Chapter 4

"Smile, Darya." My mother whispered to me as we entered the enormous castle.

I smiled as some people greeted us. Nakita kong lumapit si Tito Hanzel sa amin. Nagkamay sila ni Papa.

"Samantha!" May kumaway na isang babae sa  kaniya. Napalingon si Mama roon. She smiled at her, waving her hands.

"I need to go, Teodore. Alayssa is waiting over her table."

Tumango si Papa at hinalikan ang kaniyang pisngi. May binulong siya kay Mama bago ibinalik ang kaniyang mga mata kay Tito.

"Darya, behave." My mother said warningly.

Tumango ako.

Lumapit sa'kin si Tito at hinalikan ang pisngi ko.

"Good evening, hija." Malalim ang boses niya ngunit maamo pakinggan.

I smiled at him. "Good evening, Tito."

He pinched my cheeks like he used to do when he visits my Father's office.

"How are you, Darya? Look at you! Dalagang-dalaga ka na. Time really changed us so fast. Kung noo'y nakikita ko lang siyang naglalaro sa opisina mo, Teodore. Ngayon, look at your child, growing up beautiful and elegant." Napangiti ako sa sinabi niya. Atleast somebody appreciates me. Not like my parents.

"I'm okay, Tito. Kayo po, kamusta po kayo?" I asked him.

"I'm better than ever, hija!" Humalakhak siya.

Hindi na nadagdagan ang pag-uusap namin. Because my Father talked to him about business. Of course, how can I forget. I am almost engaged to their son. Pinag-uusapan na  nila kung anong gagawin kapag na merge na ang mga kompanya namin.

Even though he's in his late forties, he still look like he's in his late thirties. Parang ang bata-bata pa nila tingnan ng asawa niya. Maybe because I've never seen him angry before. He's always happy. Maybe that what they say that happiness makes you look younger.

I scanned the whole place. There's an enormous marbled staircase and a huge chandielier hung in the ceiling  in front of us. All of the people here are dressed elegantly. All of them seems to be bragging their wealth in front of each other. Oh, wealthy people.

I wore a cute pale pink off shoulder wavy dress with a slit on the side paired with pink sandals. Yes, you guess it. I love color pink.

Sa kalagitnaan ng ingay ng musika at ang dagat ng mga tao nakita ko siya. Si Kairus. Nakahawak sa baywang ng kaniyang fiancee at nakikipag kwentuhan sa mga importanting tao na imbitado ng mga Montebella.

Nagtama ang tingin namin. For a moment, I felt like my heart clenching over the scene in front of me. Nang nag-iwas siya ng tingin at may binulong sa kaniyang fiancée. Causing her to giggle. I swallowed the lump in my throat.

Simula noong nagkagulo ay lumayo na siya sa'kin ng tuluyan. He didn't even said a word. He just... shut me up. And from that moment, I already knew what happened. We already broke up.

Namuo ang luha ko sa aking mga mata. Bumuntong-hininga ako. It's been a year since that happened. And I'm still hoping na magkabalikan kami...hanggang ngayon.

Lumapit ako sa table kung nasaan si Mama. She's chitchatting with her friends. I smiled at them bago tumungo kay Mama.

"Ma, I have to get some fresh air."

Kumunot ang noo niya. Mataman niya akong tinignan. Tila nag-dadalawang isip na pakawalan ako. She sighed and nodded her head.

I greeted her friends before bidding my goodbye to them.

"Your daughter is really beautiful like a goddess. I want to marry off my son to your daughter, Sam." One of my Mother's friend said.

"Naku, she's already taken, Alayssa."

"Really? With whom?" Tumawa siya.

"With the birthday boy, Alayssa." tugon ni Mama.

"O, the Montebella heir. Naku, they're so hard to please. You know, when our company proposed some project for their company, it took months bago naaprubahan. Tsk. Their standards for their company is beyond. No wonder they're at the top."

Diretso ang tingin ko sa malaking pintuan. I opened it. The breez welcomed my face. Lumabas ako. Papunta sa napakalaking garden. In front of me is the infinity pool. with the bench in the corner. Nasa harap ng infinity pool ang likod ng mansion

Umupo ako roon. Tuluyan ng tumulo ang mga luha ko. Alam kong mag-iisang taon na pero...hindi ko pa rin matanggap na ganito. Papaano niya binitiwan ang relasyon na min na ganoon ganoon na lamang? Minsan, naiisip ko kung minahal niya ba talaga ako.

"Darya..." Tinawag niya ang pangalan ko.

Pumikit ako ng mariin at pinunasan ang mga luha ko bago siya nilingon. He stared at me darkly. Ngumiti ako ng peke.

"K-Kairus, what are you doing here?" Napapaos kong tanong.

"I just want to check on you. I want to know if you're okay."

Mapait akong ngumiti. Umiling ako. I am not okay, Kairus.

"Sa tingin mo ba okay ako? After all-" I stopped talking and inhaled deeply to keep calm.

"After what happened, do you expect me to be okay?"

He clenched his jaw. "Yes!" malakas na sagot niya.

Nagsimulang manikip ang dibdib ko. Namuo na naman ang panibagong luha sa aking mga mata.

"Dahil mag-iisang taon na, Darya. And for the reason that I have already moved on!"

"Then why are here then?! Bakit ka nandito, Kairus? Kung naka-move on kana, why are you still bothering to ask me how I was?" Umiling ako at nagpatuloy. "I beg to differ, Kairus. You haven't moved on!"

He hissed ang turned his back on me. Tumayo ako nang naglakad siya papasok sa Maze ng mga Montebella. I desperately chased him. Hinuli ko ang braso niya dahilan para tumigil siya sa paglalakad.

"Please, Darya stop this!" Umalingawngaw ang sigaw niya.

Nanuyo ang lalamunan ko habang natitig kaniyang muka. His eyes never lied. Puno ng galit at puot, at pagsisi.

"Kairus, please, I want us back!" Hindi ko na mapigilan ang luha ko.

Marahas niyang hinawi ang kaniyang kamay at naglakad papalayo sa'kin. Sinundan ko uli siya. This time, I gripped his arm tighter and kneeled down.

"I can live in a hut! Kaya kong mamuhay ng payapa kasama ka kahit na mahirap."

"Stand up! Darya!" mariin niyang sinabi.

"No, please...magtanan nalang tayo. Magpakalayo-layo. I can give up everything just to be with you!"

"And what?! Maghihirap ka? Hindi ka nga sanay sa ganoong pamumuhay, e! Don't be fucking selfish, Darya! We both have responsibilities! I'm sorry I can't do anything about our relationship! Kaya please move on already! I'm already marrying Kisses. And you can't stop me from marrying her. Kahit lumuhod ka pa sa harapan ko. I will still marry her."

It feels like I've been stabbed a million times. Nanatili akong nakaluhod sa kaniya at nakiki-usap na sana pwede pa. Ang sakit-sakit. My uneven breath and in between my sobs, I still managed to mumble please. While crying my heart out.

"Stand up, Darya. I hate to see your desperate face."

Hinawi niya ang kamay ko. Narinig ko ang yapak niya papalayo. Patuloy ang pag-agos ng aking luha habang tiningnan ang kaniyang uri habang papalayo hanggang nawala na sa kawalan.

Makasarili bang piliin kung sino ang gusto kong makasama at mahalin? Kairus, I've been forced to do things in my life ever since I was young. Bakit mali ang piliin ko muna ang sarili ko?

Dahan-dahan akong tumayo nang napagtanto na kanina pa ako nakaluhod. Luminga-linga ako. Naghahanap kung saan ang daan palabas. Pinalis ko ang luha ko habang naglalakad sa bulwagan ng maze. Only to find out that every time I walk in the corner, it's always a dead end. Great. I'm lost.

"Are you sure we're going to do it here? Baka may makakita, Cevier." someone said with a womanly voice.

"Shh. Trust me, walang makakakita. No one's here."

Hinalikan niya ang ang leeg ng babae. Halos kita na ang buong dibdib ng babae habang hinahalikan niya iyon. I awkwardly stood in front of them while they're making out.

My hands trembled. Ang lakas ng kalabog ng aking dibdib. Animo'y tumatakbo ako ng napakabilis. Nanikip ang lalamunan ko bago tumalikod para umalis. Ngunit, sa unang hakbang ko pa lang ay nakatapak ako ng tuyong dahon. It caused a noise. Dahilan para mapatingin ako sa kanila. Nakatingin sila sa'kin at naningkit ang mga mata at nakakunot ang noo. Kahit sa dilim ay naaninag ko ang ekspresyon nilang dalawa.

"Cevier, may tao!"

Agad din inayos ang dress ng babae. At hinarap ako ni Cevier. Lumapit siya sa'kin at kinuha ang kamay ko. Iginaya niya ako sa sulok at binitiwan.

"Mauna ka na do'n, Liz!" He said loudly.

His mysterious demeanor is what I'm actually afraid of him. Hindi mo alam kung anong susunod na hakbang ang gagawin niya. Ang misteryoso niyang mga matang mariin ang titig sa'kin ngayon.

"What happened to you?" Tanong niya. He stared at my dress. Nagtagal ang tingin niya roon. I too, scanned my dress. Puno ng putik iyon at halos hindi na maitsura ang dress ko.

"I-I got lost." I reasoned.

Kumunot ang noo niya. His dark eyes stared deeply into me. Na tila ba gustong alamin

"Why are you here in the first place? Dapat ay doon ka lang sa Mansyon." Patuloy niya.

Mapait ang akong ngumiti. Nangapa ako sa mga susunod na sasabihin.

"I'm sorry, I just needed some fresh air."

Bumuntong-hininga siya. He started walking while holding my wrist. Tahimik lang kaming naglalakad pabalik sa main door. He pushed the door opened. Bumungad sa'kin ang nakatitig n mga tao sa loob.

Lahat sila'y nagtataka. Na kung bakit ganito ang itsura ko. Cevier leaned in my ears.

"No'n nakita mo kanina...it should be kept a secret, Darya."

I laughed mockingly.

"Sure, Cevier. This should be kept a secret."

He smirked.

"I'm glad that you know what to do. I thought my future wife would be so clingy and needy."

I leaned forward so nobody can hear it.

"Don't worry. Alam ko naman na gago ang mapapangasawa ko, e. Wala ka talagang problema kapag naikasal tayo. Kasi hindi kita kailangan at wala akong pakialam."