CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT
Things would get really ugly for me. Alam kong mas lalo nila akong ididiin sa bagay na iyon. Hindi ko iyon itinuturing na baho ko. I totally accepted it. Hindi lang ako proud sa ilang desisyon ko sa buhay.
Sa Instagram nga, we only share for the happy memories, but we don’t let people see the bad ones. And it’s fine. We have to be careful on whom we share the deepest and darkest phase of our lives. Argh, why the hell do I sound angelic all of a sudden?
I was still thinking about Sioux. I want him out of the prison. He’s still in the custody of NBI. He’s so epal. He’s so bobo. Pinangunahan niya ako sa desisyon ko. He’s not really thinking. I told the Chinese guy that I want him out. Mayabang lang niyang tinanong kung kailan ko gustong lumabas si Centauri.
I was right. My vision was right. Things are not going to be in favor of me
CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE I was scared. I could feel my knees trembling. And my heart, they are so loud inside my chest. It was beating tremendously fast. Dumadagdag pa iyong anxiety at pangamba ko. Sioux didn’t look at me but he intertwined our hands as if he could sense the raging storm causing turmoil in my body. Wala siyang sinabi, basta niyang hinawakan nang mahigpit ang kamay ko habang papasok kami ng mansyon ni Daddy. It was an assurance everything is going to be fine. Or was it assurance that he will stay with me after what I’m going to tell him? Sinalubong ako ni Manang sa main door. Malaki ang ngisi niya sa aming dalawa pero hindi ko masuklian ang ngiting iyon. Natatakot ako sa hindi pa nangyayari. “Reign, anak! Hindi ka man lang nagpasabi, mayroong bisitang darating.” masaya niyang wika. She looked at our intertwined hands, mas lalong lumawak ang ngiti niya.  
CHAPTER SIXTY Isang buwan… It’s almost one month since I came here. Most of my mornings, I spent it walking on the dalampasigan. Minsan kasama ko si Manang, madalas ako lang mag-isa. Visible na ang baby bump ko. There is really a growing seed inside me. I just let it be, hindi ko na rin naman kaya ang sakit kapag pinilit ko pang tanggalin sa sinapupunan ko. “Hoy, taya ka!” I heard children talking in the background. The kids are running around the area. Masaya silang nagtatawanan at naglalaro sa dalampasigan. Madalas nakatingin lang ako sa kanila. I didn’t enjoy my childhood as much as theirs. Kids of my age don’t like to play with me and I’m always in my room practicing violin. I was smiling at the scenario. Subconsciously, I was caressing my tummy softly. Agad akong napabitaw nang mapagtanto ko ang ginawa ko.
CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE I woke up in a hospital room the next day. Hindi ko solo ang room, may nagsisilbing harang lang na kurtina. Manang was with me when the doctor came. Kabang - kaba ako. I didn’t know what happened after my normal delivery. I was engulfed by exhaustion. Hindi ko man lang nahawakan ang baby ko. I just heard her cries. “How are you, Reign?” nakangiting tanong ni Dra. Jimenez. “I’m glad you are already awake.” “I guess, I’m fine, Doc. Where’s my baby? How is she? Can I see her?” I asked eagerly. Inalalayan ako ni Manang na maupo sa hospital bed. She was caressing my shoulder. “Your baby has to stay in our care for the mean time. Respiratory system aren’t fully developed as well as the ability to coordinate reflexes for eating and she has to gain more pounds.” Dra. J
CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO Things that are broken stay broken, they can’t be fixed, they say. One of those examples traditionally is the broken glass. Kapag nabasag ang baso, you can never bring it back to its full glory. Hindi ito maisasalba kahit anong lagay mo ng tape para mapagtagpi ang mga piraso. I don’t want to believe that. A glass can take a full recovery in a long process of beginning anew. It just needs to start from where it started. Sa pabrika kung saan ito ginawa, doon din nito mahahanap ang sarili pabalik. At mabubuo ito gaya ng dati. Things stay broken if they want to stay that way. We are capable of changing that status if we opt to. It’s in our hands. It’s our choice. I don’t want to stay from that dark place anymore. I don’t want to stay depressed because of the things that happened to me before.I don’t want to continue hurting for the lossI had. I don’t
CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE I’m old enough to stay late. Napairap ako sa ere. Inubos ko ang laman ng cup of chocolate ni Manang. Well, she was looking at me the whole time. After finishing the cup, I kissed her good night. I realized, even if I felt incomplete growing up. Kahit kailan, hindi ko nagawang makilala ang mom ko, while with my Dad, I felt neglected. He can’t get his actions right to make me feel loved. But now I know, he loved me in his own way. I am still lucky to have Manang. She’s my go-to person and she never left me like everybody else did. She never judged me for what society portrayed me to be. With that, I am so lucky. The rumors kept circulating after my confrontation the last time. It isn’t just rumor. A part of it was true, but not completely. And honestly, I don’t care anymore. Wala rin akong pakialam kung i-boycott nila ang Reign’s Realm
CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR I went back to my station. Inirapan ko siya nang makabalik ako sa ginagawa ko. Binudburan ko ng konting flour ang dough. Isinalang ko iyon sa pasta maker. I just waited for its magic to be done. “Sioux, will you please cut the onions into small pieces? As in very small. Hurry!” muling tawag ko sa kanya. Nilagay ko ang butter sa mainit na pan, I let it melt for a minute. Hinihintay ko lang na matunaw iyon, ilalagay ko na ang garlic. Sioux was beside me, he was cutting the onions into small pieces. Napasulyap ako sa ginagawa niya. Nakagat ko ang labi ko. The onions looked like they were massacred. I felt bad for them. Imbes na cube iyong cut noong onions, irregular shape ang kinalabasan noon. “Oh my God, unbelievable!” I was unable to hide my amused smirk. Mukhang wala talaga siyang ideya sa ginagawa niya. Probably, all his life, he never experienced this. Ma
CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE Six months later… Paris, France “Congratulations, mademoiselle. That was a blast.” Ms. Archambeau followed me to the doorway and handed me my coat. She was referring to my international fashion show held in Carrousel du Louvre, Paris last month. It was certainly a blast. Hanggang ngayon talk of the town pa rin ang fashion show. Dumalo ang ilang malalaking pangalan sa industriya. People can’t take their eyes off my creations. They were totally blown away. I am quite impressed. Sa dami ng naging fashion shows ko, ngayon lang nag-sink in ang satisfaction. I wore the coat when I stepped outside the hotel. The weather is good today, and I am planning to walk around the city and visit the tourist attractions for the last time. Babalik na ako ng Pilipinas kinabukasan
CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX I want to throw myself in the bed when I get inside the room. Naglakad ako kanina, and it was tiring but really fun. I inserted my keycard. The door opened. Nagulantang ako ng tuluyan akong makapasok ng hotel room. My two luggage is on the bed. Someone was definitely here. I checked the closet first. There are couple of dresses there, but most of them were gone. Bumaling ako sa dalawang luggage ko sa kama. On top of one of them, I found a bouquet of purple tulips. I knew who the culprit is. Nawala iyong kaba ko sa dibdib. Kinuha ko ang bouquet, there was a note. Have a safe flight tomorrow, babe. I miss you terribly. Kept my promise of distancing myself for SIX FUCKING MONTHS. I packed your things while you were out. You’d be in trouble packing all your stuffs, they are too many. I took the o