Trigger warning: self-harm, suicide, death.

CHAPTER XV: SISTER

DAMIAN

I didn't expect that Kali and I are more connected than I thought...

Hindi ko akalain na may koneksyon din pala siya sa isang tao sa nakaraan...

"She's here again." Lorin sighed beside me.

We were in college when a girl would often come to see me. Parang palagi siyang nand'yan sa kung nasaan ako. She was just a bit older than me and my friends. And I heard that she's into modeling.

She was pretty but... it was not it...

I may play around with the other ladies but I wouldn't want to play with anyone's feelings. At least it was a mutual understanding between me and the girl and we're both not serious. Dahil kapag nalaman kong nagiging seryoso na ay ako na rin ang umiiwas kung alam ko naman sa sarili ko na hindi ko rin kayang maging seryoso.

I had a rough past...

And everything started when someone from our group of friends had invited her to our party and she was introduced to me.

"Damian, this is Daniella Andrade. She's a model!" My friend told me.

Tumango lang naman ako. And I smiled politely to the girl who's now beside him. At mukhang pinopormahan na rin ito ng kaibigan ko. I didn't really bother myself that much with my friends affairs. Pero ayaw ko lang na namimilit sila sa kahit na kanino. And this girl looked like she's still innocent. Napailing na lang ako nang tahimik. As long as she's also aware of how my friend was a playboy. And she's still a bit older than most of us so I thought that she already knew what she was doing...

But then while partying I noticed that she was already being forced to go with him. And I didn't care if he was a friend but I won't tolerate him putting force on the girl or anyone.

I hate it when people forced themselves on someone...

At lalo na kapag wala rin kalabanlaban iyong pinipilit na tao...

"Fredrick, what are you doing to her?" Hindi ko na rin napigilan ang sarili ko na lumapit sa kanila at umawat.

Fred turned to me drunkenly. It was obvious that he was already drunk. I just sighed.

"Damian... Ang arte kasi ng babae na 'to. I already paid her. Kaya ano ang karapatan niya na tumanggi pa ngayon sa akin?" Fred said.

While my eyes widened a fraction at what he said. Pagkatapos ay bahagya rin kumunot ang noo ko. "What do you mean, Fred?"

He smirked. "This woman, her true job is being an escort!" He laughed like he's gone mad.

Bumaling naman ako ng tingin kay Daniella Andrade na tumingin din sa akin. It was also common for some models to...

I shook my head. Still Fred can't force her now... if she doesn't really want it. At mapipilitan na lang siyang gawin ang bagay na ayaw naman niya talaga.

I couldn't help it but to also remember my past and my old self as I was in a situation like this. Naalala ko ang trabaho rin dati ng ina na kinagisnan ko. I grew up in a dirty club because of the nature of her work. And there was a time back then when I'd saw her crying because it looked like she also got tired of her job...

It was a horrible place to be. I shook my head once again at binalik ko na rin ang isip ko sa kung ano ngayon ang nangyayari sa kasalukuyan. I looked at Daniella again. At unti-unti naman siyang umiling sa akin na mukha pa siyang takot.

Then without really thinking further, I grabbed her hand. Then I just turned shortly to Fred. "I'm taking her with me. I'll just pay you with the amount you paid her... We're leaving." I only said.

Pagkatapos ay hinila ko na rin ang kamay ni Daniella paalis sa party at sa lugar na iyon kung saan may ilang mga mapanghusgang mga mata na rin ang nakatingin sa kaniya dahil sa sinabi ni Fred.

"Damn you, Damian!" Fred could only mutter a curse.

But then he couldn't stop us from leaving.

"T-Thank you..." Daniella said.

Tumingin naman ako sa kaniya pagkatapos naming makalayo na sa party na 'yon. And it was even a party made and prepared for me because it was also my birthday.

"Bago pa lang kasi ako sa trabaho ko... Kaya nagdadalawang-isip din ako..." Nakayuko siya habang nagsasalita.

I sighed. "If you don't want to do it, if you're unsure now, then just quit..." I told her.

Nag-angat naman siya ng tingin sa akin at nagkatinginan kaming dalawa. Pagkatapos ay umiling naman siya. "Hindi pwede... Uh, kailangan ko rin kasing kumita ng pera. Ako na lang kasi ang bumubuhay sa nakababatang kapatid ko at nag-aaral pa siya. Pagkatapos ay nagkakasakit din siya minsan. At ayaw ko na baka kapag wala kaming perang pambili ng gamot... ay baka kuhanin din siya sa akin kagaya sa nangyari sa mga magulang namin na wala na ngayon at pareho rin silang namatay sa isang aksidente..." Muli siyang nagyuko ng ulo niya.

And I was looking at her as my lips parted a bit when I listened to her story and after hearing it. And then I looked at the sea in front of us. Dinala ko siya rito and we were just outside my car that I parked here on the side of a bridge.

Then I thought of something that I could help her. It was also out of pity for her and her younger sister...

"Then... I'll be your client. I will pay your agency..." I said and then I turned to her.

At muli kaming nagkatinginang dalawa. Nanlaki pa ang mga mata niya but I only smiled at her reassuringly.

And since then I always paid for her time and acted as if I was her customer. Kahit wala naman talagang nagyayari sa amin ni Daniella. It was only so that she wouldn't have to take real customers...

And now I looked at the girl who Lorin just mentioned who's already here again. Pinuputol ko na ang ugnayan ko sa kaniya simula nang magsimula na rin umiba ang ugali niya sa akin...

At first it was all fine. We became like friends dahil minsan ay nagkikita rin naman kami just about two to three times this whole time. Kinukumusta ko lang siya and I liked it that she'd often talk about her little sister as well whom she's told me was doing good and healthy. Napapangiti ako kahit hindi ko rin alam ang pangalan ng kapatid niya. At hindi ko pa ito nakikita noon.

And I thought to myself that at least I was able to help them...

Matulungin din sa kapwa si Lolo. He was part of multiple charities. And I've always wanted to be like him...

But then one time Daniella just told me that I can take her...

"You can take me now, Damian... Since you've already been paying me. Why not just do the real thing with me?" She said.

While my lips parted a bit as I looked at her. "What are you talking about, Daniella..." I couldn't believe her...

Then I remembered all the other girls who she was already becoming like them as well now.

Some girls can get obsessed with me... And I didn't like it. I hated it. It felt like a threat to me and my own safety. At parang nagbabalik din ang past traumas ko noong bata pa ako kapag pinipilit na nila ang sarili ni sa akin...

And I didn't expect that Daniella would one day become like that person as well.

I looked at her. Umiling ako sa kaniya. "Don't do this, Daniella..." I even almost begged her. Because she was already doing fine, kaya hindi ko maintindihan kung bakit kailangan pa niyang gawin ito...

"But I want to do it! With you, Damian... Only you..." She even smiled at me when she said it.

But her smile only looked creepy in my eyes. Naramdaman kong bahagya na akong pinagpawisan at hindi na ako nagiging komportable sa kaniya. Kaya naman isa pang pag-iling ay umalis na rin ako roon sa harapan niya at iniwan ko na siya doon.

"Someone's obsessed with you again, Damian?"

I looked at Lorin beside me. Pagkatapos ay walang gana lang ako na umilang at tumalikod na iniwan ko silang lahat doon at bago pa man makalapit din sa akin si Daniella na ilang beses na rin nagpupunta rito sa university namin para lang makita ako.

And as I was going away I could feel like my heartbeat was being doubled. And then sweat formed on my forehead as well.

I didn't want anyone dying again this time...

All those girls... They all died after harming their own selves...

I didn't killed them directly... Pero baka nga ako pa rin ang pumatay sa kanila, just because I couldn't do it with them or I cannot give them the attention that they want from me...

Sobrang lakas ng pintig sa dibdib ko. I didn't want this...

I didn't tell them to like me. At ako na rin naman ang umiiwas kaagad. But those women can get crazy as well... And they can be dangerous...

"My sister died because of you!"

Parang nagising ako at nabalik sa riyalidad nang marinig ko ang boses ni Kali ngayon sa harapan ko na sinisigawan na ako...

I looked at her while she looked at me with hateful eyes...

Reia Kalixta Andrade. That's her name. Pero bakit ko nga ba nakalimutan ang tungkol sa ate niya na si Daniella when all along they have the same surname...

Wouldn't it be even a bit familiar to me?

Pero... dahil din iyon sa past traumas ko that the doctor already explained it to me that I often forget about things or even people that could trigger my past and traumatic experiences...

My lips just parted as I looked at Kali now. And my heart hurts as well and more as I saw her already crying in front of me... Parang pinupunit din ang puso ko na makita ko siyang ganoon...

One day I just heard from news from friends that Daniella committed suicide...

And Daniella was Kali's sister...

Marahan akong umiling kay Kali habang tumulo na rin ang sarili kong luha... "I'm sorry, Kali..." I can only say to her now.

Author's note: hi, readers! The free chapters for this story ends here. If you want to read more until the end—it's now Completed in my Patreon creator page Rej Martinez and you can join and avail the first 7-days free trial membership. For Facebook VIP membership, kindly message me on Facebook Rej Martinez (my account is temporarily private/locked but anyone can send me a message and I use the same profile picture there as the one I'm also using here in my Wattpad profile). If you have questions you can leave a comment here or ask me in your message. Thank you so much for your love and support for me and my stories!