Sariel's point of view I was just sitting in his living room and doing something on my cellphone. He left me here for an hour and never came back. Is he really going to make me sleep here? I was just busy scrolling on my cell phone when someone rang the doorbell. I lifted my eyebrow. Is he expecting a visitor?Nilingon ko kung saan pumasok si Maddy na kwarto kanina. Makalipas ang isang minuto, hindi pa rin siya lumalabas. Nagdadalawang isip pa ako kung bubuksan ko ba ang pinto o hindi. Tatlong beses ulit tumunog ang doorbell, kaya tumayo na ako at binuksan ang pinto, bahala na siya sa buhay niya. Tagal niya lumabas, e. Nanlaki ang mata ko nang buksan ko na ang pinto, kakatok na sana sa mukha ko ang lalaki, pero napatigil siya nang nakabukas na pala ito.There were two of them, with the one behind him peeking at me. "Where's Madd—opppss—the grumpy man has a special guest?" sabi ng lalaki na parang ngayon lang nakakita ng magandang babae, at ako 'yon!"Oh, are you friends with Maddy? H
Sariel's point of view Naalimpungan ako sa pagtulog when I felt something caressing my thigh up and down, and I turned around to look who it was. Hindi ko makita ang mukha niya dahil madilim at nanlalabo pa ang mga mata ko, pero pamilyar sa akin ang amoy niya, parang nakainom din siya. Kinukusot-kusot ko pa ang mga mata ko."I want you, all of you. I want to feel you inside me, deep inside me," he horsely said, and he grabbed me to sit on his lap. goosebumps break out across my arms. I wrinkled my nose, given that the stench of his breath made my nose itch."Huh? Anong ibig mong sabihin?" I innocently asked him. As if on cue, he started to undress my pants. I waggled at his grip, and I immediately covered my body. "You're drunk!" I shriek at his face. Pero hindi niya ako pinansin at nagpatuloy lang sa ginagawa niya."But, it's not the right time to do it, but I can wait when you turn to legal age. I will be here again at your debut birthday." He groans to my ears."No! Anong ginagaw
Sariel's point of viewNagising ako dahil naramdaman kong may nakatitig sa akin, and when I opened my eyes, I met the eye of my life. Just kidding, 'wag muna makipag-landian ngayon! May hangover pa ako sa nangyari kagabi. Nakatingin lang siya sa akin na animo'y kapag kumurap siya mawawala ako na parang bula. I snap my finger in front of his face, and then he blinks twice. "Good morning, I have a good sleep." I beam excitedly at parang hindi ako nanaginip ng masama kagabi. It's one of my personalities, na umasta na parang walang masamang nangyari. A line appears between his brows."Are you sick?" He raised his brow at me. 'Yung mga tingin niya parang hindi makapaniwala na ganito ako ngayon, samantalang kagabi para na akong himatayin dahil sa masamang panaginip."Nope. I'm perfectly fine," Sabi ko sabay bangon. At nakalimutan ko ata na longsleeve niya, 'yung suot ko at wala akong suot na brå at pânty. Umiwas naman kaagad siya ng tingin sa akin. "Oppss, I'm sorry, I sneaked into your r
Sariel's point of viewTheir call time is seven, and it's five o'clock. I first went up to the room I occupy here at Meli's house. Yeah, may sarili akong kwarto dito. Dito ako nalalagi kapag ayokong umuwi ng bahay dahil nandun si tito. Okay lang naman si Mommy, dun. As far as I know, wala ang atensyon niya kay Mommy kundi nasa akin mismo. Hindi siya mahigpit ngayon, kaya 'yun ang ikinatatakot ko, baka kasi may masama siyang binabalak. Huminga nalang ako ng malalim at itinaboy ang kaisipan na 'yun. Kailangan ko muna mag-enjoy tonight. Enjoy now, suffer later?Nang matapos ako mag-ayos, tinawag ko na si Meli para tulungan ako sa mga pagkain. Nagpalit lang ako ng damit, dun nalang ako sa kanila maligo, hindi pa naman ako mabaho. Tinulugan naman kaagad ako ni Meli, kailangan ko pa kasing dalhin 'to sa sasakyan. Aabangan nalang daw kami nina Lowe dun sa rest house. Susunduin sana nila kami, pero ang sabi ko okay lang naman at kaya naman namin ni Meli, 'to. Nang maiayos na ang lahat ay read
Third Person's Point of view After they finished watching Netflix, they all positioned themselves in the form of a circle. They surround the mini-table. They are going to play truth or dare, but Meli says that there is no thrill when it is truth or dare, so it is just dare.But before they start, they chug a one-shot glass of the cocktail they made. Para daw may mas malakas kapag medyo may tama na.Meli is carrying a medium-sized teady bear. Her mechanics are that they are going to sing while passing the teady bear around, and when she says stop, doon na nila uumpisahan ang dare, but the twist is that they will close their eyes while singing, and Meli is the one who can say 'stop'."Siguraduhin mo lang talaga Meli na aayon ka sa pag stop motion mo ah," Kenzie hisses at her. And the girl just rolled her eyes."Of course, wala naman ata kayong tiwala sa akin," she beams.Kapag natapos na ang isa sa mga dare, sabay-sabay silang lalagok ng isang shot ng cocktail, at magpapatuloy ang laro
Third person's point of viewThey continued playing. Ilang beses rin na tumigil sa pag-stop si Meli, at nang huminto kay Kenzie ay minura niya ito, dahil ang dare niya ay umupo sa sulok ng kwarto, at hindi magsasalita hanggang sa matapos ang kasunod na dare.Nagtawanan silang lahat dahil mukha talaga siyang tanga, na pinagmamasdan lang sila hanggang matapos ang isang dare. Ang sumunod na huminto ang teddy bear ay kay Owen, whose dare was to let someone else tickle him, and Kaelyn was the one who volunteered. Pinipilit niyang hindi pagtawanan si Owen, pero napatawa narin kalaunan dahil sa mukha nito. Ginawa ni Owen ang lahat para lang hindi matawa, lahat ay tumatawa na, meron pa ngang iba na napaluha sa subrang tuwa. Mukha na kasi siyang natatae at hindi na maipinta ang mukha. Because once he laughs, there are awful consequences waiting for him.Tuwing natatapos ang sunod-sunod na dare, ay tuloy-tuloy rin silang lumalagok ng tig-isang shot ng cocktail. Mataas ang alcohol percentage ng
Third person's point of view"Kuya Knight, my head hurts. Huhuhu, am I dying? I don't want to die." She started crying."What? You're not dying, it's just a head ache. Don't overreact," Knight says, giving her a glass of water. "But—it hurts so bad. If I'm dying, let me eat ice cream. Huhu, I want ice cream," iyak parin ni Kaelyn sa kuya niya, pero walang tumutulong luha. "I said you were not dying!" Knight yells at her. "But let me eat ice cream anyway, huhhhu, isusumbong kita kay mama!" Ngawa ni Kaelyn. "Sariel?! Babe! Where are you?!" Sigaw ni Meli at hinanap si Sariel. Sariel, on the other hand, nang marinig niya ang boses ni Meli pinilit niyang bumangon kahit parang dumudoble na ang paningin niya. Napamura naman si Maddox na katabi niya at inalalayan siyang umupo. "Ano yun? Ano yun?" Iginala niya ang paningin niya para mahanap si Meli at nang magtama ang mga mata nila nilapitan siya nito kaagad at niyugyog. "You're pretty, I'm pretty, we are the co-presidents of Club Pretty
Sariel's point of view "Are you sober?" Maddy growls at me. He's still lying there and staring at me, like, Siguro kung natutulog parin ako, alam ko na kung paano niya ako gisingin. Like, kunyari ako si Aurora tapos siya, 'yung Prince na hahalik sa akin para magising ako. Ha! Anebe ang delulu ko naman."I'm moderately functional." I beam at him and slightly touch my temple, dahil parang minamartilyo ito ng walang tigil."I'll take that as a no," Maddy hisses, getting up from the bed. "Saan ka pupunta?" Hinawakan ko agad ang laylayan ng t-shirt niya, tinignan niya ito, at binalik ang tingin sa mga mata ko. Binitawan ko naman ito kaagad, sumandal sa headboard ng kama at pumikit. "I'm going downstairs, I'll check on the others and prepare breakfast. Take your medicine first and follow me in the kitchen," he responded before turning and leaving the room.Inalala ko 'yung nangyari kagabi from watching Mean Girls, the series of Dares, at hindi ko na alam ang sunod na nangyari, lasing na
Sariel's point of view The closure that I've been looking for has come to an end, and Maddox and I are no longer in any danger. It's been a long time. Now we are in the city of Amsterdam. It was at the narrow bridge that Maddox made his second proposal to me. Wala ng mas makakapagpigil sa kanya, e. Tinotoo talaga 'yung biro na mag-propose 'ulit. As for my mother, she has decided to remain in this wonderful place permanently. She has found a Dutch partner here, and I will always be there to support her. She has earned the right to have a life with the man she loves now and to take care of each other, but I will never forget about my father. Gusto ko lang ulit sumaya si mommy gayong siya nalang mag-isa. Ayaw din naman niyang sumama sa amin ni Maddox. I am currently six months pregnant, and Maddox is such a sharp shooter. My second baby, and it's a girl. Minsan nga pinaparinig ko, na sana siya nalang ang nagbuntis kasi ang hirap naman 'yun. Well, I set aside those thoughts. For
Sariel's point of view Everything is going smoothly fine, but when Maddox stormed into my house one day, It feels like we are back again at our storming bekering. "Wow? Akala ko ba nakapag-usap na tayo? Hindi pa pala sapat 'yun. Ano pa bang gusto mo?" "Yeah, I thought so. But you know what? I'm waiting for you to tell me that Mason is my son, but you didn't. So when are you going to tell me that? When he's old and not really knowing me as his father?" He spat. Napatahimik naman ako sa sinabi niya. Hindi ko naman akalain na mas mauuna pa niyang malaman, 'to na dapat ay ako ang nagsasabi sa kanya. It's just that naghahanap lang ako ng timing. Ngayon sana kaso 'yung timing ng pagpunta niya rito sa bahay parang kidlat, ang bilis. Huminga ulit ako ng malalim at tinitigan siya. Buti nalang wala rito ang anak ko, kasama niya si mommy gumala. "So? Can we talk in a calm manner?" I ask, tilting my head. "I'm calm!" He yelled, and I raised my brows at him. "Why are you yelling now?"
Sariel's point of view Well, every day feels different now. Maddox's comments don't intimidate me. Instead, I'm moving forward with what's going to happen. Nakakapagod ng takbuhan ang mga pangyayari, parang lumalala lang nga, e. Palagi nalang kami nagsisisihan. Parang walang katapusan. My phone buzzed. Nang tingnan ko kung ano ay ganun nalang ang pagkunot ng noo ko. Talaga lang ha. Pinaalala pa talaga. Wala na nga atang pakiramdam ang lalaking 'yun. What if nandoon pala ang asawa at anak niya? Tsk. Bahala na nga. 'Meet me at the Jungle K; I know you remember where it is. The place you're held captive with' That was his text message. If he wasn't my son's father, maybe I'd kill him already. Kill him with my love then; I don't want to be brutal anymore. Shame on me. There's a lot of memories in there, Jungle K, that poured out of my heart, expressing my regret and my desire for something or longing. I'm sitting in our modest living room, the moonlight filtering through th
Third person's point of view As Lowe, Mason, and Sariel finished their food, Sariel's son excused himself to go to the bathroom. Lowe and Sariel volunteer to accompany him, but Mason says that he can handle himself. See? Sariel's baby boy is kind of an independent na talaga. Hinayaan nalang siya ni Sariel, masisilayan naman niya ito papunta kung nasaan man ang bathroom. Tsaka, this is a luxurious resto, so Sariel is expecting that there's no bad, evil people lurking there. Lowe, on the other hand, has already seen his brother and is concealing his expression to prevent Sariel from noticing it. Baka mahambalos na talaga siya nito. Initially, Lowe had stated that he would not interfere in their relationship. However, upon witnessing his brother and Sariel's intense longing for each other, despite their denial, Lowe decided to intervene. As for Mason, he's already in the bathroom, one of the cubicles, and once he's done. He got out jumping a little bit; he just was hyper about the f
Sariel's point of view After those incidents happened, I've been contemplating what to do. I didn't answer well to my son's question, and I don't like to lie to him either. I need to talk to Lowe. I know he's here because he followed me back to the Philippines after my flight. I'm about to call Lowe, but it seems luck is on me right now; he's calling me already. I swiped the answer button, put the phone in my ear, and walked back to my room. I just checked on my son, and he's still asleep. It's Sunday today, and later in the afternoon we're going to visit sister Jane. "Hey, whats up?" Lowe greeted. I open the door, push it back with my foot, and then head to my bed to settle in. I heave a deep sigh. What should I tell him, then? "Oh, ano na? Parang ang laki naman ata ng problema mo niyan, ah. Abot pa ata rito 'yung pag buntong hininga mo ng malalim," he exclaims and laughs out loud at the other line. I snorted and rolled my eyes even though he couldn't see it. "Scram, tawang
Sariel's point of view After six years, my son has grown up, and I and my mother raised him in the United States for those six years. I was called to the company that my uncle had previously run when it was brought back with us when he was arrested 6 years ago. We'd like to thank our lawyer for that. Now that six years have passed, I'm experiencing mixed emotions. For those six years, there has been someone I trust at the company, so I don't have any concerns. However, right now, they really need me in the company, so I don't have a choice but to bring my mother and son back to the Philippines. I began running the business right away once we got to the Philippines. I'm currently in traffic on my way to pick up my son from school. I merely sighed and drummed my fingers on the stirring wheel, signaling that I was anxious right now. I’m simply frightened that he’ll come out again and wait in the waiting shed, despite the fact that there are guards outside. I’m just concerned that
Sariel's point of view In order to get away from all that was going on in the Philippines, my mother and I settled down in Amsterdam and purchased property there. And now we live in Amsterdam, where we are able to repair the scars that have been in my heart. I was able to kill time by creating whatever I wanted, including a cake, a cookie, and whatever else I desired. There is a small bakery that we own; although it is small, people adore it and absolutely enjoy all of my baked goods. But the only thing that worries me is that a month after I found out I'm pregnant, I'm happy because Maddox is the father of the child. However, I plan to keep it a secret from him, as he harbors a deep-seated hatred for me and believes that retaliation is always on the horizon. Nakaramdam naman ako ng symptoms, pero binaliwala ko lang sa inaakala na palagi lang akong pagod for baking. Kaya nang hindi ko na kinaya nagpacheck-up na ako, kasama ko si mommy. The fruit that happens is the night wher
Sariel's point of view I dialed my mother's number, the second ring, when she picked up. "Hello, dear? You already decided what to do?" She greeted. "Yup? Ready to kidnap me?" I playfully chuckle to myself. "Right away. Wait for me." She chirps, then the call ends. I make sure to leave the less important items behind and bring only the essentials. Isang backpack lang 'yung dala ko. Hindi ko naman balak ipaglandakan na maglalayas ako, na sana aakalain nila na namasyal lang ako rito sa Jungle K. I will miss this place so much. My phone beeps, and when I see my mother's text messages, I cautiously and silently stroll around the back of the house, taking care not to be noticed. They're still in the living room. Nasa hindi lang kalayuan ai mommy hinihintay ako, nagpa booked lang siya ng Grab. Dadaan lang kami kahit sandali sa puntod ni daddy para magpaalam. Nang makalabas na ako ng bahay ay napahinga ako maluwag, buti naman at hindi nila ako napansin. Tinakbo ko na ng tuluy
Sariel's point of view Lumapit nalang ako sa kanila at umupo sa harap ni Maddox. Hindi ko na tinapunan ng tingin ang babae na kanina pa nakatitig simula nang lumingon siya sa akin. Yay, pangit na ba ako sa paningin niya? Namamaga pa kasi ang mga mata ko. Maddox didn't mind it, though. My stomach became more sour as I stared at the prepared foods. My gaze flew to Maddox when he started to speak. "This is Winona, Sariel, and Winona, that's Sariel." He gestures back toward me and Winona. "Winona will be staying here for a moment. Nasa Cebu pa kasi si Meli kasama si Aster, kaya walang makakasama si Winona, I just can't let her stay alone in the hotel. She's just here for a vacation," he explained her reason for being here. I shrug my shoulders, not caring if she stays here or not. Bahay naman niya 'to. "Sure, nice meeting you. Feel free to roam around as you wish. Just don't mind me." I look up at Winona and smile at her. She just smiled back at me. "Thank you, Sariel. Nice mee