CHAPTER 11

CHAPTER 11- WHAT??

Denrick

"So how's your work? Kamusta na ang mga stock holder ng kompanya nyo? Did they still making a way to remove you from your position?" A man asked me. He is not just a man but a friend of mine. Terrence Montero is looking at me intently while waiting for my response. We're here at the bar. We are in a VIP room to be exact. We don't want to be interupted by the noise so we decided to rent a room. We just want to have some quality time together after our stressful days.

"Oo nga. By the way, did you find someone who can be your wife and the mother of your child?" Dark mijares asked me while maintaining his stoic face. I am really amazed with this man. He still remain emotionless even with us. He never shows his emotions and only us knows why. It is a secret of our group. And who ever reveal his secret will receive a very beautiful punishment. 

Every one of us have a darkest secret and each and everyone of us knows it. Alam namin ang lahat ng sekreto ng bawat isa. And who would not right? We were childhood bestfriends. 

Binaba ko naman ang hawak na kopita at marahang tumango sa tanong nito. They were shocked because of that. Well, ilang araw palang naman sinabi sa akin ng ama ko iyon at nakahanap na agad ako. Maybe luck was on my side. 

They are looking at me with amazement. Nakita ko pa na nag apir ang kambal na Armani. Umiling iling ako sa naging reaksyon nila. 

"Grabe! Iba nga talaga ang kamandag ng isang Denrick Moncuedo!" Manghang usal pa ni Gray Armani. Ngumisi naman ako sa tinuran nya. 

"Wala pang tatlong araw noong sinabi sayo ng papa mo yun ah." Nagtatakang tanong ng kakambal nito. Black Aiden Armani. Nginisihan ko nalang sya na naging dahilan kung bakit nagkaroon ng malokong ekspresyon ang mukha nya. 

Gray and back armani are twins. They are identical twins but have different personality. Gray is more on being a 'fvckboy' while his twin is more on a serious type. Yan nga minsan yung kambal diba? May magkaparehong mukha pero magkaiba ng ugali. 

I saw how a smirk form on Dark's face. Binaba nito ang hawak nitong kopita bago ako tinignan ng deretso sa mata. I can say that he is really intimidating, but can never intimidate me. 

"Alam naming ayaw mong paalisin ka sa posisyon mo sa kompanya dahil pinaghirapan mo ang lahat para marating mo yun." Panimula nito habang naroon pa rin ang ngisi sa labi. But after a few second his expression change into a serious one. 

"Pero hindi naman siguro magiging rason yun para mamulot ka nalang ng kung sino sa daan para maging asawa at magiging ina ng anak mo." Seryosong sabi nito kaya seryoso ko din itong tinignan pabalik. I know he is just being protective but I know how to handle the situation. I will not gonna let those fvckers crash me. Uunahin ko na muna sila bago nila magawa yun sa akin.  

Dark is the oldest among us. He is one year older than us so he is being protective 'again.' I understand him but I am not a kid anymore. I know what to do. 

Nagtitigan kami ng ilang segundo bago ko sya sinagot.

"Of course not. You know me, I'm not like that. You think basta basta nalang akong mapupulot ng babae for the sake of maintaining my position in the company? I am not that pathetic. Hindi ko sya napulot lang dahil matagal ko na syang kilala at kahit kayo ay kilala sya." Sagot ko sa kanila dahilan kung bakit kumunot ang noo nila while Dark is still maintaining his face emotionless. I know I just triggered their curiosity as it is easily shown on their faces. 

"Woah! Who might that be? Wala naman kaming kilala na papatol sayo agad-agad. Or it is one of the girls na patay na patay sayo?" Kuryusong tanong sakin ni terrence pero nahimigan ko ang malokong tono nito habang sinasabi ang huling pangungusap.

Nginisihan ko muna sya bago inisang lagok ang natitirang alak na nasa kopita bago ko sila sinagot. "Maria Isabella Dimasali." Sagot ko kaya napatanga sila. I know they can't believe what I said. Who would believe me? Sa loob ng dalawang taon nitong pag tatrabaho sa akin ay hindi ako nito nilandi o kahit magpakita ng motibo. 

"You mean your secretary?" Manghang tanong ng kambal kaya tumango ako.

"How come na napapayag mo sya? Eh kilala ko yun. Hindi yun papatol sayo." Takang tanong ni black kaya ngumisi ako. Siguro nagtataka sila kung paano ko napapayag ang secretary ko. And to think na kailangan ko pa syang buntisin. Well they didn't know what happened that is why they are so confused.

"Well she just did. And guess what? She is now pregnant with my child." Sagot ko kaya lahat sila napaamang maliban kay dark na seryoso lamang ang mga tingin sakin. Shocked was written all over their faces. 

"Buntis sya? At ikaw ang ama? How come?" Sunod sunod na tanong ng tatlo. 

I sighed. "Yes she is pregnant with my child. And why did you ask how? Ofcourse we did it dumb*ss." Sabi ko na para bang isa silang malaking istupido dahil tinanong nila kung bakit nabuntis ang secretary ko. 

"We mean is how come you got her pregnant? We both know her at hinding hindi sya basta papatol sayo." Sagot naman ni Black na parang sinasabi na hindi sila tanga.

"Oo nga. Kaya papaanong buntis sya ngayon sa anak mo? Pinikot mo sya no?" Turan naman ni Gray kaya agad ko syang tinaasan ng kilay. Pinikot? What the fvck?

"And you think gagawin ko yun sa kanya?"

"Well if you didn't then how come? And to think na nangyari ang insidente ilang buwan na ang nakakaraan." Sabat naman ni Terrence.

"Yeah, we did it a month a go." Ani ko na nagpagulat sa kanila pero makaraan lang ay ngumisi sila sa akin.

"Bilib na talaga ako sayo."

"Yeah, kahit ang sekretarya mo na palaban ay nadali mo." 

Umiling iling nalang ako sa tinuran nila bago salinan ang baso ko ng alak. I don't even why she let it happned. I mean is bakit nya hinayaan na may mangyari sa amin? Did I force her? Pero bakit parang hindi naman sya galit sa akin?

"Why? Do you love her?" Biglang salita ni Dark. I thought he would remain silent. 

Nilagok ko muna ang alak bago sinagot ang tanong nya.

"Of course not. I don't love her and will never love her. I don't want to betray her. I love---"

"Denise?" Ngising pagpapatuloy ni dark sa sasabihin ko. Tumango naman ako na syang nagpatahimik sa kanilang lahat. Sumalin ulit ako ng alak sa baso bago tinungga iyon. The light atmosphere earlier is now heavy. There is now a tension in our room. 

"Pare Hindi ka pa rin nakakamove on sa kanya? It's been 6 years and yet you still into her." Seryosong turan ni terrence kaya tahimik lamang akong umiinom. Yes, it is been six years but I still love her and this love is hurting me. But I don't want to stop loving her. I want to be in the same spot where she left me.

"6 years na yun pare. Denise don't want you to be like this. She loves you very much and we know that she wants you to move on." Komento naman ng kambal.

Ngumisi ako. "Easy for you to say that word because you're not in my position." Sagot ko. Napakamot naman ito ng batok at umiiling na binaling nalang ang tingin sa alak nito. Nilagok niya iyon at umiling iling na umiwas ng tingin. 

"Yes, we are not in your position to say this pero hindi mo kailangang ikulong ang sarili mo sa nakaraan. Time is moving so you should too. Don't be stuck in the past. You know what Den? Kailangan mong kumilos para mabuhay. Hindi sa lahat ng panahon ay nandyan ang mga taong nakasama mo sa nakaraan. Don't close your heart. Sometimes you need to open your heart to experience the blast, the true happiness, again. You need to move on from the past so that you can proceed in the future. We didn't say na kailangan mo ngayong mag move on because we know that moving on takes time. You know what? Don't waste your time by locking your self in the past. Make a progress." Seryosong turan ni dark kaya tumango ang lahat.

 Napabuntong hininga ako.

"I can't." Simpleng sagot ko kaya umiling iling sila.

"You can't or you don't want?" Ngising tanong ni dark kaya napaiwas ako ng tingin. Yes, I don't want to open my heart again. I don't want them to replace Denise because Denise will be my one and only. I am afraid to replace her. I feel like betraying her and I don't want that.

No one could replace her. No one. Even Maria.

**Written by Stringlily**