Looked Looked

It's Byenn and Alaric's 5th wedding anniversary when Alaric's first love came back. At noong gabing iyon, aksidenteng nahuli ni Byenn si Alaric sa loob ng banyo, minamasturbate ang sarili habang binabanggit ang pangalan ng ibang babae. "Byenn, nakakaawa si Reia ngayong bumalik siyang mag-isa," paliwanag ni Alaric. "Tinutulungan ko lang siya bilang kaibigan." Tumango lang si Byenn at tipid na ngumiti. "Naiintindihan ko," maikli niyang sagot. Makalipas ang ilang araw, muling nagpaalam ang lalaki habang nag-eempake ng gamit. “Byenn, nangako ako kay Reia na ice-celebrate ko ang birthday niya sa isla. Tinutupad ko lang ang pangako ko noon.” "Okay.” "Byenn, this party needs a capable assistant," hirit ulit ni Alaric bago ang isang malaking event, tila minamaliit ang kakayahan ng asawa. "Mas bagay si Reia kaysa sa iyo para sa role na ito." "Okay, go ahead." Nang mapansin ni Alaric na hindi na siya nagagalit, hindi na umiiyak, at hindi na naggagawa ng eksena, naguluhan ito. Lumapit ito sa kaniya at nagtatakang nagtanong, "Byenn, bakit hindi ka na nagagalit?" Of course, hindi na siya galit dahil aalis na rin siya. Pagod na siya sa stagnant nilang kasal. Habang abala si Alaric kay Reia ay palihim siyang nag-aral ng English saka kumuha ng IELTS, at pasimpleng nag-submit ng applications para mag-aral abroad. On the day her visa was approved, she threw out the divorce papers. "Huwag kang magbiro nang ganyan," sarkastikong tawa ni Alaric habang tinitingnan ang papel. "Paano ka mabubuhay nang wala ako?" Hindi na nag-abalang sumagot si Byenn. She just turned around, bought a plane ticket, and flew straight to Europe. The next time Alaric saw news about her, it was through a viral video online. Kitang-kita ang ganda ni Byenn habang naka-red dress, dancing freely in the sky above a foreign land. She looked so alive.

Politics. That's the reason why I'm here sitting on a long dining table with the family of my father's best friend and with their kids. Aurelia sighed with boredom as she watch her parents to arrange her marriage to someone she doesn't like. Xavier, the son of her father's bestfriend. She doesn't like him. First and only reason because he's a womanizer, he bedded a lot of woman already. "Can we go now?" Aurelia asked in a plain tone. "I'm tired and... Just tired." She added while playing with her untencils. "Aurelia, honey, don't you want to talk to Xavier first and get to know him?" Her mother, Selene Miller asked. "Nope. I already know him." She said and she looked at him. He's lips curved with cocky smile. "You already know him? Great! How did you know him?" His father, Thomas Andrada asked. "I met him with some sluts stories on how he fuck different women." She said while looking at him. Well she can not blame the girls for having a crush or infatuation over him. He's hot, handsome, billionare with his own money, and based on stories he's good in bed. The thing is he's ruthless and possesive when it comes to women. "I see that's how you met me." He said in a flirty way. It's like he's proud of himself. Aurelia just rolled her eyes and stared at her father again her eyes asking to go home. "No, we need to finish the food. Besides what's the rush? We're not on rush." Her father said with a firm tone. "And we will talk about your wedding for next week." Her mother said proudly. Her eyes widened. "Next week!?!" She said with a high tone. Hell this can't be real. She's getting married next week!

Si Elara Renoir ay isang babaeng matagal nang nangarap ng tunay na pag-ibig. Isang lalaking mamahalin siya sa mundong puno ng panlilinlang. Syempre, hindi mawawala sa kanyang listahan ang gwapo, mabango, at mayamang lalaki. “Aminin na natin,” aniya, “hindi ka mabubuhay sa mundong ito kung hindi ka magiging praktikal.” Hindi siya sakim o gold digger. Gusto lang niyang matiyak na ang buhay at pamilyang bubuuin niya ay magiging maayos at maginhawa. Naranasan na niya ang hirap at ayaw na niyang bumalik doon. Then Rhett Alaric came into the picture. Years ago, she saw him on a magazine cover. Young CEO, perfectly tailored suit, handsome and composed. His gaze was sharp yet calm. From that moment, he became her ideal man, someone she thought she’d only admire from afar. But fate had other plans. One quiet afternoon in a coffee shop, she looked up and there he was. The same man from that magazine, real and breathtaking. For a moment, she could only stare, realizing the man she once dreamed of was standing right in front of her. Ngunit sa pinakanakakahiya pang pagkakataon ito nangyari. Hindi man lang tulad ng mga teleserye moments na may slow motion at background music. Sa pagmamadali niyang maibigay ang kape, hindi niya namalayang natapunan niya ito ng mainit na kape—at sa mamahaling suit pa talaga nito bumagsak ang lahat! Gulat. Pagkapahiya. Kaba. At oo, may halong kilig rin. Ngunit nang magtama ang kanilang mga mata, malamig. Matapang. He wasn’t just a man in a suit—he was the man everyone feared to disappoint. At sa oras na iyon, alam ni Elara na hindi lang kape ang natapon niya, kundi pati ang unang impresyon niya sa lalaking matagal na niyang pinapangarap.