CHAPTER 3.2

"Joy ikaw na, l*ntek ka!" It's time for her ace. "Where did you get your hickey two days ago?" natatawa niyang tanong dito.

Joy was obviously taken aback with her question. "I uhmm. Pa'no ba?"

Lalo siyang natawa dahil tila hindi ito makahuma ng sasabihin. "I got this from my husband," Joy blurted out in a snap, causing both of Jasmine and Angel gaped in utter shock.

It was like she was forbidden to breathe for a couple of seconds. Angel heard a long ear-piercing sound, as if she completely shut down!

Joy just said that in a very low voice, but it came out like a thunder in her ears! Literally! She's still contemplating what she just heard! She could not believe it! But Joy didn't look like she's kidding. And she would definitely throttle her if she was!

'Married? Why? How? When?!'

Nang walang nagtanong sa kanila ay kagat-labing nagpatuloy ito, "I've been married for more than 6 years. I met my husband in the conference I attended from a very long time. Then when he proposed to me, I definitely said yes! I loved him that time."

"Pero isang linggo pa lang kaming kasal no'n tapos dapat sasabihin ko na sa inyo. Remember when we celebrated after passing the board exam? Dapat do'n ko na sasabihin kaso may nangyare eh. I saw him kissing a woman. Kaya hindi ko na nasabi," tuloy-tuloy nitong paliwanag. Wala pa rin silang masabi kundi mapanganga sa mga sinabi nito.

But her heart ached for Joy. Angel can't imagine how she survived that. Her husband cheated on her. Gusto niyang batukan ang sarili dahil wala man lang siyang naging ideya sa pinagdaanan nito. Angel felt so useless being her friend!

"Guys, galit ba kayo?" Mabilis nilang binato ng throw pillows ang kaibigan.

Angel felt so frustrated not because she hid her marriage from them! But because she wasn't able to see how much her friend suffered!

Alam naman niya ang ugali nito. Joy would still smile despite her tiredness, sadness, frustrations, and all. Minsan lang itong umiyak sa kanila. Si Joy ang tipo na kung titingnan mo ay walang problema. Malulungkot sandali pagkatapos ay tumatawa na lang na parang wala ng bukas. She felt so stupid for not considering that! Alam niya na ang ugali nito at may kutob na siya noon na may problema ang kaibigan, but having that 'I won't pry' attitude that she has, hindi niya na inusisa pa ito.

She respects her friends' privacy. Aantayin niyang magsabi ang mga ito nang hindi pinipilit. But she's starting to hate that attitude now.

"Hindi kami galit, gaga. Dapat nagsabi ka! L*ntek naman, Joy! Dapat nagsabi ka!" Angel can definitely sense that Jasmine was also frustrated. Who wouldn't? She felt like a useless friend! Malamang ganito rin ang nararamdaman nito.

"Sorry na. Nawala na rin kasi sa isip ko no'ng nagpunta tayo ng Singapore. Tapos broken pa ang drama ni Ja kaya 'di na 'ko dumagdag." Yeah right. Joy can be so selfless sometimes. But her selflessness irritates her now.

Halos hindi siya makapagsalita sa nalaman. Bakit ba napaka-apektado niya? Maybe because her father also cheated on her Mom. And he died without any good talk with her. Namatay ang tatay niyang masama ang loob niya rito.

Angel felt something heavy inside her chest. Magka-ugali talaga sila ni Joy. They are irritatingly selfless when it comes to the people they care about. Kahit ang masakit na nakaraan na dala-dala pa rin ng dalaga hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa niya nagagawang sabihin sa mga ito. She'd rather cry on her own. She doesn't want to be a burden to her friends. Never.

"Anong plano mo?" tanong niya rito.

"I'm filing for an annulment," mabilis nitong tugon. Napatango naman siya.

It's definitely the reason why her friend came back here. She's sure of that.

"We'll help you," maikling sagot niya. Gusto niyang tulungan ang kaibigan na makawala sa walang kwentang kasal na iyon. Joy deserves more than that! And she's more than willing to spend her money to set her free from that stupid marriage.

"Hindi mo pa sinasabi sa 'min kung sino ang walang-hiya mong asawa." Jasmine crossed her arms across her chest, and raised an eyebrow.

"It's Curse Livid Malcolm."

Now it's her second time to gape at her friend.

'Curse Malcolm? The owner of Malcolm Shipping Lines?!'

Her friend is damn rich! Naalala niya ring ito ang pangalan ng lalakeng tinawag ng kaibigan sa party. Joy's husband is not only rich. He's definitely gorgeous as hell too!

Ang tanong papayag ba itong makipag-annul sa kaibigan niya? If he will, it'll be easy. But if he's not going to cooperate, it'll be one hella journey for Joy.

'Journey to her annulment...'

Pero kung hindi naman siya nito mahal ay magiging madali lang ang lahat para sa paghihiwalay nila. But what about Joy? Hindi na ba nito mahal ang asawa?

'Silly, I just saw a hickey. And it's from her husband.'

"Eh what about your hickey? Paano ka nagkaron no'n, aber?" mataray na tanong dito ni Jasmine.

"We almost did it," maikling sagot nitong nakangiwi.

Kung gustong bulyawan ng dalaga ang kaibigang si Jasmine ay tila gusto niya namang ipasagasaan sa rumaragasang truck ang isang ito.

'Napakarurupok!'

Sabagay naging marupok din naman siya dahil kay Luscious. But she's a different case. Wala silang nakaraan ng binata. She just had s*x with him, because she wanted a baby!

But just thinking of how gorgeous Kaj and that Curse were, hindi niya masisisi ang mga kaibigang bumigay. They're hot and handsome. Definitely both temptations personified!

Napatango siya sa naisip. But still those two cheated on her friends! Well not Kaj base on Jasmine's story. Kung totoo man 'yon. Malay niya bang niloloko na naman ng Kaj na 'yon si Jasmine. And she won't let that happen.

"Almost? Bakit hindi natuloy?" Jasmine sounded so curious.

"Someone interrupted. Girlfriend daw ng g*go kong asawa," sagot nitong nagngi-ngitngit. Hindi nakatakas sa kaniya ang pag-ingos ng ilong nito.

Angel can smell jealousy. Goodluck na lang sa annulment nito.

"Dep*ta!" Jas blurted out in annoyance.

"Girlfriend niya mukha niya. Ako ang asawa. I'm the legal wife, and that Hally-parot will never have my a**hole husband."

'Jealous. Jealous. Jealous.'

She just shrugged at her friend's words.