"Hey, hon, where have you been?" Justine asked as soon as Sheila walked in. He had been waiting for her.
His question startled her—she hadn't expected him to notice her absence, much less ask about it. She quickly scrambled for an alibi.
"Ah, I just had something to take care of today," Sheila replied casually, trying to mask her unease.
Justine simply nodded and gave her a warm smile. He wrapped her in a hug and patted her gently.
"Take a rest for now," he said.
She nodded in return. A thought crossed her mind—whether she should introduce him to the man who once treated her like a daughter.
"Justine, come with me tomorrow," she invited suddenly.
He turned to her curiously. "Where are we going?"
"Just come with me," Sheila said before kissing him on the lips.
"Okay," he said with a nod. "But for now, get some rest."
"Yeah," she murmured, nodding again.
Sheila went into her room and sighed deeply.
She already knew him—the man who had once treated her like a daughter. He was Raymundo Santiago, the father of Manuel Santiago, who had been married to her older sister, Angely Atienza Santiago. She knew Angely had clung to Raymundo as a "sugar daddy" to survive.
Her older sister had lived on the edge, willing to do anything to stay afloat—even if it meant crawling through mud. In the end, Angely inherited all of Raymundo's wealth before her untimely death in an accident.
As long as Sheila obeyed Raymundo Santiago's wishes, her life would remain comfortable—even after her sister's death. In exchange, she cared for the old man whenever he visited her in the hospital. If her sister had managed to endure it, she had to do the same.
"Sheila, you'll be fine even if I'm not here," she recalled her sister once telling her. Angely had stopped college just to provide for her siblings.
Sheila was only fifteen then. Angely was twenty-seven and already married to Santiago, who had wed her after his first wife mysteriously vanished. Angely introduced her to Raymundo, who was still robust at the time.
"So this is your younger sister?" she remembered Raymundo asking.
Angely had simply nodded.
"Don't be afraid of him," she had whispered.
Sheila nodded, though everything inside her screamed that he was dangerous. He smiled and gestured for her to come closer.
She looked at her sister, hesitant.
"Go on," Angely said, eyes locked on hers.
Sheila forced a smile and walked toward Raymundo.
"You really resemble your sister… I'd like to borrow you for a while," he said, his eyes fixed on Angely.
Sheila could see the hesitation and fear in her sister's eyes, but when Raymundo's threatening gaze met Angely's, she didn't resist. She simply allowed it.
That was the beginning.
She was dragged into a room. She had feared the worst—and the worst did happen. She was repeatedly assaulted. Her dignity was stolen, but the old man offered her freedom and power in return. His money would keep her safe as long as she obeyed.
"Sheila, you can still back out if you can't take it anymore," Angely had told her once.
She couldn't speak. Instead, she replied with cold resolve, "You didn't back out then, Sister. So I won't either. We've already started living this way—we can now afford anything we want."
Raymundo had seized upon their weaknesses. His own wife and son, Manuel, had no idea what was happening. Sometimes, he brought them to syndicates, treating them like paid women.
That's how she eventually discovered that Raymundo—alongside Manuel and Angely—had killed Leah.
"Sister, did you kill someone before?" Sheila had once asked.
Angely quickly gestured for her to be quiet, terrified the old man would hear.
"You killed her? You didn't even give her a chance?" Sheila asked again, unable to comprehend what she'd uncovered.
"Sheila, it's over. It's quiet now. The dead won't come back," Angely had said, almost mockingly.
"Leah was your friend, wasn't she?" Sheila pressed.
"Shut up! Shut up, Sheila!" Angely snapped at her.
Now, just remembering those memories made Sheila tremble.
"Does Raymundo have anything to do with this?" she asked again.
Angely didn't answer at first. "We had no choice… If we didn't obey, he would've killed us."
"We chose to enter this filthy world, so don't back out, Sheila. Stay close to him—you'll be safe from the enemy."
"Enemy? Sister, he is the enemy."
"Sheila, please—don't say anything. You'll get in trouble if you don't follow him. Please."
She had seen the fear in Angely's eyes—true, helpless fear.
Sheila could do nothing back then. But as she grew older, she learned how to manage her emotions and how to detach her soul from her body. She got used to the feeling of being touched. All she needed was patience.
Once Raymundo died, all his wealth would be hers.
"Just a little longer," she whispered to herself, staring at her reflection in the mirror.
The full story remained hidden from her. All she knew was that Raymundo was using her as a pawn to manipulate the Francisco clan.
Sheila sighed, but then she froze. A woman was suddenly in the mirror, smiling at her—a woman in mourning attire.
"Hello, Sheila," the woman said, stepping closer.
"W-What do you want from me?" Sheila stammered.
She heard a chilling laugh echo from beyond.
"Sheila, do you want to visit your sister, Angely?"
Her hand trembled at the question.
"Relax, I won't hurt you," the woman said softly.
Then, darkness took over.
Sheila suddenly found herself in a void—then, three figures appeared.
"Welcome to my humble home, Sheila," the woman said.
Sheila froze in shock as she recognized them.
"Leah!" Angely's voice rang out angrily.
"S-Sis?" Sheila said, utterly confused.
The woman laughed at Angely's reaction.
"Leah Martinez?" Sheila gasped, looking at the woman on the throne, who smiled back at her.
"I'm glad you still remember me, dear Sheila," Leah said sweetly.
"Why did you bring my youngest sister here?" Angely snapped.
"She just wants to know the truth. She deserves to know what you've done," Leah replied with dark delight.
"Sis, what are you doing here?" Sheila asked, glancing between her sister and Leah.
"Aren't you happy to see your sister is doing fine?" Leah asked in a whisper.
"Don't listen to her, Sheila. Don't let her get into your head," Angely warned.
"Oh, I'll send you back for now. But your dear sister was thrilled to see you." Leah grinned.
Suddenly, darkness swallowed Sheila again.
She woke up in bed, drenched in sweat. She touched her forehead, still anxious.
"Let's play again, Sheila… But this time, your sister's coming with us."
A voice whispered in her ear.
Sheila swallowed hard, her hands trembling.