NAGMAMADALING BUMABA NG SASAKYAN SI AMBER. NAG-DOORBELL siya habang tinatawag si Paige. Nang walang nagbukas ng pinto, lumigid pa siya sa bahay.
"Paige! Paige!"
Damn, where is she?
Hindi sinasagot ni Paige ang text niya at tawag. Hindi kaya hinuli na ito ng mga pulis?
"Paige! Mamsh! Mamsh!" Bumalik siya sa front door. Hindi niya tinigilan ang doorbell.
Still, it took about three minutes more before she heard something from the inside...or thought she heard something. The door was hardwood, thick as time.
Then it slid a crack.
"Amber?" Si Mamsh, balot ng bathrobe, "I was in the bath."
"Oh, I'm so sorry, Mamsh. I just need to talk to Paige, she's not answering my call, I'm afraid that she'd been--"
"Oh, it's okay now. The lawyer you sent was good. Thank you. Umalis lang si Paige, kakausapin raw n'ya sa Blanche. I couldn't stop her."
"Blanche? Pumunta si Paige sa ospital?"
"If that's where that girl is."
Kinalma ni Amber ang sarili, "Thank you so much, Mamsh. Again, I'm so sorry to disturb you."
"That's what neighbors do. Maybe I can disturb you next time." Ganoon na lang ang ngiti ni Mamsh.
Saglit na natigilan si Amber.
Damn, he's good, bumalik na siya sa sasakyan. Kaya pala ilag sa topic na Sef Gorospe ang mama niya. Nabanggit niya sa video chat na kakaiba ang interior ng bahay ng designer--wala silang ibang pag-uusapan ng mama niya kundi ibang tao--eccentric lang daw si Sef, just like the other old people in the Pueblo, and old-fashioned. Ayaw ng modern touch. Then her mother changed topic, like she didn't want to touch Sef Gorospe in any way.
Because the old designer was...wily.
He made it clear to her it wasn't okay for her to disturb his bath, but since she did, now she owed him. Just like that. May utang na loob na siya kay Sef Gorospe.
And Paige worked for him. For how long, Amber had no idea. Shit. Blanche was right. Hindi niya kilala si Paige. She was too taken by her naivete. And her need of Paige.
Nasa ospital ngayon si Paige. Malamang kausap na ni Blanche.
YOU ARE READING
s i Ni s t e r
General FictionA person who desires revenge should dig two graves. For he who plots to hurt others often hurts himself. But Paige Hipolito didn't know that. She set out to avenge her boyfriend's death and succeeded in penetrating the rich culprits' circle only to...
