The Woman in the Photograph

Chapter 7 

Ilang beses kong tiningnan ang larawan bago ko tuluyang ibinaba ang phone ko.

Hindi dahil malinaw na malinaw ang mukha ng babae sa tabi ni Jaxith.

Kundi dahil sa paraan ng pagkakahawak niya sa braso nito.

Komportable.

Parang matagal na silang magkakilala. Parang hindi na nila kailangang mag-isip kung paano kikilos sa isa't isa.

At ang pinakakinaiinisan ko sa lahat?

Wala naman akong karapatang maapektuhan.

Wala kaming relasyon ni Jaxith. Hindi niya ako niligawan. Hindi rin siya nangakong ako lang ang gusto niyang makasama.

Lunch lang ang pinagsaluhan namin.

Isang simpleng lunch na ako mismo ang pumayag.

So why did the picture bother me?

“Lyra?”

Napalingon ako kay Nina, na nakatayo sa tabi ng desk ko habang may hawak na folder.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah.”

She studied my face. “You don't look okay.”

“I'm just tired.”

Hindi siya agad naniwala. Pero sa halip na pilitin akong magsalita, inilapag niya ang folder sa mesa ko.

“Fine. Pero kung kailangan mong mag-rant, nandito lang ako.”

Tumango ako at pinilit ngumiti.

“Thanks.”

Pag-alis niya, muli kong binuksan ang message. Wala nang ibang sinabi ang unknown number. Walang pangalan, walang paliwanag, at walang kahit anong patunay kung kailan kinunan ang larawan.

I should have deleted it.

Instead, I saved it.

At nang makita kong online si Jaxith, biglang bumigat ang dibdib ko.

May gusto akong itanong. Pero paano ko sisimulan?

Who is that woman?  Too personal.

Are you dating someone? Mas lalong nakakahiya.

Someone sent me a picture of you with another woman.

At pagkatapos? Ano ang sasabihin ko kapag tinanong niya kung bakit ko kailangang malaman?

Na nagseselos ako?

Hindi.

Hindi ko kayang aminin iyon kahit sa sarili ko.

Kaya isinara ko ang conversation namin at ibinalik ang atensyon ko sa trabaho.

At least, iyon ang plano ko.

Kinabukasan, maaga akong dumating sa opisina. Gusto kong tapusin ang pending revisions bago ang scheduled meeting namin ni Jaxith.

Pero kahit anong pilit kong mag-focus sa drawings, bumabalik pa rin sa isip ko ang larawan.

I tried to convince myself na wala akong pakialam.

Maybe the woman was a colleague. Maybe a business partner. Maybe a friend.

Maraming posibleng paliwanag.

Ang problema, bakit may taong nag-abala pang ipadala iyon sa akin?

At bakit kailangan niya akong bigyan ng babala?

“Good morning, Lyra.”

Napatingin ako sa p***o.

Nandoon si Clara, may dalang ilang documents.

“Good morning.”

“Mr. Valdemore asked if you could come to his office before the meeting.”

“Now?”

“Yes. He's already there.”

Tumango ako at inayos ang mga papel sa harap ko.

Hindi ko alam kung ano ang gusto niyang pag-usapan, pero baka mas mabuti nang maging abala kaysa manatiling mag-isa kasama ang sarili kong mga iniisip.

Pagdating ko sa office niya, bukas ang p***o.

He was standing beside his desk, talking on the phone. Nang makita niya ako, itinaas niya ang isang daliri bilang senyas na sandali lang.

I nodded and waited.

“Yes, I understand,” sabi niya sa kausap. “We'll discuss it when you arrive.”

Pagkababa niya ng phone, tumingin siya sa akin.

“Good morning.”

“Good morning.”

He studied me for a moment.

“You look tired.”

“I'm fine.”

“That's the second time you've said that to me.”

Napakunot ang noo ko. “May limit ba ang pagsasabi ng I'm fine?”

“Not at all. But usually, you have at least three sarcastic comments ready whenever you walk into my office.”

Despite myself, muntik akong mapangiti.

“Maybe I'm saving them for later.”

“There she is.”

He smiled, but I couldn't return it the way I usually did.

Napansin niya iyon.

“Lyra, is something wrong?”

For a second, gusto kong ilabas ang phone ko at ipakita sa kanya ang larawan.

Pero hindi ko ginawa. “Nothing related to the project.”

His expression changed slightly. “That wasn't what I asked.”

I looked away. “Then maybe you shouldn't ask questions you don't want the answers to.”

Natahimik siya.

Agad kong pinagsisihan ang sinabi ko. Hindi naman niya deserve ang malamig kong pakikitungo. Wala siyang ginawa sa akin.

At hindi niya rin kasalanang may isang taong gustong guluhin ang isip ko.

“I'm sorry,” sabi ko. “I didn't mean that.”

He didn't respond immediately.

Then he nodded toward the chair in front of his desk.

“Sit down, Lyra.”

Umupo ako, kahit mas gusto kong tumayo at tapusin na lang ang usapan.

He took the chair opposite mine.

“I'm not going to force you to tell me what's bothering you. But if something I've done has made you uncomfortable, I'd rather know.”

Napatingin ako sa kanya.

There was no trace of teasing in his voice.

At mas lalo akong nakonsensiya.

Dahil hindi ko alam kung paano sasabihin sa kanya na isang litrato lang ang sapat para mabago ang pakikitungo ko.

“It's nothing you need to worry about,” sagot ko.

He held my gaze for a few seconds before nodding.

“Okay.”

Wala siyang kasunod na tanong. Wala ring pilit na ngiti.

At sa halip na gumaan ang pakiramdam ko, mas lalo akong nabagabag.

Nagsimula ang meeting makalipas ang ilang minuto. Pinilit kong ibalik ang atensyon ko sa project, pero napansin kong mas tahimik ako kaysa dati.

Nang matapos ang presentation, nagpaalam akong babalik na sa department namin.

“Lyra, wait.” Huminto ako sa may p***o. “Are you free this evening?”

I turned around. “Why?”

“I have something I'd like to discuss with you.”

“About the project?” He hesitated.

“No. Something personal.”

Hindi ko alam kung ano ang dapat kong maramdaman.

Part of me wanted to say yes. Gusto kong malaman kung ano ang nasa isip niya. Gusto kong marinig ang boses niya kapag hindi trabaho ang pinag-uusapan namin.

Pero naalala ko ang larawan.

At ang mensaheng kasama nito.

You're not the first woman he's taken to lunch.

“I have plans,” pagsisinungaling ko.

He didn't challenge me.

“Another time, then.”

Tumango ako at tuluyang lumabas.

Hindi ko alam kung bakit mas masakit ang hindi niya pagpigil sa akin kaysa kung pinilit niya akong manatili.

Siguro dahil may maliit na bahagi sa akin na umaasang sasabihin niyang gusto niya akong makausap, na mahalaga sa kanya ang oras ko.

Pero wala akong karapatang umasa.

Hindi pa.

Pagsapit ng hapon, abala na ang buong department sa paghahanda para sa client presentation kinabukasan.

Habang inaayos ko ang final documents, lumapit si Nina sa desk ko.

“Lyra, may naghahanap sa iyo sa lobby.”

“Sino?”

“Hindi ko alam. Pero mukhang importanteng tao.”

“Did she give you her name?”

Nina shook her head.

“She said she's here to see Mr. Valdemore. Pero nang sabihin kong nasa meeting siya, tinanong niya kung ikaw raw si Lyra Solvana.”

Nanlamig ang mga daliri ko.

“Anong itsura niya?”

“Tall, elegant, long dark hair. She's wearing a white dress.”

Hindi ko na kailangang itanong kung sino iyon.

I knew.

O baka gusto ko lang paniwalaang alam ko.

Tumayo ako at dumiretso sa lobby, kahit may kung anong bumubulong sa akin na mas mabuting manatili na lang ako sa desk ko.

At doon ko siya nakita.

Ang babaeng nasa larawan.

Mas maganda siya sa personal. Maayos ang tindig, confident ang ngiti, at halatang sanay siyang mapansin ng mga tao sa paligid niya.

Nang makita niya ako, agad siyang lumapit.

“You must be Lyra.”

Hindi ko alam kung paano niya nalaman ang mukha ko. Pero bago pa ako makapagtanong, iniabot niya ang kamay niya.

“I'm Celeste.”

Tinanggap ko ang handshake niya.

“Nice to meet you.”

She smiled politely, but there was something in her eyes that made me feel as though she was studying me.

“So, you're the one working on Jaxith's latest project.”

“Yes.”

“I've heard about you.”

Napahigpit ang hawak ko sa folder.

“Really?”

“Of course.”

Hindi ko alam kung bakit parang may ibang kahulugan ang bawat salita niya.

Then she glanced toward the elevators.

“Is he available now? I was hoping to surprise him.”

“He's still in a meeting.”

“Oh, that's fine. I'll wait.”

Tumango ako at nagsimulang bumalik sa department namin. Hindi ko alam kung bakit parang gusto kong makaalis agad sa harap niya.

Pero bago pa ako makalayo, muli siyang nagsalita.

“Lyra?”

Lumingon ako.

She smiled.

“Has Jaxith told you about me?”

I forced myself to meet her gaze.

“No.”

For the first time, her smile faltered.

Then she laughed softly, as though something about my answer amused her.

“I see.”

She looked toward the elevator again.

“That's interesting.”

Hindi ko na siya tinanong kung ano ang ibig niyang sabihin.

Ayokong malaman.

At the same time, hindi ko kayang pigilan ang sarili kong maghintay sa susunod niyang sasabihin.

Finally, the elevator doors opened.

Jaxith stepped out, holding his phone and talking to someone from his team. He looked up, saw Celeste, and stopped mid-sentence.

For a moment, neither of them moved.

Then Celeste walked straight toward him.

“Surprise, Jax.”

His expression changed.

Not the smile he gave me during lunch. Not the teasing look I had grown used to.

Something more complicated.

Something I couldn't understand.

“Celeste,” he said quietly.

She wrapped her arms around him before he could say anything else.

At first, Jaxith seemed caught off guard. Then he placed a hand on her shoulder and stepped back.

“Why are you here?”

Celeste laughed as if his question were ridiculous.

“Is that how you welcome someone you haven't seen in months?”

“I wasn't expecting you.”

“Clearly.”

She glanced at me over his shoulder.

And then she did something that made my stomach twist.

She took Jaxith's hand.

“I missed you,” she said softly. “And we need to talk about what happened between us.”

Jaxith's jaw tightened.

“Celeste, not here.”

“Why not? Is there something you don't want your new friend to hear?”

My entire body went still.

Jaxith followed her gaze.

His eyes found mine.

And for the first time since I had met him, I couldn't read his expression.

“Lyra,” he said, taking a step toward me.

I tightened my grip on the folder in my hands.

“It's okay,” I replied, forcing a smile. “You don't have to explain anything to me.”

His expression hardened.

“That's not what I—”

Celeste interrupted him.

“Actually, Lyra, I think you deserve to know.”

She turned to face me fully, her smile disappearing.

“Jaxith and I were supposed to get married.”