27I'm here again. I'm back to where I belong. What happened on that island should be forgotten. I'm here, and I'm married. My daughter and son have a father, and it's Ivo. I shouldn't be thinking about anything but only my life here in Manila and with my family.Pero paano kung magkita kami bigla rito? Maliit lang ang mundong ginagalawan namin. We have a mutual friend, and he is also one of the investors in our company. Anong sasabihin ko sa kanya kapag nagkita kami? I bit my lower lip. Wala naman dapat akong sabihin sa kanya! Come on, Affeya! Think about something! Don't fvcking think about him!"Mom!" Napakurap-kurap ako nang kalabitin ako ni Zally. She is now innocently staring at me."Oh. Sorry. What is it?" Tanong ko dahil hindi ko alam kung may sinasabi ba siya o wala.Hindi nagsalita si Zally kaya napasulyap ako kay Ivo. Binabalatan nito ang orange, pero ang tingin ay nasa akin. I saw him looking at me with a disappointed look. Anong ginawa ko?"Pinapaabot niya ang tubig, but
28It's been three days since I got back from that island, and yesterday I started my job as CEO of the company. That was delayed due to that kidnapping, but here I am, doing my job as Avarez.Ivo took care of the company when I was away, and he did some of the things I needed to work on. That's why, even though I was gone for almost a month, I didn't have any problems when I came back."Ma'am, heto po ang mga kailangan niyong permahan na nasabi kanina sa meeting," sambit ng secretary ko pagkapasok niya pa lang sa opisina ko."Give it to me. Salamat," sambit ko sa kanya.He came over to give it to me. I took it and read it one by one. I almost got a headache after reading for several hours. There is a lot to sign, and that just means that I also have to read and study a lot.I really hate business, but I can't do anything dahil ako lang naman ang nag-iisang maasahan ni lolo. Speaking of lolo, we are still not okay because of everything that happened, pero hindi ko naman maaalis ang ka
29Anong sabi niya? Kung siya ang asawa ko hindi siya papayag na pumunta siya rito ng kami lang ng kaibigan ko? At ano naman sa kanya kung mag suot ako ng ganitong damit?! Hindi naman dahil ganito na magsuot ay nag iimbita na ako ng lalake!Ayos nga lang kay Ivo tapos siya iyong maraming sinasabi! Sino ba siya sa akala niya? He is just my ex!Ang sarap sarap niyang bulyaw bulyawan hanggang sa mawalan siya ng pandinig!Nakakainis siya! Bakit ba niya ako pinapakealaman? Pinapakealaman ko ba siya gayong may babae siyang kabulungan at halos isuksok na ang kamay sa loob pantalon niya? Hindi ko siya pinapakealaman kaya dapat lang hindi niya ako rin ako pakealaman!"Dami niyang sinasabi, kala mo naman makikinig ako! Huh! Akala mo kung sinong matino! Siya naman iyong manloloko at cheater!" Hindi ko na maiwasang ibulala iyon, napatingin pa sa akin ang isang lalake sa biglaan kong pagsasalita, alanganin tuloy akong ngumiti sa kanya bago mabilis na naglakad palayo.I looked around, trying to fin
30"I don't have evidence right now that your husband is a big asshole and a fvcking cheater, but I will find it and I will show you na ang asawa mong kinakampihan mo ay isang gago," Yrony said seriously, but I could no longer focus on what he said dahil masyado na akong ukopado sa nakita ko sa likod niya. Masyado na akong kinakabahan para isipin ang mga sinabi niya."Shit!" Mahinang mura ko dahil halos hindi ko na talaga alam ang gagawin ko.Napansin ni Yrony ang pagkataranta ko kaya sinubukan kong mag relax at itago ang kaba na nararamdaman ko ngayon. Hinawakan ko ang sling bag ko, nandoon ang phone ko. Should I call him? Pero paano naman? May peste sa harap ko kaya paano ko tatawagan si Ivo ngayon at sabihin na nandito rin siya.Kumunot ang noo niya, pero mula sa pagkunot ng noo, he became serious, and his jaw tightened. He looked down at my bag, which I was holding firmly."What? Is he calling you already? If he isn't calling you, why don't you call him right now? Ask him where h
31"May sasakyan ba kayong pumunta rito?" He asked me without looking at me. I didn't answer his question because what he asked didn't register in my mind. My mind is too busy right now to think about what Mr. Diego said. Masyado ng ukopado ang isip ko sa kakaisip ko sa narinig ko.After a few moments of thinking, I stopped and pulled my hand all the way to stop him from walking. Nagawa kong hilahin ang kamay ko at mabitawan niya iyon.Galing sa pagkatulala ay tinignan ko siya. Tumigil nga siya sa paglalakad at tinignan ako, pero pagkatingin niya sa akin ay agad naman siyang nag-iwas ng tingin.He whispered something that I didn't hear."Tell me what he said, Yrony. What did he mean about that?" Mahinang tanong ko dahil talagang kahit anong tanong ko sa isip ko, hindi ko makuha ang sagot."Anong pinakulong?" Naguguluhan kong tanong sa kanya."Kung wala kayong sariling sasakyan na pumunta rito, ihahatid ko na lang kayo. Tatawagan ko—""I don't fvcking need you. Kaya kong umuwi mag-isa
32 He didn't come back that night. Tsk! Damn him! Iyon ba ang wala lang? Obvious na nilalayuan niya iyong tanong ko. Nalasing na ako at lahat, pero ni anino niya ay hindi ko na nakita pa. In the end, Kyle took us home. Maybe he doesn't care even if I get drunk.Ano naman kasi ang pumasok sa isip mo, Affeya? Na kakaripas siya ng takbo pabalik kasi ayaw niyang malasing ka? That's bvllshit!Umuwi ako noong gabing iyon na lasing na lasing. Mabuti na lang at tulog na ang kambal, kung hindi ay nakita nila akong lasing na lasing. I don't want to be a bad influence on my son and daughter."Yehey! We are going to buy our school supplies! And we are going to J0llibee!" Zally was jumping for joy when I told them to go to bed early because we are going to the mall tomorrow, and then after that, we are going to the amusement park.Hindi kasi kami natuloy noong isang araw dahil may dinaluhan akong importanteng meeting.It's been 5 days since that night. I don't know if he is just busy or if he is
33 - Mall"Don't run, Zally!" Agad na saway ko nang mabilis na itong tumakbo pagkapasok pa lang namin ng mall."Zally, you might get lost. Huwag kang lalayo kay mommy!" I said again to her, but she just ignored me, and she is now busy looking around. She looked at the toys displayed in the middle, and she immediately approached them."Let her. Hindi siya gaanong nakakapasyal simula noong umuwi tayo rito. She deserve this," saway naman sa akin ni Ivo.Sinimangutan ko siya."Paano kung mawala siya? Anong let her let her?" Sarkastiko ko namang sambit sa kanya."Hindi yan. Let's just let her go where she wants to go. Huwag na lang natin tanggalin ang mata natin sa kanya," he said and immediately approached Zally. He took out his phone and immediately called Zally to take a picture with those cute toys and the oversize Teddy bear.I just shook my head. He said sorry when I said that Yrony almost saw them that night, but I said that he didn't need to apologise. Mag-ingat na lang sila sa sus
34 - "You okay?" Agad akong napatingin kay Ivo nang tanungin niya ako. Napatango ako. Siya nga dapat ang kailangang tanungin ko non."I'm fine; I just couldn't stop thinking about Tita Vina crying earlier. I don't know why I felt something saka medyo nagulat lang ako kung saan tinungo ng usapan. Zally is now calling Tita Vina Mamita. Nakakabigla iyong mga nangyare," I said while looking at Zally, who was now busy getting school supplies.Ivo don't say anything after that kaya ako naman ang nagtanong sa kanya."How about you? Aren't you going to go to Janica and talk to her? I don't know how your relationship works, but I think she saw that kiss a while ago. Maybe she's overthinking now. I'm also a girl, Ivo; I know she already can't stop thinking about what happened. Marami na siyang tanong sa isip non panigurado," I said and immediately approached Zally as I pushed the shopping cart. Lumalayo na kasi siya ng kaunti."Zally, just get the things you need," sambit ko dahil kuha na siya