Chapter 9

Alfred raised an eyebrow the moment he saw Daryl inside his home. He shot a sharp look at his wife too. So she had allowed the boy to stay in their house.

Moments later, he charged toward the young man.

"What the hell are you doing here, huh?"

Daryl couldn't speak, frozen by the fear gripping his chest. He turned his gaze toward his sister, hoping she would speak on his behalf.

"Didn't I make it clear that none of your relatives are allowed to live under this roof?" Alfred spat, his voice burning with rage. He glared once more at Daryl. "You've got some nerve staying here and eating our food. We barely have anything left, and here you are—just lounging around."

"Don't you dare speak to him like that!" Cherry stepped in, defending her brother.

"And who do you think you are to stop me from doing what I want?"

"Ate let me stay here. What's so wrong with that, Kuya Alfred?" Daryl finally found his voice, though fear still weighed heavily in his chest.

"Daryl..." Cherry whispered, hoping he wouldn't say more—it would only make things worse.

"Oh, getting brave now, huh?" Alfred taunted. "You're just a freeloader and you still have the guts to respond back." His lips curled into a sarcastic smile. "You do realize you're staying in my house? I can do whatever the hell I want to you."

Daryl felt a deeper chill run through him at Alfred's chilling tone. He knew a punch could land any second.

"I just don't like how you treat Ate Cherry. You've gone too far," the boy insisted, his voice trembling but determined. "I won't let you hurt her again."

Alfred suddenly laughed, the sound sharp and mocking. Then he threw a cold glare at Daryl.

"Stop it. The kids can see you," Cherry pleaded, hearing her children sobbing nonstop. "Alfred, please. Let it go."

"And why the hell should I let this brat meddle in our marriage, huh?" Alfred snapped. Without warning, he grabbed Daryl by the collar.

"If a husband is in the wrong, why should I let him hurt someone? You could face charges in court for this." Daryl shot him a bold smile—and that was the final straw.

Alfred punched him hard in the stomach, causing Daryl to collapse onto the floor, gasping for air.

"You're nothing. Weak boy," Alfred scoffed.

"Daryl!" Cherry cried, rushing toward her brother, but Alfred blocked her path.

"You won't get away with whatever you're planning, boy. A single punch from me is enough to put you down."

Cherry sobbed uncontrollably, trying to hold her husband back from striking her brother again.

"Stop, please!"

"I'm just teaching this weakling brother of yours a lesson, alright?" Alfred sneered, emphasizing the word with venom. "So he won't ever interfere again. Meddlers make my blood boil."

Before anyone could react, Alfred struck Daryl again—and again—until blood began to stream from the boy's nose and head.

"Alfred, stop!" Cherry screamed, crushed by the sight of her little brother getting beaten to a pulp.

She needed to find a way to end this. She couldn't bear to see Daryl like this—not while her children continued crying in terror.

"Still standing?" Alfred sneered. "Here, have some more." Another punch landed on Daryl's face, knocking him back down. "The nerve you have, staying in my house and acting like this is your business..."

He was about to hurl a chair at the boy when Cherry, without a second thought, slammed a wooden rod across Alfred's legs. He crashed to the floor, numbness creeping through his limbs.

Cherry rushed to Daryl's side and helped him to his feet.

"Ate..." Daryl whispered, his voice weak and shaking.

"You need to run, Daryl. I'll handle this."

"I can't leave you, Ate. Come with me. Leave him."

Cherry shook her head. "You have to go. I'll be okay. I can't leave the kids with him."

They hurried toward the gate. Cherry unlocked it in a rush.

"But, Ate..."

"Go, Daryl. Just go. Don't worry about me." She pushed him gently, trying to force him away.

With no more time to argue, Daryl fled the house.

"I'll come back for you, Ate," he said, just before hopping on a tricycle that would take him back home.

Cherry turned back toward the house—only to be met with a blow to the face. Alfred had punched her.

She collapsed onto the floor.

"Please, stop..." she begged, her voice shaking.

"I told you never to cross me, didn't I?" he growled, gripping her chin tightly. In the background, she could still hear Carina and Cyprus crying.

"Mama..." her eldest approached, reaching out—but Alfred's elbow knocked her aside, and she hit the ground.

"Carina..." Cherry gasped, horror filling her chest.

But Alfred showed no remorse. Not even for the son he shared by blood, Cyprus, who cried helplessly in the corner. He simply walked out the door.

"Alfred, where are you going?" Cherry called after him, panic flooding her voice. She feared he might find Daryl—and take things too far.

"Please, don't let it come to that," she whispered to herself.

The next morning, as they were eating breakfast, a loud clatter came from the gate.

Cherry dismissed not thinking it was just stray cats.

But the next time she lifted her spoon, she froze.

"Kuya?" she gasped, seeing her older brother Henry standing in the doorway—with her other siblings and even their parents behind him. "How did you get inside?"

She noticed the sharp glare Henry shot at Alfred, who is not yet done eating.

"What are they doing here, Cherry?" Alfred asked, in a tense with his voice.

"We're here to call you out..." Henry paused for a moment. "We're not going to let you treat our sister like that. Who do you think you are?"

Alfred responded with a mocking smile, while Cherry's nerves tightened.

"Please, stop this. Have mercy on the kids."

"When has your husband ever shown mercy to those children, Ate Cherry?" her younger brother Jonald asked her.

"Cherry's right. This isn't the right way," said Jessa, her older sister.

"Are you not thinking clearly?" their father snapped at Jessa. "Look at what's happening to your sister..."

Alfred tried to escape, but Henry and Jonald lunged at him, landing blow after blow.

"Did you think you'd get away from us? Let's see that the courage you have now," Jonald challenged him.

Alfred fell to the floor, his face already swollen and bruised.

"Kuya, please stop!" Cherry begged. "That's enough."

She turned to her children, who were still crying. She went to them, holding Carina and Cyprus very close.

"And you're still defending him, Ate?" Daryl said in disbelief.

"Look at your kids, Cherry. Do they really deserve a father like that?" their mother asked. "The one who beats their own mother?"

Cherry looks stunning. "Daryl told me everything," her mother said softly.

"Why didn't you tell us, Cherry?" Jessa asked in tearfully.

"He deserves a beating."

The last word was spoken with a heavy growl, punctuated by another harsh punch thrown at Alfred.

"Can you still take it?" Jonald sneered, looking down at the battered man.

"Please... have mercy. Stop this, please?" Cherry begged, her voice trembling.

"Did your husband ever show mercy, Cherry?" Henry countered coldly. "Look at him now."

Once again, her two brothers rained blows on Alfred, pushing Cherry to shield her husband from their fury. His face was already swollen, his body crumpled in pain. She could no longer bear to see him like that.

"That's enough!" she screamed, throwing herself between them.

"Get out of the way!" both her father and older brother shouted back.

"No! I won't move until you stop this!" Cherry's voice cracked as tears spilled freely down her cheeks.

She stood firm, despite her shaking legs. She was hurting—for Alfred. Even if he never treated her like a wife should be treated, she still chose what was right. Because she loved him.

"Stop. Please have mercy on him."

It was clear Alfred could no longer move. His face was bruised, his body limp. He was too weak to stand.

"Cherry, it's better if you just leave him," her father pleaded. "Come home with your child. Let him suffer here alone."

"Your father's right," her mother added. "You don't need to endure this kind of man."

"Ate Cherry, come with us. Start over," said Daryl gently.

She hesitated for a moment, then looked at each of them—her husband, her siblings, her mother, her father.

"We're not leaving. I can't abandon Alfred," she said softly.

"Cherry!" Henry snapped, his voice laced with frustration. "You'd really choose that useless man over your own life and your child's?"

"We didn't raise you to be this foolish," her father said sternly.

"You don't understand me," Cherry whispered, pain evident in her voice.

"Damn it!" Henry cursed again.

"You're just plain stupid, Cherry," Jonald spat.

"Please, come with us. Just look at yourself," her sister Jessa pleaded. They had all noticed how much Cherry had changed since getting married. Once radiant and full of life, she now looked aged and worn.

"I'm sorry, Ate Jes. Thank you for caring, but I'm not going with you. My husband needs me."

"Let's go," Henry muttered. "We can't do anything if she's this stubborn. Let her be."

"Ate Cherry…" Daryl said, his voice soft.

"Come on," their mother told the youngest. "She doesn't want to come."

One by one, they began to leave. Cherry knelt beside Alfred, trying to help him up, but he was too weak. She called for help, desperate to stop the blood loss.

Alfred lay unconscious in a hospital bed, an oxygen mask covering his face. Cherry sat beside him, crying silently.

"I have to go now, dear," said Aling Marietta kindly. "Don't worry, we'll take care of your children."

Cherry gave her a grateful smile. "Thank you so much, Aling Marietta, for everything."

"You're like a daughter to me, Cherry. There's no way I'd let you go through this alone." She gave her a gentle pat on the shoulder before leaving.

Daryl was walking across the school campus when he spotted a familiar figure in the waiting area—Jared. He hadn't seen him in over a month. Without hesitation, he approached.

"Kuya Jared?" he called.

Jared turned and smiled. They had reconciled after a long fallout following Cherry's breakup. Daryl had missed Jared—he had been like an older brother to him. Jared used to treat him to food after class and even bought meals for the whole family. Among all of Cherry's relatives, only Daryl had ever gotten along with him. But he had been deeply disappointed when Jared hurt Cherry. Still, here they were, rekindling a bond.

"How have you been?" Jared asked, ruffling his hair.

"I'm okay. You? It's been a while..."

"Kuya Jared's been busy."

"Seems like it."

"Where do you want to eat? Let's catch up." Jared offered to drive.

"Anywhere is fine." Daryl said shyly.

Seven minutes later, they arrived at a well-known fast-food drive-through. They ordered and found a place to sit. Daryl looked around, nostalgic.

"Hungry already?" Jared asked.

"Not really," Daryl's short answer running out of words.

But Jared noticed the bruise on Daryl's cheek and it stopped him. His concern quickly turned to anger—directed at Alfred.

If only Cherry would let him, he would've filed a case against that man.

"I defended Ate Cherry from her husband... I couldn't just stand there and watch. I didn't think Kuya Alfred would ever do something like that to her," Daryl began.

Jared was about to reply when their food arrived. They started eating as the conversation continued.

"When Kuya Henry found out, he stormed over to Ate Cherry's house and started beating up Kuya Alfred."

Jared nodded. "Yeah, I heard."

Daryl looked surprised. "How? Who told you?"

Jared explained who had informed him. Daryl recognized the name.

"How do you know Aling Marietta?" Daryl asked, having no clue that their neighbor was connected to Jared.

Jared continued explaining how he met Aling Marietta. She had been updating him about Cherry ever since he asked her to keep an eye on her. In return, he gave her money for her help.

"She's always been kind to Ate," Daryl said.

"She really was—long before I met her. I even told her everything about my past with Cherry. She was shocked."

"But I still feel bad for Ate. I can't stand that she's still with that man."

Jared frowned. "Wait... she's still with him?"

"We tried to take her with us, but she refused. That's why Kuya Henry and Jonald are so mad. Even Mama and Papa are upset."

Jared rubbed his face in frustration. He couldn't believe how much of a martyr Cherry had become. A mix of sadness and irritation rose in him.

"I don't know what's wrong with Ate Cherry. She's so stubborn." Daryl looked truly disappointed that his sister chose her abusive husband over safety.

After their conversation, Jared drove Daryl home and then headed straight to the hospital. He'd learned Alfred's condition from Aling Marietta via a text message. He asked the nurse for the room number and quietly made his way there.

He was about to turn the corner when he nearly bumped into Cherry. Quickly, he hid. He didn't want her to see him. He only came to know how she was doing, nothing more.

Cherry was walking toward the restroom when a strange feeling crept over her. She looked behind her, but no one was there.

"I must be sleep-deprived..." she murmured, rubbing her eyes.

Jared heard her voice, and the pain in his chest deepened.

"If only I hadn't left you, Cherry," he whispered to himself. "You wouldn't be suffering like this now. I blindly followed my parents and chose selfishness. I regret everything."

He peeked out again, but Cherry was gone. Quietly, he moved toward Alfred's room and looked in. Alfred was asleep, hooked up to an oxygen tank. Jared watched for a moment longer then walked away unnoticed.

"I'm sorry, Cherry," he whispered. "I can't help with the hospital bills this time like I used to. But I'll still be here... even from a distance."

He disappeared into the hallway's shadow, leaving only the echo of regret behind him.