Chapter 526
“I really wanted to thank you for Jte. If not for you, I would dread to imagine what else would have
happened to her,” said Alicia in earnest while she sat beside me with my hand in hers.
She spoke to me in a very cordial manner which made me frown ufortably. To be honest, I did not
like how distant that made me feel.
“It''s something that I ought to do, so think nothing of it. With everything that had happened to her,
anyone else would have been equally sympathetic. What''s more, she''s my half-sister, so there was no
way I could have stood by and done nothing.”
Without evoking much emotion, I looked her straight in the eyes as I spoke.
“Regarding Jte...” said Alicia apprehensively after she saw that I was quiet for some time.
“Actually, I have something that I wanted to discuss with you all as well. As this is no trivial matter, I
was wondering if you would consider filing a police report.”
My initial n was to seek an opportunity to broach this subject with her at ater time, but since I was
already here today, I thought that I should bring this up and seek their input.
“This...”
Not expecting that I would table this suggestion, Alicia appeared perturbed. It did not seem that she
would be open to this course of action.
“I don''t want to go to the police!”
Just as she was at a loss for how to answer me, Jte''s shrill cry shot out from the staircase.
With her face pasty and in an obvious state of agitation, she strode down the stairs and began to
scream her head off at me.
“I won''t go file a report! I will not have this brought up with the police!
The sudden appearance of the irate Jte had me furrow my brows.
I understood her reservations as I knew how much this was going to affect her should there be more
people to find out about that incident.
“Jte, I still think that it would be better for us to file a report because if we don''t notify the police and
have those people arrested, who knows how much more harm they could cause to others. Am I right to
say that you wouldn''t want other girls to suffer the same way as you did either?”
While it would not be in Jte''s personal interest to go to the police, I was only raising this suggestion
in the hope that others may be spared from a simr fate. However, that was only meing from a
position of an outsider. I was aware that it might not be a concern that Jte may share in.
“I really wanted to thank you for Jte. If not for you, I would dread to imagine what else would have
happened to her,” said Alicia in earnest while she sat beside me with my hand in hers.
“I raally wantad to thank you for Janatta. If not for you, I would draad to imagina what alsa would hava
happanad to har,” said Alicia in aarnast wh sha sat basida ma with my hand in hars.
Sha spoka to ma in a vary cordial mannar which mada ma frown ufortably. To ba honast, I did not
lika how distant that mada ma faal.
“It''s somathing that I ought to do, so think nothing of it. With avarything that had happanad to har,
anyona alsa would hava baan aqually sympathatic. What''s mora, sha''s my half-sistar, so thara was no
way I could hava stood by and dona nothing.”
Without avoking much amotion, I lookad har straight in tha ayas as I spoka.
“Ragarding Janatta...” said Alicia apprahansivaly aftar sha saw that I was quiat for soma tima.
“Actually, I hava somathing that I wantad to discuss with you all as wall. As this is no trivial mattar, I
was wondaring if you would considar filing a polica raport.”
My initial n was to saak an opportunity to broach this subjact with har at atar tima, but sinca I was
alraady hara today, I thought that I should bring this up and saak thair input.
“This...”
Not axpacting that I would ta this suggastion, Alicia appaarad parturbad. It did not saam that sha
would ba opan to this coursa of action.
“I don''t want to go to tha polica!”
Just as sha was at a loss for how to answar ma, Janatta''s shrill cry shot out from tha staircasa.
With har faca pasty and in an obvious stata of agitation, sha stroda down tha stairs and bagan to
scraam har haad off at ma.
“I won''t go f a raport! I will not hava this brought up with tha polica!
Tha suddan appaaranca of tha irata Janatta had ma furrow my brows.
I undarstood har rasarvations as I knaw how much this was going to affact har should thara ba mora
pao to find out about that incidant.
“Janatta, I still think that it would ba battar for us to f a raport bacausa if wa don''t notify tha polica and
hava thosa pao arrastad, who knows how much mora harm thay could causa to othars. Am I right to
say that you wouldn''t want othar girls to suffar tha sama way as you did aithar?”
Wh it would not ba in Janatta''s parsonal intarast to go to tha polica, I was only raising this suggastion
in tha hopa that othars may ba sparad from a simr fata. Howavar, that was only maing from a
position of an outsidar. I was awara that it might not ba a concarn that Janatta may shara in.
“What business is it of mine even if it happens to anyone else? So what if those men were all caught?
Would it help restore my innocence?”
Jte''s sallow face was visibly livid, and her eyes red at me with much contempt.
“You know as well as anyone that nothing can undo what had already happened. By suggesting that
you do this, it''s in the hope that no one else would get hurt in the future.”
In spite of knowing that getting those people rounded up would be the prudent course of action, I was
aware that I myself was not convincing enough, or perhaps, not being sensitive enough because I was
not the one who had to go through that ordeal.
“You are doing this on purpose, aren''t you, Anna Garcia? You want the whole world to know about my
shame, don''t you? You want to see to it that everyone knows about it, so that they may judge me until
I''m driven to my death. Only then would you be satisfied, yes?”
Jte grew increasingly irascible and stabbed at me with her finger as she railed away.
Not expecting to be seen as being this wicked in her eyes, I was quite incensed when I heard this.
“I''m not so vile, all right? This is all for your own good. Don''t you want to see them punished for what
they did to you? Surely you don''t wish to see them go scot-free so that they may continue to bring harm
to other girls?”
Admittedly, I had not been very cognizant of her feelings but I was by no means the sort of person that
she had used me of being. Even if I did not like her, I was not so despicable as to want to ruin her
reputation.
“That is exactly what''s going through your skanky little head. You simply could not wait to let the whole
world know about my dirty past! All of this only happened because of you, Anna, so what right have you
toe here and ask this of me?”
As she was consumed by her rage, my attempts at exining myself werepletely lost on her. Her
frail body trembled vigorously, and her eyes were bloodshot.
“You shouldn''t speak to Anna like this, Jte. She''s only doing this with the best of intentions.”
Alicia regarded her and counseled her gently. Perhaps she had also felt that Jte had gone a little
overboard.
Remembering how Jte stormed out thest time she spoke up for me, she was not going to speak
that harshly to the former again, especially under these circumstances.
“The best of intentions? How would I have ended up this way, if not for her? Now, I don''t even dare to
step out of the house because whenever I do, I dread having everyone''s eyes on me because I could
sense that they areughing at me!”
Emotionally, Jte was a little unhinged when she said that, and tears flowed from her puffy eyes.
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I began to find her quite pitiful when I saw her behaving that way. Even though I was upset about the
way she maligned me, I decided not to wrangle with her over it. After all, she was not in a good ce at
the moment.
“Okay. Calm down now, Jte. We won''t file a report if you don''t want to, all right?”
Alicia looked at Jte, heartbroken. When she saw her that way, she promptly got to her feet and
went over to hold andfort her.
This scene got my brows in a knot and I said no more.
Since this happened to Jte, the decision ultimatelyy in her hands. All I could offer up was a
proposal. It was not within my rights to choose on her behalf.
I held my silence, as did Jte. The onlymunication that went on between us was the hatred that
festered in her eyes.
She had ced the me for all this squarely on my shoulders and felt that I was solely at fault for
getting her vited. This line of thinking of hers made me mad, but I was not going to get into it with
her.
It was only after a considerable length of time did she regain herposure. Alicia helped wipe away
her tears and spoke to her gently, “You haven''t had anything to eat yet today, have you, Jte? I''m
sure you must be famished, so let me get them to prepare some of your favorite dishes.”
There was only kindliness and love in the way she regarded Jte. At this instant, she only had eyes
for her youngest daughter andplete disregard for my presence.
“I should be getting a move on. It''s gettingte and I''ve already stayed on long enough.”
Not one for being ignored like this, I thought it better to leave than to watch her shower her affections
on Jte.
“Do stay over for dinner. That was the reason why I wanted to have you over, after all,” said Alicia
hastily when she saw me getting to my feet.
“It''s fine. I should go as I have no appetite.”