Kabanata 4

The rest of the school year passed. It was slow, heavy, and quiet.

Wala akong ginawang iba kundi i-survive ang buong school year. I’d show up, sit through class, turn in half-hearted projects, and pretend to listen whenever the teachers called my name.

Sinubukan akong ibalik sa normal ni Rina through our old routine. Lunch breaks, gossip, weekend hangouts—but most days, I just wasn’t in the mood. Kahit nakangiti ako minsan, alam kong pilit 'yon.

My grades? Barely passing.

Attendance? Enough not to repeat the year.

I wasn’t the same girl everyone used to envy. The old Elara Montesilva was gone. The spoiled, confident daughter of a tycoon was gone.

What’s left was someone trying not to drown in the silence her father left behind.

Minsan, pag dumadaan ako sa harap ng school gate at nakikita ko ’yung mga magulang na sinusundo ang mga anak nila ay napapahinto ako.

Lagi kong iniisip na kung buhay pa si Daddy, baka isa siya ro’n. Yung tipong nakasandal lang sa kotse at may bitbit na iced coffee para sa’kin.

Pero sa halip, ang naghihintay sa labas ng gate ay ang driver kong si Mang Isko.

Tahimik, laging on time, laging sumusunod kay Timothy.

At sa tuwing sumasakay ako sa loob ng kotse, iniisip ko lang na kung ganito na lang palagi, baka isang araw, makalimutan ko na kung paano maging masaya.

I was silently sitting inside the car when Mang Isko miraculously spoke.

“Miss Ely, sa opisina raw po ng mga Grey ko kayo i-diretso, sabi ni Sir Timothy,” paliwanag niya.

Hindi ako umimik at hinayaan lang siya.

Do I even have a choice?

Pagdating sa building, agad akong sinalubong ni Kath—ang sekretarya niya.

“This way, Miss,” she said, guiding me toward the elevator.

Pagsara no’n, sinuri ko ang sarili ko sa repleksyon ng pinto. Naka-school uniform pa rin ako, may shoulder bag na bitbit. Walang gana kong sinuklay ang buhok ko palayo sa mukha, hinagod hanggang beywang.

God, I look miserable.

Pagbukas ng elevator, agad akong sinalubong ng malamig na hangin mula sa central AC. Tahimik sa buong floor at masyadong corporate, masyadong his world.

“Sir Timothy is in Conference Room B,” sabi ni Kath. “He asked you to sit in.”

“Sit in?” kunot-noo kong tanong.

“Yes, ma’am. He said it’s good for you to ‘observe how things work.’”

Napairap ako, pero tumango na lang. Observe daw. As if I care about their boring meetings.

Pagpasok ko ay nandoon si Timothy kasama ang ilang board members at lawyers. Naka-dark suit siya, walang bakas ng pagod. And the moment our eyes met, he gave a short nod. Not the warm kind, but not cold, just... formal.

“Take a seat, Elara,” he ordered.

Tahimik akong naupo sa malayong dulo ng mesa. Sinimulan niya ang meeting at umulan ng mga terms na parang ibang lengguwahe sa akin.

Acquisitions, merger proposals, project expansion.

I didn’t understand most of it, but everyone else seemed to.

Minsan, nahuhuli kong nakatingin siya sa akin saglit bago bumalik sa usapan. Hindi ko alam kung dahil naiinis siya sa pagiging sobrang tahimik ko o kung gusto lang niyang siguraduhing hindi ako lalabas sa gitna ng meeting.

Pagkatapos ng halos dalawang oras, natapos din sila. Nagsitayuan na ang lahat. Isa-isa silang lumapit kay Timothy, at nakikipagkamay.

At ako? Tahimik lang na naghihintay ng pagkakataong makaalis.

“Stay,” sabi niya nang mapansin akong tumatayo. “We’re having dinner.”

Napakurap ako. “I’m not hungry.”

“That wasn’t a question.”

Gusto kong magreklamo, pero wala na akong energy para makipagtalo. Sumunod na lang ako habang palabas siya ng conference room.

Halos ugatin ako sa kinatatayuan ko nang makita kong private car niya ang sasakyan namin.

“There’s no way na sasakay ako sa kotse mo.” I crossed my arms.

Akma na siyang papasok sa loob bago nagsalita. “No problem. You can take a cab. Wala si Isko dahil pinasundo ko sa mommy mo,” aniya.

Halos mapairap ako. “Ha! As if I wouldn’t dare to take a cab,” singhal ko bago naglakad palabas ng parking.

I asked the guard to get me a taxi—only to be refused.

“What?” singhal ko sa isang guard.

“Ma’am, kay Mr. Grey daw po kayo sasabay,” paliwanag niya habang bahagyang bumaling sa likod ko.

My great stepdad was there, waiting inside his goddamn car.

Halos magdabog ako sa pagpasok sa likod ng kotse niya. Nagtama ang mga mata namin sa rearview mirror.

“I’m not your driver, Tine. Sit in front,” inis niyang sabi.

“Stop calling me Tine! Ang sabi mo lang sumakay ako, but I get to choose where I sit. Let’s go,” mariing giit ko.

He didn’t argue after that. For the first time, this felt… new.

Timothy Grey stopped arguing. Talaga?

I crossed my arms while staring out the window. Of course he wouldn’t argue. Maybe he finally realized he couldn’t win against me.

But still… weird.

No lectures, no “Watch your tone, Elara,” no “You’re grounded for another week.”

Tumingin ako saglit sa rearview mirror. Nakatingin siya sa daan, seryoso, parang laging may iniisip.

I hated it.

How someone could look so calm while I was this messed up inside.

A few minutes later, huminto ang kotse sa harap ng isang restaurant I’d never been to. Hindi ito mukhang fancy, pero halata sa signage na exclusive.

“Get down,” maikling utos niya.

I raised a brow. “I just wanna go home.”

He finally looked at me, one hand still on the steering wheel. “Dinner. Then home.”

“Wow, you really love ordering people around, don’t you?”

“Only the ones who never listen.”

Napapikit ako at pinipigilang mapairap.

Fine. Whatever.

Bumaba ako ng kotse at sumunod sa kanya papasok. Pagpasok namin, sinalubong kami ng mahinang jazz music at ilaw na kulay amber. It was cozy, intimate, not what I expected from Mr. Serious Businessman Grey.

Habang umuupo kami sa table, hindi ko napigilang mapansin… he still hadn’t said a word what'sthis all about.

So, I broke the silence. “What’s this? Another lesson? ‘Observe how adults have dinner properly’?”

Finally, his lips twitched into the faintest smirk. “No. Try to guess,” nakakalokong sabi pa niya.

“Ano ’to? Mind game—”

Bago ko pa matapos ang sasabihin, biglang namatay ang ilaw.

“What the fuck—”

Then a faint flicker appeared... it was a candlelight, small but warm. Saka mabilis na binalot ng tugtog ang paligid.

I blinked, stunned.

Mom was walking toward me, carrying a cake with Sweet 16 written on it. Si Rina naman, may dalang party poppers at party hat sa ulo.

A happy birthday song filled the whole place.

“Happy birthday,” mabilis na bulong ni Timothy, bago pa makalapit si Mommy.

I glanced at him for a bit.

Naramdaman kong nakalapit na sila Mommy. “Happy 16th birthday, our princess,” masayang bati niya.