What happened that dawn made me smile like crazy the whole day even though I lacked sleep.

We made a promise that the night before the wedding, we would run away. The thought is scary but it also excites me. Dati kasi, gusto ko ring lumayas, but I couldn't do it alone because I don't have the courage to. But now, Alaric has given me strength to finally do it. Malakas na ang loob ko kasi syempre...kasama ko siya.

I giggled when I remembered how he didn't want to go that morning after I said those words...how I got shy after saying those words...and how we exchanged meaningful glances as he left.

Ilang araw nalang, Alaric. Magkakasama na tayo.

My thoughts were once again interrupted when someone knocked on the door. When I opened it ay agad na bumungad sa akin si AJ na nakaayos na. Today, we're going to a cafe for dessert testing.

Hindi naman na ako nagreklamo because suddenly, I wanted sweet things, and for sure ay marami nun doon.

He smiled at me. "How's your feeling? Feeling better today?"

Tumango ako sa kanya at bahagyang nahiya nang may maalala. "Yeah, and sorry nga pala...sa mga nasabi ko no'ng nakaraan."

He nodded. "Okay lang 'yon. I understand where you're coming from. May pagkakamali rin talaga ako."

I sighed. "Salamat din...sa kagabi."

"No worries. I just want you two to be happy. Speaking of, have you two already made up?"

I smiled. "Yes."

He smiled back and gave me a pat on my shoulder, "That's good. Don't worry, I have a communication with him, you can borrow my phone from time to time when we're together."

Agad na lumiwanag ang mukha ko at napayakap ako sa kanya. "Thank you, AJ!"

He chuckled and ruffled my hair. "Don't worry, Klio. I always got you!"

The days after that were okay. I was always smiling, not because of the wedding but because of the thing that we plan to do. Lagi ko ring kausap si Alaric through phone at mabuti nalang ay hindi naman nila nahahalata.

Napahawak ako sa lababo habang tinitingnan ang sarili sa salamin. I just had my breakfast pero lahat ng iyon ay iniluwa ko rin. I don't know what's happening to me. Mahilig naman ako sa bacon pero ngayon ay hindi ko na gusto ang lasa, nasusuka ako.

Hindi kaya...may malubha akong sakit?

The thought made me panic and the first person who came into my mind was AJ, ngunit kung saan kailangan ko siya ay hindi ko siya mahagilap. Three days before the wedding and he's not here? Ano ba ang pinagkakaabalahan niya?

I waited for him the whole day ngunit hindi siya dumating. Ang lungkot tuloy dahil hindi ko makausap ang kapatid niya.

It was seven in the evening when someone knocked on the door. I thought it was Alaric kung kaya't binuksan ko iyon but I was surprised to see Liam instead.

I looked at him with my confused expression. Bakit siya nandito?

"Uh, bakit?" I asked awkwardly because suddenly I don't like the way he's looking at me.

"Rachel and I will be going out for a drink, gusto sana niyang makasama ka pati na rin si AJ, but he's not here..." he answered.

My eyes widened. "Saang bar ba?"

"Around BGC, I guess?" He smiled.

Agad akong tumango. What if Alaric's there? Edi makikita ko siya!

I thought it was an opportunity that's why I grabbed it. Sumama ako sa kanila even without having AJ by my side.

Tama nga sila. Kapag desperada ka na, lahat kakapitan mo na.

I immediately surveyed the surroundings when we got there. May iilang pamilyar na nakita na agad ko namang binati. 'Yon nga lang ay hindi rin ako nagtagal dahil may nakalaan palang private room para sa amin.

To be in the same room with Rachel is the last thing that I want pero dahil may kailangan ako ay tiniis ko iyon. I decided to play plastic kahit na ayaw ko nang gano'n at ang gaga, tuwang-tuwa naman, akala niya totoo ang pinapakita ko sa kanya. Or maybe she knows that I'm pretending too at sinasakyan niya lang ako?

I don't know. I just don't trust her...and like her at all.

"Tonight is the best night ever! Thank you for coming with us, Klio! For the first time, I feel like I really have a sister." Halos maiyak na niyang sabi, samantalang ako ay nakangiwi lang habang nakatingin sa kanya.

Ewan ko kung bakit niya nasabi iyon, e halos wala naman akong ginawa. Tinutulungan ko lang naman siyang magsalin ng alak mula sa bote, sinasagot ang mga tanong niya, at pinapakinggan ang mga sinasabi niya. It was just a bare minimum at bagot na bagot pa ang mga sagot ko.

Honestly, I didn't know she's this shallow, at ang bilis pang malasing.

"Wait lang, restroom lang ako!" Aniya at tila batang pinipigilan ang suka.

Saglit akong naawa at naisipang samahan sana siya but when I remember that I should be angry ay hinayaan ko na.

Bored akong sumandal sa sofa at iginala ang tingin sa paligid.

Alaric's definitely not here. Sayang naman. And I wonder, ano kayang pinagkakaabalahan niya ngayon?

Is he preparing for our plan already?

Naudlot ang pag-iisip ko nang tumabi sa akin si Liam. Matino pa naman tingnan but as someone who drinks regularly ay masasabi kong may amats na siya.

"Mabuti ka pa malakas uminom, ang kapatid mo down na." He chuckled and looked at me with his weird eyes.

"Uh, yeah. Ikaw din, mukhang madadown na." I answered and looked away.

Laking gulat ko naman nang umusod siya palapit at ikinulong ako sa upuan.

"Mas masaya ka pala talagang makasama kumpara sa kanya. You're not boring and I like women like you." He whispered as his gaze fell to my lips.

I raised a brow. I think I don't like where this is going.

"What are you saying now, Liam? Ginagamit mo lang ba ang kapatid ko?" I asked with my furious gaze.

He smirked and held my face and before I could add something, he already crashed his lips into mine.

Agad akong pumalag but he was quick to grab my hands to pin it on the sofa. I tried to fucking kick him pero naipit na niya ang mga binti ko. He was strong at patuloy ang paghalik niya sa akin.

"You taste good, Klio. Fucking kiss me back." He uttered when he let go of my lips

Hinihingal naman akong naghabol ng hininga, disgusted of what just happened.

"Asshole!" I hissed and when he tried to kiss me again, I bit his lip hard making him let go of his grasp on me.

Nang bitawan niya ako ay agad ko siyang sinampal ng malakas.

"Manyak." Galit kong saad at tumayo.

But when I attempted to walk, I felt a pang of pain on my tummy area that worsened when I took one more step.

Napahawak ako sa tiyan ko.

"Fucking come back here..." I heard Liam mutter with anger kung kaya't kahit na mahirap ay humakbang pa rin ako palayo.

Ngunit bago pa tuluyang makalayo ay naramdaman ko nalang ang sarili na bumagsak dahil sa sakit ng tiyan at pagkahilo. But before I lost consciousness, I heard AJ's voice calling me.

Nagising ako sa isang puting silid and when I looked around, I realized that I am in an hospital.

"Are you okay? May masakit pa ba?" AJ asked at doon ko lang napagtanto na hindi ako mag-isa sa silid.

"W-Wala na." Sagot ko.

"You collapsed at the bar. Me and Liam brought you here dahil lasing na si Rachel. I'm sorry, Klio. Late ako."

I immediately clenched my fist. Liam. That bastard. I want to punch him hard. But then...I have other things to prioritize.

"H-How's my condition? Anong sabi ng doctor?" I nervously asked.

AJ sighed and held my hand. "About that, Klio. I need to tell you something."

I felt my nerves tremble when I heard that. May malala na ba akong sakit?

"B-Bakit...Ano 'yon..." I asked, anticipating something worse.

But what AJ said next sent my soul to another level of confusion...and then...euphoria.

"You're five weeks pregnant, Klio."

At first, I didn't know what to feel, ngunit makalipas ang ilang minuto ay nagbago ang pakiramdam ko.

To be a mother wasn't included in my plans. Hindi ako handa. Pero iba pala kapag magkakaanak ka sa taong gusto mo. You'll feel happy and excited about what the future would be...with them.

That's what I exactly felt. And after that...I couldn't wait to tell Alaric.

AJ offered me to call him pero mas gusto ko sana na sabihin sa kanya ng personal, total ilang oras nalang din naman ay magkakasama na kaming dalawa.

Umuwi kami sa mansyon pagkatapos. AJ informed me of the plan at agad na rin akong naghanda.

Because the wedding will take place less than 24 hours from now, mahigpit na ang siguridad sa mansyon. AJ could no longer make Alaric go inside the Villamor premises; that's why the plan was for us to meet at the nearest street.

It was 8 in the evening when the rain poured hard. AJ was in my room and we're both waiting for the rain to stop when someone called him, which made him leave the room, leaving me alone. Ngunit bago iyon ay may iniwan siya sa aking phone.

"Use that. Good luck, Klio." He said and hugged me tight before leaving the room. "Take care."

Tumango ako at naiiyak na tiningnan siya palabas ng kwarto ko.

Mas lalo akong kinabahan pagkatapos no'n. Our agreement is that we'll meet at 2 in the morning at 1:45 am palang ay nakatayo na ako.

The rain was still pouring hard and there was even lightning. Nakakatakot. But I know it will be worth it once I'm already with him.

I sent him a message after that and I was about to go out when someone knocked on the door. I thought it was AJ kung kaya't agad akong tumungo sa pinto at binuksan iyon but when I opened the door ay wala naman akong nakitang tao.

It was weird and I decided to close it when suddenly someone covered my eyes and mouth, and put a blindfold on me. I was pushed inside my room and it wasn't long when my back touched the mattress of my bed.

I tried shouting and kicking but my mouth was already stuffed with tape at ang kamay ko naman at paa ay nakatali na.

Napakabilis ng nangyari. Ni hindi ko nahanda ang sarili because never did it crossed my mind that something like that would happen.

My tears fell thinking of Alaric waiting for me and I was silently praying to let someone come and save me. But suddenly, I felt a needle touch my body, it was just faint but I'm sure that whoever did that injected something on me. Kung kaya rin siguro makalipas ang ilang minuto ay naramdaman ko ang panghihina ng katawan ko.

What did they do to me? Ang anak ko! Baka mapahamak siya! I tried moving my body but I already feel so weak.

"Sayang ka, ang ganda mo pa naman." I heard a familiar man's voice and the next thing I knew, he was already touching my body inappropriately.

I felt him remove my clothes from my body. Gusto kong magprotesta ngunit wala akong ibang magawa kundi umiyak dahil hindi ko maigalaw ang katawan ko.

I'm sorry, Alaric. I'm sorry, anak.

I don't know what's happening and I'm slowly losing hope if I can make it.

I was crying while feeling what the devil was doing to me when I heard another familiar voice.

"Ano pong ginagawa mo..." the woman's voice said.

I immediately recognized who it was. Rachel.

I hate her but at that moment, I had a small hope, only to be shattered when I felt another prickling sensation on my arm.

And after that, I already lost my consciousness.

Akala ko ay doon na magtatapos ang lahat. Akala ko ay iyon na ang pinakamalala, pero mali ako.

Because I woke up the next day lying beside a dead body with a knife in my bloody hand.

Rachel Villamor was found dead and I was deemed as the murderer.