Erykah Sunshine.I couldn't move. My eyes kept pacing back and forth to Glenn, beside me, and to Philip, sitting across us. I expected them to be good friends at first, but somehow, it felt like there was a huge wall between them. The way they looked at each other in the eyes made it seem like they were shooting daggers."What do you do for a living, Philip?" Glenn shoots a question while adding salt to his chicken porridge.Ang akala ko ay kakainin na niya ito, pero mali, dahil inilapag niya ito sa harapan ko at kinuha ang akin."Thank you," I smiled, feeling the tension."I haven't add salt yet to that," I added. Talagang hindi ko pa nalagyan iyong akin dahil naging abala ang mga mata ko sa ibang bagay, at sa kanilang dalawa ito. Glenn ordered a family-sized portion of chicken porridge at his favorite restaurant, which offers morning food delivery.Pagod kaming pareho dahil sa pinaggagawa namin. Inabot kami ng madaling araw. Purong kalandian at ni wala nga'ng proteksyon iyon. Hind
Erykah Sunshine."Umalis na si Elmelda kasama si Elloida. I don't think she wants to push more for this case. Alam niyang marami siyang kasalanan… the best option that Judge Caladios offered her was to walked away without anything. Nakakapagtaka nga eh. Inakala ko pa naman na lalaban siya. Eh, hindi na. Kaya okay na ang lahat, Erykah."Kausap ko si Samantha sa kabilang linya. Dinetale niya ang nangyari. The board of directors expelled Emelda. Sangkot din si Emelda sa milyong dolyares na funds na magpahanggang ngayon ay nawawala.Sumakit ang ulo ko nang ma-e-presenta ni Samantha sa akin sa email ang legder ng kompanya ni Papa. Hindi ko alam kung paano aayusin ito, at saang anggulo ako magsisimula. Ayaw kong magbawas ng tao, dahil alam kong umaasa lang din sila sa kompanya ni Papa."The only solution we could do, Eres, is to shut the other branch in San Francisco. Kung gusto mo na ma-e-salba ang New York. Wala tayong choice, Eres. Ito lang din ang nakikita namin solusyon.""I have to c
Erykah Sunshine.I looked at them in the distance as they stepped out of the yacht. Glenn was right beside his father, and Saber was right beside Simone. Two bodyguards were with them, including the two persons on board, which I believe are the staff.Sa tingin ko ay si Glenn ang nagmaneho ng yate niya. Masaya siyang bumaba at kausap niya ang Papa niya. Saber was just behind Glenn, and I witness how she tried to gets Glenn's attension.Malayo ako, at hindi ako nakikita ni Glenn ngayon. Manong Max was just behind me and was quiet. I told him that I wanted to check them, but without Glenn knowing that I was checking.Tumikhim si Manong at naputol ang seryosong titig ko kay Glenn at Saber. Nilingon ko si Manong sa likod at tumango siya. Hudyat na kailangan na naming bumalik bago pa ako mapansin ni Glenn.Mabilis agad ang hakbang ko pabalik sa villa. Sa kabilang banda kami dumaan ni Manong. Hindi kami makikita ni Glenn, dahil nasa entrada naman sila ng port.The other staff looked at me
Erykah Sunshine."Salamat, Manong, ah. Don't worry, Manong, may komisyon ka sa akin!" Thumbs up ko. Bahagyang natawa si Manong Max at napailing ito. Hinila na niya agad ang lubid na pinagtalihan sa yate.Glenn, along with his father and the others, left the VB an hour ago. Saber was eager to go to the island earlier without me because Glenn's mother arrived last night.Parang nawala ako sa eksena kagabi dahil hindi ko inaasahan ang pagdating ng Mama ni Glenn. She was with her bodyguards and it was obvious that Glenn's father knew she's coming. Hindi niya lang sinabi, dahil siguro ayaw niyang umalis si Glenn ng maaga na kasama ako. Ramdam ko sa kilos ng Papa Glenn kagabi ito. Pinipilit niyang isali ako sa pamilya nila. Pero mailap ang Mama ni Glenn. Halatang ayaw niya sa akin.They all left this morning using the big yacht.Last night, I had a quick conversation with Manong Max. I asked him if he knows how to maneuver a yatch and if possible we could use the small one for today. Mabut
Zebedee Glenn.The phone slipped through my hand, and it landed on the floor."Glenn? Hey! Are you there?"Ilang segundo ko itong tinitigan, hanggang sa bumalik ang utak ko noong una ko siyang nasilayan sa SOLO FF.There must be a reason why she was there at that time. I heard, the Brittsman Corporation was one of the leading sponsors of SOLO at that time.Dammit. No wonder Papa was so keen to me to go there. He told me that a dear friend of his wanted to meet me at that time, but I refused. Maliban kasi sa may gustong ipa-bid sa akin si Mama noon, ay hindi ako sumipot sa usapan namin ni Papa na magkita.I don't want an arranged marriage. I don't want them to choose for me because I want to find the right one for myself."Glenn?""Yes, I'm here. I'll call you back later, Xav. Thank you," I said, ending the call. I whirled around and looked at them ahead. They're already on the sand and see the other people around them.Mabilis kong pinaandar ang jetski at saka inihinto ito sa tabi ng
Erykah Sunshine.I keep my stand as I looked at Glenn's parents. For me, their reaction is important. Glenn's mother looked shocked, her eyes widened as she looked at me. Halos matumba siya at mabuti na lang ay mahigpit ang hawak ng Papa ni Glenn sa kanya."I'm sorry, Tita, Tito…" Ito lang ang lumabas sa bibig ko.I still call them Tito and Tita because they haven't accepted me as Glenn's wife, and I respect that."What did you say?" Saber came in a defense."You heard her, right. Erykah Sunshine Britts is the only daughter of Mr. Benjamin Britts to her deceased wife Sunshine Beaumont-Britts, who happened to own this Island," Philip started.Tumahimik na ako at hinayaan na si Philip na magsalita pansamantala. Naka-focus na ang mga mata ko sa dalawang taong kontrabida sa buhay ko. . . sina Emelda at Sarah."I have all the legal documents with me. I worked at Brittsman Corporation as one of their legal advisers. Judge Caladios provided all the legalities within the last will and testam
Zebedee Glenn.Dammit. What am I doing? Why am I acting like this?I just realized that Eres agreed to marry me because of the contents of her parent's will. What the hell.I gritted my teeth, and my heart ached for her the moment she turned her back away from me.Gusto ko lang naman na masulo siya. Gusto ko lang naman na makausap siya at makapag-usap kami. Marami akong tanong, pero hindi ko kayang itanong ngayon ito sa kanya.After hearing and witnessing, I no longer have the energy to ask her why she needs to hide her identity. It's obvious. Those people who are supposed to be her family want her dead."Erykah. . ." I followed her. My strides are longer.Kinausap ko si Papa saglit at pinasigurado sa kanya na hindi papakawalan ng mga pulis ang dalawa. Philip is present to provide evidence, and Simone must have been shocked to discover this, just like me. We didn't see this coming.She stopped the moment she reached the tent and grabbed a cold drink."May itatanong ka? Magtanong ka n
Erykah Sunshine.WE head back to the yatch holding hands like some kind of a teenager couple. Ang dami kong problema sa araw na ito, pero naglaho lahat dahil nakangiti ako. Kahit pa nakahawak ang isang kamay ni Glenn sa steering wheel ng yate, ay hindi niya mabitawan ang isang kamay niya sa akin."Kukuha muna ako ng maiinom." Tumayo ako at akmang bibitaw sa kanya. Pero ayaw niya akong bitawan talaga."I'll come with you.""What? You can't leave the boat without a captain on board. Otherwise, we will crash." I looked ahead and saw nothing in the wide ocean to bump into."I'll put it into auto pilot." May pinindot siya, at saka tumayo na. Tiningnan niyang mabuti ang screen at nang mapagtanto na okay, ay saka lang siya tumitig sa akin."What do you want to eat?" He looked down at my lips and licked his lower lip. I swallowed hard, and the butterflies inside my stomach danced."No. We're not doing that!" Pinutol ko agad kung ano ang iniisip niya ngayon. Natawa siya."What? I'm not think
Brielle.Busog ako at masaya. Nagpahinga na si tiya at naiwan kami ni Morris na gising pa. Maaga pa naman, at alam ni tiya na sa bahay ni Morris ako matutulog ngayon. Kaya inayos ko muna ang lahat, para wala na siyang iisipin pagkagising niya bukas.Mahigpit ang hawak ni Morris sa kamay ko, at panay naman ang ngiti ko habang tanaw na ang treehouse. Huminto kaming pareho, at saka dumampi ang labi niya sa likod ng kamay ko na hawak niya. "I'll be missing you, Bree…" Humarap siya sa akin, at saka hinaplos ang gilid ng mukha ko."And I will miss you too, Morris…" Pinalupot ko agad ang mga kamay ko sa leeg niya at saka hinalikan siya.With both of our eyes shut, we kissed. . . It was majestic. Nakakatawa ang hitsura namin pareho. Para kaming mga teenager rito. We kissed, hugged, laughed and kissed again. Morri's jokes were not funny at all. Kahit pa anong jokes ang sabihin niya ay hindi nakakatawa ito dahil hindi bagay sa hitsura niya. Kaya heto, tudo tawa ako.Morris is also not romant
Morris."Ilang linggo ka sa Italya? Buwan ba? Taon?"Glenn grimaced as he looked at me with never-ending questions. I shook my head, sipping the light champagne.It must be my last family dinner for I am going to go back to Italy in the next few days.“I will be back before you know it, Glenn.”He laughed a little bit.“I will keep an eye on your woman if you want.”I chuckled as I looked at his wife below."Brielle is fine. She's easy and she'll never go anywhere. Hindi naman siya katulad ng napangasawa mo ngayon. Mukhang palaban ang misis mo."“A little bit. She’s stubborn, but I can handle her.”"Sinusuban ang pasensya mo ano? In that case, I will not bother you to keep an eye on Brielle. I trust her,” I proudly said, and it was his turn to chuckle.“So, are you going back into business again?”I know Glenn is worried, but everything is okay with my business abroad. Iyon nga lang may mga bagay na sadyang naiiba sa kalakaran, at alam na niya kung ano ang mga ito.My father knew abo
Brielle.I couldn't sleep, ending up staring at him while he was asleep.Noon, hindi ako naniniwala sa pag-ibig. Wala akong alam kung ano ang nagagawa nito sa buhay ng isang tao. Marami akong tanong tungkol sa pagmamahal, at nang hindi ko makuha ang tamang sagot ay kinalimutan ko na ang mga ito.Si tiya lang ang mahalaga sa akin noon. Siya lang ang pamilya ko. Siya lang ang kinikilala kong ina. Pero nang dumating si Morris sa buhay ko, ay nagbago ang pananaw ko sa pangalang 'pag-ibig'.I suddenly feel a weird desire, longing, and love for him. I want to be with him. I can't be at peace without seeing him. I want to sleep and wake up beside him. I want him to be a part of me. I want him with me forever… I know I'm selfish at times, but… that's me.Pero hindi naman ako bulag. Alam ko ang pangako namin ni Morris sa isa't-isa. Pumayag ako sa gusto niya, dahil wala namang kasiguruhan ang buhay.I'm not a good person. I've done a lot of bad things, and I have a dark past that I've been try
Brielle."You don't want us to go somewhere, Brielle. Why not? The weather is good, baby. Let's go out fishing.""No. I don't feel like fishing." Tumalikod ako kay Morris at saka nag-kunwaring abala sa lababo."Alright. So, when do you feel like fishing or swimming?""I don't know. . ." Kibit-balikat ko. Nilingon ko siya. Nakaupo siya at hawak ang mainit na kape sa kamay. Dapat sana ay pupunta siya sa kabilang Isla para mamalengke, pero pinigilan ko. Si Bleu ang gumawa nito. Inilipat ko ang gawain na ginagawa niya madalas sa amin ni tiya."Why don't we finish the project you started at your place?" I sweetly smiled and walked towards him.Nasa bandang likod na niya ako nakatayo at niyayakap siya."The tree house?""Oo... Hindi ba matagal mo na na gusto matapos iyon. Mas mabuting tapusin na natin bago ka bumalik ng Italy."Humawak siya sa kamay ko, at saka umikot ang tingin sa akin. Tumayo siya at nakatingala na ako ngayon sa kanya.Matangkad si Morris, at polido ang katawan. His broad
Morris."How are you feeling, Nay?" I gazed at her with concern. Brielle hadn't shared the truth about yesterday's events, and I learned about it only from Nay Belen."Okay lang, dong. I'm good, oi. Why worried? I was having fun there, you know." Humalakhak si Nanay at napangiti ako."Nag-alala ako, Nay. . . You are no longer young to wander around on your own. So, please be very careful." I gave her a quick hug."Oo naman. . . Hindi ko pa pwedeng iwan si Brielle ano." She smirked at Brielle, and my darling Brielle looked worried at her.I moved to her side. "Why didn't you tell me yesterday? I could have helped," I whispered."Okay lang. Wala namang nangyari. Naka-uwi naman kami ng maayos dalawa ni Tiya." She placed the food she made on the table."Next time, please let me know first, Bree," I gritted my teeth. "I'm here. I should be the first person to know. And the first person you seek for help."We stared, and she nodded gently."Next time. I will seek you first before anything
Brielle.Nakaraos din ang gabi at heto, tulala ako sa sarili.His mother and brother, Glenn, left about an hour ago. Morris and I stayed because this restaurant also provides overnight accommodations for those who wish to stay longer than a day.Hinintay ko lang na matapos si Morris sa banyo at ako na ang kasunod. Wala ako sa sarili kanina at pilit akong nakikisama sa ina niya.She asked many questions as if she were one of my teachers in school. She seemed classy, as she came from a good family, the Monteverde.Ngayon ko lang napagtanto na hindi basta-basta ang pamilya ni Morris. May pangalan siya. May pinangangalagaan. May sari-saring negosyo sa buong Asya at Amerika and mga magulang at kapatid niya. Si Morris lang ang naiiba at hindi ko alam kung bakit. Ang alam ko lang ay may negosyo rin naman siya sa Italya, pero hindi raw kalakihan ito. Hindi raw tulad ng kapatid niyang si Glenn at ng mga magulang niya."Are you alright?"I spun, and there he was, standing a few feet from me, a
Morris."Just meet them. That's the only way. Glenn is doing everything he could. He is in a tight sport, Mors. Hindi ko ito sasabihin sa 'yo ngayon. Pero ginagawa ni Glenn ang lahat para sa 'yo. He might be heartless, but he loves you as his brother."I shut my eyes while listening to Reeve in the line. Wala siya rito at nasa Amerika. Pansamantala, ay si Glenn ang humahawak sa negosyo niya na nasa parehong Isla."I already gave Glenn the details, and your mother will be there. Meet them for once," he added.I gritted my teeth. "I hate the old man," I uttered under my breath."He is not around the country at the moment. It's a good opportunity, Mors. And with the deal Glenn made with your father, it saves you."I inhaled deeply and shook my head.That lunatic Glenn, really? How many times I told him not to worry about me. He needs to worry about himself first! Ang tigas ng ulo niya."I know what you're thinking, Morris. Glenn is your brother. You and him are the same, bro. Hard heade
Brielle."All of the sudden? Akala ko ba hindi ka seryoso sa relasyon na ito? Hindi ba sinabi mo sa akin na wala kang maipapangako?" I looked at him, confused, thinking of the other way around. Excited ako, at kabog ang pintig ng puso ko habang dikit ang tingin ko sa mga mata niya. Napaigting siya, at nakuha ko agad ang ibig niyang sabihin.I sighed, feeling disappointed. "Okay lang, Morris. You don't have to force yourself to introduce me to your parents. I'm not ready for this." Inunahan ko na. I shook my head and turned away from him. I know I should be celebrating because most woman looks forward to this... To introduce them to the parents of the person they love. But Morris is different. We already had a deal. He doesn't want any lingering promises, and I don't like this. I don't want a commitment. Kahit pa sabihin na natin na sabik ako at gusto ko naman, ay puno naman ng pag-aalala ang puso ko. Kaya mas mabuting wala na."Hey, Bree. Listen to me." He followed me.I paused an
Morris."Did you stuff it up?" Bryce asked in the line."No. I did not, asshole. I'm not as sick as you," I laughed while connecting the line to Linus."Fuck. You know you're an asshole, too, at times, Mors. You almost give me a heart attack, bro." He chuckled. His line came back clear now, and I can see him better than before."Yo, looks great! What did you do to yourself, Mors? You're finger-licking good, man," Linus spat. He can see me better, too.My face flushed, and I shook my head."Psst, keep quiet, gentleman. Let me remind you that our big black bear is in love." Diezel uttered."What? Damn. Are you serious?" Bryce's mouth parted. "I can't believe it." He shook his head."Oh well, who's the lucky girl?" Linus smiled."Let me guess? Is it Brielle? Siya lang naman ang magtitiyaga sa isang katulad mo, Mors," kantyaw ng walanghiyang Diezel."Stuff you." I cursed and growled at him, and the rest of them laughed."Ibang klase… So, this Brielle what she's like?" Linus asked."Oh, u