"I still want us to talk, pero sige na nga. Makukuntento na lang muna sa ganito," natigilan ako ng sabihin niya iyon sa kabailang linya pagkatapos ng mahabang katahimikang namayani sa amin. Siguro ay akala niya tinanggal ko na nga sa tenga ko kaya niya iyon sinabi.Hindi ako nagsalita at hayaan na isipin niyang hindi ko siya naririnig."I'm tired right now. Something happened a while ago. Nagkasagutan kami ni Janica kanina. Gusto ko tuloy umuwi na lang diyan sa bahay natin para mayakap ka. Kailangan ko ng pahinga at lakas. This is corny, pero makakapagpahinga ako kapag nakikita kita," sambit pa niya kaya naibaba ko ang suklat na hawak ko.Napapikit ako ng mariin. Bakit ba siya ganito? Bahay natin? Namin? Is he saying that this house—fvck! Of course not, Affeya! Umayos ka! Don't fall into his trap again! Pero sa kabila non ay hindi ko maiwasang magtaka sa sinabi niya. Nagkasagutan sila ni Janica? Bakit? Tungkol saan? Baka alam talaga ni Janica na nandito ako at hindi niya iyon gusto.

13"Good morning," I heard his voice immediately when I put my earpiece in my ears. Hindi ako nagsalita at naglakad lang palabas sa kwarto para bumalik sa kusina. Kung pwede lang nga na huwag na gamitin ito ay talagang hindi ko na gagamitin.Saka wala namang good sa morning kung siya ang magsasabi non. Sinisira niya lang naman ang araw ko."Tapos ka na bang kumain?" Tanong pa nito habang pababa ko ng hagdan."There's CCTV everywhere. Bakit hindi mo icheck?" Sarkastiko kong tanong dahil habang pababa ako sa hagdan, saka ko lang napansin na halos kabilaan ang CCTV sa loob ng bahay. "Ang sungit naman," rinig kong sambit niya, pero hindi ko alam kung bakit kahit hindi ko siya nakikita ay rinig na rinig ko sa boses niya ang ngiti."Ako hindi pa ako kumain. Gutom na ako," sambit niya rason ng pag-irap ko."Mabuti nga yan para mamatay ka na!" Iritang sambit ko at nagulat pa si Manang nang marinig iyon dahil kasabay ng pagsabi ko non ay ang pagpasok ko sa Kusina.Alanganin tuloy akong ngumit

16"Cancel all my meetings for tomorrow and tell them to ready the chopper immediately," seryosong sambit ko sa secretary ko habang nag dadrive na at tinutungo ang helepad kung nasaan ang chopper.I was supposed to go back to the island tomorrow night, but because of what happened, I just want to go back to the island to see her and be with her. May mga importante pa akong dapat tapusin, pero gagawin ko na lang doon pagkarating ko.I don't know how I can absorb everything I see. My sister and Ivo were kissing. What the fvck, right? And what the heck is going on with that asshole? What is he thinking? His wife is missing, but look what he is fvcking doing!Alam ko naman na dapat masiyahan ako na mukhang hindi gumagawa ng paraan si Ivo na mahanap si Zay, but damn! Niloloko niya si Zay!Zay was so loyal to Ivo. I kissed her several times, but she tried to bring up the fact that she was married to that fvcking Ivo, but where is that Ivo? He was there, kissing someone else! If I am Zay's h

18I let the water soak my feet and stared at it for a moment. I just held my breath and continued to go down so that the water would also soak my body. When the water was up to my chest, agad na akong lumangoy at sinubukang kalimutan ang mga nangyare.Mapatagal pa ako sa ilalim ng tubig para makalimot, pero imbes na makalimuta ay muli namang naglaro sa isip ko ang lahat ng nangyare. Pag ahon ko ay muli akong lumangoy, nagbabakasakali na tuluyan nang mawala ang mga iniisip ko ang lahat ng iyon.Sa pangalawang pag-ahon ko ay halos mahigit ko ang paghinga ko. Paano ba anamn ay nakatayo na ito sa harap ko, kung saan ako mismo umahon. His body was already wet, but his hair was not yet wet. The water was up to my chest, while the water didn't reach his chest because he was tall.My lips parted when I noticed what was on his neck. I'm sure that I gave it to him in the form of a bracelet, but I also know that what he was wearing around his neck was really what I gave him. Kung bakit naaging

20Yrony’s POVVenus' daughter was a kind of stress reliever for me. I am close to her daughter. She even called me Papa Ninong, but she knows that I'm not her real father. Alam niya na ninong niya lang ako.Venus and the one who got her pregnant never met again, so Vanie grew up without a father beside her, and they always bullied her because of that. She always cried because of that, so I told her that she could call me Papa if she wanted, and Vanie was very happy to hear that from me. I just forgot the date today, hindi ko tuloy maiwasang makonsensya dahil nangako pa ako doon sa bata. But while talking to them, I couldn't help but give my attention to Zay. Even though I was talking to them, my attention was still on Zay. I secretly glanced at him despite laughing at what Vanie was saying, but then I heard her sob. Nakaharap na ito ngayon sa dagat, pero kahit na hindi siya nakaharap sa'kin ay alam ko na agad na umiiyak ito.“You okay?” Napabalik ang tingin ko kay Venus ng tanung