NILAGAY ni Stone ang tape na nakuha. Hindi lang isa kundi umabot na ito sa sampu. Anong ibig sabihin nito? Ang inutos lang ni Jasia ay kunin ang recorded tape na ginawa nito kay Isabella ngunit bakit ang dami?

"Just as you requested, I've followed Drake Ignaz and watched his moves." Bahagya muna itong napadaing dulot sa sugat na nasa braso. "I thought it will be hard to find the tape, but Drake himself revealed it. He seems to be watching the tapes every night and doing something that would pleasure himself."

"What?" Napaupo pabalik si Jasia sa upuan dahil sa narinig. Ang mukha nito ay 'di na maipinta, nasusuka dahil sa narinig. "Tapes? Ibig sabihin ba marami rin siyang nabiktima?"

"Yes, miss." Nandilim ang mukha ni Stone. Ito ang unang beses na nakita niyang naging seryoso ang kaniyang alagad. "Not only that, Drake is also blackmailing other women–the same scheme he did to our creator. He is more than a disgusting man."

"And what happened to your arm?" Xibel interrupted.

"I got caught while I was eavesdropping his conversation with his other victims. I didn't know he had a gun. He shot me before I could even fully run away." Yumukod ito. "My apologies, my lord. But don't worry, nobody knows my face in this dimension, so you two will both be safe."

He massaged his nose. That wasn't the problem. It was the least of his priority for his identity to be known. If it was for that disgusting man, he would even volunteer to present himself and sent him to the afterlife.

"I know you are a man who already lost his life, but do not get hurt. You are still my follower." He snapped his fingers, letting the dark dust pour into the wounded arm of his follower until it was fully healed.

Isang maliit na ngiti ang sumilay sa bibig ng kaniyang alagad. "I'm sorry if I had you worried, my lord. I will be more careful from now on."

"Thank you, Stone," saad ni Jasia. Tiningnan nito ang mga tape. "Pero paniguradong naalarma na si Drake sa pagkawala ng tapes. I didn't expect him to be so terribly disgusting. I can't believe it."

"Now, what's next? What do you plan on doing?" He leaned against the chair. "That man is worthy of death. Why can't we just kill him?"

"That is not enough, Xibel. Mamamatay lang siya kaagad pero iyong mga nabiktima niya, ano? Naghihirap pa." Napakuyom ang mga kamao nito.

Nauunawaan niya naman ito dahil kahit siya mismo ay naghihirap pa rin sa bagay na hindi niya naman ginusto. Kahit na matagal na niyang tinanggal sa mundong buhay ang mga nagpahirap at binaboy siya, nandoon pa rin ang mga iniwan nilang marka. Ramdam na ramdam niya pa.

"I want him to rot in jail and face shame," ani ni Jasia. Hinawakan nito ang tape. "Leave this to me. I already know what to do with this. Nakausap ko na rin ang kapatid ni Ameri na isang journalist. He will help us reveal Drake's scheme into the public."

"When will that commence?" he uttered, quite impatient.

"On the day of our performance."

Kumunot naman ang kaniyang noo. "But would it not leave a disaster? Maaapektuhan ang performance niyo."

"Don't worry. Malakas ako kay monsieur." Ngumiti ito. "I'll make sure that after our performance, Drake will rot in hell."

May tinipa ito sa cell phone bago ipinakita sa kaniya. It was a recent conversation of her and her ex-boyfriend. "Nevar threatened me to spread the video if I will not return to him."

"A desperate mongrel . . . " he whispered. Mukhang hindi pa ito natuto sa kaniyang ginawa. Humans were indeed hard-headed. They always wanted to learn the hard way.

"I told him I'll give my answer on the day of our performance. I will let him watch what will happen to Drake too." Mahigpit ang hawak nito sa cell phone; wala sa mga mata nito ang saya. Namayani ang galit at inis na matagal na nitong kinikimkim.

There was an uneasiness running through Xibel's chest, making him tilt his head and think of the following days. He couldn't describe if it was just his anxious thoughts or he really had a bad feeling of what was to come.

"I will watch your performance just in case something goes wrong."

"Okay lang ba sa 'yo?" Napakamot ito sa pisngi. "Actually, I was just about to ask too."

"Yes. I will be fine."

MAHIMBING ang tulog ni Isabella ngunit naudlot ito nang mapansing may mabigat na nakadagan sa kaniyang dibdib. Nahihirapan siyang huminga. Nanunuot din ang lamig sa kaniyang likod. Nakahilata na pala siya sa sahig. Dahan-dahan niyang iminulat ang mga mata at itutulak na sana ang mabigat na bagay ngunit napatigil siya.

She groaned when it was Imris sleeping on her. Ginawa pa talaga siyang kama. May naglagay ba nito o ito mismo ang dumagan sa kaniya?

Hinayaan niya na lang muna ito dahil ayaw niya namang putulin ang tulog ng bata. Napunta ang tingin niya sa makapal at itim na itim nitong buhok. Hinamplos niya ang ilang hibla nito.

She hated what always comes into her mind the moment she saw Imris' hair. It was too similar to Drake. No matter how she thought of other things, she always ended up recalling those terrible times. What was more was that, she couldn't help but to think of the what ifs.

If her child didn't die, would she be as big as Imris now? Would she had become a good mother?

I doubt it.

Dalisay pa sa isipan niya kung gaano niya ito kinamuhian. Ayaw niyang mag-aruga sa batang hindi niya ginustong dumating. Ayaw niyang magkaroon ng anak na purong pandidiri lang ang mararamdaman niya.

Subalit . . . kung iisipin niya ito ngayon, malaki ang espasyo sa puso niyang nagsisi. Namatay ang bata dahil sa paulit-ulit niyang sinubukang patayin itong no'ng nasa sinapupunan pa lang niya. Isa rin sa dahilan kung bakit hindi niya mabitiwan ang mga araw na iyon sa kaniyang buhay ay dahil hindi niya na maibabalik pa ang buhay na nawala na.

"Mama . . ." Imris whispered in her sleep. Siniksik nito ang mukha sa kaniyang leeg.

Bahagya siyang napangiti. "Grabe ka, Imris. Ano kaya ginawa mo kay Xibel bakit kinupkop ka niya?"

Hindi niya pa rin ito kayang paniwalaan kahit pa sabihing may natira pa sa ugaling kaniyang ibinigay bago pa naging necromancer si Xibel. Siguro nga pinuno lang niya ito ng galit. Pinuno niya lang ang karakter nito sa lahat ng kaniyang mga naranasan.

Hindi sana niya sinulat ng ganoon si Xibel kung hindi lang nagbago ang lahat para sa kaniya.

It wasn't in her mind to make him the villain. He was supposed to be the breathtakingly male lead of the story. He was supposed to be happy with his woman.

But she ruined it for him. Because she was ruined, she ruined him too. She changed the course of the story for she couldn't think of anything else where to put her frustration to. Mababaliw siya kapag 'di niya iyon ginawa. Simula rin no'ng araw na 'yon, nawala na ang sigla niya sa pagsusulat.

I wish I could have acted way better.

If she had reached out from people, would those terrible events be stopped? If she had listen to Jasia's advice, maybe, she wouldn't be suffering now.

Kinuha niya ang cell phone sa bulsa ng kaniyang hood. Binuksan ang app kung saan naroroon ang kaniyang mga sinulat; ang mga tapos ng akda at ang hindi pa--ang Reincarnated Actress.

Napaisip siya sa sinabi ni Xibel kanina. Tamang may naisip na siya, ngunit sa katanuyan, hindi siya sigurado kung tama ba ito para sa kaniya at kay Xibel.

She wanted Xibel dead at the end of the story.

But would that make her feel better? Ending his life could also mean her way of moving on. But seeing Xibel's existence now just held her confused. Hindi siya sasaya kapag iyon ang isusulat niya.

Marami pa siyang gustong ipakita kay Xibel sa nobela, lalo na sa pagitan nila ni Celestialiana. Siya rin ang may kasalanan kung bakit nagkahiwalay ang dalawa.

"Ba't kasi iyon naisip ko?" She groaned while thinking of her impulsive decision years ago. Minsan na ring siyang nainis sa pagiging pantser niya. Although, she found freedom of being a pantser, there was also a bit of frustration every time she comes up with a new idea having a hazy solution.

'Di bale na, makakaisip din naman ako' was what she used to say. However, it was frustrating. It was too frustrating that she wanted to start Reincarnated Actress all over again and rewrite the characters.

She scrolled down through her notifications and until now, many were still reading and finding her stories. She felt bad for making her readers wait for too long. And if she could update, it was only a chapter, not enough to quench them.

She wanted to be as active as before.

Pero ang hirap. Hindi niya na makita ang daan kung saan siya magsisimula ulit.

Napatigil siya sa pag-scroll nang biglang may nagpakitang notipikasyon sa kaniyang screen. Napakurap siya nang makita ang pangalan nito.

It was Drake.

Sa pagkakaalala niya ay matagal an niyang bl-in-ock ang account nito. Gumawa ba ito ng bago?

What is it this time?

Napakagat siya sa kaniyang mga kuko. Bumalik ang mga memoryang araw-araw siyang nakararamdam ng kaba sa tuwing makikita niya ang mensahe ni Drake. Ano na naman kaya ito? Hindi kaya nagalit ito sa kaniyang ginawa at balak na naman siya nitong paikutin?

Mangyayari na naman ba sa kaniya ang sinapit niya dati?

Ayaw niya itong buksan, subalit lalala lang ang nararamdaman niya kung hindi niya papansinin ang mensahe.

Nanginginig niyang pinindot ang pangalan nito. Nanuyo ang kaniyang lalamunan nang makita ang laman.

It was a video of her and Drake.

Why? Why did this video still exists? Didn't he tell me he deleted it already? Did he lie to me? Did he keep it? Was he stil watching it?

The anxiety crept over her heart as she thought of someone was still watching her body naked. After all those years, somebody was still looking under her dresses. What worse was that it was her disgusting ex-boyfriend, the root of these all.

Nalaglag sa kaniyang kamay ang phone habang hindi niya na napigilan ang sariling mapasigaw.