46Yrony's POVI look at Zay and Ivo leaving the company. Halos humaba ang leeg ko para lang makita sila habang paalis, pero halos murahin ko si Vince nang humarang siya.“Para kang tanga na aso, alam mo ba iyon?” Sarkastiko nitong sambit sa akin. “Fvck you!” Inis kong sambit at umayos s apagkakaupo. It's been a week. I already freaking miss her. I wanted to approach her earlier, sit next to her, and hold her hand until the meeting was over, but I couldn't because her husband was with her.Fuck this shit! It's so stupid that even if I want to approach her or even talk to her, I can't even do it dahil bawal.I sigh and stare at my phone. Vince sit beside me at tinapik ang balikat ko.“Ang daming babae diyan, bakit iyong may asawa pa kasi?” Tinignan ko siya ng masama nang sabihin niya iyon.“You want me to fvcking kill you right now?” Seryosong tanong ko sa kanya.Pilit siyang ngumiti at inalis ang kamay sa balikat ko.“Relax, di ka naman mabiro,” he said at agad na tumayo para lumapi
47I could feel my phone vibrate in the sling bag I was wearing, but I couldn't look at that to see who was texting and calling me because I was too busy right now taking care of Ivo, who was now throwing up because he was too drunk.Mabuti na lang talaga at hindi ko tinuloy ang balak na magpaiwan doon. Ivo needs me very much right now. Nagpakalasing siya.Agad kong naitigil ang kotse sa gilid nang mapansin na parang nasusuka na siya. Pagkatigil non ay agad siyang nakalabas para sumuka sa labas. Sa subrang kalasingan niya ay muntik pa siyang matumba, buti na lang at napahawak siya sa poste. Pagkayukp niya ay agad siyang sumuka. Hinaplos ko ang likuran niya habang sumusuka pa rin.Naglasing din naman ako, pero hindi mas subra sa kanya. Subrang tataas ba naman ng mga alcohol content ng mga ininom niya kanina.“I-I'm sorry. I think I can't go home like this. I don't want to go home like this,” sambit nito pagkatapos niyang sumuka. Lumapit siya sa kotse at agad kumapit roon kahit na hawa
48 - Affeya's POV"You can change first so you don't get a cold. Lalamigin ka," I said gently to him when he pulled me to go to the table, but he shook his head."That's just a waste of time. Masasayang lang ang oras ko kung aakyat pa ako sa hotel room ko. Aalis ka na mamaya," he said, making my lips part a bit.“Pero—” Hinarap niya ako kaya natigilan ako. He stared at me and give me his most gently stares. Nakagat ko tuloy ang labi ko.Hinawakan niya ang gilid ng mukha ko at nilagay sa tenga ko ang takas na buhok ko.“Limitado lang ang oras natin, so just let me, okay? Mamaya na ako magpapalit para mas mahaba ang oras natin,” sambit pa niya.I bit my lower lip. I can wait, and I'm not in a hurry either. It's already nine, so the twins are definitely asleep right now.And also, Anna is also in the condo now, kaya panatag ako kahit na malate nanaman ng uwi. With Ivo and me, Anna is also the one who can handle the twins well, so I have a lot of trust in Anna.We both didn't speak when
49 -I stared at the necklace he gave me. I can't help but smile while staring at it. ZayRony. It was a heart with small diamonds. Nakapalibot ang mga diamonds sa heart. May nakalagay sa gitna na ZayRony, subrang liit lang ng mga letrato na iyon, but I can clearly see it. It was the combination of our names.Akala ko talaga hindi niya kinuha ang bracelet na binigay ko noon. Akala ko talaga wala siyang pakealam doon, but I'm really sure na iyon nga iyong binigay. I want to ask him about that, pero natakot akong buksan ang tungkol sa nangyare noong gabing iyon.Maaga akong nagising kinabukasan kaya tumambay muna ako sa sala. Tulog pa ang lahat habang nandito ako sa sala nakangiti na parang tangang tinititigan ang necklace na bigay niya.Isang oras at kalahati kami roon kagabi. Sa subrang bilis ng oras, hindi na namin namalayan na umabat na kami sa ganoong oras.We talked, we laughed, and we even made out. It was like a dream to be like that again after so many years. Parang sa subrang h
50Akala ko ligtas na ako sa mga ibabatong mga tanong niya sa akin. She's right, but I am really afraid. Paano kung sa pagsubok kong ayusin, imbes na maayos, maging magulo?“Isang tanong, isang sagot,” sambit nito nang hindi ko nagawang magsalita pagkatapos niyang sabihin ang napakahabang sinabi niyang iyon.“Anna, you know that it’s not—” She cut me, like she didn’t want to hear anything from me right now at ang gusto lang niyang marinig ay ang magiging sagot ko sa tanong niya.“Mahal mo pa?” Tanong nito ng seryoso kaya umawang ang labi ko.Mahal ko pa ba? Malalim ang pinakawalan kong paghinga dahil alam ko ang sagot doon. Hindi ako papayag sa set up namin at hindi ko kakalimutan ang ginawa niya noon sa akin kung hindi ko siya mahal.“Oo, pero–” She cut me again.“I know, right. You love him, so you should tell Yrony everything. Everything, including Zally and Rony,” she said, like it was so easy to just tell Yrony about it."It's not that easy, Anna. Come on. Zally and Rony have gro
51I did what she said, pero para na akong tanga na naiiyak pagkarinig ko ng sinabi ng receptionist. Kaya ba anak anakan niya kasi mag papakasal sila? Kaya ba ayos sa kanya ang set up na ito kasi alam niyang ikakasal din naman siya at wala din naman itong patutunguhan? I did everything not to cry habang tinutungo ang nag iisang lamesa sa floor ng opisina ni Yrony.“I’m really sorry, Mrs. Bueno. Binilin kasi talaga ni Sir Yrony na huwag muna tatanggap ng kahit sino na hindi naka schedule o nagpa appointment ngayong araw. Ininform naman ako ng secretary niyo na ibibigay ngayon ang mga dapat permahan, pero ang akala ko po kasi ay siya ang magbibigay at ipapaiwan niya lang ang mga papeles kaya hindi ko na nasabihan si Sir Yrony,” magalang na sambit sa akin ng secretary ni Yrony, kaya sinubukan ko pa ring ngumiti kahit na kitang kita na pilit na iyon.Napalunok pa ako dahil parang may nakabara sa lalamunan ko.“Kung ganoon iiwan ko na lang,” tanging nasambit ko at binigay sa kanya ang env
52"Shut up. Sabing hindi ako nakikipaglukuhan. It's not right if you fire your employee right away just for the slightest reason. What if they are the breadwinner of their family? Edi sinira mo ang buhay nila? Don't be like that, Yrony." I said and continued to argue with him because I really don't understand why it is so easy for him to fire an employee.“Pero pinaiyak ka—” Mabilis akong sumabat. At talagang ipipilit pa niya ang dahilan niya?“Bakit naman ako iiyak? Napuwing lang ako kanina kaya medyo namumula ang mata ko,” tanging palusot ko na lang. He tried to say something again, but he couldn't continue when I pulled him to sit on his swivel chair. I was about to move away, but he pulled me and placed me between his legs. He locked me between his thighs and looked up.“Fine. Hindi ko na sila tatanggalin. Don't be mad. Tsk! Nakakainis! Ang swerte siguro ni Ivo kapag palagi mo siyang sinesermunan,” malumanay na sambit pa niya gamit ang mapungay na mga mata.Inis ko siyang tinign
53I put down the basket I was holding with a beer in it and immediately took the food that Venus had brought earlier.When I got it, I immediately went back inside his room and found him massaging his head again, like his head was really giving him a hard time. He looked at me immediately when he heard me come in. Tinigil niya agad ang paghilot sa ulo niya.“Kainin mo na muna ‘to habang wala pa iyong gamot mo,” mabilis na sambit ko at nilapag ang lunch box sa side table niya. Binuksan ko iyon at nakita ko agad ang loob non na inayos pa ang bawat paghiwa ng mga ulam at pati ang pagkaka ayos ay may designed pa. It was really nice."What do you mean about that? Who's my fiance?" That was his serious question to me when I finally finished arranging the food. He even pulled my hand away so that I could sit on his bed. I stopped and looked at him.He was now sitting, with his whole body leaning against the headboard of the bed. He held my hand and played with it."Hmm? Tell me what you me