali si Tita Erica, Sasha, at si Aza. Kahit walang pakielam 'yan si Aza, nasa loob ang kulo niyan. Sinunod naman agad ni Ferlin ang iniuutos ko.

"Sasha. Since you told me na pinatay mo ang nanay ko sa secret room dito sa old mansion mo. I guess, I already know where there bodies are." bulong ko sa kaniya habang nakagapos siya sa isang upuan nang mahigpit. I hit the palm of my hand on her face bago sabihan si Adrion na ang susunod na destinasyon ay ang mansion ni Valentine, which he agreed upon immediately. Sinabihan ko na rin si Ferlin na mag-iingat sa kanila, pinaalahanan ko na rin siya tungkol sa mga reporters na magba-barge in sa mansion nila para ma-distract ang kung anumang seguridad na maaaring nandoon ngayon para harangan kami ni Adrion, advance lang. Baka may hidden premises pang hindi namin nakikita. Kailangang magtagumpay ako sa misyon ko.

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"Yes, you may barge in now." I signalled the fake reporters ng mga inimbentong network channels, kaya hindi kalaunan, ang libo-libong mga fake reporters na ito ay gyinera ang mansion na sinalubong ng mga I guess, assistant ni Valentine.

"Tara." bulong ko kay Adrion. Pagkapasok namin sa mansion niya, nakita ko agad si Manang na halos mabalisa na nang makita kaming makapasok. Pinipigilan niya kaming pumunta ng hagdanan papuntang third floor, kasi raw binalanan siya ni Valentine, ang amo niya na bawal kaming papasukin, baka mapatay daw siya. Hindi na namin kasalanan 'yon, kaya dumeretso kami kahit halos mangiyak na si Manang kapipigil sa amin.

Bumuntong-hininga ako ngayong nasa tapat ulit ako ng secret room nina Sasha at ni Valentine, ng mga Parriño. Huling punta ko rito, Adrion was here, completely believed and tolerated his so-called parents' lies. There, I saw the limited truth, pero sa old mansion lang pala ni Sasha where I held her abduction ko malalaman ang buong katotohanan. Ewan ko na lang kung may maidadagdag pa, pero... pero sana wala na, because I could be a maniac on a rampage if ever.

Now's truly the moment as I enter the passcode. Ang bumungad kasi sa akin dito ay si Adrion, at wala na akong ibang nakita pa... kaya, this is realy the moment of truth. Hindi sinasabi sa akin ni Adrion magmula nung binalikan niya ako to save me from the armed guns of the Valentine's na nandito yung mga katawan ng mga magulang ko. Basta, kutob ko. Malakas ang kutob ko na nandito... and possibly, baka hindi talaga nandirito sa secret room ng mga Parriño ang katawan ni Tita Terry, maybe the bodies they really preserved since then... were my parents' bodies.

I heard the door clang and the little light turned green, meaning, Fuentivas pa rin ang passcode, at dahan-dahan nang bumukas ang pinto. But then, I saw a back of a familiar man from the embalming site with all the stored embalming fluid on the top of the mortuary enclosed in a glass, super thick, at may umuusok sa loob nito, it's freezing the body inside, hindi ko lang alam kaninong katawan.

Pagkalingon ng lalaking 'to, I was surprised by Valentine. He clapped as to recognize our hardship in entering the mansion so easily, that he thinks we're smart enough for getting into the weaknesses of his security.

"I knew you're going to be here." banggit niya. He gradually walked towards me while his left hand starts to get something from his pocket, baka pocket knife kaya hinanda ko na rin ang sarili ko. I saw how he realized that I got worked up by his gestures, kaya napatawa siya nang bahagya habang naglalakad pa rin nang dahan-dahan papunta sa akin. Si Adrion naman, nakatigil lang sa gilid, not even wanting to come close to his stepfather.

"Boom." naglabas siya ng remote, a remote-control bomb. There, three minutes ang timer, masyado ka namang generous. I managed to step forward and lean my hand against his shoulder, trying to distract him by seducing him with my body while I signal Adrion to unlock the thing where the bodies are residing, dalawa kasi ang nakita kong mortuary dito.

"Under that three minutes, I'll make sure we feel the air of this lust—"

Then, Valentine stabbed my abdomen with his pocket knife, galing sa ilalim ng manggas niya. Adrion was alarmed, pero I could see how he's already storing the bodies inside a body bag. Valentine smirked and turned around, confronting his child, I mean, his only stepson.

"Adrion—"

"Valentine! Humarap ka... sa'kin!" I spoke as I tried distracting him, pero hindi niya ako pinapansin, patuloy lang siya sa serial killer catwalk niya papunta kay Adrion.

"Sige, Dad. I'm gonna kill you too! Wala kang puso, kayo ni Mama!—*

"Come on, Adrion, I've been wanting to be dead for such a long time already. This... is a perfect reunion for the two of us, Adrion. Don't worry, we'll have a safe death... kasama si Cassandra, kasama niyang mga katawan ng mga magulang niya na nasa body bag mo—" I put out my gun as quick as possible to shoot Valentine from behind. Kanina ko pa na-reloadan ng bala itong baril ko.

"Adrion, go now! There's only one minute left! Go, Adrion. Go! Keep my parents' bodies safe sa residence nina Ferlin. Go, Adri. Go!—"

"But Cass—"

"I said go! I'll handle this, Adri. Kahit... kahit mamatay pa ako rito, at least, I was able to retrieve my parents' bodies from the hands of these devil. Please... please, Adri..." I started brimming with tears when I saw the timer going at one minute already. Adrion had no choice but to leave whole carrying the two body bags he used to cover my parents' bodies.

Tumayo ako, the same exact time where Valentine gathered all his strength to stand up. Tinutok ko muli ang baril ko sa kaniya, pero... bigla na lang may nagpaputok ng baril sa likod ko, two bodyguards, storming their bullets on my back. Despite the pain and suffering, kahit marami nang dugong lumalabas sa bunganga ko't sa noo ko, even now that I'm on the floor again, almost dead, nagawa ko pa ring mapatay ang mga bodyguards na 'yon by spearing my bullets through their chests multiple times.

Late na nang ma-realize ko na nakadikit na si Valentine sa akin, gripping on my arm and feet, not trying to make me escape even if I use most of my strength.

"Cassandra, I really love dying with the last member of the Fuentivas's." Valentine whispered at inilapag sa tapat namin ang remote, already at ten seconds. At sa loob ng mga segundong 'yon, I tried my best to answer back.

"And I would love to die with someone who made my mother a bitch." he laughed after hearing those. Kahit na alam kong ginusto ni Mama na maging kabit, wala pa ring rason para patayin siya nang gano'n gano'n na lang.

Then, late na naman ako. Late na naman ako nang makita ko ang timer, set at one second, saka sumabog ang buong mansion, leaving both Valentine and I... unconscious, or maybe even...

Lifeless.

Acrimonious Heart, Chapter 26
Next Chapter: The True Identity