เข้าสู่ระบบDYLAN FONTANILLA POINT OF VIEWIt had been a while since the dining room felt this alive.Everyone was already seated at the dining table. Dad was at the head of the table, quietly reading something on his phone while sipping his tea. Mom, on the other hand, was making sure the maids had prepared enough food for everyone. Lance was busy scrolling through his phone, while Maurice, Danielle, and Iverson were already making enough noise for the entire house. Mas maliit ang bahay ko kumpara sa family house namin kaya naman mas dinig na dinig ang ingay ng tatlo. “I’m telling you, kapag nagkaroon ng zombie apolypse, ikaw ang unang mamamatay dahil sa kabobohan mo,” Danielle teased Iverson.Maurice burst into laughter. “He actually would.”“I would not! I will investigate,” giit naman ni Iverson. “You’d become the investigation,” biro pa ni Danielle.Napailing ako habang nakikinig sa kanila. Some things never really changed. D
KAIA CLEMENTE POINT OF VIEWIlang araw ang lumipas pero pakiramdam ko ay parang tumigil na ang oras. Everything happened so fast that I barely had the chance to process any of it. Hindi na naging mahaba pa ang kamay ni Tres. Dahil sa nangyari at sa posibilidad na kumalat pa sa media ang balita, agad ding inayos ang lahat. Ayaw na rin ni Dylan na mas lumaki pa ang gulo kaya siya na ang nag-ayos ng lahat. The Fontanillas arranged everything. Narinig kong pati ang mga malalapit na kaibigan ni Tres sa isla ay dinala rito ni Dylan para makapagbigay ng huling respeto kay Tres. They wanted to talk to me to apologize pero wala akong hinarap kahit sino sa kanila, kahit na si Clara na itinuring kong tunay na kaibigan. Dylan told me he thanked her, because without Clara, hindi naman ako makakabalik sa Maynila. I wanted to talk to them but I just… I couldn’t. Hindi ko pa kaya. Pagkatapos noon ay tahimik na ring hinatid si Tres
KAIA CLEMENTE POINT OF VIEWNatahimik kaming lahat nang marinig ang paglapit nina Dad at Tita Aurora sa gawi namin. Naunang pumasok si Dad. Halata sa mukha niya ang pagod kaya’t nag-iwas ako kaagad ng tingin. Kasunod niya si Tita Aurora. Pakiramdam ko ay may kung anong sumabog sa loob ng dibdib ko. Tumayo ako at lumayo kay Dylan. “Kaia…” animoy nag-aalalang sambit ni Dylan nang lumayo ako sa kaniya. Napansin kong huminto si Dad nang saglit na magtagpo ang mga mata namin. May kung anong ekspresyon sa mata niya na para bang inaasahan niyang siya ang lalapitan ko. Siguro, akala niya siya ang sisisihin ko sa lahat ng nangyari. Pero mali siya. Hindi ko man lang siya nilingon. Diretso akong naglakad papunta kay Tita Aurora. “How are y—”Pak!Umalingangaw ang malakas na sampal sa buong lobby. Napasinghap ang lahat dahil sa ginawa ko. Napaling ang mukha ni Tita Aurora sa lakas ng pagka
KAIA CLEMENTE POINT OF VIEWNanatili akong nakaupo sa gilid ng operating room habang nanginginig ang kamay na nakatingin sa suot ko. My clothes were painted red… Tres’ blood. Ilang minuto ko na iyong tinititigan pero pakiramdam ko ay ilang oras na ang lumipas. The entire hospital lobby smelled like antiseptic and cold air. Mas lalo nitong dinadagdagan ang kabang nararamdaman ko.The nurses hurried from one hallway to another and stretchers rolled across the polished floor every few minutes. Everyone was moving. Everyone had somewhere to go. Pero ako…Pakiramdam ko ay naiwan akong nakatigil sa oras. “Kaia, why don’t you come with me? Magpalit ka muna ng damit,” malumanay na sambit sa akin ni Maurice. She held my hand and squeezed it as if she’s trying her best to comfort me. Nag-angat ako ng tingin sa kaniya. Siya ang naiwan kasama ko dahil saglit na umalis sina Dylan kasama ang tatay niya at si Iverson. They were cooperating w
KAIA CLEMENTE POINT OF VIEWHindi ko alam kung ano ang mas mabigat… ang katahimikan sa loob ng sasakyan o ang mga salitang gusto naming sabihin sa isa’t-isa pero pareho naming hindi masimulan. I rested my head against the window as I watched the trees blur past us. Every kilometer we left behind meant I was getting closer to home. Closer to Dylan. Closer to the life that had been stolen from me. I should have been happy. I had waited for this moment for days. Ilang beses ko itong pinagdasal while I was staring at the ceiling of that room and wondering if I’d ever make it out alive. Pero ngayong nanangyari na talaga, hindi ko maipaliwanag kung bakit parang may mabigat pa ring nakadagan sa dibdib ko.Maybe because I wasn’t leaving alone.Katabi ko si Tres.The same man who lied to me two years ago. The same man who took my memories away from me. The same man who became my fake fiance. And yet… he was also the same man w
DYLAN FONTANILLA POINT OF VIEWSleep never came that night. Every time I closed my eyes, another possibility crossed my mind. I kept replaying today’s exchange over and over as I tried to anticipate every move Tres might make, and every mistake I couldn’t afford to commit.In every version of the plan, something went wrong.By the time the first rays of sunlight slipped through my curtains, I had already accepted one painful truth. There was no perfect outcome waiting for us. Only choices…And the consequences that came with them.The mansion was already awake before seven. Maurice and Iverson had left before dawn to prepare the private plane while the rest of our security team coordinated with the pilot. Even though Tres specifically asked for a plane, I wasn’t foolish enough to come unprepared. Ever since Tres sent me the meet-up point, my family already assembled a team, even at midnight. Every v
Humalukipkip ako sa sofa at ipinagkrus ang aking dalawang braso habang nakatingin kina Dylan at Lola na nag-uusap hindi kalayuan sa akin. Mahina ang boses nila kaya’t hindi ko marinig kung ano man ang pinag-uusapan nila. Though mukhang alam ko na naman kung ano ang pinag-uusapan nilang dalaw
“Bakit ang bilis mo naman yatang nakabalik, Kaia? May nahanap ka ng pera?” Nag-angat ako ng tingin kay Ate Belle nang maiabot ko sa kaniya ang resibo ng pinagbayaran ko para sa pagpapaadmit kay Lola. Malakas akong bumuntong hininga at tumingin sa likod ko. Naroon ang nakapamulsang
Hindi ko alam kung nagfufunction pa baa ng utak niya nang sabihin niya ang bagay na iyon. Hindi ko alam kung lasing ba siya o sadyang nabaliw na siya dahil naisip niya ang bagay na iyon.I looked at him obliviously. “Lasing ka na ba?” Inaasahan kong tatango siya o mahinang
“You know how to smoke?”Nagkibit balikat ako bilang sagot sa tanong ni Dylan. “I quit three years ago. Hindi puwede sa trabaho ko ang naninigarilyo,” kaswal na sagot ko sa kaniya at humikab.Hindi siya kaagad nakapagsalita kaya’t bored ko siyang tiningnan at tinaasan ng kilay. “Why? You don’t smoke?”







