Chapter 4: The Defender
'Culprit behind the Eena Fortalejo's case: Marveled Triptivo Lopez, accused.'
'Dazzled Triptivo Lopez has been arrested.'
'Eena Fortalejo's case: Case Solved!'
'Facts about TripEena.'
'Upshot of TripEena.'
'The Dark Side of Triptivo Lopez.'
Television and radio broadcast, newspapers, and social media platforms were invaded by the news that the astonished Triptivo Lopez is an accused in a frustrated murder and has been arrested.
"Can Triptivo Lopez really do that? They say they are best friends," a girl commented after reading at her phone.
The girl beside her rolled her eyes, "Who knows? There is a 90% chance that he can do that. People's greediness can lead everyone to motion such crime. It will just depend on the people on how they will handle their greediness."
Oh! Even people's opinion raid by the news.
"He should be rot in jail. How could he do that to Eena?" the lady spoke.
The man beside him sighed, "People nowadays easily violated law, do illegal things and not minding the consequences they did."
As I went to Yino's office, almost all the people I have bumped unto, they were talking about Triptivo and his chances to do such crime. People's opinion were divided about that. Some says he can do that particularly, they were rivals in show and some of the investigations, -which was so lame, and some says he can't do that to his best friend who has a special place in his heart.
has a special place in his heart?
'Wish everyone.'
Oh! What did I just say? That was just a mere expression. Yeah! It has nothing to do with me.
I shook my head. It was not good.
Soft yet emphatic exchanging of murmurs emerged as I come nearer at Yino's office.
"Please! Help my brother!" a familiar voice snarled.
"I have a hint of your brother's plan so I can't." Yino's voice rebutted.
"Crap that plan!--"
I entered the room without knocking.
"Don't you know how to knock?" an irritated voice welcomed me.
I looked at him and his eyes widened. "Don't you know how to lock?" sarcasm was found at my voice.
Silence fleeted.
"What is it, Tych?" I broke the silence.
She cleared her throat. "I know this is too much but, can you help my brother? Atty. Santiago can't defend him because we fired him. He received a threat-"
"So, you want us to be threatened too?" Yino cut her off.
Triptrych looked at her, annoyed. "I trust you all. You, I and my brother's friend, I trust you all. I tried to get other lawyers but I always caught their hidden agenda." She sighed, "We all know that brother cannot do that. I don't know what's going on in my brother's coconut brain. He's a real hard-headed.
"I know you went yesterday at the hous because you still care for him. Yes. I am taking that advantage because that was our only hope," she added.
Yino and I looked at it each other.
I cleared my throat. "Go home, Triptych. We will just gonna call you."
"N-No. If you will agree, please, go to Triptivo," then she left, head down.
"Tych"
She looked at me.
I evade my eyes away from her. "Take a rest. Don't stress yourself too much. You have lost weight too much."
On my peripheral vision, she nodded. As she walked away, I looked at her.
A thought popped. I missed Triptych.
We watched her leave after Yino spoke, "What do you think?"
I looked at him confusedly. "No, what do you think?"
"I don't know," Yino shrugged.
I smirked. "I don't know either."
"Don't fool me, Cyn."
"Don't fool me too, Yino."
Yino sat down on his swivel chair. "I won't defend him," he firmly said.
"C'mon, Yino. You can't endure him," I bet.
A taunting aura plastered on his face. "I can, Cyn. Trust me, I can."
I smiled bitterly. He really loathed Triptivo so much, after what happened.
I know Yino brought us to Triptivo's house because of me. He knew that I wanted to look after Triptivo.
Wanting to look after Triptivo isn't about my feelings. There's something behind that and I'm not ready to spill it to everyone. Not because I felt embarrassed, but because I'm scared.
But, somehow, I know Yino still do care for him. I know in the end, he will still help his brother.
I stood up. "I will."
He looked at me with widened eyes. "No. No, Cyn, you will not. Are you out of your mind?"
"He's our friend. A-And it's not for me, after all. It's for him, for them." I bit my lower lip and averted my gaze. "I don't want any self-reproach anymore."
No one uttered words between us. We just looked at it each other . Our eyes served as the mouth so we could understand each other.
I can see thay Yino wanted to protest. But, I already just made my decision. I have a feeling that it's too sturdy. Too sturdy to be retracted.
My mind was clouded of different thoughts. I was like playing a blind chess. Every move, I always think about it's consequences.
I need to do things right. I don't want the history to repeat itself again. All I want is to build new history for me to survive thoroughly.
Honestly, I don't know if I'm doing the right thing. I hope so.
I found myself entering at the Stratus Regional Jail. A heavy and tensed atmosphere greeted me.
I wandered my eyes. Too many people here. Even if I'm just looking, I felt suffocated.
My eyes caught a commotion. I'm no fan of eavesdropping but I have a gut of what's happening so I come nearer.
"I trusted you my daughter! I didn't expect that you will do this to her!" A loud sound of slap echoed.
"I did nothing," he stood firmly.
The lady snorted, "Why- WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO HER?! I KNOW SHE HAS BEEN GOOD TO YOU!" and threw punches at his chest.
The sophisticated lady I knew in the past is so far different at the lady I am looking at now. She's full of misery and rage. A mother who is seeking justice for her child.
"I did nothing, Madame," still, he stood firmly like he wasn't hit.
"I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT! I COULDN'T BELIEVE YOU!" the lady shook her head. "SHE DOESN'T DESERVE THIS!"
"I did nothing, Madame," he stated again.
A hard slap crashed at his face again.
"SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT! UP!" tears running down at the lady's face while tweaking the guy. "I treated you as my child. We treated you as a family. How could you do this? How? Why?"
The guy bent down his head, tears welled at his eyes. "I did nothing, Madame. I really did nothing."
I don't know if I should pity this guy right now or not. He said he did nothing but he welcomely received all the slaps and punches like he was such a great rigid wall. He should have duck and defend himself instead of saying 'I did nothing.'
"Really?! You did nothing?" the lady snarled. "HOW COME YOU DID NOTHING WHEN ALMOST ALL OF THE EVIDENCE WERE POINTING TO YOU!"
I closed my eyes when the lady hit the guy's face again.
"YOU DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH PAIN YOU HAVE CAUSED!" veins were visible at the lady.
"I really did nothing." the guy softly said.
The lady put her index finger at the guy's temple then he hard pushed it.
"I. don't. need. your. lie." the lady emphatically scorned. "I will make sure you will suffer, much worser than what my daughter had gone through. I WILL MAKE SURE NO ONE WILL DEFEND YOU! NOBODY!"
I sighed deeply and shook my head. Now, I am sure why they were having a hard time hounding.
"I never violated Eena. I did nothing to her." He said that made the lady boiled in so much anger.
This guy was really tempting the lady. He could have shut up his mouth so he wouldn't receive so many pain or defend himself with valued words. Seriously? What is going on in his coconut mind?
A loud and hard slap echoed at the whole jail.
I found myself in front of the lady, head on the left side. My right cheek is stinging. The right side of my neck ached due to the intensity of the slap I have received.
That slap was indeed breathtaking.
A deafening silence emerged.
"C-Cynwise Torres," she said between her breathe. Her eyes widened and mouth half opened.
I can't blame her to be shocked since I never showed to anyone apart from my friends.
I looked at her and held my hand formally like I haven't received a hard slap.
"Mrs. Sanchez," I halfly smiled. "I am Atty. Cynwise Torres. I am Mr. Triptivo Lopez' defense attorney." I introduced my self in accordance with the rules of etiquette.
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