KABANATA 01

 YNA POV

The coldness inside the conference room was nothing compared to the freezing sensation creeping into my bones. Nakatayo lang ako dito, nasa gitna ng lahat ng mata na nakatingin sa akin na parang isa akong pinakamasamang tao sa buong mundo. The room smelled of expensive leather, coffee, and tension—thick, suffocating tension na parang unti-unti na akong nilulunod.

Around me, ang mga taong tinuring kong pamilya dahil sa kanya, ngayon ay nakatingin nang may galit at pagkadismaya. Ang ilan ay bumubulong, ang iba ay nakatingin nang masama. Pero sa lahat ng presensyang naririto, isa lang ang matindi kong nararamdaman. Siya.

Lucas.

Nakatayo siya sa tapat ng malaking glass window, nakatalikod sa akin habang nakatingin sa maaliwalas na tanawin ng siyudad. Ang kanyang mga kamay ay nakasuot sa kanyang bulsa, at ang tindig niya ay kasing lamig ng panahon sa labas. Ito ang lalaking minahal ko ng buong puso sa loob ng tatlong taon. Ito ang lalaking nangako sa akin ng walang hanggan. Ito ang lalaking akala ko ay hindi kailanman magdududa sa akin kahit anong mangyari.

But right now, parang hindi ko na siya kilala.

"Lucas..." I called his name softly, my voice trembling, barely above a whisper. Gusto kong lumapit sa kanya, hawakan ang braso niya, at sabihing hindi ko ginawa ang akusasyon nila. Gusto kong ipaliwanag na hindi ako kaya gawin 'yon—lalo na sa kumpanyang pinaghirapan niya, lalo na sa kanya.

He slowly turned around. Nang magtagpo ang aming mga mata, parang dinurog ang puso ko sa isang iglap. Wala na ang init, wala na ang lambing. Ang nakita ko lang ay galit, disgusto, at matinding poot. Parang tumitingin siya sa isang estranghero. Parang tumitingin siya sa isang bagay na kinasusuklaman niya nang husto.

"Don't," he said sharply, raising a hand to stop me from moving closer. His voice was low, firm, and cut through me like a sharp blade. "Don't you dare say my name like you still have the right to."

Tumigil ako sa aking kinatatayuan. Nanikip ang dibdib ko. Ang lalamunan ko ay parang nakabara ang bato na hindi ko malunok. "Lucas, please... makinig ka naman sa akin. I didn't do it. Maniwala ka naman sa akin, mahal..."

"Stop!" he shouted, slamming his hand onto the long conference table. Ang lakas ng boses niya kaya napatalon ako sa gulat. Ang mga mata niya ay nanlilisik habang nakatingin sa akin. "Stop acting like you're innocent! Stop acting like you didn't just steal millions from my company! Millions, Yna! Do you have any idea how much trouble we are in right now because of you?"

"Hindi ko ninakaw 'yon!" sigaw ko rin pabalik, habang tumutulo na ang luha na kanina ko pa pinipigilan. My hands were shaking violently. Ang buong katawan ko ay nanginginig sa halo ng takot at sakit. "Lucas, I swear to you... sa lahat ng bagay na mahalaga, hindi ko ginawa 'yon! Paano ko magagawa 'yan sa'yo? Paano ko mananakawan ang kumpanyang ikaw ang nagpatayo gamit ang pawis at dugo mo? Paano ko sisisrain ang pangarap mo? Mahal na mahal kita, Lucas... hinding-hindi ko magagawa 'yan!"

He let out a bitter, mocking laugh—isang tunog na parang kutsilyong tumatarak sa puso ko nang paulit-ulit. He walked slowly towards me, step by step, hanggang sa nasa harap ko na siya. Pero kahit gaano siya kalapit, pakiramdam ko ay milya-milya ang layo niya sa akin.

"You love me?" he asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm and anger. He leaned down, his face inches from mine, his dark eyes boring into mine with so much hatred it hurt to look at. "Is that why you drained the funds? Is that why you forged documents? Is that how you show your love—by stabbing me in the back when I trusted you the most?"

"Lucas, no... please, let me explain. There's a mistake somewhere. Someone is framing me! Alam mo kung gaano katapat ako sa'yo. Alam mo kung gaano ko kamahal ang kumpanyang ito dahil ito ay buhay mo..." I tried to reach for his hand, tried to touch him, pero mabilis niyang inalis ang kamay niya na parang nadudumihan siya kapag nahawakan ko.

"Don't touch me," he spat. "I don't want your hands on me—those hands that took everything I worked hard for. Those hands that lied to my face every single day."

"Lucas, maniwala ka naman sa akin! I have no reason to take that money! Everything I have, binigay mo na sa akin. I never asked for anything more! Why would I ruin everything we have? Why would I risk losing you?" I cried out, tears flowing freely down my cheeks now. Nakita ko kung paano tumulo ang luha sa sahig, pero mas mabigat ang luha sa puso ko.

"You think I haven't asked myself that?" he said, his voice lowering, becoming colder, more ruthless. "I asked myself every single minute since I found out. How could the woman I love do this to me? How could the woman I planned to marry betray me like this?"

Natigilan ako. Ang mga salitang 'yon—the woman I planned to marry—ay parang huling pako sa kabaong ng puso ko. "Planned... planned? Past tense na ba, Lucas? Just like that? Hindi mo man lang tinanong ang side ko? Hindi mo man lang binigyan ng pagkakataong magpaliwanag bago ka humusga?"

"Why should I listen to you?" he yelled, pointing a finger right at my face. "I have proof, Yna! Documents, bank transfers, everything leads back to you! The auditors found everything! What else do I need to hear? Lies? More lies from you?"

"But someone could have used my name! Someone could have falsified my signature! Lucas, kilala mo ako. Three years... tatlong taon akong nandito sa tabi mo. Sa hirap at ginhawa. Noong wala pa tayong gaanong pera, nandiyan ako. Noong puyat ka magtrabaho, naghihintay ako sa'yo. Noong may sakit ka, ako ang nag-aalaga sa'yo. Lahat ng bagay na pinagdaanan natin... makakalimutan mo lang ba lahat dahil sa papel at numero? Mas maniniwala ka sa papel kaysa sa akin? Mas maniniwala ka sa ebidensya kaysa sa taong mahal mo?"

"Love?" He shook his head, looking at me with absolute disgust. "Love doesn't steal, Yna. Love doesn't destroy everything someone built! If this is your love, then I never want it! You fooled me. You fooled me so well. I thought you were different. I thought you were the only person I could trust in this world. But you... you are just like everyone else. You are greedy. You are selfish. You only stayed with me because of my money, isn't it?"

Napahawak ako sa dibdib ko dahil parang hindi ako makahinga. Ang mga salita niya ay mas masakit pa kaysa sa anumang pisikal na sugat. Every word he spoke was a dagger, piercing through my heart, tearing it apart piece by piece. "Lucas... paano mo nasasabi 'yan? Paano mo nasasabi na ginamit lang kita? Alam mo ang totoo! Alam mo kung gaano kita pinahalagahan higit sa anumang kayamanan sa mundo!"

"I don't know anything about you anymore," he said flatly, turning his back to me again and walking back to his desk. He sat down, acting as if I wasn't breaking down right in front of him, as if my pain meant absolutely nothing to him. "All I know is that you betrayed my trust. And for me, that is unforgivable."

"Please... Lucas, please don't do this," I begged, my voice broken, my knees feeling weak. Gusto kong lumuhod sa harap niya kung kailangan para lang mapakinggan niya ako. "Just listen to me for five minutes. Just five minutes, and I can prove to you that I didn't do it. I can show you—"

"There is nothing left for you to show me," he interrupted harshly, opening a folder on his desk, not even looking at me anymore. His attention was completely on the papers, treating me like I was invisible, like I was nothing but trash. "I have already handed everything over to the lawyers. You will be charged with embezzlement and fraud. You will pay for what you did."

"Charged? Lucas... ipapakulong mo ako? You are sending me to prison? Sa taong nagmahal sa'yo nang buong puso, gagawin mo ito?" Ang iyak ko ay naging hikbi na lang, mahina at masakit. "Pagkatapos ng lahat, ito lang ba ang tingin mo sa akin? Isang magnanakaw?"

He finally looked up at me, and the emptiness in his eyes shattered whatever was left of my heart. Wala na ang lalaking minahal ko. Wala na ang lalaking humahalik sa kamay ko tuwing umaga. Wala na ang lalaking yayakap sa akin nang mahigpit kapag natatakot ako. Nasa harap ko na lang ay isang estranghero na punong-puno ng galit.

"Yes," he said clearly, every syllable hitting me harder than the last. "You are nothing but a thief to me now. You took millions from my company, and you took my heart and crushed it. But let me tell you something—you can have the money. It means nothing to me compared to what you did. But I will make sure you pay for every single centavo. I will make sure you regret the day you ever met me."

"Hindi ako nagsisisi na nakilala ka," I whispered, kahit na parang dinudurog na ang buong pagkatao ko. Tears blurred my vision, but I forced myself to look at him. "Kahit pinaparusahan mo ako ng walang kasalanan... kahit hindi ka naniniwala sa akin... hinding-hindi ako magsisisi na minahal kita. Dahil sa loob ng tatlong taon, naging buhay mo ang buhay ko. Ikaw ang mundo ko, Lucas. And now... you are destroying me without even blinking."

"Save your words," he snapped, standing up and walking towards the door. He opened it, gesturing sharply for me to leave. "Get out. Get out of my office. Get out of my building. And don't ever let me see your face again. Because every time I look at you... I just see a liar and a criminal."

"Lucas, please... I love you... I love you so much..." I cried out one last time, reaching out to him even though I knew it was useless.

He paused at the doorway, his back still turned to me. "Don't say that," he said coldly. "Your love is poison. And I've had enough of it. Now leave before I call security and drag you out myself."

Dahan-dahan akong tumayo. Ang bawat hakbang ko ay mabigat, parang may nakatapak sa dibdib ko. Ang bawat hininga ay masakit. Habang lumalayo ako sa kanya, habang naglalakad ako palabas ng kwartong iyon kung saan dati ay nararamdaman ko ang pinakamaligayang sandali ng buhay ko, naririnig ko pa rin ang boses niya. Ang mga salitang punong-puno ng galit at kawalan ng tiwala.

He didn't listen. He didn't care. He just believed what he wanted to believe. At ang pinakamasakit sa lahat... kahit pinaratangan niya ako ng krimen na hindi ko ginawa, kahit hinatulan niya ako nang walang paglilitis, kahit ipinagtabuyan niya ako na parang hayop... minamahal ko pa rin siya.

I walked out of the room, out of his world, leaving my heart shattered into a million pieces right at his feet. And he didn't even bother to look back.