Chapter 7: The Truth

Time had passed, and I found myself in college — malayo sa bahay, malayo sa lahat. I chose to pursue law, kahit na hindi 'yun ang pangarap ko. Gusto ko sanang maging psychologist, pero hindi nila sinuportahan 'yun. They thought it was useless, so I gave up and chose law instead. I enrolled in a prestigious college, but dahil na-delay ako noong 10th grade, I was a year behind my former classmates.

My first year in law school went smoothly, pero nung second year, ramdam ko na ang bigat. I kept pushing through, but my third year… that was when everything changed.

Dumating ang Pasko, so I went home for the holidays. Small gathering lang — immediate family and my mom’s two sisters, na hindi ko naman talaga ka-close. They lived nearby, pero we never really bonded. They had their own lives, and I had mine.

I never expected that night to destroy me.

Apparently, my aunts knew everything. My mother confided in them when I was struggling — when I was at my lowest — and I never knew. That night, while everyone was casually drinking, one of my aunts, already tipsy, blurted out the truth.

"Hoy, alam mo ba kung anong pinagdadaanan ng anak mo? Hahaha! Ewan ko kung alam mo kasi lagi ka namang wala. Pero alam mo ba kung anong klaseng kasamaan ang ginawa ng tatay mo sa anak mo?!"

My heart stopped.

Bigla kaming napatigil. My mother froze, halatang takot. "Tumigil ka, ate," she begged, rushing towards my aunt. But it was too late. My father's face turned pale, confused, "Anong pinagsasabi mo?" he asked, his voice shaky.

And then my aunt laughed bitterly. She slapped my mother across the face and, with so much anger, blurted out, "Ayan! Takot kang malaman niya, 'di ba?! Pero tangina, kailangan niyang malaman!" And she said it. Lahat. Walang tinira.

I felt like the walls were caving in. Para akong nalunod sa nagyeyelong tubig. My hands trembled. My heart pounded. I couldn't even look up. Oh my God… what is he going to say?

And then — he laughed.

"HAHAHAHA! Ano ‘to, joke? You think I would believe that? My father? A monster? Nagsisinungaling ka lang." His voice was so certain, so cold. Tumingin ako sa kanya — hoping for anger, hoping for concern — but all I saw was mockery.

My body froze. Lying? He thought I was lying. He thought I made it all up. How could he…?

"Bakit ka tatawa?!" My aunt snapped. "Alam mong totoo ‘to!"

"Walang kwenta yang sinasabi mo," he scoffed. "Hindi ko pinaniniwalaan ‘yan."

And just like that, he left.

I couldn't breathe. My mind couldn't keep up. Naramdaman ko ang mga tingin ng lahat sa akin — para bang ako yung mali, ako yung marumi. My mother's face was blank, my aunt's anger was burning, and my father's disbelief echoed in my ears. Lying. He thought I was lying.

Tumingin ako sa paligid — but instead of comfort, lahat sila parang nadidiri sa akin. Parang may deformity ako, parang hindi ako normal. I became repulsive in their eyes.

My throat tightened. My hands clenched. My heart shattered. Hindi nila ako pinaniniwalaan. The one person I thought would protect me — laughed. God… bakit ganito?

In that moment, everything I built to protect myself crumbled. The walls I made, the healing I tried to achieve — gone. The truth was finally revealed, pero imbes na protektahan nila ako, ako yung naging kasalanan. Ako yung naging kasalanan nila.

And for the first time in my life… I truly felt like I didn’t belong in my own family. Kala ko may chance pa para maayos ang pamilya namin pero wala na pala.

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