Chapter 1

WHERE DO BROKEN HEARTS GO?

Whitney Houston

Where do broken hearts go

Can they find their way home

Back to the open arms

Of a love that's waiting there

And if somebody loves you

Won't they always love you

I look in your eyes

And I know that you still care, for me

I've been around enough to know

That dreams don't turn to gold

And that there is no easy way

No you just can't run away...

And what we have is so much more

Than we ever had before

And no matter how I try

You're always on my mind

        Sinulyapan ni Kristel ang kanyang katabi sa eroplano. Isang babaeng na sa tantiya niya ay nasa mid forties ito. Maanong hinaan nito ng kaunti ang volume ng ipod nito.

        'Bingi ka te?' sabi ng isip niya. Hindi niya mapigilang mapailing. Nakakainis lang kasi saktong sakto yata sa kanya ang nasa playlist nito. Correction, hindi lang yata. Sakto talaga. 'Where do broken hearts go?' Para sa kanya, sa Paris kaya nga doon ang tungo niya di ba? Kahit para sa iba,  Paris is renowned as City of Love and Romance for being the epitome of ‘la dolce vita’ or what Italian’s refer to as ‘the sweet life'.  It is also where lovers love to stay necking and petting.

        Hays bakit ba kasi masyado siyang nagpapadala sa damdamin niya. She is the famous Kristel Almabis for Petes' sake! The heir of the Crystal chains of hotels and restaurant. Her great great Lolo Rosauro Leviste  is a self made millionaire and was able to build hotels and restaurant as product of his hard work. Pinamana naman nito ang mga nasabing pag - aari at pamamahala sa kanyang Lolo Benedict Almabis nang mapangasawa nito ang kanyang lola Anacleta Leviste hanggang sa mapasakamay naman ng kanyang ama na si Alfred Leviste Almabis na nag - iisang anak ng mga ito. Her mom on the other hand is a famous singer - actress, Maricel Cruz Almabis.

        She was born with a golden spoon. Silang magkakapatid. The eldest Derick was already part of the business since he took Business Administration course sunod sa kagustuhan ng ama. Next to him is Blue whose passion is photography. Then Gibson, her ever playful and playboy kuya who took Hotel and Restaurant Management. Siya ang pinakabunso at nag iisang babae sa pamilya. Her father was disappointed nang pumasok siya sa mundo ng showbiz at sundan ang yapak ng ina. Minahal at na enjoy na niya ang showbiz industry. Nito na nga lang huli siya medyo nagkaproblema nang magpadala siya sa selos niya sa isang kolehiyala sa Batangas na niligawan at naging nobya pa ni Hugh.

    They've been on - screen partners for almost two years. Mula nang magkakilala sila sa isang event agad na nagkaroon ng reaction from public at nagrequest na ipair sila ng binata sa mga projects. Agad na ipinatawag sila ng management para bigyan ng project together. Pormal silang ipinakilala sa isa't isa and from then on nagustuhan na niya agad si Hugh. Matagal niyang inalagaan ang damdamin sa binata. How she wished all their happy endings in their projects were true, their lines in the script were all true. Kaso hindi eh, totoong buhay na ito. Hindi pelikula lang, hindi teleserye lang. 

    He was so near yet so far. Isang bituin na napakahirap abutin. Araw - araw niyang kasama, almost 24/7 kaso talagang hindi ito interesado sa kanya. As a friend, yes, he clarified that. They will remain as friends. Napabuntunghininga na lamang siya nang maalala ang kanilang huling pag - uusap. She decided not to accept projects na magtatambal sa kanilang dalawa ni Hugh. She wants to move on. And projects of them together won't be of help. Here she is, on a plane all the way to Paris.

    'Paris, here I come!'

    From Orly Airport, ay may kakaon at maghahatid sa kanya patungo sa Hôtel Juliana Paris which is just a 14 -minute walk from the Eiffel Tower. 

    Nang makarating sa nasabing hotel ay agad siyang nagtungo sa front desk upang mag check in. Agad namang naibigay sa kanya ang nakalaang keycard para sa hotel suite niya. The hotel suite was cozy and classy. A flat-screen TV is provided. The room is equipped with a private bathroom fitted with a bath or shower. 

    Dahil sa pagod, naisip niyang mamahinga muna bago mag unpack ng gamit. At sa tanang buhay niya, ngayon lang siya nakaranas ng mahimbing at mahaba habang tulog. Away from all the chaos, away from issues and away from showbiz.

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        "What! Ulitin mo nga ang sinabi mo?" napahampas sa kanyang office table ang batang CEO ng Royal Crown Film na si Boss Gunner. He just received a call from Nina, his fiancee and former Beauty Queen na hindi ito makakarating sa meeting nila with their wedding coordinator, and now this. Umalis si Kristel ng bansa para magliwaliw lamang sa Paris gayung may nakaline up itong proyekto.

        Namumutla naman at nanlalaki ang mata ng talent manager ni Kristel na si Tita Chloe. "Oh, I-i'm sorry. I thought your secretary told you already. Hindi kasi tayo magkatagpo so I asked your secretary to inform you. "

        "You should have told me earlier. What are we going to do now?" 

        Hindi napigilan ni Gunner ang mapahilot sa kanyang sentido sa ibinalita ni Chloe. Kristel Almabis went out of the country just to move on from her heartaches with Hugh Perez. Where's the professionalism there? Dapat inihihiwalay ang personal issues sa trabaho. And now what? Marami itong iniwang nakabinbin na proyekto. 

        "Marami pa naman tayong puwedeng ipalit sa kanya. Let's conduct an audition." suhestiyon ni Tita Chloe hoping na papayag ang Big Boss na hindi si Kristel ang gumanap sa proyektong matinding pinaghahandaan ng istasyon.

        "Yeah, we'll do that. Do we have a choice?" sarkastikong sabi niya. Nang mag - iwas ng tingin si Tita Chloe at matagal na namayani ang katahimikan ay mabilis itong dinismiss ni Gunner.

        "You may go now, Ms. Chloe. Kindly tell my secretary to get inside my office." walang kagana ganang sabi niya.

        Nang mapag - isa ay marahas na napabuga sa hangin si Gunner at napatingala sa itaas.

        'Just great!'

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        Maaga pa lang ay gising na si Kristel. She's so excited to explore Paris. Noong nagpunta sila dito ng buong pamilya, she was just 6 years old then so she had a vague memory of the whole trip. They say Paris is the best place to be when you are in love or want to be in love. Yet she's here for one reason, to heal a broken heart, to move on and find her peace of mind.

       Ang una niyang pinuntahan ay ang Jardin des Tuileries which is located within the Place de la Concorde. The said garden demonstrates the Parisian style of intricate land scaping. Puwede lang siyang tumigil doon sa loob ng 2 hanggang 3 oras. 

       Saan man siya tumingin, bagaman meron ding mga pamilya pero halos puro lovers ang kanyang nakikita. How sweet! Ganitong mga eksena niya nakikinita silang dalawa ni Hugh. Just like their scenes in their series and movies. Masyado siyang nag invest sa kanyang feelings kung kaya't napakahirap nang bumangon. Napakahirap nang umahon. How she wished she could turn back time kung saan hindi pa nagkukrus ang kanilang landas. Kung alam niya na mahuhulog ang loob niya sa binata, she would decline the offer na makatambal ito.

         "Hey Miss?" a foreigner just approached her. He's with his girlfriend she guessed.

        "Yes?" she asked. 

        Itinuro nito ang Rodin statue sa likod nito. It was The Kiss marble sculpture kung saan magkayakap ang dalawang hubad na pares while kissing each  other at obra ng French sculptor Auguste Rodin."Can you take us a photo with that background?"        

        Marahang siyang tumango ang kinuha ang camera na iniaabot nito sa kanya. "Yeah sure."

        Makalipas ang 5 minuto ay natapos din ang photo shoot nila. Woah.. nangawit siya doon ah. In fairness magalang namang nagpasalamat sa kanya ang mga banyaga. 

        Muli niyang tinapunan ng tingin ang Rodin sculpture.

        'Sana all'

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