Chapter 7

Madilim na ang langit nang marinig ko ang pagbukas ng gate. Sa likod ng mga kurtina, lihim akong sumilip mula sa bintana ng sala. Tila ba sinadya ng gabi na magsilbing saksi sa panibagong sakit na ipapalasap sa akin ni Gregory.

And there he was. Tall, composed, arrogant as ever. But he wasn't alone.

Nakapulupot sa braso niya ang isang babae—maputi, sexy, halos wala nang saplot. Halos masubsob ito sa kanyang leeg habang magkahinang ang kanilang mga labi. Walang pakundangan. Walang hiya.

Hindi ko napigilang mapaatras mula sa bintana. Kumakabog ang dibdib ko, hindi dahil sa selos—dahil sa isang bagay na mas masakit. Pagkabigo.

So this is what my marriage has come to.

Hindi pa man niya tuluyang nasisira ang mundo ko, sinisigurado niyang dudurugin niya ito ng buo.

Mabilis kong pinunasan ang mga luhang ayaw tumigil sa pagtulo. Naramdaman kong nanginginig ang kamay ko, pero pinilit kong lakasan ang loob ko. I won't let him humiliate me like this in my own cage—our so-called home.

Pagkarinig ko ng pagbukas ng pintuan, sinadya kong humarap sa kanila.

"There she is," bulalas ng babae, habang tila tuwang-tuwang nakadikit pa rin sa dibdib ni Gregory. "You didn't tell me your maid was still here."

What did she just say?

Napatawa siya. Tumitig sa akin nang may luhang panunuya sa mga mata.

"She's not the maid," Gregory said, not even flinching. "She's my wife."

Napako ang ngiti ng babae. Ngunit sa halip na mapahiya, mas lalo pa itong ngumisi. “Oh. That kind of marriage,” sabay tingin sa akin mula ulo hanggang paa. “No wonder she looks... miserable.”

Sa puntong ‘yon, hindi ko na napigilan ang sarili ko. Lumapit ako sa kanila ng walang takot, kahit nanginginig pa ang kalamnan ko.

"You must be so proud," mariin kong sabi. "Bringing home a woman who kisses you in front of your wife like she’s the one wearing the ring.”

Tumaas ang kilay ng babae. “Excuse me?”

“No,” I snapped. “Excuse you. You’re standing in a house that doesn’t belong to you. Sleeping with a man who’s married to someone else. Do you even have the slightest ounce of self-respect?”

"Watch your mouth!" sigaw ni Gregory. Tumalim ang tingin niya sa akin, para bang wala akong karapatang magsalita. "Don’t you dare speak to her like that."

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

"Don’t dare?" Napatawa ako ng mapait. "I am your wife, Gregory. I may not be your choice, but I’m still the woman you dragged into this goddamn marriage. I didn't ask for this, but you gave me your name, your ring, and now you're parading around some woman like I’m invisible?"

"That’s enough!" bulyaw niya.

Pero hindi na ako tumigil.

"You're disgusting," I spat, my voice trembling with rage. "You act like you're above everyone, but look at you. You're a cheater. A coward. A man who can't even face the truth that he married someone he can’t control the way he wants!"

Sumingit ang babae, "Look, sweetheart, I don’t know what drama you two have, but clearly, this marriage isn’t working. Why don’t you just—"

"I wasn’t talking to you!" I shouted, this time with a fire I didn't know I had. "You’re just a moment, a body he’ll forget after tonight. Don’t mistake your place here—you don’t belong in this house. You don’t belong beside him. And you will never replace me."

"You’re delusional!" angil niya. “You’re just jealous he wants someone like me and not a little crybaby like you.”

“Jealous?” Napangisi ako, ngunit ang mga luha ay tuloy-tuloy na rin. "I’d rather be a crybaby than a whore who settles for someone else's husband."

“Coleen, enough!” Gregory roared. Bigla siyang lumapit sa akin at sinunggaban ang braso ko, pinisil ito ng mariin.

“Let go of me!” sigaw ko, ngunit lalo lang humigpit ang pagkakahawak niya.

“You don’t get to talk to her like that,” he growled, pulling me closer. “You don’t get to embarrass me in my own house.”

“Your house?” Nag-aapoy ang tingin ko habang pilit kong binubunot ang braso ko mula sa kanyang hawak. “You think this place is still your kingdom? You turned it into a goddamn motel the moment you brought her here.”

Napangisi si Gregory, isang mapanganib na ngisi. “And what do you expect me to do? Pretend we’re a happy couple? That this is a real marriage?”

“I expected you to at least pretend to be human!” I yelled. “You don’t have to love me. You don’t even have to care. But don’t humiliate me like this. I didn’t choose this marriage, but I respected it.”

Natahimik si Gregory. Ngunit sa katahimikang iyon ay naroon ang lalim ng galit na pinipigil niya.

"You’re so good at playing victim," he said coldly. "So pure, so fragile. But deep down, you’re just like the rest of them—clinging to a man who never wanted you in the first place."

"You dragged me into this," I whispered, my voice breaking. "You made me your wife. And now you make me watch you love someone else in front of me?”

Hindi siya sumagot.

"You’re a coward, Gregory," I said with finality. "You hide behind arrogance because you’re too scared to feel anything real. So you fuck your way through women like her... and pretend it makes you whole."

Tumahimik siya. 

Sa ilang saglit, walang gumalaw. Hanggang sa tumawa ang babae, sabay sabing, “She’s crazy. I’m not staying here with her.”

“Good,” I snapped. “Leave. Get out of this house before I throw you out myself.”

"You wouldn’t dare—"

“Try me,” I said, deadly calm. “Because I’ve had enough.”

Nilingon siya ni Gregory. “Go. I’ll call you later.”

Hindi makapaniwala ang babae pero umalis ito, nagsisigaw pa sa paglabas niya ng pinto. Iniwan niya kaming dalawa sa gitna ng sala—tahimik, mainit ang hangin, mabigat ang bawat hininga.

Gregory faced me again, but this time, there was no fire in his eyes. Only shadows.

“You’re not as weak as I thought,” he muttered.

“No, I’m not,” I said, chin held high. “You can hurt me, but I won’t let you break me.”

Tumango siya. Parang may gusto pa siyang sabihin, pero pinili na lang niyang lumakad palayo.