False Pretense Novels & Stories

she remarked sarcastically, “sinabi ko na sa ’yo, ’di ba? Nagpanggap lang ako noon na gusto kita para pakasalan mo ‘ko. Kasalanan mo naman ’yon, eh. You were fooled easily. You let your guard down.” Awang ang labi nitong tiningnan siya. Then he chuckled dryly. Nanunuya lang niya itong tininngnan at nginitian. “What a great pretender you are, then,” sarkastikong pamumuri nito, “I believed you because I just felt it that you were genuine and honest. But it turned out that you’re not, and you’re even proud of your mistake.”

"Hoy! I'm not a pretender for your information. This face? A beautiful one? Is just a pretender?" "Yes. Mostly of those who had a beautiful faces are wearing mask to hide their true colors. And maybe. Your also belong of them right?" nakataas ang gilid ng labi nito. "I'm not." "Okay. Alis muna ako ah. Ms. Pretender." paalam nito tsaka naglakad patungo sa kotse niya at sumakay tsaka umalis. Napabuntong hininga ako sa sinabi niya. Porket cute ka eh hahayaan na kitang apakan mo ako? Pwes! Makakatikim ka ng moves ng isang AJ!

I really hope someone can tell me. Well, if a guy looks, it's already his fault, right? That's usually how moral works. Or is it? What if the girls won't wear such clothing in the first place? Does it change the outcome? I don't think so. Anyway, I'm a bad liar if I so myself. As far as I'm concern, I can't fake truths. When I said I need money, I'm not actually lying. I need money, that's for a fact. I didn't lie, right?

Para isipin na napaka gwapos ng lalaking ’yan, isipin mo na lang na napaka bastos n’ya at s’ya ang mag lulutas ng problema mo! “I need 5 Million and the secretarial position in your company!” diretso kong sabi sa kan’ya, rinig na rinig ko ang kaba sa puso ko dahil baka hindi n’ya tanggapin ang hinihiling kong halaga lalo na’t sobrang laki neto. “Sure, I'll transfer the money tomorrow.” nagulat na lang ako sa pag sang-ayon n’ya, para lang pakasalan ako ay ibibigay n’ya ang ganoong kalaking pera!

Matagal ko ng pangarap na magbago ang buhay ko pero ayaw ko din naman ng biglang yaman lang. "Pero sir masisigurado mo ba yan?" tanong ko. Naku mukhang tulog na "Sir gisiiiiing!" nang sinigawan ko siya bigla naman niya minulat ang mga mata niya at tumingin sa'kin. "Sorry I feel so sleepy but we will continue our deal," tugon naman niya. "So sir ano naman po una kong gagawin?" inosente kong tanong.

Sabat ni Neon bago ako balingan. "Let's go, baby." Inilang hakbang ako ni Neon tsaka ako masuyong hinawakan sa bewang para igiya patayo. Biglang parang may anong kumiliti sa pagkatao ko dahil sa naging kilos niya na agad kong iwinaksi. This is not right, maybe he is planning something evil to crash me more, kanina nga ay kung anong salita nanaman ang narinig ko. He's pretending to be gentle and sweet because there's people around us, baka hindi alam nung mag-asawa na walang feelings ang kasalang ito kaya siya nagpapanggap.

“Let’s pretend to be together, that we’re dating. We’ll show the world how happy we are together. We’ll make those two jealous for hurting us.” “Well… that sounds like a good idea… but…” "Evelyn, We both need to move on from our pasts. I need to show that I'm over Sophia, and you... you need a distraction from Kurt," sabi niya, at bakas ang pag-aalinlangan sa kanyang tono. "What if we pretend to be a couple? Just for a while. It might help both of us." Nagulat ako sa alok niya. "Pretend to be a couple? But... why?"

“You know what, Lorraine? I am fvcking done pretending that I love you. I am so sick of pretending that you are better than Celeste just to make this relationship fvcking work.” Sick of pretending? Kung gano’n, lahat ng pinapakita niya sa akin nitong mga nagdaang linggo ay pawang pagkukunwari lang? Gano’n ba? Hindi totoo ang pagmamahal na pinakita niya sa akin? Naawa lang ba siya sa akin kaya niya ginawa ‘yon? Dahil alam niyang hindi niya masusuklian ang pagmamahal ko, kaya napili niyang magkunwari na lang na mahal niya ako upang magpatuloy ang kasunduan namin?

Umasa. Pero agad din niyang narinig ang sumunod — fake marriage lang pala. At ngayon, habang naglalakad silang magkasabay palabas ng opisina, paulit-ulit pa rin iyong umaalingawngaw sa isip niya. “Just pretend,” sabi ni Jerome. Pretend lang. Gaya ng dati. Gaya ng ginagawa nila ngayon — pagpapanggap sa harap ng lahat, sa opisina, sa pamilya nito, sa mundo. Pero paano kung siya lang ang hindi marunong magpanggap?

My weakness is that I'm weak. "Then don't pretend." I deliberated for an answer, then sighed, "It's hard." "I hated you, you know." He said, changing the topic. I snorted at that, "So obvious. Wow. That's flattering really." "You acted all innocent and shy and pure but really, they don't know the true you. With Tita Maggie, Luke, with everyone. But all along..." He trailed off. Beaming, I said proudly, "What can I say? I'm a pretender. So much so that I have a master's degree major in pretending. I'm the master of all pretenders in the world."