Chapter 63 The Loser.
Zarya's Point Of View
After we settled in our seats, halatang hindi pa rin kaming lahat mapakali.
My mind wanted to burst out, at gusto ko narin murahin 'tong lalake sa harap ko.
While Iris is still composed, matalim lang ang tingin niya sa ama niya but I can feel it—she's hurt.
Si attorney Vìllor naman ay naglabas ng mga papers sa bag niya.
While this man in front of us is acting like this is nothing. Matalim rin ang tingin niya kay Iris like any minute gusto niyang saktan ito. But he is calm, it's just that grabe ang tingin niya kay Iris. Like he was being betrayed by his own daughter.
"I will state this clearly." Attorney Villor started, formal pa rin ang tono niya. "We are here to inform you of the evidence gathered against you, and to give you the chance to make your statement before the hearing proceeds. Mr. Valenti, do you understand?"
Eric nodded slowly, looking straight at him. "I understand. And I am telling you plainly—I have done nothing wrong. All of this... it's all a mistake. A terrible misunderstanding."
Iris let out a small, bitter sigh besode me. Nakakuyom ang mga kamay niya under the table, but her face was calm—too calm, like she had already accepted every ugly part of this man.
"Just admit it, Dad. she said softly, no shouting, no anger—just pure exhaustion. "Admit it so we can end this already. Para hindi na mahirapan lahat."
Eric's eyes softened, but I saw it—the calculation behind it. Paano niya titigan si Iris na parang wala ng ibang tao dito sa kwartong 'to. "Admit what, daughter? Admit to something I never did? How can you say that to me? After everything I gave you? Everything I did for you?"
"You gave us lies." I cut in, hindi ko na napigilian. I won't let him manipulate Iris. "You gave us secrets and blood."
He turned to me then, jaw tightening. "You have no idea what you are talking about. You lost someone, and now you are looking for someone to blame? And you used my daughter to do it. You turned her against her own blood. Againts her own father?!"
The fuck is he saying? Ang galing niya talagang magshift ng kwento, he is really doing his best to manipulate Iris. His actions made me speechless, napaka walang hiya niya talaga.
"I didn't turn her against you!" I raised my voice, tears starting to prick my eyes out of frustration. "You did that yourself! With every lie you told! With every life you destroyed!"
"Zarya..." Iris said softly, placing a hand over mine under the table. She didn't look at me, but I felt her steady, and grounding me. I realized then na nawawalan na ako ng control sa sarili, so I calmed myself down.
Iris looked at Eric. "Don't shift the blame. We have the evidence. We have their confessions. We have everything. Why can't you just admit what you did?"
"Because I did not do it!" Eric slammed his hand lightly on the table, chains clinking.
"I would never hurt anyone I love! I would never hurt you, Iris! Remember when you were little? When you fell off your bike and scraped your knee? I carried you all the way home. When you were scared of the dark, I sat by your bed until you fell asleep. How could you think I am capable of this?
How could you turn your back on me like this?"
My heart clenched hearing those words. Those were the same memories Iris held dear, mga bagay na sinasabi niya saakin dati.
And now he was using them like weapons against her.
I looked at Iris, scared for a second, natatakot na baka madala siya sa mga salita ng ama niya, that she would fall for his lies again.
But Iris just looked at him, calm and clear. "I remember all of that. And that is why this hurts so much....But being a good father when I was seven does not erase what you did now. You can be kind to a child and still be a monster to everyone else. Stop twisting the past to cover up your crimes."
Iris was fierce, nararamdaman kong nasasaktan na talaga siya. Her eyes started sparkling with tears, pero pinipigilan niya. She really wanted to stand firm with me, and it hurts seeing her getting hurt.
"Crimes?" Eric laughed sharply, shaking his head. "You think this is about crime? This is about protecting what is mine, Protecting my family!"
"By killing people?!" I shouted, tears finally spilling over. "By killing my sister? By killing your own son? Fucking admit it! You did it! You planned it! You ordered it! Aren't you even ashamed? Aren't you disgusted with yourself?"
"Watch your mouth!" He glared at me, eyes burning with rage. "You know nothing about what was happening! You know nothing about the mess they were making!"
"What mess?" Iris asked, her voice rising just a little, sharp and demanding. "What mess justified killing them? What did Yana ever do to you? What did Isaac ever do to you except be your son?"
"Isaac was being manipulated!" Eric snapped, his control starting to crack. "He was letting her turn him against everything we built! Everything I worked my whole life for! She was going to ruin him! She was going to ruin our name, our business, everything!"
I couldn't hold it anymore, tears slowly fall down to my cheeks.
And this time, hindi na dahil sa frustration.
It was because of the thought na ginawa niya lahat ng 'to para sa sarili niya.
the way he says things—he is clearly admitting everything.
Hindi ko ma-imagine kung anong masama ba ang nagawa ni ate para humantong sa ganito.
"So you killed them?" I sobbed out, leaning forward. "So you decided their lives were worth less than your business? Less than your pride?"
"I was protecting him!" Eric shouted back, finally losing that careful mask.
I wasn't even provoking him pero parang siya na mismo ang umaako sa lahat.
"I was protecting my son from her! She was going to drag him down! She was going to destroy everything! I only wanted to keep him safe! I only wanted to protect my son!"
The second those words left his mouth, biglang tumahimik ang lahat. Even the officer by the corner stood straighter, like he also understands things. Attorney Vìllor didn't move, hawak pa rin niya ang ballpen, then slowly lifted his pen, his voice steady and clear.
"Everything you have just said." he stated calmly, "has been recorded. Every word. That is exactly what the judge needs to hear."
For a second Eric just stared at him, like his brain was still processing what he just blurted out. Parang na realize niya lahat ng sinabi niya and he's trying to take it back. His face was turning red, and rage took over.
"NO!" He screamed, at halos magwala na. "I did not mean to say it! That's not what I meant! Fuck you all! You set this up!"
He slammed his bound fists on the table over and over, knocking papers everywhere, kicking his chair back like he was ready to break everything in the room.
Parang babaliw na siya, he's acting up so bad na parang hindi ko na makita ang kalmadong eric pa kanina.
I didn't even think, I just stood up fast and slammed my fist on the table too, my voice cracking from all the anger I've been holding in for so long. "You are so fucked up, Eric! You have nowhere to run! No more hiding, no more lies....See you at court tomorrow."
"FUCK YOU ZARYA! FUCK ALL OF YOU!" He yelled back, spitting mad.
The police on the corner walked towards him right away, grabbing his arms to pull him back. "Finiamo qui. Il Dipartimento si occuperà adesso del signor Valenti."
(Let's end it here. The department will handle Mr. Valenti now)
"Wait." Iris stopped him. She walked straight up to him, dahan dahan lang.
She slapped him hard.
Iris didn't even hesitate, nagulat din ako when she did it. Sobrang lakas ng pagkasampal niya na wala ng ibang nasabi si Eric kundi magmura.
"Fuck!" Eric shouted.
Eric froze completely. His eyes went wide, totally stunned.
He couldn't do anything, hindi nga siya makagalaw sa kapit ng police sa kaniya.
All that power he had his whole life, and he couldn't even react to his own daughter slapping him.
The police pulled him away then, and he kept staring at Iris like he still couldn't believe it happened.
Agad akong lumapit kay Iris, and held her arm 'cause I saw her hands shaking na.
She grabbed my hand back so tight it almost hurt, parang ako na lang talaga yung pumipigil sa kanya ngayon.
The second the door clicked shut and he was gone, her shoulders finally dropped, and tears fell down her face, mabagal at first, then biglang bumuhos na.
I pulled her close, rubbing her back gently. "It's okay, Iris. It's okay. We'll see him again tomorrow. Ipapanalo natin. We'll give justice to your brother... to my sister, okay? We won't let all of this be for nothing."
I guided her to sit back down on the chair, and she did, pero nakakapit parin siya sa kamay ko. "Calm down lang, okay? Just breathe."
I stared at her for a second, at nasasaktan ako lalo na makita siyang ganito. She was so strong simula pa kanina, she didn't cry, she didn't shake, she faced him like she was made of steel.
But now that he's gone? Now that she finally admitted to herself that the father she loved never really existed? That's when she let herself break. And I can't blame her at all.
Even me, ilang buwan na ang nakalipas since we found out the death of the two, and I still wake up some nights hoping it was all just a bad dream. If it's this hard for me? I can't even imagine how much heavier this is for her.
Attorney Vìllor stepped closer, voice soft but serious.
"We'll see him at court tomorrow. So Iris, I need you to help me out, okay? We need to go over everything, what you'll say, how we'll present the rest of the evidence. Anything you want me to do, anything you want me to say for tomorrow—just let me know.
I can come by later this evening so we can sort everything out."
I looked at Iris first, she was listening to attorney pero parang tulala talaga siya. So I took the initiative. "Attorney, can we let her take a rest first? Maybe tomorrow morning we can go over everything before the hearing starts."