Kabanata 2

OFFER

I'm sure that Tita Carmen was the one who sold this house. Ang hindi ko alam ay kung paano niya nalaman ang tungkol dito at kung bakit pati ito ay pinagdiskitahan niya. 

Mas lalo akong naluha dahil sa galit nanamumuo sa puso ko para sa kay Tita. Lahat na lang kinuha niya sa akin.

Binalik ko ang tingin sa lalaking nasa harapan ko. Kunot ang noo, nakatayo lang siya habang pinagmamasdan ang pag-agos ng luha sa pisngi ko. I could feel his intense stare at me, as though weighing every inch of my soul...

It was as if he could see through me, and I was powerless under the weight of his stare. 

Ilang minuto pa siyang ganoon lang bago siya tumikhim. 

Umigiting ang kaniyang panga.

"Wipe your tears. I don't like uninvited guest crying in my doorstep," baritonong aniya bago tumalikod at dumiretso sa bar counter malapit sa sala.

Mabilis kong pinalis ang aking luha gamit ang nanginginig na kamay. Hindi ko alam kung ano ang gagawin. 

Should I walk away? 

This is not mine anymore kaya dapat ay umalis na ako pero saan naman ako pupunta?

The image of me sleeping at the cold cement outside made my heart hurt. 

Napalunok ako at pinanood siyang kumuha ng isang bote ng whiskey. Binuksan niya iyon nang walang kahirap-hirap at pinuno ang isang baso. Matapos iyon, uminom siya na para bang hindi niya kayang tiisin ang kalagayan ko... o ang presensya ko sa bahay.

He licked his lips. Umiling siya at pinasadahan ako ng tingin mula ulo hanggang paa, hawak pa rin ang baso.

"So… this house used to be yours?" he asked, his voice cold as ice, breaking the silence. But his jaw twitched, and for a split second, his grip tightened on the glass.

Nanatili akong tahimik. Tila may nakabara sa aking lalamunan. Pipiyok lang ako kapag nagsalita kaya tumango na lang ako. 

He raised an eyebrow. “Seems like...” Tumungga siya, this time with more force. “You had no idea it was sold? You’ve been scammed?”

I flinched at how sharp his words landed. I've been scammed by my own family.

Napakagat ako sa labi, pinipigil ang luhang nagbabadya na naman. Humigpit ang hawak ko sa aking suot na black shirt at pinilit magsalita.

"Y-yes... ngayon ko lang nalaman. P-pinalayas ako sa amin and this is the only thing I have... but now..." namamaos kong sagot, umiiyak na naman. “Wala na akong ibang mapupuntahan…” bulong ko, halos hindi ko alam kung para ba sa kanya ‘yon o para sa sarili ko.

Sa nanlalabong nata, napansin ko ang bahagyang paninigas ng kaniyang panga. Mariin ang titig sa akin. His whole body tense, trembling in restraint, like a storm sealed inside a man’s skin. He didn’t move. Just clenched his jaw harder, as if holding back words that wanted to explode.

Suminghot ako at pilit pinipigil ang sarili sa pag-iyak. Siguro'y iniisip niya na nagpapaawa lang ako. But I'm not. Ayaw ko naman talagang kaawaan, hindi ko lang talaga mapigil ang pagluha sa sakit.

"Bakit ka pinalayas?"

Nagdalawang-isip ako saglit. Pwede ko siyang hindi sagutin o 'di kaya'y magsinungaling na lang. I didn’t know him. Hindi niya rin ako kilala. He was a stranger… and yet, for some reason, pakiramdam ko okay lang na magsabi ng totoo. 

"My tita wanted me to marry someone..." Napalunok ako bago nagpatuloy. "A rich man she owes a huge debt to. As payment. I said no. She said I was ungrateful… then she kicked me out.”

Marahas niyang naibaba ang baso sa counter dahilan upang lumikha ito ng ingay. Muntikan nang mabasag. Then he let out a breath, harsh and heavy, as if struggling not to explode. His jaw was shaking now. His stare had turned deadly quiet.

"She tried to sell you to pay off her own mess?" he muttered, almost to himself.

Mukha siyang galit. I looked away, embarrassed. He probably thought I was pathetic. A burden. A stranger making a scene in his home. Maybe he was mad because I was dragging him into this. 

“Pasesnya na,” I whispered, barely able to look up. “Hindi ko gustong abalahin ka...”

Matthew’s head turned sharply. His jaw locked again, and for a second, he looked like he was going to yell. But he didn’t. He swallowed it. All of it. Again.

"What about your boyfriend?" he asked suddenly, voice harder now. "Anong ginawa niya habang pinapaalis ka? Hinayaan niya lang?"

Gulat, bumalik ang tingin ko sa kaniya. Paano niya naman nalaman na may boyfriend ako?

Parang nabasa niya agad ang nasa isip ko. His shoulders tensed. He looked away for a second, then back at me.

“I'm assuming you have one... wala ba?” he asked, this time slower, almost cautious.

Napayuko ako.

“Meron... dati.” My fingers trembled. I fiddled with them, trying to look anywhere but his eyes. 

“We broke a month ago. I caught him… cheating.” Halos bulong ang huli kong salita, pero ‘yung sakit, parang sumabog pa rin sa dibdib ko.

Tanggap ko naman na, pero ramdam ko ang sakit ngayon dahil nagsabay-sabay ang mga problema ko. 

Hindi siya nagsalita kaya tinignan ko siya. I froze.

His whole body was stiff. His hand was clenched so hard his knuckles turned white. The veins on his forearm were pulsing. His eyes, burning holes into the wall. Hindi ako ang tinitingnan niya. Para bang pinipigilan niyang sapakin ‘yung... pader? 

“Cheating?” he spat the word, sharp, disgusted, like it was poison in his mouth. 

“That son of a bitch.” 

Hindi ko narinig ang huling sinabi niya sa sobrang hina pero ramdam ko ang kaniyang gigil.

Napasinghap ako nang bigla niyang abutin ang bote ng whiskey. He yanked it, poured another glass too fast, and some of the liquor spilled over his fingers, pero wala siyang pake. His hand trembled as he lifted it.

He didn’t drink.

He just held the glass in midair, breathing hard, staring at the amber liquid like it was the only thing keeping him from exploding.

Did someone also cheated on him? Na ang simpleng pagbanggit sa salitang iyon ay nagpagalit sa kaniya?

His chest rose and fell with every breath, as if he was holding back more than just rage... parang sakit...

Tama siguro ako. Dapat pala hindi ko na binanggit.

"You're better off," he growled, his voice rough, almost venomous. “People like that don't deserve anything. Not even your anger.”

Umawang ang labi ko, stunned. I'm sure he was thinking about someone when he said that. His eyes were dark, filled with something raw. Something deadly. But just as fast, he blinked, and it was gone. Replaced by a cold, unreadable stare. His throat worked like he’d just swallowed something sharp.

Natahimik siya saglit. Then slowly, his gaze found mine again, steady this time, calculating.

“Gusto mo ba ‘tong bahay?”

Napakunot ang noo ko. “Ha?”

Lumapit siya ng dahan-dahan, parang isang tigre na naaamoy ang kahinaan ng biktima niya. Bumilis na naman ang tibok ng puso ko. 

“This house,” ulit niya. “You want it back?”

Umawang ang labi ko. 

Bakit niya tinatanong? Ibebenta niya ba sa akin? I would love that idea pero wala pa akong pera. Saan naman ako kukuha no'n?

Humugot ako ng malalim na hininga bago sumagot. 

“S-siyempre gusto. Ito na lang ang meron ako... at nandito ang alaala nina Mommy."

He smirked. Pero hindi iyon ‘yung mapanukso lang, may halong bagay na hindi ko mawari.

“Then let’s make a deal,” he said, voice low and smooth like poison wrapped in silk. 

Seryoso niyang tinitigan ang mga mata ko. 

"Marry me... be my wife.”

Nanlaki ang mga mata ko. Kumalabog ang dibdib ko. 

“W-what? Ano’ng…”

“Contract wife,” dagdag niya, halos walang emosyon sa boses. Inaayos ulit ang benda sa kamay. “Six months. Act the part. I’ll give you back this house.”

Umiling ako, napaatras nang bahagya. Hindi pa rin tuluyang naproproseso ang sinabi niya. Hindi ako makapaniwala.

“B-bakit ako? Bakit kailangan pa ng kasal? Anong klaseng kalokohan ‘yan? S-sino ka ba?”

Sunod-sunod na tanong ko dahil sa gulat. 

Kanina lang, pinalayas ako. Nalaman kong hindi na sa akin ang beach house at ngayon naman ay may lalaking hindi ko kilala na nag-aalok sa akin ng kasal? 

Mababaliw na yata ako. 

Umatras ulit ako, nanginginig ang tuhod, but he didn’t budge. Instead, he continued to approach, the predatory glint in his eyes sharpening with every step he took toward me. At may isa pang emosyon na hindi ko na naman mapangalanan.

Tila huminto ang paghinga ko nang iilang pulgada na lang ang layo namin. Nanuot sa aking pang-amoy ang pinaghalong whiskey at mamahaling pabangong panlalaki. 

“Well,” he said in a voice as sharp as a knife, “I’m Matthew Fuentevello.” 

Nalaglag ang panga ko sa narinig. 

He's Matthew Fuentavello?

I stared hard, disbelief crashing through me until recognition finally settled in. Totoo ba? Kaya pala mukha siyang pamilyar! 

Isang beses akong naisama nina Daddy sa isang party na dinaluhan ng mga mayayamang angkan at doon ko siya unang nakita. Sixteen pa lang ako no'n at ang hula ko ay nasa early twenties na siya. Their family was on of the most richest family not just in the Philippines but in the Asia. He looked intimidating back then, yes… and handsome, too. But now? Even ‘handsome’ can’t hold a candle to what I’m seeing.

Kaya siguro hindi ko siya agad nakilala. He didn’t just change, he became something else entirely...

Bago pa man ako makapag-react, nagpatuloy na siya. 

"I'm the CEO of Fuentex Holdings. Logistics, tech, real estate—we operate across Asia. And I’m also the executive director of the entire Fuentevello Group.”

Para akong estatwa lang doon, hindi alam kung ano ang uunahing isipin, ang sinabi niya o ang lapit namin sa isa't isa. 

Nanaginip ba ako? 

I barely managed to swallow the lump in my throat, and my voice came out a whisper, trembling, "b-bakit kailangan mo ng asawa?" 

Dumilim ang kaniyang titig. Nagpakawala siya ng mapait na tawa. 

“Because my grandfather’s will demands it. I need to be legally married before the next board meeting to gain full control of my shares and secure my position. Otherwise, the power goes to my fvcking asshole cousin, and everything my parents built?" he licked his lips, jaw clenching. "Mawawala sa akin.”

Napalunok ako.

“And you…” he continued, leaning closer until I could almost feel his breath. Parang tinatambol ang dibdib ko sa lakad ng kabog nito. “You have nowhere else to go. We're perfect match, isn't it?”

Napakapit ako sa dibdib ko. Hindi ko alam kung dahil sa kaba, takot, o sa bumubulusok na damdaming ‘di ko maipaliwanag.

I tried to pull myself together, trying to find my voice amidst the confusion and disbelief.

"Ni hindi mo ako kilala..." hindi ko alam kung bakit iyon ang lumabas sa bibig ko, my voice shaky. Para bang magbabago ang isip niya kapag na-realize niya iyon. 

Hindi niya ako kilala. I saw him at the party but he never saw me. Not once. Not even when he walked past our family. Kung totoo man ang mga sinasabi niya, paano ako makakasigurong tutupad siya sa pangako niya after niya makuha ang gusto niya?

He cockily tilted his head. "What is your name, then?"

Para akong napako sa aking kinatatayuan. For a moment, everything felt surreal, as if I were trapped in a dream I couldn’t escape from. 

Before I knew it, the name slipped from my lips, almost like I was in a trance. 

"R-rain... I'm Rain Italy Cervanue."

Bahagya siyang nangiti, 'yung totoong ngiti na hindi sarkastiko pero tingin ko ay namalikmata lang ako dahil kaagad din siyang bumalik sa pagiging seryoso. 

At tuluyan na akong hindi makahinga nang bigla siyang yumuko at nilapit ang kaniyang labi sa aking tainga.

He whispered, low, smooth and... luring. 

"Will you marry me then, Rain italy?"