PERFECT LIE (COMPLETE)

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX (Fighting Back)

She needed to wake up. Stand up and fight back - Unknown

---------------------------------

Meara

            "What are your plans?"

            Whose voice was that?

            "For now? I don't know."

            That was Riel. I was sure. That was Riel's voice. Napangiwi ako nang bahagya akong gumalaw. My whole body felt sore.

            "Hindi puwedeng wala kang plano. May sabit itong ginagawa mo. Technically, she is married and her husband is going to look for her."

            Nanatili akong nakahiga at tumingin sa paligid. This was not a hospital. Marahan kong hinawakan ang ulo ko at napapikit pa dahil sumasakit iyon. Those voices were there somewhere. Pero ang isip ko ay bumabalik sa lahat ng nangyari sa akin.

            Perry beat me. Almost killed me. He made me a prisoner in that hospital. I knew he was going to kill me. But Riel...

            Doon na ako tuluyang napaiyak pero pinigil kong makalikha ng ingay dahil ayaw kong malaman niya at ng kausap niya na may malay na ako. Riel was there. He helped me escape. He helped me to get away from that hell.

            Impit akong napahagulgol at sa konting paggalaw lang ng katawan ko ay para na akong maiihi sa sakit.

            "I am not going to give her back to her husband. You know what will happen to her. She will die if her husband finds her."

            "Pinapaalalahanan lang kita. Her husband is rich. Powerful. He could do anything to find her. It's just a matter of time until he finds about what you did."

            Sino ba ang kausap niya? Bakit kilala si Perry? At bakit parang kilala din ako?

            "She will stay here. I can't let her go for now. She needs to recover. She needs to be safe. You saw what happened to her."

            Narinig kong huminga ng malalim ang kausap ni Riel.

            "Perry is a fucking monster. Gago ang walanghiya. I know men who hurt women, but Perry is the worst. He could have killed her."

            "Kaya mas lalong hindi dapat makabalik si Meara sa asawa niya. I don't want her to end up like my mother. I don't want her son to end up like me. This is my chance to change their lives."

            Si River. Lalo akong napaiyak. Ang anak ko. Baka kung ano na ang ginawa ni Perry sa anak ko.

            "All right. Wala na naman akong magagawa. I think you already made your decision. Just be ready for all the consequence of this. I warned you."

            "Kahit ano pa, haharapin ko. I won't give up on her."

            "You need to plan. For now, she will need a good lawyer and a good doctor. Doctor na hindi affiliated sa hospital ni Perry para sa medico legal niya. We already covered for that dahil na-check na naman siya ni Mervin and you heard what he said. She's out of danger. Her wounds will heal. Sa lawyer, ako na rin ang bahala. I'll talk to Eli, his name is Elias Suarez. He is one my best lawyers. He can help her to file a case against Perry."

            "Sige. I am so sorry if I can't help you with Perry's case. I need to help her first."

            Narinig kong tumawa ang kausap ni Riel. "Don't worry about it. I am already in. As a matter of fact, I have a schedule operation tonight with him. Ako na ang bahala dito. You have your own case already."