LOGINIsang puwesto na lang ang natira sa lifeboat nang lumubog ang yate, ako ang pinili ni Hendrix Zuckerman. Nailigtas ako, pero hindi ko kasing palad si Yana Bridgeton. Hindi na niya nahintay ang ikalawang lifeboat nang malunod siya sa karagatan, tuluyan na ring nawala ang kaniyang katawan. Nagkunwari si Hendrix na wala siyang pakialam habang ipinagpapatuloy niya ang aming kasal nang naaayon sa aming plano. Sa limang taon naming pagsasama pagkatapos naming ikasal, inginudngod niya ako sa dumi habang sinisisi niya ako sa pagkamatay ni Yana. At nang manghingi ako ng divorde dahil hindi ko na ito kaya pang tiisin, napagdesisyunan niyang mamatay kasama ko. Nang muli kong imulat ang aking mga mata, bumalik ako sa araw kung kailan nangyari ang aksidente sa yate. Pero sa pagkakataong ito, napagdesisyunan ko na bigyan ng tiyansang mabuhay ang taong pinakamamahal niya.
View MoreVICTORIA’S POV
Every tick of the clock pounded in rhythm with my heart as I stared into my reflection in the mirror of one of my father's penthouse suites. Brushing through each strand of hair, ignoring the loud cheers that came from the guests downstairs. I managed a small smile at my reflection, staring plainly at the lady in the mirror. Her makeup was fair and soft, bringing out the light in her cheeks. Her blonde curls were braided at the side and tied neatly into a loose bun. With a smile creased on my face, I backed away for a bit with my eyes glued to my dress. Knowing my father had spent a fortune getting me the best outfit for my eighteenth birthday. It was beautiful, I must admit. It had several layers of tulle before a layer of satin that covered it. And staring into the mirror, I slowly realized that I was no longer the Seven-year-old girl who’d cry herself to sleep. Now, I was forced to grow up and become the woman everyone had expected me to be. In a couple of hours, I’d joined the other guests in the party charade as they danced and cheered on. “Tory! Tory!” I jumped at the sound of Grace’s yelling as she ran, quite well in heels, towards where I sat. “Come on, this is our song!” I laughed when I heard Expresso by Sabrina Carpenter through the DJ’s speaker. “Come on!” Grace shouted at me, making me scream and yell as well for the first time in weeks. I was barely off my chair when she took hold of my arm and dragged me to the dance floor. I moved and swayed my hips to the sound of the music in the background, not caring whether or not the guests around were staring. I mean? It’s my eighteenth birthday celebration. She grabbed my hips excitedly and dropped to the floor making a belly laugh escape my lips. Unlike me, her silver strapless dress that stopped at her mid-thighs gave her some sort of freedom to sway harder. When she came back up, our friends around and other family members cheered over her triumph to perk up to her feet without falling. And I couldn’t help but giggle at all that. It felt so good celebrating with friends and family that I didn’t want the day to end. Like everyone, Grace was more excited about this day than I was. Obviously, because we had planned out a bucket list of crazy stuff to try out at 18, and like she’d been yelling for weeks, we were finally getting a chance to do adult stuff. Like she would say. “Thanks for making this more fun!” I called out to her silently, and then winked at her but was cut off by the clang of metal at the table. “Boys, girls, or should I say…ladies and gentlemen,” My father’s voice drifted from his end at the large mahogany table, causing all heads to turn in his direction. “I’m glad we could all make it here for my daughter’s eighteenth birthday celebration,” He began, with a smile creased on his face. “First, a toast to Victoria for finally becoming a woman,” My father, Senator Lindsey said. And just when he did, laughter from guests erupted in the air, as they all smiled back at me. “A toast,” they chorused and then took a sip of their wines murmuring to themselves. I couldn’t help but smile, seeing how happy they all were and most importantly remembering Grace and I had a lot to do on our bucket list and—— “May I have your attention please?” My father cut in. “To conclude the day’s event, I have one more surprise Victoria,” My father said. I leaned closer to the end of the table with a smile creased on my face, wondering what it was he had for me this time. I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear suddenly feeling tense and curious as to what he had planned for the day. “Well, I figured if there’s ever a good time for such an introduction, I believe now is the right time. I mean you’re an adult now my dear,” He continued. “Please make welcome, Stefan Zoric. Your husband to be, Victoria,” My father added. Hot sparks of awareness blazed down my spine with such force I almost lurched off my seat. A headache throbbing behind my temple trying to figure out what the hell had gone wrong. I blinked back, a telltale sign in my eyes as I stared at my father. Just then, the door swung open revealing whomever it was my father had just talked about. When I looked up, I slowly regretted ever taking a look at him. Dark, annoyingly handsome. Strong jawed, sculpted shoulders, and damn those eyes! I could swear that I had for some reason gone lost in them until the murmurs from the other guests around snapped me back to reality. We stared at each other for a moment, his icy eyes sweeping over my flushed face and doing nothing to cool it. Other than making the other girls around me drool, including Grace. “Senator,” His deep baritone echoed through the walls of the hall. “Victoria,” Stefan said shortly and then looked away instantly. Slowly hated myself for ever having to pay attention to the fact that his deep voice made my name sound so rich, so regal, almost as if I’m one with royal blood pumping through my veins. “I’m glad we are all here as a family and we can finally make it known that Stefan and Victoria will be married in a month,” My father said. The words were so sudden, so absurd, so unexpected, it robbed me of a timely response. In a voice softer than I could have ever imagined coming from him, my father spoke the words I just realized I never wanted to hear. “Welcome to the Family Stefan, I believe you’d both make a great couple,” “Couple?” “I’m really getting married?”Tumayo ako nang walang pagaalinlangan ngayong ayaw ko nang magkaroon pa ng kahit na anong koneksyon kay Yana, pero agad siyang lumuhod sa aking harapan.“Yvonne, nagmamakaawa ako sa iyo, huwag mo siyang sirain.”Paano naging pagsira sa kaniya ang patas naming kompetisyon sa negosyo?Nakakita na ako ng mga walanghiyang tao noon pero hindi pa ako nakakakita ng katulad niya. Agad akong yumuko para tingnan siya pababa.“Yana, kung hindi mo siya kayang makita na mabigo sa buhay, bakit hindi mo gamitin ang pera ng pamilya mo para suportahan siya? Maaaring hindi kasing yaman namin ang pamilya Bridgeton, pero sapat na ang pera ninyo para makuha ang project, hindi ba?”Dito na ako naglakad palayo, ayaw ko nang magaksaya pa ng oras sa isang mangmang.Sa sumunod na mga araw, ginawa kong abala ang aking sarili sa project kaya hindi ko na sila nagawa pang paglaanan ng atensyon. At noong maging aware ako sa paligid, napagtanto ko na matagal ko na palang hindi nakikita si Andrew.Walang pagaal
Hindi ko inasahan na hahabulin ako ni Hendrix, kasabay nito ang paghinto ng sasakyan ni Andrew sa daan papasok sa tahanan ng pamilya Zuckerman.Ayaw ko nang magkaroon ng kahit na anong kaugnayan sa kaniya kaya sinabi ko rito na, “Nandito na ang boyfriend ko para sunduin ako. See ya.”Agad na suminghal dito si Hendrix.“Yvonne, gusto mo ba talaga ang lalaking katulad niya para maging boyfriend mo?”“Sino ba ang gusto mong piliin? Ang isang katulad mo na hindi makapagdesisyon at hindi marunong umamin sa iyong mga pagkakamali?”Hindi lumilingon akong naglakad palayo pero sinubukan pa rin ni Hendrix na hawakan ang aking wrist.“Yvonne, makinig ka sa akin…”Napaaray naman ako sa sakit.Pinahinto ni Andrew ang sasakyan at walang pagaalinlangan itong nagpakawala ng suntok papunta sa mukha ni Hendrix bago niya ako hatakin papunta sa kaniyang likuran habang sinasabihan nito si Hendrix na, “Lumayo ka sa kaniya!”Sumakay kami sa kaniyang sasakyan. At nang makaupo ako rito, bigla kong nap
Nang makauwi ako sa bahay, nakita kong nakaupo ang aking mga magulang sa sala habang hinihintay nila ang paguwi ko. Bago pa man ako makapagsalita, agad silang nagpakawala ng sunod sunod na akusasyon laban sa akin.Nagsimula ang aking dad sa pagsasalita, “Sinabi sa akin ni Hendrix kung ano ang nangyari ngayong araw. Nadismaya talaga ako sa iyong bata ka.”“Nasa gitna kayo ng dagat, iha, puwedeng puwede kang mamatay doon anumang oras, pero nagawa mo pa ring sabihan si Hendrix na iligtas ang buhay ng iba kaysa sa iyo!”Dali dali namang sumali ang aking Mom sa usapan. “Masyado kang nagpapadalos dalos, paano kami makukumportable niyan na ipahawak sa iyo ang kumpanya? Masyado kang immature!”Hindi kumportable sa akin? Ito ba ang dahilan kung bakit nila hinayaang hawakan ni Hendrix ang kumpanya habang inaalis nila ako rito para pilitin akong kumilos nang naaayon sa gusto nila?“Ngayong ganito ka pala kairesponsable, mas mabuti kung magpapakasal ka na sa lalong madaling panahon! Kailangan
Noong bata pa ako, sinasadya kong pababain ang aking mga grades para lang makita sila. Sinasadya ko ring maghanap ng away sa school dahil sa pagkakataong ito lang sila nagpapakita para magbigay ng kaunting pagmamahal na siyang hinahanap ko.Kinalaunan, tumigil na ako sa pageexpect ng kahit na ano. Binibilhan ko ng regalia ng aking sarili sa aking kaarawan para ipagdiwang ang pagtanda ko ng isang taon. At sa bawat parent-teacher meeting na magaganap, ibinibigay ko na lang ang contact number ng aking mga magulang para makontact nila ang mga ito tungkol sa kahit na anong tungkol sa akin.Magisa akong lumaki—hanggang sa makilala ko si Hendrix.Hindi kailanman nagpakita ang mga magulang ko sa school kaya kumalat ang mga usap usapan na wala akong magulang. Isang araw, hinarang ako ng isang grupo ng mga bully para kunin ang buo kong allowance.Dito na nagpakita si Hendrix. Pinigilan niya ang suntok na papunta sa akin bago siya tumayo sa aking harapan para harapin ang mga bully.“Ano ang
Tiningnan ako ni Hendrix nang tahimik.Dito na naglakad papunta sa kaniyang likuran si Yana na tumingin kay Andrew na nakatayo sa aking likuran.Nagtanong ito ng, “Yvonne, sumakay ka bas a yate niya? Pero wala akong nakitang bangka sa malapit noong mangyari ang insidente. Napakadilim sa paligid ka
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