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❝ condolence, i'm sorry for
your loss.❞

❝ makikiramay lang po.❞

some of their guests said, giving
their condolences for the death
of asmodeus claveria. vivian just
thanked them for their presence.

the room where asmodeus'
funeral's happening is now filled
with their relatives.

hecate, on the other hand, was just
staring at her husband's cold, dead,
pale body. her eyes are swollen from
crying, yet it has no more tears to
cry for him.

the door of the room suddenly
opened, then eurydice appeared,
wearing a simple, white, casual
dress paired with white doll shoes.
her eyes roamed in the room, she
can't help but glare secretly.

❝ seriously? why is this so unfair?
when my mother died, they didn't
even bother on getting her a nice
coffin. but when that pig died, they
even rented a room for his funeral?❞
she thought in disbelief.

she just shook that thought and
looked for vivian, then there she
saw her with her aunt who were
near his coffin.

she approached them with a sad
smile plastered on her face.
❝ hey,❞ eurydice greeted at vivian
to get her attention. vivian faced
her and smiled. ❝ pasensya na,
nagpatiuna na kami ni tita kaya
naiwan ka namin. gusto niya
kasing makita agad si tito.❞

eurydice nodded and answered
with a smile, ❝ it's okay. naiintindihan
ko naman si tita. mahirap talagang
mamatayan ng mahal sa buhay.❞
she even emphasized the last five
words.

hecate suddenly froze when she
heard her voice. she slowly looked
at eurydice who's talking with
vivian. her fist clenched then
eurydice felt that someone was
staring at her. she looked at her
aunt and gave her a sly smile
which made her anger rage.

then she did something unexpected
and made everyone in the room
startled. ❝ hayop kang babae
ka!❞ her aunt shouted with a red
face and her hands in the air, ready
to grab eurydice's hair. good thing
that vivian covered her before
she could do it.

❝ tita, ano ba? kumalma nga kayo,❞
vivian said in a calming way, but
it didn't help anyway. hecate is
still fuming mad.

❝ kasalanan ng babaeng iyan 'yon!
hindi sana siya mamamatay kung
hindi dahil sa kaniya!❞ she's still
shouting and even pointing at
eurydice aggressively with her
finger.

❝ walang may kasalanan ng
nangyari.❞ eurydice just glared
at what her half sister said.
she gently pushed vivian away
and said that she'll fix it.

❝ nandito po ako para makiramay
at hindi makigulo. tsaka bakit niyo
ba ako pinagbintangan? hindi ko
naman kayo pinagbintangan nang
mamatay ang mommy ko.❞

a loud slap landed on her face.
her lips agape and she touched
her cheek where her aunt
slapped her. she shut her eyes
intently.

❝ i can't take this anymore.❞

❝ manahimik kang babae ka! kung
ako sa'yo, lumayas ka na dito sa
pilipi-❞

before she could finish statement,
a pair of slap landed on her face,
on her left and right, making her
kneel on the ground. she eyed at
her aunt intently before closing
the space between them. she
lowered her head and whispered
something that feared her aunt.

❝ huwag po kayong mag-alala, aalis
din po ako rito. huwag niyo nga
lang akong madaliin, dahil sa
pag-alis ko rito, paniguradong
nakakulong na kayo. sige ka, baka
sa pagmamadali mong iyan
mapadali rin ang pagkabulok mo
sa kulungan.❞

then she stood up straight and
went out of the room with her
head up high.

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