LOGINCHAPTER 53"Does marrying him make you that vulnerable?" "Nangingialam ka?" bastos kong sinabi.I could not help but feel it then. The creeping thought that staying in Bicol had been the wrong move. And now he was here, standing in front of me, making that thought scream louder than it had ever been before.Gusto niyang hulihin ako na hindi masaya sa naging desisyon ko? Ganoon ba ang gusto niyang makita sa akin?The fact that he had physically shown up here turned my stomach completely upside down. Because it felt like watching me unhappy was the revenge he deserved. For everything I did to him.Aaminin kong na-miss ko siya, at gusto ko siyang kausapin, kaya nagpaiwan din ako rito. Pero hindi siguro magandang ideya na kausapin pa siya. Kasi nalulungkot ako at nasasaktan.I did not deny to myself how happy I had been living as Michelle. Na gusto kong bumalik ulit doon at kalimutan ang lahat. I found myself inside a maze I had built with my own hands, and all I wanted was to go back to
CHAPTER 52"You don't have the right to tell her that, Mom..."Para akong tanga habang papunta kami sa CR.Sinabi ni Treve talaga iyon? I can't be wrong. That was his voice. His voice."Manang Flory," tawag ko sa kaniya.Sinasabayan niya ang mabilis kong hakbang hanggang sa makarating kami sa loob ng CR. Hinarap ko siya gamit ang malaking salamin na nakasabit doon."A-Anong nangyayari? Bakit kayo nandito?""H-Hindi ko rin alam, Xianny! Diyos ko, kumusta ka? Ayos ka lang ba?" she asked, eyes scanning me up and down like she was checking for damage.Kinagat ko ang aking labi at hinarap na siyang tuluyan."Ayos lang po ako..."She nodded slowly, as if my answer was the most important thing in the world right now.I get it. It was Treve's family. His world. And I was just someone who had forced her way into it without permission. I should be the one asking why I was even here, not him. Pakiramdam ko, palpak na naman ako ngayon.It was something inevitable for Treve. It was his family, his
CHAPTER 51"Seems like you're here because I'm getting married?"Ang malas ko naman! Mapapakasal pa ako sa pamilya ng taong niloko ko!Lahat sila niloko ko at tinakasan! At hindi ko na alam kung tama pa bang nandirito pa ako ngayon!I bit my lip so hard I almost thought it would bleed. The nervousness had spread all the way to my fingertips."Why? Did you think I am here for that? To congratulate you?"Napayuko ako at dahan-dahang hinihiwa ang steak habang nahihiwa rin nang dahan-dahan ang puso ko. Iyong likod ko ay malamig na. Tapos iyong kamay ko, hindi mapirme. May aircon naman ngayon, pero pakiramdam ko, may butil butil nang pawis sa noo ko."M-May kasama ka pala, Treve..." singit ni Mrs. Vetara."Oh, right... This is Manang Flory," si Treve, casual na casual lang siya.He seems like he's not shocked to see me here. Like he had not just walked into the same room as the person who ran away from his house without a single word.I wanted to look at him again but I stopped myself. Gus
CHAPTER 50 There is nothing to worry about what he would say. Lalong-lalo na, hindi ko naman pinaghirapan ang mga businesses ni Dad. Hindi ko iyon gusto at mas nanaig ang pagnunursing ko. At saka kung buhay pa si Dad, mas gugustuhin niya pang si Lance ang humawak ng mga businesses niya. Maybe, Dad was right. I have really nothing to lose. Na bakit nga ba ako nangarap kung hahantong lang pala ako sa kagustuhan niya? Bakit ko nga ba sinayang ang buhay ko sa pagnunursing kung hahawakan ko lang pala ang business niya. "Xianny... I want you to meet my Dad, Solomon Vetara... and his wife, Meralda Vetara," he said gently. Nakaharap na ako sa dalawang taong nakatingin sa akin. They stood still, and with just one glance at them, you could already tell that they were powerful and influential people. The kind of people who walked into a room and the air shifted. Malaki ang ngisi ng babae habang ang Dad ni Lance ay may silip na ngisi lang sa labi. Katabi ko si Lance, ilang pulgada lang ang la
CHAPTER 49 Dati, noong nag-aaral pa ako, palagi akong nagpapakatotoo sa sarili ko. My decisions were always shaped by being true to myself. There were no barriers in it, and the output would always turn out satisfactory... or at least, that was what I believed back then. Pero ngayong hindi na ako nag-aaral, ngayong namatay si Daddy, iyong desisyon ko na tumakbo at magpakalayo-layo ay dala ng takot. Fear consumed me before I even had the chance to think things through. I ran before I could fully understand what I was running from. And now... I made another decision, marrying someone because of conscience. Na iyong taong hindi ko lubusang kilala ay marami na palang nagawa noong nawala ako sa buhay nila nang mahabang panahon. Hindi ko maiwasang isipin na isang taon na rin pala ako bilang kasambahay. I've learned a lot. I've learned what hard work really feels like from the inside. Na mahirap din pala kahit na hindi na ako nag-aaral. I just always remember my Kuya Limuel whenever I fee
CHAPTER 48Siguro kung hindi lang ako nagself-reflect kagabi, baka umiiyak na naman ako ngayon! My Mom does not like seeing me cry. She absorbs other people's emotions so easily, and seeing me fall apart only makes things harder for her."Don't worry so much, Xianny anak... I am sorry, okay? I will... Ayaw kong iwan kita kaya lumalaban ako, Xianny.""I will do everything, Mommy. Everything it takes for you to get back to the life you deserve," sambit ko sa kaniya.Ngumiti siya. Hinugasan ko iyong mga apples na dala ko at nang bumalik ako ay nagsimula akong balatan si Mommy ng apples."But, anak... Lance told me that your Dad had arranged a marriage between you and Lance," she said suddenly.Napalunok ako. Nakalimutan ko na halos ang bagay na iyon dahil si Mommy lang ang laman ng isipan ko kagabi.Mabagal kong napagtanto na si Lance pala ang naabutan ko kagabi. Na dahil sa labis na emosyon, hindi ko naisip na baka may kap
CHAPTER 14Si Manang Flory ang namamahala sa amin at kanan kamay siya rito ni Sir Eve, kaya wala akong nagawa kundi sumunod sa kanya. Ang hardinero namin ay lingguhan lang pumupunta, at ngayon wala siya, kaya ang mga damo at halaman ay medyo malalago na.I kept trimmin
CHAPTER 10Hindi ko alam sa sarili ko kung bakit ako ganito. Pero 'yong mga naging problema ko kanina, parang nawala! Kahit galit sa akin o naiinis si Chief Treve, tila wala akong pakialam. Nagdidiwang pa nga ang puso ko eh!Tapos tinulungan niya pa akong ilagay sa trunk ang mga
CHAPTER 9Hindi pa ako sigurado. I don't want to make another impulsive decision. Oo, umalis na ako sa puder ni Chief, pero hindi ko naman sigurado kung uuwi na talaga ako. I have ten thousand left here. Should I get an apartment? But that would only cover the deposit. Tapos wala na akon
CHAPTER 8Habang kumakain ako ay iniisip ko ang mga maaaring mangyari kapag umuwi na ako sa amin.I'll talk to Lance. Panigurado namang mapapawalang-bisa na niya ang kontrata, hindi ba? All I needed was to make sure that he didn't really need me, just my Dad's business. Wala na







