CHAPTER 2: Suffocating Tension

​Hell is not a fiery pit. Hell is a dark, cramped walk-in closet inside a five-star hotel, smelling like expensive leather and betrayal.

​Kung pwede lang mag-evaporate, ginawa ko na. Gusto kong maging usok, maging alikabok—kahit ano, basta hindi tao. Basta hindi asawa ni Jason Mercado.

​Through the wooden slats of the closet door, the sounds of their laughter pierced through me like jagged glass. Every giggle from Veronica, every low murmur from Jason, was a physical blow. Parang pinupunit ‘yung dibdib ko nang paunti-unti.

​I tried to cover my ears. Ayoko na marinig. Tama na.

​But the man behind me—Atticus—wouldn't let me move.

​His arm was still locked around my waist like a vice grip. Naramdaman ko ang pagbigat ng paghinga niya sa leeg ko. He was angry. No, that was an understatement. He was furious. The heat radiating from his body was intense, burning through the thin fabric of my trench coat.

​It was a strange, suffocating irony. While my husband was betraying me in the other room, I was trapped here, pressed intimately against a stranger.

​Every time I sobbed, my back shuddered against his chest.

​"Stop crying," Atticus whispered harshly, his voice a low rumble against my ear. "Don't give them the satisfaction."

​"Hindi... hindi ko mapigilan," I choked out, my voice barely audible. The tears were flowing freely now, messy and hot. "Ang sakit..."

​He shifted. For a moment, I thought he was going to push me away in disgust. Instead, his hand—the large hand that had been clamping my shoulder—moved up. Not to comfort me, but to press my head firmly against his chest, burying my face in his lapel so my muffled sobs wouldn't be heard outside.

​"Then cry quietly," he commanded. "You’re ruining my suit."

​Wow. Ang sensitive naman ng suit na 'to.

​But I obeyed. I bit my lip until it bled, tasting copper, just to keep quiet.

​Time lost its meaning. Hindi ko alam kung ilang minuto o oras kaming nandoon. The air in the closet grew thinner, hotter. The scent of his cologne—sandalwood and rain—mixed with the smell of my own fear and sweat.

​Physically, it was overwhelming. I was acutely aware of every inch of him. The hardness of his chest, the strength in his thighs locking me in place, the way his breath hitched whenever Veronica moaned his name out there to mock him.

​It was intimate in the most twisted way possible. Dalawang strangers, parehong niloko, parehong nagtatago.

​Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the noises stopped.

​"I'm starving," Veronica said, her voice muffled but clear. "Let's go to that Italian place downstairs."

​"Anything for you, babe," Jason replied.

​Narinig ko ang kaluskos ng mga damit. The zipping of zippers. The rustling of fabric.

​And then, the worst part.

​"Wait," Jason said. "Check ko lang kung okay pa buhok ko."

​Footsteps headed toward the closet.

​Nanigas ako. My heart hammered against my ribs like a trapped bird. Papunta siya dito. Bubuksan niya ang closet.

​Atticus reacted instantly. He spun me around so I was facing him, pushing me deep into the corner of the closet, hidden behind a row of long winter coats. He pressed his body flush against mine, shielding me completely with his broad frame.

​Kung bubuksan ni Jason ang pinto, si Atticus lang ang makikita niya—or maybe just the coats.

​We were nose to nose in the dark. I could feel his breath on my lips. His eyes, though shadowed, glinted with a terrifying intensity. One of his hands gripped my hip painfully tight; the other was pressed against the wall beside my head.

​Please, Lord. Huwag ngayon. Huwag ganito.

​The footsteps stopped right outside the closet door. The knob turned slightly.

​I squeezed my eyes shut. Atticus didn’t flinch. He was like a statue carved from ice and rage.

​"Babe! Let's go!" Veronica called out from the door.

​Jason paused. The knob turned back. "Coming."

​The footsteps retreated. Then, the sound of the main door opening and closing.

​Beep. Click.

​Locked.

​Silence engulfed the room again. But the tension in the closet didn't dissipate. If anything, it exploded.

​Atticus didn't move away immediately. Nanatili kami sa posisyon na ‘yon—pressed together in the dark, breathing the same recycled air.

​Then, roughly, he pushed himself off the wall and shoved the closet door open.

​Light flooded in. Brutal, blinding light.

​Napapikit ako at napaupo sa sahig ng closet. My legs finally gave up. I felt weak, drained, and pathetic. Look at me. Sitting on the floor among designer shoes, hugging a crushed cake box, wearing a trench coat inside a hotel room.

​Atticus stepped out into the bedroom. He didn't look like a victim. He looked like a predator who just woke up.

​He straightened his suit jacket—impeccable, navy blue, custom-fit. He ran a hand through his dark hair, composing himself. Then, he turned to look at me.

​Wait, not just look. He inspected me.

​Mula sa suot kong scarf sa ulo, pababa sa trench coat, hanggang sa rubber shoes na suot ko (kasi mas madaling tumakbo).

​His lip curled in distaste.

​"Get up," he said coldly.

​I tried to stand, but my knees were wobbling. "Teka lang... nahihilo ako."

​"I said get up. You look pathetic down there."

​Napatingala ako sa kanya.

The audacity! Kaka-break lang ng puso ko, iniinsulto pa ako?

​Pinilit kong tumayo, using the wall for support. Inalis ko ang scarf at sunglasses ko. My eyes were puffy, my mascara probably running down my cheeks like a raccoon.

​"Sino ka ba?" I asked, though I already had a hunch. "At bakit ka nandito sa kwarto ng asawa ko?"

​He scoffed, walking over to the mini-bar to pour himself a drink. Hindi man lang ako inalok.

"Technically, this is my hotel. And that room..." he pointed to where Jason and Veronica had just been, "...was booked using my corporate account."

​He took a shot of whiskey, straight. Then he turned to me, his eyes dark and piercing. "So, that loser with the bad haircut is your husband?"

​Napahawak ako sa dibdib ko. "Excuse me? Loser?"

​"He’s driving a 2018 sedan, wears a knock-off belt, and uses pick-up lines from the 90s. Yes, he’s a loser," Atticus said flatly. "And you married him."

​"Mahal ko siya!" I defended, though it sounded weak even to my own ears. "We’ve been together for five years. Married for three."

​"And in those three years, did you know he was screwing my fiancée?"

​Natahimik ako. The bluntness of his question knocked the wind out of me.

​"No," I whispered. "Ngayon ko lang nalaman."

​Atticus placed the glass down with a heavy clink. Lumapit siya sa akin. He was tall, looming over me with an intimidating presence. Whatever "erotic" tension we had in the closet was gone, replaced by cold, hard judgment.

​"You have two choices, Miss..." he paused, looking at me expectantly.

​"Tin. Celestina," I mumbled.

​"You have two choices, Celestina. You can chase after him, make a scene, cry in the lobby, and embarrass yourself further," he said, stepping closer until I had to tilt my head back to look at him. "Or, you can wipe that ugly smudge of mascara off your face, go home, and wait."

​"Wait for what?" I asked, trembling.

​"Wait for the fallout," he said darkly. "Because I don't get mad, Celestina. I get even."

​He pulled something from his inner pocket—a sleek, black business card with gold embossing. He tucked it into the pocket of my trench coat.

​"Leave. Before the housekeeping sees you looking like a wet rat."

​With that, he walked past me, grabbed his phone, and dialed a number.

​"Security? Clear the footage of the 30th floor. Now."

​Naiwan akong nakatayo sa gitna ng kwarto.

​Tinignan ko ang kama. Gusot ang mga pyskheets. Amoy Veronica ang unan.

Tinignan ko ang mesa. The champagne was warm. The velvet box of the Rolex was still there, untouched.

​And the cake...

​Binuksan ko ang box na hawak ko. The dark chocolate ganache was ruined. Wasak na ang icing dahil sa pagkakayakap ko kanina sa closet. The words "Happy Anniversary" were smeared into a brown, sticky mess.

​Parang buhay ko.

​Tears pricked my eyes again, but I remembered Atticus’s voice. You look pathetic.

​Pinahid ko ang luha ko gamit ang likod ng palad ko.

​"Okay," I whispered to the empty room. "Okay."

​Kinuha ko ang Rolex. Kinuha ko ang cake.

​Walking out of that hotel room felt heavier than entering it. Parang may naiwan akong parte ng pagkatao ko sa loob ng closet na ‘yon. The naive, happy, trusting Tin died in Room 305.

​Paglabas ko ng hotel, bumuhos ang ulan. Of course. Because the universe loves a cliché.

​Wala akong dalang payong. I stood by the curb, waiting for a Grab, drenched in rain, holding a smashed cake.

​My phone buzzed. It was a text from Jason.

​From: Hubby <3

Babe, meeting is extending. Baka di na ako umuwi tonight. Don't wait up. Love you.

​Tinignan ko ang message. "Love you," he said.

​Tinignan ko ang black card na binigay ni Atticus.

​ATTICUS VALDERAMA

CEO, Valderama Holdings

​Raindrops fell on the card, but the gold letters didn't smudge. They shimmered, cold and promising.

​"You want a fallout?" I whispered to the wind, gripping the card tight. "Sige. Let's have a fallout."