Chapter 1: One Reckless Night

"Keep it coming," saad ni Amanda habang iniaabot ang basong naubos na. Ang boses niya basag, pero pinilit niyang maging matatag.

"Yes, Miss," nakangiting sagot ng bartender. Isang ngiting may halong pang-aasar. 

Iniwas ni Amanda ang tingin. She was not in the mood to scold anyone, or to pay attention to that malicious smile. Maybe the guy was just being friendly. Maybe he was flirting. Whatever. She couldn’t care less. 

Her mind was somewhere else. Somewhere she didn’t want to go back to.

She didn’t even understand why she needed to drown herself in alcohol tonight. She already knew her marriage was loveless. She accepted that four   years ago when she said "I do" at eighteen to Tyrone Montenegro. It was for Lolo Reynaldo. For Lola Rosa. For family. 

Pero hindi niya matanggap ang nakita niya kanina.

Kaninang alas-kuatro  ng hapon, she went to Tyrone’s office sa Montenegro Tower to drop off Lola Rosa’s medicine. The door was slightly ajar. Bago pa siya makatapak sa loob, she heard it. A moan. Soft, then desperate.

Her heart dropped.

She pushed the door open and froze.

Nakaupo si Issa Aguirre — si Issa, ang secretary at personal assistant ni Tyrone — sa ibabaw ng desk. Nakaipit ang mga binti sa bewang ni Tyrone. And Tyrone... her husband... was kissing her like the world was ending. 

TorrId. Shameless. Office hours.

Amanda was too stunned to move. Too stunned to breathe.

Ni hindi man lang nila siya napansin.

" What if she knows about us?" tanong ni Issa in between kisses, hinihingal.

Tyrone laughed low, his hands already under Issa’s blouse. "You know that we're married because of Grandma Rosa, right? I don’t love her."

The words hit Amanda harder than the sight. 

"I don’t love her."

Four  years.  Four years of being quiet. Of being the good wife.  Kaya pala ni minsan ay hindi siya ginalaw ni Tyrone, in  love ito sa iba.

"Kung gayon bakit ayaw mo pa siyang hiwalayan?" Issa asked, arching into him.

"Hindi pwede," Tyrone muttered against Issa’s neck. "Ayaw ni Lola Rosa. Sa mansion, batas ang salita ni Lola. Wait lang. Pag okay na si Lola, I’ll file."

"Ahhh—" lumakas ang ungol ni Issa nang bumaba ang halik ni Tyrone sa dibdib nito.

Amanda covered her mouth with both hands para hindi marinig ang singhap niya. Her chest felt like it was caving in. 

She didn’t wait. She turned and ran. 

Nagmamadali siyang lumabas ng building, hindi man lang nag-abala kumuha ng elevator. Hagdan. Down 12 floors. Until her legs gave out sa parking lot and she just sat there, shaking.

So that’s it. 

After everything, she was just a name on a marriage certificate. A duty. 

---

Now she was here. Sa isang high-end bar sa Makati. The kind of place where the drinks cost more than students monthly allowance and the people inside pretended they weren’t lonely.

"Miss, would you like me to fill your glass for more or—"

Tinaas ni Amanda ang kamay. "Yeah, sure." Kumuha siya ng cash sa handbag at inabot. "Here. Keep the change."

She was already tipsy. Maybe more than tipsy. The room was starting to spin and her cheeks were burning. She felt sleepy, pero ayaw niyang matulog. Because if she slept, she’d dream about that office. About those words.

Minabuti niyang magbayad at magbigay ng malaking tip. Tumayo siya, hawak ang bag, at dumiretso sa second floor. May na-reserve na siyang VIP suite kanina pa, bago pa siya umupo sa bar. She needed privacy. She needed to disappear for one night.

Pag-akyat niya, mahina ang ilaw. Smooth jazz. The smell of expensive whiskey and cologne.

On her way to her suite, bumangga siya sa isang lalaki.

"Sorry," she mumbled, not even looking up.

Pero bago pa siya makalusot, naramdaman niya ang kamay ng lalaki sa braso niya. Firm. Cold.

"Are you alright?" The voice was low. Deep. Controlled. May konting irritation.

Amanda looked up. 

And her brain short-circuited.

Matangkad siya. 6'2" at least. Naka-black suit, walang kurbata, dalawang unang butones ng polo nakabukas. Storm-gray eyes that looked at her like he could see right through her drunk haze. Sharp jaw. Messy black hair. And a scent — cedar, something expensive, something dangerous.

He was the kind of man you see in business magazines. The kind of man her husband tried to impress.

Pero sa estado niya ngayon, she didn’t care.

Uminit bigla ang katawan niya. The alcohol, the anger, the hurt — lahat naghalo. 

Before she could think, she stepped closer and kissed him.

Nagulat ang lalaki. "Let go," utos nito, cold and sharp. He tried to pull back. 

But Amanda didn’t. She threw her arms around his neck, pressing herself to him. "Please," she whispered against his lips. "Just... please. Don’t talk."

She could feel him tense. She could feel him fighting it. 

Then he lost.

With a low curse, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her — not away, but toward him. Papasok sa isang VIP suite. His suite. 

The door clicked shut behind them. "You’re drunk." 

"Ano naman kung nakainom ako." she teases. 

The man stared at her for one long second. Then he did something she was looking for. 

He cupped her face with both hands, thumb brushing away her arrogance, and kissed her. Cruel,  rushed and intense. Like he understood exactly what kind of pain she was drowning in.

And Amanda let him. "Careful, superman...this.. is my.. first.. time." pautal-utal nitong sabi. 

The world outside ceased to exist. The betrayal. The marriage.  Tyrone and Issa. 

All that was left was heat, and skin, and the desperate need to feel something other than broken.

It was messy. It was reckless. It was wrong.

But for one night, Amanda wasn’t the forgotten wife. 

She was wanted.

Hours later, she woke up alone in the suite. Morning light was peeking through the curtains. Her head was pounding and her heart was heavier than before.

On the bedside table was a glass of water and a note written in neat, sharp handwriting:

Don’t do this again.

Amanda laughed bitterly and pressed the note to her chest. She got dressed quickly, left cash on the table, and slipped out before anyone could see her.

She told herself it was a mistake. A one-time thing. That she would never see the man again.