Trigger Warning: Coercion

If you are not comfortable with it, you may skip this part.

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Clifford Trent

I flipped the next pages of the book I was currently holding to get a glimpse of its plot when I heard voices at the far end of the bookstore.

"Ayoko nga sabi eh!" A young woman said between muffled breaths.

I stepped towards them silently, my shoes barely touching the floor.

"Lumalaban ka na?" A male voice dared to ask and I frowned.

"Please! Tigilan mo na ako!" The woman pleaded.

The subdued voice of the woman was enough for me to ruin their moment. It was a powerless voice that needs help and I did not waste any more time to step up.

"Excuse me?" I said and looked at their positions.

The woman was almost pinned against the cream wall of the book store and the male's arm was caging her.

"Ano?" The male asked in annoyance at me.

"May new stock pa po ba kayo nitong libro?" I asked gesturing at the title of it.

The Sweetness At The Bottom of The Pie by Alan Bradley.

"Mukha ba akong nagtatrabaho rito?" The irritated male retorted and removed his arm from hers.

"Well, she is." I said simply, pointing at her uniform.

"Sandali po, Sir. Ichecheck ko lang itong libro." The woman said as soon as she was free from his tightened grasp.

His hand marked against her pale skin and I knew right there that he is forcing himself on her.

She gave me a small smile as she went to the stockroom behind the store's counter at the front. The guy left the book store in dismay.

"Ito ho, Sir." She uttered and came with a new one of it. I checked it and fished out some cash to pay for it. "I received 1000 pesos po."

When she gave me the change, I slid into her palm a calling card and her eyes shone with tears.

"Maraming salamat ho! Please come again!", she shouted her gratitude and I nodded at her before leaving the place.

I strolled around the mall one more time before deciding to have my lunch at Reyes Barbecue at the Foodcourt. Thankfully, there were a lot of vacant spots so I was able to order my food and eat in peace.

"Ang tagal naman ng order natin!" A male in his sixties complained and we heard his exasperation even at the center of the foodcourt where I am sitting. "Kanina pa naman!"

"Saglit lang po, Sir. Ginagawa na po." The humble waiter of the concessionare said as he attended to his concern.

The old man was with his family members and no one is initiating to calm him down. In fact, they were even adding salt to the wound.

"Kanina pa kami dito. Isang oras mahigit na." The wife remarked and rolled her eyes.

"Opo. Pahintay lang po. Marami ho kasing customer." The waiter did his best to pacify them but the family members shook their heads in disappointment.

Hindi rin nakatulong na biglang umiyak ang sanggol na hawak ng anak nila. The baby is obviously hungry.

"Wait lang, be! Eto na!" The daughter said and breastfed her baby, oblivious to everyone around the mall.

"Tingnan mo! Pati apo ko, gutom na!" The old man exclaimed. But his words were cut off with two waiters bringing out their food.

"Thank you for wai-" one of the waiters said and gently put one of their dishes on the table when accidentally, a toddler ran to him and the plates began crashing down.

It was chaos when the old man started shouting angry words at him. The toddle started to wail to. His mother attended to him and apologized over and over again.

It took only a few minutes before a security guard and the manager came up to them.

People began noticing them too. It was an ugly scenario of people trying to raise their point.

I was conflicted whether to step up and be a mediator between them as people have gathered around them. Then, I noticed a familiar face who looked at me too.

He nodded saying he'll take care of it and I smiled at him gratefully.

I quietly left the foodcourt as he take charged of it. I stopped by the flower shop and bought lilies to bring them to her.

God, I miss her.