Play The Game (COMPLETED)

Chapter 32

#PTG32 Chapter 32

Days rolled in. At habang parami nang parami ang araw na lumipas, pabigat nang pabigat ang pakiramdam ko. Ilang ulit kong sinubukan na alalahanin ang mga nangyari, pero palagi akong bigo. And it was starting to scare me... I didn't want Jax to lose his license for me. I wouldn't let him.

I... I didn't suffer all these years for nothing. I wouldn't let all the pain I felt be for nothing.

I played with the cuffs around my wrist as I waited. May mga pulis sa gilid ko. Iniisip ba nila na kaya ko pang tumakbo? I felt weak. Not only on the inside, but physically as well.

"Are you ready?" Cha asked as we were waiting for the arraignment to begin. Tama nga siya. Masyadong mabilis. I didn't know if I should be thankful for the speedy justice... but this just felt wrong. It felt like everything was being... rushed. Almost felt like someone's controlling the game.

I nodded, lying straight at her face. Ilang gabi akong hindi maka-tulog dahil tuwing ipipikit ko ang mga mata ko, paulit-ulit kong naaalala ang mukha ni Kier... Iyong mukha niya... Iyong dugo... Pakiramdam ko ay tuluyan na akong tatakasan ng bait.

"Good. I know that this will be hard, but you just have to follow everything we told you. You're innocent, Katherine. You just have to believe that," she reminded me.

Pilit akong ngumiti. "Thank you, Cha..." sabi ko sa kanya. "I know we weren't exactly best friends back in law school, but you're still here."

Ibinalik niya iyong ngiti sa akin. Ngayon, naiintindihan ko na kung bakit silang dalawa ni Iñigo. She's so strong. And stubborn. And opinionated. She's the kind of woman men fear. Because she's too much work, too much to handle. But I always knew that Iñigo would end up with someone who'd make him work his ass off.

"You're welcome, but save those words when you're acquitted."

Cha continued to prepare me for the arraignment. Hindi ko pa rin nakikita si Jax. Hindi ko magawang magtanong. Gusto kong ituon ang atensyon ko para sa mangyayari mamaya. Paulit-ulit sinasabi sa akin ni Cha na 'wag kong papabayaan na maka-pasok sa isip ko si Iñigo. Na 'wag kong hahayaan na siya ang gumawa ng kwento para sa akin.

That I was the victim.

And I shouldn't let them terrorize me into being the assailant.

"Iñigo... that bastard will confuse you into tell the side of the story that he wants you to tell," Cha said. "Katherine, now's not the time to look amused."

Pilit kong inialis iyong ngiti sa mukha ko. "I'm sorry. I just still can't believe that you ended up with him."

She rolled her eyes. "When you're out of here, I'll tell you everything you want to know. But for now, please focus. Malapit nang magsimula. We can't mess this up. Although Jax is working really hard for you, I'm afraid that the devil is working harder."

Tumango ako. Tama siya. Dapat kong tatagan ang loob ko.

Ilang minuto pa ang lumipas. Pinakinggan kong mabuti ang bawat bilin sa akin ni Cha. Na kailangan kong iwasan sa mga mata ang mga magulang ni Kier... Na 'wag akong makaramdam ng takot dahil wala akong ginawang masama...

They said that there's no way I could've done it. I was still feeling the shock from having my head banged against the bathtub. There's no way I could've walked all the way down to the kitchen para lang kumuha ng kutsilyo. We needed to hold on to that fact. We just needed to plant a doubt in the mind of the judge.

"Jax—" tawag ko nang makita ko siyang maka-balik. Seryoso ang mukha niya. Masyadong seryoso. Mabilis na tumayo si Cha para lumapit sa kanya. They were standing from a distance. Wala akong marinig. Ngunit nagsimula akong muling kabahan dahil sa ekspresyon sa kanilang mga mukha.