Chapter 1: Game Over

HIRAYA

HINDI mapigtas ang ngiti sa labi ko dahil nalaman ko na planong mag-propose ni Sean sa akin ngayong gabi. My best friend spilled the tea. And actually, there were a lot of signs that he’d pop the question officially, and I couldn’t hold my excitement.

‘This is it!’

Nakagat ko ang aking pang-ibabang labi habang tinitingan ang aking mukha sa salamin. Kasalukuyan akong nasa aking paboritong salon at nagpaganda ako nang husto. Of course, I should be at my prettiest when Sean goes down to his knees.

Hindi ko maitago ang kilig na agad na napansin ng aking personal assistant na si Mika.

“Ang ganda-ganda mo talaga, Miss Hiraya! I really envy your natural curls,” sabi ni Mika na hindi rin maitago sa mukha ang paghanga.

“Tumawag si Sean. I guess this is really it, Mika. We’ll meet at his condo tonight.”

“Congratulations in advance, Miss Hiraya. You deserve the ring. It’s been five years!”

“Thanks, Mika. Do I really look good?” Medyo duda kong tanong.

“You are perfect! Kabog ang mga beauty queen sa ‘yo!”

Tama si Mika, mahigit limang taon na kaming magkarelasyon ni Sean. I met him during my last year in college, and he pursued me. Sa una nag-alangan ako dahil simpleng babae lang ako at mula sa pamilya Alcaraz—a family once belong to the elites but suddenly fall from grace when my dad passed away. Habang si Sean ay galing sa kilalang angkan ng mga Blaquier.

Kinagabihan, hindi ako nagdalawang-isip na pumunta nang maaga sa condo ni Sean. Ilang ulit na nga akong nag-practice ng magiging reaksyon ko kapag inilabas na niya ang singsing.

‘God, Hiraya. Calm down!’

Hindi ko na mabilang kung ilang ulit akong ngumiti na parang baliw habang nagmamaneho ng sasakyan dahil sa matinding kilig.

Pero hindi ko inaasahan ang eksenang sasalubong sa akin pagpasok ko sa loob ng unit ni Sean.

I heard moans, at first, I thought I was just imagining things. Pero hindi ako maaaring magkamali.

“Oh, Sean… fuck me harder, my love!” anang pamilyar na tinig.

“Of course, babe. As you wish!”

Biglang dumagundong ng kaba ang dibdib ko nang maulinigan ko ang boses ni Sean. Ilang ulit akong napalunok at parang itinulos sa aking kinatatayuan dahil hindi ko magawang ihakbang ang aking mga paa.

What the hell was happening?

My jaw dropped as soon as I found the courage to stroll near the bedroom. Nakabukas iyon at agad na bumungad sa paningin ko ang n*******d na pareha.

“Hiraya? What the fuck are you doing here it’s too early,” wika ni Sean na tila walang bakas ng pagkagulat nang makitang naroon ako.

Dumako ang paningin ko sa babaeng kasama nito na agad itinakip ang comforter sa hubad nitong katawan nang umalis si Sean sa ibabaw nito.

“Annie…” Naikuyom ko ang aking kamao habang hilam ang luha sa mata ko.

“How could you do this to me?” Kalmadong tanong ko sa dalawa sa kabila nang nararamdaman kong matinding galit.

Annie was not even any other random girl. She was my best friend! It seemed she planned this moment so I could be here rushing thinking about the proposal.

Sean chuckled and shook his head. “I’m sorry you had to find it this way.”

“Sean, how could you betray me?” Tuluyan nang umagos ang luhang kanina ko pa tinitimpi na huwag pumatak.

“I’m just tired. You’re not as good as Annie in bed. It’s been five years, and you bore me,” walang gatol na hayag ni Sean.

“T-That’s the reason?” I stuttered.

Gusto kong magwala nang marinig ko ang sinabi ni Sean. Gusto ko ring sabunutan si Annie lalo na at nakita ko ang kanyang pagngiti na para bang ipinamumukha sa akin na kawawa ako.

But I held myself back. Dahil kung magpapatangay ako sa emosyon, may magbabago pa ba? I just caught the love of my life and my best friend having sex. And I could not change it. All I have was my dignity. Maybe it was the universe’s way of telling me that Sean and I were not really meant for each other. Pero ang sakit-sakit!

Tiningnan ko nang masama si Annie matapos ay walang pasabing pinadapo ko ang aking palad sa pisngi ni Sean.

“I stayed with you for the last five years, Sean. I endured everything for you. I served you with all my heart. How could you do this to me?” Patuloy ang pagbuhos ng luha sa mata ko. “How could the two of you do this behind my back?”

Sean sighed. “Spare the drama, Hiraya. We’re done. Annie and I are together now. I will marry her.”

Bigla akong napaatras. Marry her? So, Annie just wanted to humiliate me since Sean would marry her instead of me.

Tumango ako habang nakataas ang aking noo at nagawa kong matawa nang pagak. Obvious naman na pinagkakaisahan ako ng dalawa “Fine. But I will never forgive the two of you.”

Nang tumingin ako kay Annie, nakita ko pang namilog lang ang mata nito na tila hindi naman apektado sa pagtatraydor nila sa akin.

“Duh. We don’t need your forgiveness,” sabi ni Annie.

“I trusted you, Annie. I should’ve known I was keeping a snake beside me.”

“Oh, shut up, Raya. Stop being delusional. Do you really think a Blaquier heir will make you, his wife?” Tumawa si Annie. “How can you be so stupid? Sa tingin mo bakit hindi nag-propose sa ‘yo si Sean nitong nakalipas na limang taon? Wake up! Huwag kang masyadong ambisyosa.”

Hindi ako nakakibo. Pinunas ko ang luha sa mata ko.

“Both of you can go to hell!” Tumalikod ako at dali-daling lumabas sa condo. Pero narinig ko pa na pinag-usapan ako ng dalawa.

“Don’t be too cruel, darling. She might leave you for good.” Humagikhik si Annie.

Sean chuckled. “Her? Leave me? I don’t think so, Raya loves me so much. She’d still grovel to my feet, believe me.”

Lalong nagtangis ang aking bagang pero hindi na ako nag-abalang lumingon. Tuloy-tuloy akong naglakad hanggang sa makalabas ako.

Sean’s words kept echoing my mind.

‘You’re not as good as Annie in bed…’

I screamed as loud as I could as soon as I came inside my car. Wala akong pakialam sa paligid kung may nakakarinig man sa akin. My chest was so heavy.

Bigla kong pinaharurot ang sasakyan paalis. I need to be away from this place as much as possible. No words could describe the pain I felt. My hatred towards Sean and Annie was beyond comprehension. Mga taksil!

‘I need to have a drink to forget…’ Naisip ko.

Hindi ko namalayan na tinahak ko ang dereksyon patungo sa Red Peonies—ang kilalang bar sa siyudad na pawang may sinabi sa buhay ang pumupunta.

I was determined to have a hook up for the night. I know I was not thinking straight, but I need to get even with Sean. Hindi ko matanggap ang insulto nito at siyang dahilan kung bakit ayaw na niya sa akin. Lintik lang ang walang ganti!

I would choose the hottest man in the area. At wala akong pakialam kung sino pa ito.

All my life, I dedicated everything to Sean. I gave him my innocence because he promised to marry me. Ang tanga-tanga ko dahil naniwala naman ako.

“Whoever caught my attention tonight, shall spend a wild night with me as long as it’s protected…” determinado ako. I couldn’t bear Sean’s humiliation that I was not good in bed.

Damn him!