Karina’s POV
“Your eyes certainly playing with you. He doesn’t look like your son at all. They aren’t even related with each other.” Hindi ko alam kung hanggang kailan ba magsisinungaling ang Lolo ko. Hinila niya na kami paalis doon habang may galit mula sa kaniyang mukha.Adi’s family look pretty shock na hindi pa sila nakabawi kaya hindi agad nakasunod sa amin. Nasa sasakyan na kami nang magtungo sila sa gawi namin. Eli looks like he was contemplating if he wants to go or not. Mukhang he was scared sa nangyari but still want to talk with his dad.“Let’s rest for the night, Baby, but I’ll make sure that you and your father will have a talk,” sambit ko kay Eli bago siya pagod na nginitian. He just look at me too at mukhang hindi rin alam ang sasabihin but in the end he slowly nodded at me.But my family looks like they won’t let that happened, hindi nga lang nila masabi sa harap ng anak ko.Karina’s POV “If they won’t talk to them, I will,” bulong ko sa sarili nang madaling araw na at nasa labas pa rin ang mga Cuizon. Hindi ko magawang matulog knowing na naroon sila. Ang pamilya ko’y nagawa pa atang matulog. Napabuntonghininga na lang ako bago lumabas. Nasa hagdan na ako nang makita na nasa sala pa rin sina Mommy. Daddy looks like he was busy with his work. “Where are you going?” tanong ni Daddy sa akin. “I’m going outside, Daddy. I’ll talk to the Cuizons,” ani ko. Agad na nabakasan ng iritasiyon ang mukha niya habang nakatingin sa akin tila ba hindi ito natutuwa sa akin. And I’m not happy on what they are doing too. Dire-diretso na ako sa paglabas ng bahay kahit na may mga guards pa na nagdadalawang isip kung haharangin ba nila ako o ano subalit wala rin silang nagawa nang samaan ko sila ng tingin. Nang magtungo sa malaking gate namin, agad na na
Karina’s POVThat’s a wake up call for my family. Wala silang magawa kapag si Eli na ang usapan lalo na’t napapadalas pa ang pagtatanong ni Eli sa akin tungkol sa kaniyang ama na laging nasa tapat ng gate. Always asking if he can play with him even for a while. And now, I invited them to our house. Gusto pa sana ni Lolo na sa ancestral house namin but I just want it to be on my house. Para matapos na rin. Para mapagkasunduan ang oras o araw kung kailan mananatili si Eli sa mga Cuizon o sa pamilya ko. Hindi ko na ipagkakait ang anak lalo na’t kagustuhan niya ring makilala ang pamilya ng kaniyang ama. “I’ll hell you prepare,” Adi said. Maaga siyang nagtungo rito dahil maaga siyang inimbita ni Eli. He still doesn’t have that usual playful smirk on his face. He was always scary when he was serious. Alam kong galit pa rin siya sa ginawa kong pagtago sa anak namin but he’s trying to show Eli that we’re fine. “No need, you can play with Eli instead,” ani ko. “B
Karina’s POV “Baby, what you want is hard to do…” malambing na sambit ko kay Eli na siyang napatingin sa akin na may pagtataka rin sa mukha. “Why, Mommy? Don’t you want to live together po?” he asked innocently. Hindi ko naman magawang magsalita at mariin lang na kinagat ang aking labi. “You know that your father have a fiancee, Baby, right? And we don’t have any relationship too. You’re too young to understand but we can’t just leave together,” malambing kong saad bago hinaplos ang kaniyang buhok. Nanatili lang ang tingin niya sa akin tila ba nagtataka rin sa aking sinabi. “It’s completely fine with me. I want to live with my son too,” Adi said kaya agad akong napatingin sa kaniya. Ganoon din ang pamilya ko na matalim ang mga matang nakatingin dito ngayon. “I want to take responsibility with my action. I would like to marry Karina po,” saad ni Adi kaya halos masamid ako sa sarili
Karina’s POV “Good morning, Baby,” nakangiti kong bati kay Eli. He immediately kiss my cheeks. Sabay na rin kaming lumabas ng kwarto habang buhat-buhat ko siya. I immediately saw our maid watching someone in the kitchen. Bahagyang napataas ang kilay ko nang makitang naghahampasan pa ang mga maid namin dito. “Grabe! Parang si Sir ata ang ulam,” natatawang saad ng pinakabatang maid sa kasamahan niya. “Who are you watching?” tanong ko bago sinilip ang pinapanood nila. I saw Adi there. Walang saplot na pang-itaas habang nagluluto. “Ay, abs!” Agad silang napatalon sa gulat sa akin. “Ay, Ma’am! Good morning po. May dust po ata rito,” anito kaya hindi ko maiwasan ang mailing sa kaniya habang hindi na napigilan pa ng kasamahan niya ang mapatawa. “Luh, napapa-english ka pala talaga kapag nagugulat,” natatawang sambit ng kaibigan niya sa kaniya haba
Karina’s POV The idiot was really enjoying making me as his slave. He has meeting tomorrow at talagang nagawa pang ipaayos sa akin ang kaniyang damit na susuotin tila ba wala siyang kamay. Napairap na lang ako sa kaniya habang kumukuha ng damit dito sa kaniyang kwarto. Bagong ligo ang kupal at tanging tuwalya lang ang tanging tapis niya. Halos kauuwi lang namin at pagod na pagod din si Eli kaya nakatulog din agad. Sa dami ba naman naming ginawa ngayong araw, hindi na talaga ako magtataka roon. Kung hindi lang ako perfectionist baka kahit anong damit ay inilapag ko na rito sa kaniyang kama. I even choose carefully para lang sa outfit niya for tomorrow. “Nice job, Slave,” pang-aasar niya pa sa akin kaya sinamaan ko siya ng tingin. “Tigil-tigilan mo nga ‘yang paghuhubad mo. Naalibadbaran ako riyan sa katawan mo,” ani ko na inirapan pa siya. “Luh, body shamer,” pan
Karina’s POV Nagawa ko namang makatulog ng payapa roon. Nagising nga lang ako na wala na sa tabi ko si Eli. Agad akong nataranta nang makitang alas-otso na. Late na si Eli nito! Nagmamadali akong lumabas ng kwarto namin ni Eli kaya agad akong nabangga sa pader nang makababa or should I say kay Adi na siyang nagtataka habang nakatingin sa akin ngayon. “Why are you running? Nakapaa ka pa. Malamig ang sahig,” Adi said na kumuha ng tsinelas bago isinuot sa paa ko. “Where’s Eli? Late na siya sa school nito!” seryoso kong sambit sa kaniya. “He’s already at school. Naihatid ko na. Don’t worry,” he said to me. Saka lang ako nakahinga nang maluwag doon. Having him here is kind of assuring me subalit sa tuwing maiisip na hindi ito pangmatagalan, naiisip na hindi ko gustong masanay sa ganitong sistema. I should never enjoy his presence. “You are still my slave today, righ
Karina's POV"You can sleep with us, Daddy," Eli said with a smile to his father as the two of us put together the family tree project he had at school."No, Baby, your father likes to sleep on his own," I said so both Adi and I looked at me. Adi even laughed while looking at me now."Wow, decision," he said with a laugh that made me snort a little."I can sleep with the two of you, Big boy," said Eli, smiling widely at Eli. I can't help but shake my head. He has no effect on me anymore so what do I care if we sleep in the same bed now, right?Who the fuck am I kidding? It felt like the heart would explode again when the three of us were in the same room. Adi and I were in the same bed, although Eli was in the middle of us, I could still feel my heart beating when Adi and I met our eyes or maybe when our skin touched."What? Refrain on touching me," I whispered to him as he hugged his son to me.
Karina’s POV “Yeah, I remember how you always tell Mommy and me about her,” Ms. Galdon said. “If you still can’t remember me. I’m Brian, the one you easily rejected just because I’m younger than you,” Brian said kaya napailing na lang ako. “She rejected you because she doesn’t like you. Nothing more, nothing less,” malamig na saad ni Adi kaya kumunot ang noo ni Brian sa kaniya. “Why are you sulky, Adi?” Nakakunot ang noong tanong ni Brian. Oo nga naman, bakit ba parang galit siya? “You are the one who started it. Why are you even asking if Eli’s really my child gayong may mga mata ka naman? He’s my xerox copy so shut your trap,” he said annoyingly. Napailing na lang ako dahil ‘yon na naman pala ang pinuputok ng kaniyang butsi. “Why are you getting mad? Bakit? Takot ka na hindi ikaw ang ama ng bata?” nakangising tanong pa ni Brian kaya mas lalong tumalim ang mga