Chapter 1

Exhaustion weighed heavily on Auri as she stepped through the door, unaware that her world was about to shatter. She told her mother she will be home late because she needs to finish her work but instead, she came home early. It was just a little past six. 

Nagtaka si Auri nang makitang malinis ang kusina at wala pang lutong ulam. Not that her mother cooks all the time. Mas madalas itong bumili ng lutong ulam sa restaurant nang nagsimula s'yang magtrabaho. Pero nang nag-aaral pa s'ya, sa karinderya lang ay sapat na. 

May kung anong kaba s'yang naramdaman nang humakbang s'ya sa pangalawang beses. Narinig niya ang hagikhik ng ina mula sa taas. Despite her youthful appearance, Selene's eyes held secrets that hinted at a life of complex choices and unapologetic desires. Bukod sa baby face ito at maalaga sa katawan ay para din itong dalaga kung magkikilos. Minsan nga ay mas matured pa s'yang mag-isip sa ina. 

"Huwag d'yan. Nakikiliti ako, ano ba?" Selene shrieked then laughed. 

She paused at the foot of the stairs, heart pounding with each muffled sound, torn between confronting the truth or preserving her blissful ignorance. Auri should have walked away. She's twenty-six and although she has not done the deed, she knows about the birds and the bees. And whatever her mother is doing is not exactly PG13. 

Then she heard a man's voice. It was barely a whisper. Lalong lumakas ang kalabog ng dibdib niya. 

"Yes, right there. Ohh! Yes!" Mas malakas na ang ungol ni Selene ngayon at halatang nag-eenjoy sa ginagawa. 

Tinalunton ni Auri ang hagdan papunta sa dalawang kwarto sa taas. One of them belonged to her, but her mother's door was left ajar. Sa may bukana pa lang ng pinto ay nakita na niya ang nagkalat na damit. There was a familiar shirt on the floor. Halos hindi s'ya makahinga.

"Yes! Yes! I'm coming! Oh, yes!" Selene chanted. 

Auri opened the door slowly and saw her mother on all fours in the middle of the bed. Behind her was... Damian Reyes, ang fiance niya. 

"Oh my God!" Halos pangapusan s'ya ng hininga. 

Sa gulat ni Damian ay nahulog ito sa kama. His naked butt landed on the hardwood floor, habang si Selene ay casual na binalot ang sarili sa puting kumot. 

"It's not what you think—" Damian scrambled to pick up his shirt. It was the shirt Auri got him from her last trip in Hong Kong.

Ang sabi nito sa kanya, okay lang na hindi sila makapagdinner ngayong gabi dahil marami pa naman daw araw para magdate sila. Damian has always been understanding with her. They have been together for two years. Kahit pagdating sa sex, wala s'yang narinig na reklamo rito nang sabihin niyang ibibigay lang niya ang sarili once na kasal na sila. Buong akala niya ay maswerte s'ya sa lalaki kahit na mas malaki ang sinasahod niya rito. Despite his unstable income, Auri admired Damian's ambition; she valued hard work over wealth, believing it would lead to their shared success. S'yempre, kung walang benta, wala rin itong sahod kung 'di basic compensation. 

They are tying the knot in a week.  And she did not expect this at all. Kaya pala lahat ay okay lang dahil may iba itong pinagkakaabalahan. At sarili pa niyang ina!

"It's not– Anong gusto mong isipin ko? Hindi ako bulag!" sigaw niya sa lalaki.

"Oh, don't be so dramatic. It's just sex," casual na komento ni Selene. Sumandal ito sa headboard at umaktong parang walang ginagawang masama. 

"How can you do this to me? Kayong dalawa? Damian, Mama ko pa talaga?" Her tears threatened to fall but she refused to give them that satisfaction. Right now, all she could feel is rage.

"It just happened, Auri—" Damian put his pants on and now fully dressed. Sinubukan nitong lumapit pero umatras siya.

"Don't be such a liar, Damian. We started shortly after a year of dating my daughter," pagtatama ni Selene. 

Gustong masuka ni Auri. Sa bawat halik na pinagsaluhan nila ng boyfriend, kahalikan din pala nito ang kanyang ina. Every kiss. Every touch. It's nauseating. Diring diri s'ya sa sarili.

"Shut up!" galit na saway ni Damian kay Selene, pero tumawa lang ang huli. "I love you, Auri. Inakit lang ako ng Mama mo–"

"Mahal?" Humalakhak si Selene. "Kung mahal mo ang anak ko, hindi ka maaakit sa ibang babae. You can't even resist me." Selene got up and dropped the sheet. 

Napaiwas ng tingin si Selene sa kahubdan ng ina. Lumapit si Selene kay Damian pero pumiksi ito. 

"Auri, men have needs. You cannot demand Damian to be celibate. I bet you haven't even given him a blow job. Or how about a hand job? I did both and more. Mas maraming practice, mas mabuti. Hindi ba? Para kapag mag-asawa na kayo, mapapaligaya ka niya. And don't worry, this stop the moment you tie the knot. Iyon ang usapan namin. Unless of course, he seeks for me. Sino naman ako para tumanggi?"

"Don't listen to her, Auri. Ayaw ka lang niyang maging masaya," wika ni Damian. "Patawarin mo  ako. Naging mahina ako. But you have to believe me, she tempted me. Every time na pupunta ako rito, sinusundan niya ako at kinakausap na–"

"Stop. I don't want to hear anymore. We are done. Get the fuck out of my house."

"Auri, be rational about this. I'm sorry, okay? Give me another chance," pakiusap ni Damian. 

Naiiling na tinungo ni Selene ang private bathroom at bago pininid ang pinto ay sinabing, "Daks 'yan si Damian, anak."

"Don't. Call. Me. That." Lalong tumindi ang galit ni Auri sa ina. Pagkatapos ng ginawa nito ay nakuha pa s'yang tawaging anak, and Selene is not even the least sorry. 

"Okay, relax. I'm just telling you because I know you haven't seen it. Should you decide to forgive him, hindi ka na lugi."

Napaawang ang mga labi ni Auri sa sinabi ng ina. She knew Selene was vulgar, but this is by far the worst she's seen her talk. 

"How could you, Mama? How could you both shatter everything I believed in."

"Oh, please! Like I said, it's just sex. It doesn't mean anything."

"I'm not cheap like you. Hindi ko ugaling pumatol sa kung sino-sinong lalaki para lang masabing maganda ako at sapat—"

Sa galit ni Selene ay hindi nito itinuloy ang pagsara ng pinto ng banyo at inilang hakbang si Auri saka sinampal ng malakas. 

"Wala kang utang na loob!"