Chapter 3: A Help from A Stranger or a Friend?

What I love about Velvet Cup is its exclusivity. Hindi kagaya ng ibang luxury coffee shops, wala kang makikitang karangyaan sa bawat sulok ng cafe. Every piece of furniture screams simplicity, elegance and with a touch of class. And on top of all that, yung privacy mo is never compromised. Meron silang mga private corners, or simple table for two, just enough so you could enjoy your cup of coffee in peace.

“Hello, uhm table for two please”, pasimple kong sabi sa server outside the cafe.

 “Right away, Ma’am. This way please”, she smiled and directed me to a nearby table. 

“Here’s your table and menu, Ma’am I’ll be back po in a little while to take your order”, the waitress smiled. Pagkatapos niyang ibigay ang menu ay umalis na siya sa aking table, back to the front area of the cafe.

I was still lost in thought as to what I’ll be ordering, nang biglang may napansin akong anino ng isang taong huminto sa table ko.

“Uhm, Miss? Hindi pa ako ready for my or—-” naputol ang sasabihin ko ng tuluyan  akong mapatingala sa lalaking nakatayo sa harapan ko.

And in that instant. I forgot how to breathe.

Oh God. Buhay pa ba ako?

Kung may itsura man ang mga anghel kapag bumambaba sila sa langit, I was certain the man standing before me would put them all to shame.

He was tall, broad-shouldered and effortlessly handsome. 

He was heaven sent.

No, scratch that. He’s a God sent.

He was also effortlessly fashionable too. Isang simpleng black t-shirt, and gray pants with matching black shoes , but he seems as if he was a model straight out of a magazine. Siya yung tipong kahit basahan pa ang suotin niya, I was pretty sure he would still look annoyingly handsome in it.

I was unconsciously studying his face. Oh my gosh that face.

It was immaculately perfect. He had a sharp jawline, a straight nose, and lips that are sculpted to perfection. Pero yung mga mata niya.

Oh my goodness. Those dark, deep, and mysterious eyes.

His eyes held a certain depth and intensity that was not hard to miss.  It was as if he could read through my soul. Hindi ko alam kung dahil ba sa paraan ng pagkakatitig niya sa akin o dahil nakakalula lang talaga siyang tingnan, but somehow, I forgot how to breathe.

Elena,hinga. Breathe, or else mamamatay ka.

“Enjoying the view, Ms. Virelli?”may pangungutyang sabi ng lalaking nakatitig pabalik sa akin.

“Ha? Kilala mo ako?” wala sa sarili kong sabi. I was still gathering my thoughts, and processing what was happening to me. Parang nagshort circuit ang utak ko ng dahil sa anghel, este, taong ito.

“I believe I sent you that message, if you know what I mean”, sagot niya, habang bahagyang nakangiti sa akin, na para bang ikinatutuwa pa niya ang iba’t ibang emosyong dumaan sa mukha ko.

“Talaga lang, ha?”those were the words that formed out of my mouth, Nakakahiya, but my mind wasn’t working properly.

“Well, before I introduce myself. Mag-order muna tayo. I am really hungry”he chuckled. Napaka effortless lang ng ginawa niya, na para bang hindi niya alam na ikasisira ng pagsasama namin ni Ethan ang ginagawa namin ngayon. 

Wala namang masisira, dahil para kay Ethan, balewala lang ang apat na taong pagsasama namin.  I bitterly reminded myself, while I finally gave out my orders to the server.

“If that would be all, Ms. Virelli and Mr. Aragon, your orders will be served five minutes from now. In the meantime, please enjoy the complimentary snacks we have prepared for you.”Pagtatapos na sabi ni Adrian, the waiter, I mean the manager of Velvet Cup.

“Thanks, Seb, but seriously, hindi ka na dapat lumabas pa just to take my order. I know how busy your day is.” sabi ng lalaking nakaupo sa tapat ko.

“It is always our pleasure to be of service, Mr. Aragon. This is no big deal po, but anyways, enjoy your time.”Seb slightly bowed and left the table.

“Aragon? “ I finally dared to ask.

“Well, apologies for the late introduction Ms. Virelli. Ako nga pala si Alexander Aragon.” He finally said, sabay abot ng kanyang kanang kamay for a brief handshake.

Tinanggap lo ang kamay niya, but the moment our hands touched, may kung anong kuryente ang tila dumaloy sa buong katawan ko. Napatingin ako ng saglit kay Alexander, and he mirrored what I was feeling. Before both of us could make sense of it, bigla bigla na lang niyang binitawan ang kamay ko.  Well that was one heck of an introduction.  I couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly.

“Hindi na ako magpapakilala, Mr. Aragon, since I know kilala mo na ako.” I finally said, after I crossed my arms over my chest, at pasimpleng sumandal sa upuan ko.

“So, let’s get down to business Mr. Aragon”, I continued. “Bakit mo ba ako pinapadalhan ng mga misteryosong messages? What’s in it for you if I knew about my husband’s affair? Ano? Gagamitin mo rin ba ako for revenge against my sorry excuse of a husband? What’s in it for you?huh?” hindi ko mapigilang maluha sa mga pinagsasabi ko. Kahit anong gawin ko, I cannot mask the fact that I am hurting. Napakasakit ng ginawa ni Ethan sa akin, and I know it will take me a long time to heal from this.

 “There’s nothing in it for me, to be honest.”seryosong tugon ni Alexander. 

“Ayoko lang makitang naaagrabyado ang isang babae, dahil sa kawalangyaan at kabobohan ng kanyang asawa”. Pagtatapos niyang sabi.

“My real father treated my mom just like how Ethan treats you now. It was your father who helped my mom out of that miserable marriage. Kaya, ituring mo na lang na utang na loob ng pamilya ko ang pagtulong ko sa iyo ngayon.”He finished.

“Wow. Thank you, ha? You could’ve just told me directly than send me those cryptic messages.”I sarcastically replied. Hindi ko na mapigil ang emosyong kagabi ko pa pilit na itinatago. I need something, SOMEONE, to take the blame. Someone I can rant and explode to.

Unfortunately for Mr. Alexander Aragon, siya lang ang taong pwede kong gamitin ngayon.

“Alam kong galit ka. But first, eat. Kumain ka muna, at nang kumalma ka.” He reached out for my hand on the table at pilit akong pinapakalma, habang isa isang nagdatingan ang mga orders namin.

“Eat”, he commanded. His tone was calm, habang pasimpleng humihigop ng kapeng inorder niya. He liked his coffee black. Just pure, unadulterated black coffee. No cream, no sugar. No complications.

Just like him, perhaps.

Pagkatapos naming maubos ang pagkain, he finally started talking about what he knew about my husband.

“If you think, what you heard last night was a one time mistake, Elena, nagkakamali ka”, he clarified.

Napahigpit ang hawak ko sa mesa, habang pinapakinggan si Alexander.

“Planado ni Vanessa at Ethan ang lahat. Your encounter with both of them, your relationship, your marriage, and his position as CEO ng EVE Holdings.” he revealed.

“Pano naman ako nakakasiguradong, totoo lahat ng mga pinagsasabi mo, Alexander?”hindi ko mapigilang matanong.

“Plano yan ng mga magulang ni Ethan. Dahil ibinagsak ng ama mo ang kanilang pamilya noon, they have been patiently waiting for the perfect opportunity to get even. Sa kasamaang palad, ikaw Elena, ang napili nilang gamitin para sa paghihiganti sa pamilya ninyo.”he further explained.

Nangunot ang an noo ko, habang prinoproseso ko ang bawat salitang binitawan ni Alexander. Every word, every revelation from him felt like another piece of my heart has been torn into pieces.

Planado ang lahat? Yes, I get that. Yan ang narinig ko kagabi.

Pero ang malamang…simula’t sapul pa lang, plinano na nilang sirain ang pamilya ko.

Plinano na nilang sirain ang buhay ko.

Hindi..hindi ito pwede.. I cannot just accept this.

“I ..I refuse to believe that, Alexander”, umiiling kong sagot sa kanya.

“If everything was planned, bakit kailangan umabot sa kasalan? Just so makaganti siya or sila sa akin? It seems so absurd!”I sighed in frustration.

“Sinasabi ko lang saýo ang mga nalalaman ko, Elena. I am not asking you to leave your husband. Hindi rin naman ako magbibitaw ng mga salitang ito, if I don’t have proof of what your husband and his family did”kalmadong sabi ni Alexander, habang dahan-dahan niyang ibinibigay sa akin ang isang black folder na naglalaman ng lahat ng baho ng asawa ko.

“Everything in this envelope is the proof that you need”, seryosong tugon niya sa akin.

“Nasa sayo na Elena, kung anong gusto mong gawin dito. I am not asking you to leave him, I’m simply giving you the opportunity to free yourself of someone who does not deserve you. At all.” pinal niyang sabi.

I looked at the envelope containing everything about Ethan. And for the first time, since nalaman ko ang ginawa niya, hindi ko alam kung anong gusto kong mangyari. I had no idea what my next move is. Before I knew it, naguunahan ng bumagsak ang mga luha ko.

“Alexander, I..I don’t know what to do.. Hindi..hindi ko k-kayang tingnan to”, nagmamakaawa kong sabi kay Alexander.

“Elena, wag kang umiyak”, he coldly told me. 

“Ethan does not deserve your love, nor does he deserve any other emotion from you.Whatever he did, whatever his family planned, you and your family do not deserve this.”he added.

“But, what he deserves is a taste of his own medicine”, he quietly, but angrily said.

“What are you trying to say, Alexander?”naguguluhan kong tanong sa kanya.

“For now, I want you to take a look at that”, tinuro niya ang envelope na nasa aking harapan.

“Kung gusto mong maghiganti, you know how to reach me.” pagkasabi ni Alexander nun, ay bigla na lang siyang tumayo.

“And, Elena, before I forget”, he said and turned back to look at me.

“Hindi mo kawalan ang isang walang kwentang Ethan Cojuangco. You are also not foolish for blindly falling for him. Sinsero niyang sinabi sa akin.

“You are not weak, Elena. You’re just human”.

And with that, Alexander Aragon left me in that cafe, lost in my thoughts.

For some reason, Alexander’s words hurt more, than the fact na pinagtaksilan ako ni Ethan. Siguro, dahil apat na taon kong pauli ulit na kinwestyon kung saan ako nagkulang bilang asawa ni Ethan. Hindi ko na mabilang ang mga gabing kinuwestyon ko kung tama ba ang mga sakripisyong ginawa ko sa kanya, or may kulang pa ba.

Because of my love for Ethan, I lost myself. 

I lost the version of myself that had the will to fight, whoever was trying to let me down, or even question my worth.

Lahat ng to, ginawa ko para sa lecheng pag-ibig na ito.

I swallowed the hard lump in my throat, took a deep breath and slowly opened the envelope that Alexander gave me.

Nanginginig kong binuksan ang envelope. I must admit, natatakot akong masaktan pa sa nararamdaman ko ngayon. Pagkatapos kong malaman kung ano pa man ang nasa envelope na ito.

Pero higit sa lahat. Mas natatakot akong malaman kung  kaya ko bang talikuran ang pagmamahal ko kay Ethan upang ipaghiganti ko ang aking sarili at ang pamilya ko.

Or..

Will I still have it in me to sacrifice whatever was left of Elena Virelli, just to gain my freedom and self back?

Kakayanin mo ba ito, Elena?

“Tama na, Elena. Itigil na natin ito, once and for all”.  

I finally pulled out the documents inside the envelope. Nagkalat ang mga photos, printed messages, receipts from different motels, clubs, restaurants na pinuntahan nila Ethan and Vanessa.

Vanessa Wilde.

Ang taong tinuring kong higit pa sa kapatid for the past years. Nung mga panahong umiiyak ako, questioning myself if I was a good wife to Ethan, she was there, holding me and comforting me through my rants and breakdowns.

“How ironic, Vanessa”I couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh, habang tinitingnan ko ang mga indecent photos nilang dalawa ni Ethan.

While I was busy crying my heart out to her, she was busy warming up my husband’s bed.

“Napakawalang hiya niyo talaga, Ethan, Vanessa, nanginginig kong sambit habang tinitingnan pa ang mga ebidensya ng kanilang escapade dito sa Pilipinas, at sa ibang bansa.

Yung inakala kong international business conferences, it was their secret code for their illicit vacations.

The late night and emergency client meetings, and over-time? Overtime pala silang dalawa sa kanilang karupukan.

Namumuo na naman ang mga luha sa mga mata ko, while I was still looking at the evidence Alexander gave me. But this time, I refused to let them fall.

Hinding-hindi na kita iiyakan pang muli, Ethan Cojuangco.

“Kung gusto niyo kong pabagsakin, Ethan, isinusumpa kong pagsisisihan nyo ang araw na ginawa nyo akong kalaban”,, I whispered, while I returned the photos inside the envelope.

“You want to destroy me? You should’ve made sure I would never have found out your plan”, I smiled bitterly.

I fixed myself first, bago tuluyang tumayo at lumabas ng Velvet Cup.

I may have been heart broken when I entered this cafe hours ago, but the woman who walked out of it?

She would be someone entirely different.

This time, I am sacrificing myself one more time.

Ngayon,

 lalaban ako..

Lalaban ako para sa sarili ko..

This time, I’ll be the hero I need to save myself.