Payback

Chapter 21: H is for Hell

"We stop looking for monsters under the bed when we realize they're inside us." -Joker

You'll find out the truth soon. Will you be able to handle it, Gabrielle? -H💋

☔︎・☔︎・☔︎

"T-Tita Sandra?" I asked, still not processing what I have heard.

"You are so cute when stuttering, Little Gabrielle," she said before laughing.

"I trusted you. My family trusted you," I said, trying my hardest to breathe properly due to the intense crying.

I looked at Xander. He kept mouthing that he's sorry but I didn't want to take all of it in.

Tita Sandra laughed. "Thank you for the trust, dear but I don't care. Putting your trust in me was the worst thing you have ever done."

"How could you do this to me?" I asked, my voice raising a little. "What did I ever do to you? Who gave you the right to hurt me this way?!"

She sighed. "Oh my, poor girl." She chuckled and hearing that, sent shivers down my spine. "This only happened because you are Lianna and Gabriel's daughter. The plan is to get back at them through you."

I scoffed. "What did you plan, huh? What did my parents do for you to take out your anger on me?"

"Well, my dear Gabrielle, you are speaking to the one and only H," she confessed and my eyes widened in shock.

Ever since my parents let me use a phone, I have been receiving messages from an unknown number every day. I thought they were harmless because they were all motivational quotes. I was weirded out, of course, especially when I changed my phone and number but her messages were still appearing every morning.

"I made you believe that I was on your side when in reality, I am preparing you for the greatest war that I am sure you'll lose," she narrated. "That PTSD stunt was just the beginning. Even the almost divorce of your parents was part of the plan."

I felt like everything around me started spinning. I broke down again. It was too much to handle. Every little thing that broke me flashed right in my eyes. The bullying, the endless fights of my parents, and my attempted suicide are all coming back to me. All of them felt like knives stabbing me in the chest over and over.

Now, a new nightmare flashed before me, adding up to the existing memories that kept haunting me all the time, and this new nightmare is not a knife anymore but a f*cking gun aimed directly at my head.

Looking at Xander in front of me became the reminder that there is no love in this world. It was all a big fat lie.

I thought everything was meant to happen this way. That's why I resented the universe, destiny, and fate but turns out, my life was not supposed to be like this. All of the pain I experienced was because of her. Sandra Planes is my twisted fate.

"If you're mad at my parents, mess with them. Why do you have to ruin my sanity?" I asked.

"An eye for an eye, I guess," she answered.

"What d-does that e-even mean?" I said, giving my best to say those words because of too much crying.

"Go ask your parents, love." She chuckled.

"Go to hell!" I screamed between sobs.

She laughed. "Oh, honey, I am already in hell and you should be too. H is for hell which I would gladly take you and your parents to. Au Revoir, Gabrielle," she said before ending the call.

I threw Xander's phone before hugging my knees to hide my face.

There it is again. That feeling when you're inside a dark room and you can't see anything so all you can do is cry because even if you scream from the top of your lungs to ask for help, no one can hear you.

"Brielle," Xander called.

"Get out," I demanded.

"I never really liked the plan, to begin with. I just had to do it because I don't want to disobey my mom's orders. She's the only family I have," Xander explained but I didn't take all of it in. I am so mad at him and his mother that even if he tries and tries to defend his side, he'll still be a devil in my eyes.

"How can you sleep at night knowing that you're ruining a person's life?"

"Brielle..."

I looked up at him. "I was at my best, Xander. This was the most fun I have ever had in years and yet, all of you chose to take it away from me. You disgust me so much."

"I'm sorry," he said, trying to hold my hand but I moved it away from him.

"Stop it, Xander. Sorry won't do anything. Nothing you say or do can change how I feel about you. I don't want to see you anymore. I hate you, Alexander Parker... or should I say Alexander Planes." I laughed bitterly. "Get out."

"Brielle, I..."

"I SAID, GET OUT!" I screamed. He stiffened. It was the first time he saw me that mad.

He was still about to say something but decided not to and instead, stood up and went out of the door.

"Marina, what happened?" Mom asked a few seconds later after Xander walked out of the door.

I didn't answer her and just buried my face in my knees again.

"Marina, did you break up? What did he do to you?" she said, kneeling next to me.

"How could you do this to me?" I whispered.

"What?" she asked, moving closer to me.

I looked at her. Concern was evident in her eyes. I wanted to hug her like I always do but I feel so hurt and betrayed. She and Dad did this to me.

"Sandra told me that you did something to her which is why she took out her revenge on me," I narrated.

I saw her expression change from concern to shock. It was that look that I knew Sandra wasn't lying. Mom knew everything.

"She did what?" Mom asked, still shocked by what I said.

"F*ck!" I cursed before burying my head in my knees again to cry.

"Marina, I know what she told you was bad but please let me–"

"So it was true?"

"Marina," she called before trying to give me a hug but I pushed her away.

"Don't touch me! All of you betrayed me! You ruined me!" I screamed while crying.

"Marina, calm down."

"No! I can't even sleep at night without fearing what my nightmares would look like," I said. "I had to endure the pain because of you."

"Marina, my baby, I'm sorry," Mom said before crying as well.

I held my chest because it was getting harder to breathe. I can also feel my vision getting blurry and my head getting dizzy.

Mom saw my shortness of breath and tried to calm me down. I was not in control of my actions and I kept pushing her away, not wanting for her to touch me.

Everything was spinning and as seconds pass by, I felt myself trying my hardest to grasp for air, and just when I was finally calming down, everything went black.