Mistakes We Can't Laugh About (Loser #2)

Chapter 40

Chapter 40

TW: Mention of Abuse

That encounter with him strengthened my desire to punish the real rival, the root of my behavior and my terrible, wicked antecedent.

Buong araw ng Linggo ay nagbasa ako ng interview ni Mr. Mendoza sa magazines. They were full of crap, but I stomached the disgust that was crumbling within me. Nagawa ko ngang harapin siya . . . ano pang hindi ko makakaya?

I looked back on every muscle cramp I had before just to pay the rent; the sleepless nights I endured just to search for someone who could lend me money; and the decent and expensive dates that could have happened if Leon and I didn't sacrifice all our earnings.

Mr. Mendoza played me dirty. Siya ang nagtanim sa 'kin ng galit at ng paniniwalang dapat ay mas magaling ako sa lahat. He killed the young Amari who used to believe that her father was a superhero. The young Amari who wanted nothing but to hear him say he was proud of her.

He murdered my innocence, stained my goodness . . . but I knew at some point in my life . . . I let him.

But then, I was now paying the consequences of my behavior, and it was high time for him to pay his.

"The world is like an ocean and we, people, are its drops. Some were in the deeper part, while others were in the shallow. Some were dancing with the waves, some were playing with the whales. Some were stagnant, some were flowing continuously. Some stayed, enjoying the sea breeze, and some needed to be consumed to save humanity. "

Pumitik ang sindito ko nang basahin ang laman ng magazine. My asshole of a father was playing the poet.

"To achieve great change is to sacrifice. And I, myself, had sacrificed a lot to keep our firm steadfast in the industry. With the help of my co-founder, Mrs. Valeen Claire Medina-Alvarado, we were able to do that. We sacrificed tears, blood, and sweat. Was it worth it? Always had . . . always been."

Hindi ko maiwasang mapatawa. Ang lakas ng loob niyang tawagin sa ganoong pangalan si Valeen na para bang wala silang itinatagong karumihan. It was funny, but at the same time, disgusting. Marami silang napapaniwala na mabuti silang tao.

"We searched for researchers all over the country. We offered jobs to those who had the potential to continue the innovation. We were rejected by a few aggressive and arrogant geniuses, sadly . . . but it was their loss, not ours. We catered to a lot of ideas. Most of them are from Valeen and me, but those of the researchers are helpful as well."

Nagbuntong-hininga ako bago isinarado ang magazine. Availing and looking for it was pointless. Puro pagyayabang lang ni Mr. Mendoza ang nandoon. I put every volume aside and realized how much time I wasted reading them.

"Papasok ka na?" tanong ni Mill nang makitang bihis na ako.

I just nodded in response. She didn't know a thing or two about my family, just like I didn't know anything about hers. Sinabi ko lang sa kanya na nagbago na ang trabaho ko at graveyard shift ako kaya hindi na siya nagtataka kapag umaalis ako ng hatinggabi. Kadalasan naman ay wala rin siya dahil sa trabaho.

"Ba't ka naglalagay kanina ng efficascent oil at pain relief patches? Masakit ang katawan mo?" tanong niya ulit, titig na titig sa akin na para bang binabasa niya ako.

I sighed. Hindi biro ang paglilinis ng mga banyo at cubicle pero wala akong ibang magagawa kung hindi ang magtiis.

My goal destination to clean was the uppermost floor of the firm where the laboratory was located. Walang ibang naglilinis doon bukod sa head cleaner. Hindi rin puwedeng makapunta roon nang walang keycard.