Chapter 5 Bullying

"How is your twin brother, Desiree?"

Our advisory teacher greeted Desiree as she entered the room.

"He's traumatized. And he can't speak properly because his vocal cords have been damaged. The person who did this made sure he wouldn't be able to call for help. My brother is so pitiful," Desiree said.

There's a touch of drama in her words, but the truth is, her twin brother is genuinely pitiful. He's been missing for more than 24 hours without food or water. His throat was even slashed in his Adam's apple to damage his vocal cords and prevent him from seeking help. The person seem to be planning to finish Derek off for good. The thought of that frightened me. The blackmailer wants to kill us. Now, what will happen to Desiree and Third? They confessed, does that mean they'll be safe? Is that what we should do to ensure safety?

We continued with our class after that discussion. But I wondered, has the police investigation finished? If it's not, the couple won't admit anything, right? And perhaps they haven't realized they should report the second envelope? Maybe they've reported it, and the investigation is ongoing? I have so many questions that I can't answer.

Threatening lives and knowing our secrets is stressing me out. It's more stressful than an exam. And it's as infuriating as my annoyance towards Jasmine.

It's break time, and I'm in the comfort room sitting on the throne of poop. I drank some milk earlier so that's why I am here. Luckily, our school's restroom is upscale. They have a bidet. I won't need to look for a dipper or use tissues. Because for me using tissues isn't comfortable at all. I concentrate when I hear girls entering the restroom and gossiping or talking.

"That Desiree girl is so fake."

"Yeah, her fake tears are so funny."

"And she's even gaslighting about the third-party thing."

"Yes, as if she's a victim of love. What the heck."

"They're also saying Jasmine was the worst girlfriend."

"Like how boring she is. So, being a boring girlfriend is bad for a relationship, but being a third party is good?"

"And the worst part is: Jasmine is already dead, she can't defend herself from their hurtful comments."

"You know what, girls? I think they're the reason Jasmine committed suicide."

"Yeah, I think so too."

"Ironically, Third is organizing a suicide campaign, yet he might be the reason Jasmine took her own life."

"And that Desiree girl. She's neither pretty, talented, nor smart. But because of Jasmine's popularity, she gained fame too. And even after Jasmine's death, she's still using her friend."

"Desiree is a user and a fake friend."

They finished their business and left the restroom. They're really skilled at gossiping. They're good at spinning stories. I think they might be future writers for showbiz. I finished my business in the toilet as well and left the cubicle. I washed my hands at the sink. I was surprised when a woman emerged from one of the stalls. She's crying and has messy hair. But it's just Desiree I don't need to be afraid of. Has she been here all along? Does that mean she heard everything they said? I watched as she approached the sink and washed her face. She didn't look at me. She just fixed herself up and reapplied her makeup and combed her hair. I continued washing my hands and left the restroom. I was already in the classroom when I realized I forgot to dry my hands using tissue in the restroom. So now my hands are soaking wet. They'll dry eventually, so I just let it be.

Class is over, and I'm heading to the gym for practice. I caught my teammates laughing in a corner while looking at a phone. Curiously, I peeked. I saw that someone turned Third and Desiree's faces into a meme. And they're laughing about it. I honestly don't know what to feel right now. Yes, I'm angry about how they've been behaving as a couple. But I'm also against bullying. So I'm torn between finding this situation amusing and not. Well, it's better than what happened to Derek, that's for sure. I can't help but feel sorry for Desiree. They're dealing with a blackmailer, something happened to her brother, and now she and her boyfriend are being bullied. She might completely break down.

Practice is over, and I see Third's car leaving the school. I know it's his because I've ridden in it before. However, there's something different about his car today. There's egg, powder, and who knows what else on it. It's really dirty, like it hasn't been to a car wash in a year. I also heard a few people laughing. Okay, I get it now. They intentionally messed up Third's car. Looks like he'll need a car wash sooner than expected. I just headed home and did not bother to laugh at his problem.

I found Aunt Lume again at home, looking after my siblings, including her own child. Arturo and Antonio welcomed me with smiles. Aunt Lume also handed me baby Armina. After her duty, Aunt Lume and Lucas left. I quickly prepared dinner – fried tofu and rice porridge. Papa requested rice porridge for tonight, so that's what I'm making. Cooking rice porridge is easy, it just takes some time to cook.

After the porridge was done, I fried the tofu and made a dipping sauce. Then I served it to my siblings. I also gave a little to baby Armina. She's starting to eat solid foods now. Time flies so quickly; it feels like just yesterday when she was still in Mama's womb. Maybe tomorrow she'll start walking.

Once everyone finished eating, Arturo and Antonio washed up while I did the dishes. After that, I changed baby Armina into her sleepwear and diaper. I put both the boys and baby Armina to sleep. When they were asleep, I washed myself and changed into my own sleepwear. Then I reviewed for our quiz tomorrow while waiting for Papa and Mama to come home. I found myself thinking about Third and Desiree again. Surprisingly, I feel sorry for them.

Mama and Papa arrived. They reheated the food I cooked and Papa praised my cooking. However, Mama said it was bland, so she added fish sauce. That's just how Mama is – what tastes delicious to us is still bland to her. She's the only one who uses fish sauce on her food. Then I went to bed.

The next day, we all went to school early. Mama and Papa went to work, and my siblings (except for baby Armina) and I went to school. I still heard a few things about Third and Desiree, but that's not my concern right now. We have a practice match at another school today.

We practiced in the morning and got excused from our classes. I really enjoy playing volleyball because it helps me relax. It might sound weird, but it truly calms my mind. Even my worries seem to disappear. When I'm playing, I'm focused only on the game and nothing else. I headed straight to the gym to change and stretch before our opponents arrived. I noticed something had fallen again in my locker. When I picked it up, it turned out to be a black letter. That crazy letter came again. I quickly hid it in my bag and decided to read it when I got home. But I wondered if there was another letter. Does this mean the couple is safe now? Their reputation might be ruined, but at least they're safe. Unlike Derek, who's still in the hospital and had a very severe trauma. Desiree said he's getting better, and his vocal cords are on their way to recovery. But he's scared of the dark and gets traumatized when the lights are turned off. I'd rather be laughed at by others than be afraid of something like that.

The game started, but I couldn't concentrate and got scolded by the coach. Thankfully, we won and I thank my teammates because of that. That annoying letter made it hard for me to play properly today. When I got home, I immediately opened the letter. Here's what it said:

'Dear Mandy,

Luckily, the cheaters confessed. You all should've done the same and followed my lead. That way, we could all be happy.

By the way, even if you report this to the police, they won't catch me. Who can catch a ghost?

Ps. I heard my dear little sister, Precious isn't a virgin anymore? Haha, I wonder who took that from her?

Your dead friend,

Jasmine.'

Why is Precious included in the recipients of the letter? Why is Jasmine's younger sibling mentioned? And :not a virgin anymore'? How did the blackmailer find out that secret? I have so many questions again in my mind.

The next day, I didn't know whether to tell Precious or not. I've hardly talked to her. We met once at Jasmine's birthday party, but that was the first and last time. Jasmine's house is so big that when I'm asked to go there, I never see her. I don't even know if she remembers me. If I say I was Jasmine's friend, she might not believe me. So, despite wanting to warn her to follow what the letter says to avoid getting into trouble. I couldn't because I might become suspicious of her. I was restless the whole time at school. But during practice, I focused, not wanting the coach to scold me again. I pushed my thoughts of Precious out of my mind, even though I was genuinely bothered. She's the same age as Arturo, and as an older sister, I want to protect her. I don't want my siblings to get into trouble like that. Otherwise, I'll get a severe scolding from Mama and Papa. And my conscience will eat me. When I arrived at home I was surprised to see Mama and Papa is home already. They seem to be early today.

"Why are you home so early, Mama, Papa?" I asked them.

"Precious, the youngest child of our employer, was rushed to the hospital. She was attacked inside their house. We were sent home immediately because everyone's at the hospital," Papa explained.

"How is Precious now?" I asked them worriedly.

"We don't know. I'll ask my bosses tomorrow," Papa replied.

I felt sorry for Precious. I hope she gets better soon. I went to sleep, slightly worried about the blackmailer. I wonder what secret they know about me. I hope it's easy to admit to whatever it is, as I don't want to end up in the hospital. Who knows what kind of trauma might happen to me.

The next day is Saturday, so I don't have school. I'll take care of my siblings, and Aunt Lume can rest. We're all in the backyard to sleep. Since we've finished lunch, I'm letting them rest on the balcony because the breeze of the air is cold here. Meanwhile, I'm in the yard, gently rocking baby Armina to sleep. I noticed a man lurking around outside our house. What does he want? If he's a thief, I'm sorry, but he won't find anything to steal in our house. Because all of our stuff is so cheap.

"What do you need?" I mustered the courage to ask him.

"Nothing, I just have something to give," he said and approached me.

He's a thin, short guy with fair skin and curly hair. I recognize him easily. But I don't know him. He's a total stranger to me.

"What's that?" I asked again.

He handed me a black letter. I held my youngest sibling tightly. My breathing suddenly deepened. I took what he was handing me.

"Are you the one sending these letters to us?" I asked firmly.

Truth be told, I wanted to run inside the house with my siblings.

"I was just paid by a client on Facebook to deliver to you," he replied.

"Who told you to do this?" I asked again.

"I don't know. They just gave it to me through LBC (courier service). Then they paid me to hand it to you," he replied again.

"If you recognize them, could you please tell me who?" I asked with determination.

"Hmm, okay. I'm leaving now."

He left completely, and I sat down on the ground. My legs felt weak from what just happened.

"Waaaahhh"

I was startled by my sibling's cry. Right, I shouldn't be sitting. Even though my legs were trembling, I forced myself to stand up and rocked my sibling again. Whoever that guy was earlier, I hope he's not the blackmailer. Because it's hard to imagine facing the blackmailer itself. I am afraid. Plus, I really don't know him, so why would he blackmail us like that? And he even used Jasmine's name, whom I disliked.