Hired a close friend to be a katulong for my family, paying him ten thousand pesos a month. After two weeks, Ama Ramon suddenly became unusually cheerful, while my friend became pale and pale…

I married far away and lived in Quezon City. Because of my busy work schedule, I had little time to stay home and take care of Ama Ramon, my father-in-law. At that time, my long-time friend, Mariel, was in need of a job. I took pity on her and hired her as a katulong, paying her ten thousand pesos a month. I had someone I trusted to take care of her, and it was like helping my friend earn some extra income.

At first, everything was fine. But after only two weeks, I noticed something strange. Ama Ramon, who had always complained about being tired and eating irregularly, was now unusually cheerful. He woke up early every morning and even whistled happily as he walked around the house. On the contrary, Mariel was emaciated and pale. One day I asked her, she just smiled awkwardly:

– “Wala ’to… siguro hindi pa ako sanay sa trabaho.”

But the more I noticed the avoiding glances, the nights when the door was closed for too long, and the creepy silence when Mariel passed by Ama Ramon.

The climax was that day, Ama Ramon suddenly insisted that my husband – Miguel – renovate the house. He insisted on building an additional soundproof room and locking it from the inside. The whole family was bewildered, not understanding why an old man in his seventies needed a soundproof room.

Having a bad feeling, I called Mariel out to ask her directly. She turned pale, her lips trembled, and it took her a long time to say a few words:

– “Ami… pasensya na… pero si Ama… gabi-gabi… pinipilit niya ako…”

That sentence was like a thunderclap. I felt a chill down my spine, my legs were so weak I couldn’t stand. It turned out that all this time, my best friend whom I had trusted to do housework had become a victim in her own house, at the hands of Ama Ramon!

And before I could recover, Mariel choked up and said another sentence that left me speechless:

– “Hindi lang ako… pati ’yung mga naunang katulong… pero nawala na lang bigla. Akala ko umalis sila… pero ngayon naiintindihan ko na… baka…”

Part 2: The whole barangay was in an uproar – the truth about Ama Ramon was exposed

After hearing Mariel’s trembling confession, I almost collapsed. At first, I had planned to keep everything a secret for fear of breaking up the family, of “bringing filial piety” to Ama Ramon. But Mariel’s red eyes and trembling hands were like a cry for help that made me unable to stay silent.

That night, I secretly installed a small camera in the living room. And after just one night, the truth was fully recorded: Ama Ramon, whom relatives still respected as a “model lolo”, had revealed his true colors – he blatantly tried to force Mariel when the whole family was asleep.

I was stunned, but also understood: this was the only evidence to protect my friend.

The next morning, I showed the clip to my husband. Miguel was initially angry, unable to believe that his biological father would do such a dirty thing. But when he saw it with his own eyes, he could only hold his head and cry:

– “Hindi ko akalaing kaya niyang gawin ito… Ama ko pa naman siya…”
(I can’t believe he did this… he’s my real father…)

The news soon spread throughout the barangay. A relative on his father’s side, who had long been dissatisfied with Ama Ramon, posted the clip on Facebook with the accusation:

“Matagal na palang may multo sa bahay niyo. Ngayon moi showed his face!”

In just a few hours, the whole barangay was in chaos. Hundreds of comments appeared under the post:

– “Kawawa si Mariel, salamat sa tapang mo.”
– “Walang lugar ang katulad niya sa lipunan. Dapat ikulong!”
– “Bakit ngayon lang lumabas ang totoo? Pati mga naunang katulong na nawala… baka may kinalaman siya?”

Mariel, who used to be just a silent maid, has now become the focus of protection of the online community. Those who used to look down on her now send messages of encouragement:

– “Huwag kang matakot. Nasa likod mo ang buong barangay.”

– “Mariel, ikaw ang biktima, hindi ikaw ang may kasalanan.”

And Ama Ramon, who went from being a respected old man to being despised. Even his own relatives openly stood up to criticize:

– “Ramon, ikinasira mo ang pangalan ng pamilya natin!”

– “Kung totoo na may mga katulong na nawala… kailangan ng imbestigasyon.”

That evening, the barangay captain himself came to the house, demanding that Ama Ramon present himself. The villagers gathered in front of the gate, their eyes filled with resentment. No one called him “Ama” anymore, but pointed and whispered:

– “Hayop pala sa anyo ng tao.”

– “Buti pa mabulok na siya sa kulungan.”

Meanwhile, Mariel stood trembling behind me. I squeezed her hand tightly, whispering:

– “You are not alone. This time, I will protect you to the end.”

And for the first time, I saw Mariel burst into tears, but no longer out of fear… but out of relief.