I'm Yours to Adore

Chapter 31

"That was spectacular."

Sobrang kumikirot ang ulo ko but I tried to smile as I sat across Mr. Alba's table in his office. He's the school president and asked me to come here to talk about my employment.

Hindi mabura-bura ang ngisi niya habang tila nakakita ng artista. "Wow, you're in front of me again. The badass teacher who made the cops pay."

Hindi kagaya ng unang pagkikita namin, wala nang bahid ng pormalidad sa kaniya. He is now in his 50s but he's slouching and smiling like a teenage gangster.

"You know that it wasn't a teacher but a 19-year-old student."

Inalis niya ang salamin sa mata habang unti-unting napapawi ang ngiti. "You breached your contract and already paid for the damages. What else do you want?"

"It's been a week since we were released and I guess, nabawi ko na lahat ng nawala kong tulog. Now, I want my job back."

Tumawa siya at tumitig sa 'kin. He loosened his necktie and pointed his finger at himself. "That is up to me. But even if you undergo interview again, I'm afraid I cannot hire you back."

"Why?"

"This is a private school, Miss Del Mar. The sponsors and investors are the big bosses and after what you did to Valderama, they no longer want you here."

Ako naman ang unti-unting napangiti. I crossed my arms and leaned back on my seat. "After what... I did... to that Department Head? He knows that Katya's uncle is holding a gun. He got himself jailed because of fetishizing rape." I sighed and stared at the portraits of the school's main sponsors on the wall. "And why would these big bosses not want me here? Are they patrons of young girls too?"

"Watch your mouth!"

I smirked at him and tapped my index finger on his table. "Sa tingin mo, Mr. Alba, why would I want to go back here?"

Hindi siya nakasagot kaya inilapit ko sa kaniya ang picture na hawak ko. "This was Grace. Katya's friend. She's a student here, and she died when Katya and I were in jail."

"Yes, I'm aware."

"And the person who killed her is here, so I need to find him."

Ibinalik ni Mr. Alba ang litrato sa envelope. "I'm sorry. I can't let you play detective in this school. You have your men to do the job. They got Valderama, right?"

"A student from this school died, and all you did was to get another student to do a song tribute at a flag ceremony."

He clenched his jaw and looked at me with all confidence. "The girl killed herself. There's nothing we can do about it."

Tumayo na ako at ngumiti. "Seems like you really don't care about your students." Kinuha ko ang envelope sa lamesa at tumingin sa labas ng bintana kung saan natatanaw ang mga estudyante sa malawak na field. "In three years of teaching here, I know they have the potential to reform this society. But they can't do much because of people like you—"

"Get straight to the point, Miss Del Mar."

I looked at him and smirked. "This institution has become a cage. It's time to set your students free."

Inilabas ko ang cellphone ko habang naglalakad sa hallway. Hinanap ko ang draft sa email ko na handa nang mag-send sa president ng lahat ng mga klaseng hawak ko.

To my students,

It has been rewarding to meet all of you.

I pressed the "down" button and waited for the lift. Sa gilid ko, dalawang estudyante ang bumati sa 'kin kaya nginitian ko sila. They tried to lower their voices pero naririnig ko pa rin ang pag-uusap nila tungkol sa 'kin.