DULCE'S POV

I woke up alone in my bed, not naked anymore. We pretty much had round 5 in the bathroom until we decided to dress up and get some rest. It was a long night and mind blowing, no doubt. But like I said, it was only a moment of emotional distress, a temporary relief. Now, kailangan kong bumangon ulit at harapin ang kasalukuyan. I forced myself up even if every atom in my body was dragging me down.

And then comes in Doctor Athena with her grand breakfast in bed arrangement. *insert sighs*

"Hey..."

"Hi there." Athena smirks. "Guessing you might need some energizer after that sizzly hot tiresome night with cutie pie?"

Yikes. Napatawa ako nang konti at napangiwi nalang ng mukha sa konting hiya. "Sorry for the noise, I guess?" I joked.

"It's cool. Not sure for the others but I believe that you, Dulce Veleno-- Serena Galvez or Ameerah Howell whatsoever, you deserve a break. At deserve mo rin na maging masaya kasama ni Clarke." She smiled.

"Ayos ka lang ba?" I noticed the water pooling in her eyes. I always know it when something's up with her. "Talk to me." Saad ko habang hinawakan ko ang kamay niya.

"Uh... Hindi ko alam kung paano ko sasabihin sa'yo..." sabi niya sabay buntonghininga. I have a terrible feeling about what she's gonna say.

"I'm guilty... I'm guilty, Dulce..." she adds. Fuck what? Guilty? Bakit?? For what?? I remained silent waiting for what she's gonna say.

"I'm supposed to be a good sister to you... I'm supposed to help you get through all this bullshit..."

"Ano bang pinagsasabi mo?"

"I've been a bitch to you these past few days... I'm so obnoxious. I should've thought about how hard this is for you. Pero anong ginawa ko? Pinalala ko pa. I'm so sorry..." -Athena

I knew it. I knew she was gonna say something terrible, as in emo type of terrible.

"Sus. Yun lang pala eh. Don't worry, I don't mind you being a bitch. I'm used to it by now and it's one of the things I love about you."

Athena chuckles.

"I just want you to know that at this point in time... You're my sister. You're my family. And there is NOTHING I wouldn't do for you... That whatever I may do, I would never mean to hurt you. I will always be there for you and no one and nothing will come between us. I swear it." -Athena

I know what she's doing. I understand what she really means but she's right. Hinila ko siya sa isang mahigpit na yakap. She is my sister, maybe not bound by blood, but she has constantly been there since day 1. Walang makakasira nun.

"Now don't you ever tell anyone I hugged you---"

"Or you'll kill me, and so will I." -Athena

"Thank god you're still a bitch. I do not want that mopey Athena."

"Speaking of moping... I know what you're doing. You're upset about a lot of things... especially about Lola--" -Athena

"DON'T... Don't go there."

"Jeez ok. I just wanted to tell you that a lot of things suck right now and there's only a few things you can do about... like you know... Mommy dearest."

"Oh god no." I groaned in annoyance. That is the least I wanna do right now. I hate facing emo things.

"Dulce... You're lucky to have a mom. I didn't even get a chance to talk to mine seeing that she was murdered in cold blood by the same people who made my life hell... Maybe she's not the perfect ideal mom... but she's still your mom. And I may hate her guts sometimes... But she went through hell to find you... Give her a chance because right now, she's all we have and the only way we get through this is if we can work together... Theo and I are ok with it considering we have no grudges against her. We were just Regina's pawns. Lia is cool after she apologized for being such a terrible boss. Clarke... well idk. So it leaves you..."

Ugh. I hate this. But she's right. I'm just delaying the inevitable. So I got up and went to Helena with a tray and our favorite brand of coffee just like when I was working for her. I know it's weird I made her coffee when I'm not even sure if I hate her or like her but I guess we do need to talk it over coffee so here I go approaching her at the front porch.

"Hi..." I timidly greeted while she slowly turned to me with a smile on her face.

"Coffee?" Sabay naming bati at napangiti nalang kami sabay iling. Turns out she prepared a tray of coffee with the same brand too. Some things never change after all.

"Uhh... I guess a pep talk is in dire need..." I tried to start as I sipped the coffee in my hand. 

"Hindi mo kailangang gawin toh kung ayaw mo... Handa akong maghintay hanggang sa handa ka na." -Helena

And that touched my heart. Sa kabila ng lahat ng pinagdaanan namin, kahit gaano pa ka tindi ang alitan namin, deep down, may puso pa rin si Helena. Nandiyan pa rin ang Helena na nakilala ni Serena...

"I'm sorry I walked out on you the other day... "

"It's ok... I walked away first and I've given you a thousand reasons to hate me. The fact that you're my daughter isn't enough to make  up for it... I just want you to know that I never stopped caring for you. Noong tinalikuran kita, yun ang pinakamahirap na desisyon sa buhay ko... Inisip ko na ginawa ko yun para sa pamilya ko kahit na mabigat sa loob ko... Hindi ko ginustong talikuran ka... pero kung alam ko lang... kung mababalik ko lang yung panahon... Sana pinili kita..." maluluha-luha niyang salaysay.

"Helena..."  I felt her genuity that even I had water starting to pool in my eyes. She cracked open a case in my past I chose to never look back to. Now she's tapped into a soft spot... 

"When I found out you died... a part of me died too... I mourned you too... Believe it or not... Pakiramdam ko namatayan ako ng anak... I felt like I lost my daughter... all over again. Araw-araw kong pinagsisihan na iniwan kita... So when I found out that you were back as Dulce Veleno, secretly, umasa ako na ikaw at yung Serena na minahal ko ay iisa... kasi gustong-gusto kong bumawi...  Ang tanga-tanga ko nga lang na noong nalaman ko na ang gusto kong marinig... I ran away like a coward when I should've faced you and apologized for everything... Hinayaan kong manaig ang galit... pride... takot... Serena... there are only two things I've always wanted to tell you since my biggest mistake... One: I love you... like my own. You are, have always been, and will always be my daughter... and lastly: I am so sorry." -Helena

Alas a tear I tried so hard to hold back finally fell from my eyes... Lumuhod sa harapan ko si Helena habang niyayakap ako at umiiyak na rin siya. I couldn't stop myself from crying either. I have never seen Helena this vulnerable. And she always has a way to open me up. Eversince, she's the only one who could bring out my emotions-- happiness, love, hope... and grief. She's the only one who could break me, and out of my mask of deceit... Not Regina, not Clarke, not Lola... Her.

"Patawarin mo ako Serena... I failed you... I shouldn't have walked away. Dapat tinulungan kita... Please forgive me..." she continued begging as I shivered in tears, moved by her plea. Truth is... I don't think I was ever mad at her... but she broke me the most, more than Lola has. 

I knelt at her level and mustered the courage I needed to look her straight in the eye. 

"I forgive you..." I uttered almost as if a whisper, much to her surprise. It wasn't easy to say but it's what I had to say. She looked at me and I saw that she was indeed worth forgiving. 

"Helena, that wasn't easy to say... Truth is, you were always a mother to me. When Jonathan died... My world began to dim... Pero kinaya ko dahil alam kong kailangan ako ng magiging anak ko. Noong pinagbintangan ako sa kasalanang hindi ko ginawa, my world began to crumble. But when you said you'd help me, god I had hope... Then I lost Esang and my heart cracked. When Lola betrayed me, I felt like I wanted to die. But what hurt most... is when you turned your back on me because I lost all hope. You were one of the only things I clung on to. And I lost you, and I didn't wanna fight anymore. I wanted to give up. And when I lost my daughter... I died..."

I let it out. All of it. No more hiding. No more pretending to be ok. No more mask of deceit. I cried my heart out with my mother. And you know what? It felt good. Para akong nabunutan ng tinik sa dibdib. And I owe it to her.

"Mama?" I was shaking as I said it. It was almost ecstatic to finally say what I wanted. One word. Four letters. And the grinch smiled wide. Helena's the grinch by the way, not me.💀

"I'm not mad at you... I don't want revenge. I never have... All I want is you..." I sniffled as tears kept flowing. "I need you, mama... Kailangan kita..." And we pulled each other into an embrace and she gave a kiss on my forehead, it was the safest I've ever felt in the longest time. She didn't have to say anything. Just her being there, hugging me, it was enough for me to regain part of the light I lost in the turmoil. Unknown to us, the whole gang watched from afar as we have made our peace.

CATHERINE'S POV

Elsewhere....

I finally got what I wanted. I had to wait a while but everything was well damn worth it. I had the pig, the boar and the piglet at the grasp of my hands, tied up to their chairs, still covered by black hoods. Oh this is a sight to behold. I smirked as I put on my mask of deceit and signaled my henchmen to remove their covers. It's my time to unfold my side of the story. *evil laughs*

"Who the hell are you? Oh, wait, it doesn't matter. You'll be dead soon anyway." -Regina

"Oh dearie, so dependent on your Fomorian daddy? Bitch please, we both know you won't tell him you got kidnapped, let alone that you even set foot here in this wretched country because if you could, then I wouldn't have you here strapped helplessly on a chair in the first place. Who knows, maybe Helena would've died too easily."  

"Ok, what do you want? Magkano ba ang kailangan mo para pakawalan mo kami?" -Leith

"The boar has spoken. Hindi ko kailangan ng pera galing sa inyo. I want revenge which is far more expensive than anything else." I mischievously stated as went on to grab a sharp scalpel, walking in between Lola and Leith. I am hungry for blood today. 

"Revenge for what?? Please... wala naman akong kasalanan sa'yo" Lola shivered as she tried to walk her way out of this. Poor little thing.

"Oh no no. Wala kang kasalanan. Your mother on the other hand... " And then I stabbed Leith's thigh and watched as his blood dripped into the floor. Oh how satisfying. But you wanna know what's more satisfying?

"AHHHHHHH" -Leith

"LEITH!!" -Regina

"OH MY GOD!" -Lola

Humalakhak na lamang ako. Oh to hear their wailing was such a pleasing music to my ears. Call me sick but I have waited too long for this. I continue inflicting wounds to both Leith and Lola but mostly Leith while narrating my life story. Lola's screams annoyed the fuck out of me and she breaks my eardrums. She's causing me actual pain and not the good kind. I love how Leith struggles. But I loved torturing Leith the most because I can get the most epic reactions from Regina oh Regina. Insert my evil laughs and grins. It would be a perfect harmony.

"STOP IT!!! TAMA NA!! ANO BA ANG GUSTO MO?! NAME YOUR PRICE!" -Regina

"Oh thank the heavens... Now you're ready to listen. Hallelujah. You know, it would've been way more fun if Helena was here."

"What does Helena have to do with your lunacy, bitch?" -Regina

PAK! One crispy punch for a snarky little bitch with a sharp tongue I'd so love to cut off. For now, I'm contented with her mouth bleeding. That should serve a lesson for 'the queen'.

"Think of a man, one man who connects all three of us,  one man who isn't Leith-- Ew-- nor your sugar daddy. His name starts with an R, ends with an N. You could never forget this guy seeing as he ruined your life." I couldn't be more obvious as to who I was referring to, right?

"Ramon???" -Regina

"Bingo!"

"Is that bastard still alive?? Siya ba ang nagpadakip samin?! Walang hiya siya!" -Regina

"Grabe ka naman! Patay na ang tao. Maawa ka naman! Kalma lang Inesa... oops, I think I meant Regina but I mean what's the difference? After all, you and Inesa are one and the same."

That turned her fiery expression to a shocked face as Leith remained eager to fight death and Lola was confused as a lamb. Euphoric indeed.

"Oh Inesa, Inesa... Ramon wasted so much on you." I continued as I circled around them and plunged another knife on his bicep, gaining some mewls and grunts from the boar. "I know because I was one of his women too."

What is it that millennials call their expressions? Oh was it SHOOKT? BWAHAHAHA

"He loved me and I loved him more than anything. Our affair was perfect. At day, he was a hardworking businessman, the high patriarch of the Howell clan, married to his barren wife for convenience, Helena. But at night, he is the king of the syndicate, I own him and he owns me. We were partners in crime... until you came in the picture!"

The memories flashed back in my mind like it was yesterday, sending me in flames. I was so infuriated. She stole my partner, she stole my lover, MY RAMON!

I yelled as I yanked the table with all the surgical tools, causing Lola to jerk in her seat. I HATE REGINA WITH A PASSION!!

"I NEVER LOVED THAT BASTARD! I HATE HIM!" -Regina

"BUT HE LOVED YOU!!! HE LOVED YOU AND HE DITCHED ME FOR YOU!!! YOU! IKAW NA DI HAMAK NA MAID LANG!!! OVER ME!!! YOU RUINED US!!!!"

I picked one of the knives and aimed it at her direction. It landed just above her shoulder, a few inches from making her bleed. I AM GOING TO KILL HER. But not yet... not too soon.

"And because you were such a bad girl, Inesa... I had to punish you, love. Go figure." I smirked as I let her process that.

Yes, ako ang nagpapatay sa kanya. Yes ako ang nagpadukot at nagpahirap sa kanya. Every single tragedy in her life was brought upon by none other than me. Not Helena. Me. I am the genius here.

Inesa-- Regina--  whatever, was in horror no doubt as she began to realize she was orchestrating revenge on the wrong person. I laughed once more triumphantly.

"Oh my god..." -Lola

"Oh come on, deep down, you should've at least thought that Helena wasn't that smart to dispose you... Sadly though my stupid henchmen failed at this one very simple task. Mga inutil! But no worries, I managed to find other ways to hurt you."

"Let me guess, pinapatay mo si Ramon?"

I just raised an eyebrow. Don't be surprised.

"Of course, I killed him myself. If I can't have him, then no one else can." I sarcastically and proudly confessed as I opened a crate with Ramon's body. Yep I preserved it. He's mine. We made a promise to be together forever. And we are.

Lola shrieked seeing the preserved body. What a squeamish little brat.

"Well, that's kinky." commented the nymphomaniac.

"Holy shit! You're crazy!" - Lola

"Crazy or not, this kind of love never dies... " I was lost in thoughts gazing at my one epic love. And in a split second I snapped back to reality and closed the crate. "Well, let's not delay our plans." I whistled and my henchmen entered the room once more, untying the boar and the piglet, grabbing them tight to their knees as I cocked the gun.

"What's going on???" The piglet panicked as she begged for her life, eyes flooded in tears, screaming at the top of her lungs. "Please! Please! Wag mo akong patayin! I don't wanna die!"

The boar could barely speak at this point as he lost more blood, and his mother finally shed tears and struggled to remove her restrains but constantly fails. "I'm gonna kill you! Pakawalan mo si Leith!!" Regina's empty threats couldn't bother me less.

"Relax. We are just approaching level 2 in this game. Before proceeding, you, Inesa my pawn, have one tiny decision to make. Who are you going to save? Leith, the golden boy? Or Lola the black sheep?"

"Wha-- Leith of course!! Let him go! I choose Leith now leave him alone!!" the protective mother begged. She is so predictable. Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. I nodded at one of my men.

"No, no, no, PLEASE!! PLEASE MAAWA KA! AYOKONG MAMATAY!" she begged and begged. Oh how touching, but I am a woman of my word.

"Lola, relax. You're not gonna die... yet. You still have some monetary value. You will be sold to the brothel. Bye-bye lil one." and once more I laughed nefariously at my triumph as she was dragged to her rightful pigpen.

"And then there was two left... Oh you are so predictable"

I let their restraints be loosened, but enough to keep them under my control. Regina and Leith immediately held each other closely as Leith was close to death.

"Didn't you ever wonder why I had Lola here?" I scoffed. Stupid little thing. "I mean after all you had a grand scheme and I was hoping you could put two and two together."

"Fine. And what do pray tell was she doing here?" -Regina

"Simple. I couldn't kill you but I had your evil spawn in my hands, the daughter you so mourned? The daughter that sparked your thirst for vengeance before her father saved you and laid you on a pedestal? What was her name again? Ah yes, Dulce, so sweet. She was never dead, love. I would never keep a daily reminder of your impurity... so I threw her to the family you loathe-- the Howells."

"No..." mas lalong nanlumbay ang loob ni Inesa noong napagtanto niya kung ano ang kanyang ginawa. She screwed up big time. And I succeeded. Again.

"Dulce was never gone. She was right in front of you all along... and you've punished her, gave her hell like what you've been through... and today... you just sent your most beloved daughter to her death sentence..."

She succumbed into tears, regrets and a shattered heart having fathomed how her own plans backfired.

"I have no blood on my hands... I gave you a choice... and you killed your precious Dulce... tsk tsk tsk... Well don't be so sad. Buhay pa naman si Leith... sa ngayon."

And once more I laughed while signaling my men to tighten the restraints. I am victorious! BWAHAHAHA!

"Though I gotta give you credits, your plan was good. You're a stone-cold bitch. Unfortunately, you were short sighted."

She's still crying hysterically over the most terrible decision she made. Oh well, this is only the beginning of her calvary. I have more in store for her. And I am so eager to gloat in her suffering. I will make sure her death will be long and excruciating.

"Rest well, Regina del Nulla (Queen of Nothing). I'll see you tomorrow."

I walked out to celebrate and gather my arsenal and my army. Much work shall be done.

Doors locked.

Lights off.

Sleep mode.

=================================
A/n Finally had the motivation to write an update💀💀💀

How is it so far?

Please comment feedbacks💀

Who do you think lies beneath the mask of Catherine Romanova?

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