Maginoong Medyo Bastos

Chapter Twelve

TRIGGER WARNING: sexual harassment

"Dad doesn't really know that you're the victim here, ano? For goddamn's sake, did he forget that time when you almost got killed because of Tita Amy?"

Napapikit si Vannessa nang muling maalala ang araw na iyon. Hinding-hindi niya iyon makalilimutan. It was during the last reunion she attended. Pinilit siya ng Daddy niyang sumama at dahil napilit din si Venice, wala na siyang ibang ginawa pa kung 'di magpatianod na lamang dito.

She couldn't really how the series of event happened because it was all a blur. The one thing that she knew was that her Tita Amy pushed her into the road, and she almost got hit by a moving van. A lot of people saw that, but a lot of them blamed her, saying that if she didn't provoke her aunt, then it wouldn't even happen. Siguro kahit namatay siya sa pagkakataong iyon ay siya pa rin ang sisisihin ng mga ito.

Gusto na lamang niyang kalimutan iyon. Hindi lang iyon ang pagkakataong napahamak siya nang dahil sa mga ito. It was as if their primary role in her life was to make it worse.

She just let out a sigh before staring at the star-speckled night sky. They decided to go to the rooftop of the house after Ronan left. It was just like the old times. Umuwi na sa sariling bahay si Ronan habang ang mga magulang naman nila ay nagtatalo sa kwarto ng mga ito.

They were left alone, and that was when she felt like she was home. Si Venice ang taong palagi niyang sinasabihan ng mga problema niya mula noon. Hanggang sa lumaki silang dalawa'y hindi nagbago ang pagsasamahan nilang magkapatid. After all, it was only the two of them. They had no other siblings, and they weren't so close with their cousins as well.

She found comfort with Greg, but the comfort that she felt with Venice was different. It was warmer, if that ever made any sense.

She wanted to tell Venice about Jack, and that she had been wanting to know where he was staying the Philippines just so she could make her revenge. But then a lot of things were keeping her from doing that.

Venice would surely question why she still hadn't moved on from him, especially when it had been years since that happened. It would mean that in order to defend herself, she would have to tell her what he really did. And she wasn't ready for her to know that.

Even when it was out of her control, she still wasn't ready, and she doubted she'd ever be.

She shut her eyes tightly for a brief second before looking at Venice, smiling. "It's fine. Dad still considers them as his family even after everything they've done to us."

She pursed her lips. She wouldn't deny that sometimes, she felt like her dad hated her as well. Maybe he shared the same sentiments with their relatives. Maybe he saw her as someone who could only do harm to other people. That was why he seemed to take their sides more.

Id that were the case, she didn't know how to feel about that.

-

Vannessa wanted to spend her weekend out of town, maybe somewhere quiet. She needed a creative inspiration for her crafts, and whenever she needed to design clothes, she would go out of town to breathe fresher air and to clear her mind, even when she was chasing deadlines. Minsan ay lumalabas siya nang mag-isa. Minsan naman ay kasama niya si Lee.

But in that time, she had an unexpected companion—Santi. She found the girl in the lobby of her condo, waiting for her. She was wearing the same clothes that she had been wearing the last time they saw each other.

Nang mamataan siya nito'y kaagad itong kumaway-kaway bago sumigaw ng, "I was kicked out."

That was where their mini adventure began when the girl presented herself as a companion.