Chapter 4: Proposal and Betrayal

 Chapter 4: (Proposal and Betrayal)

6 Years later…

“ Are you ready?” tanong ni Chase nang sumungaw s’ya mula sa pintuan ng kwarto ko.

    Today was the D-day. The day I decided to go back, I took a deep breath as look at myself in the mirror. All the sudden, I look down at the little guy who’s pulling my dress. I look at Chase who was waiting at the door, he just shrugged off his shoulder.

“ Hey! Little guy, what’s the matter?” I ask caressing his cheeks. I went down to him.

“ Inaantok pa po ako ma…” he said pouting, habang kinukusot ang mata nya.

“ You can sleep at the car anak.” I told him, habang inaayos ang buhok n’ya na nagulo na. He hugged me in return, laying his head in my shoulder. I patted his back and carry him instead.

“ Shall we go now?” Chase asks again.

     Before we could even arrive at the car, Lucas was already fast asleep. Inside the car I heard Chase ask.

“We’re you going to meet him?” tanong nya sakin bago simulang paandarin angsasakyan, we were heading at the airport.

“ Later, yes. I need to meet Mr. Cha first.” I said to him simply. I look at my little angel’s face.

     Those 5 years of my life, were my happiest. I can’t afford to lose it now. Even if it means taking drastic measures to keep him, I’m willing to gamble. Right now, I don’t have the right to be a mother to him but soon there will be. Handa na akong harapin ang lahat. I already made may part of being daughter, a sister, but I guess it’s time for me to be a mother to Lucas, panahon na para unahin ko naman ang sarili at ang mga bagay na makakapagpasaya sakin at si Lucas ang isa sa mga ‘yon, naisa isip ko habang hinahaplos ang mukha nang nahihimbing na bata.

    When we arrived at the hotel, Chase put Lucas into bed. I smiled looking at him, nakuha n’ya ang pagiging antukin ko, it was as if he can’t get enough of it that he was sleeping the entire travel time. He’d only wake up when I ask him to.

“ Have you thought of settling down?” I ask Chase out of nowhere, as I sat on the sofa.

“What’s with the question? Bakit bigla naman yata?” I can sense that it was an awkward question for him.

“ Bakit? Ayaw mo pa ba?” I ask again.

“ Sino naman ang papakasalan ko sa lagay na to’ Pit? I was stuck with you.” He said as he sat on the opposite of the sofa.

“ Ako ba ang dahilan? Did I make you worry or something?” I ask out of curiosity.

“ Yes, most of the time.” He said honestly.

“ Do you know that you can make a good husband?” I ask him na nakapangalumbaba.

“ You’re getting your words back and forth; will you stop doing that.” he said quite annoyed.

“ Why? I was just telling the truth.” I told him.

“ Then how come, that didn’t even get into your head? “He said in a low voice.

“ It did.” I said.

“ W-what?” he asks as if I wasn’t supposed to hear what he said.

“ It did. Naisip ko na ‘yan… I just didn’t pursue it.” I said while he was just looking at me confused waiting for what I’m about to say next.

“ You were a kind of person I want to keep for the very long time, I don’t want to be selfish with you… You’ve seen the best and the worst in me… I want someone na kailangan ako at hindi kailangan ko. I wanted to be strong even if it was just for show, you know that I always like to show off…” I joked with my last words.

“ Just like A-chi.” He stated.

“ Then there’s no point of telling me this, alam mo naman na ikaw ang Ideal girl ko.” He tries to joke back, but his smiles don’t reach his eyes.

“ You should rest too, I’ll step outside for a while.” He said, trying to cut the conversation.

OTHER PERSON’S POV

      I step outside for a while, I find myself at the hotel bar.

“ Whiskey please.” I ask the barista.

“ Here you go Sr.” he told him, as he handed him his glass.

      Hindi ko alam kung matatawa ako sa sarili ko o ano?  At times she gets me confused, but everything was clear to me now. Hindi ako ang kailangan nya sa buhay n’ya. Often time I heard others say: ‘Piliin mo yung taong mahal ka kaya kailangan ka, hindi yung taong kailangan ka kaya mahal ka’. I was never bothered before, but I started to weigh things now. I started to change during those times that I’m with her, I didn’t even recognize that I was expecting more from her. Will I be able to be just friend to her? I ask myself silently.

END OF OTHER PERSON’S POV

    Napag desisyunan ko na makipagkita kay Mr. Cha nang araw na ‘yon. I was inded hesitant to bring Lucas with me, but I decided to do so.

“ Are you sure you can go alone?” Chase asks in concern. I nooded to assure him.

“ Alright! I’ll just drop you off and wait for you outside then,” she informed her, as he started the engine.

  

    Sooner than expected. They arrived at their destination, as they went out of the car tiningala nya ang nakakalulang mga palapag ng hotel. Seeing the entrance, make her remember the place. Inalis ‘nya ang anumang bagay na naglalaro sa isip ‘nya at sinimulanag maglakad papasok sa lugar na iyon. She found herself at the information desk.

“ Good day ma’am, how can we help you?” magalang na tanong ng receptionist.

“ I have an appointment with Mr. Dylan Cha.” I flatly informed the receptionist.

“ Hold on for a second ma’am… May I know the person’s name?” She politely asks, as he give him a call.

“ It’s Jupiter Seo.” I informed her.

   It doesn’t take so long she guided us to his office.

“ Thank you.” I told her as we arrived, she dismissed herself after. I knocked three times before entering his office.

   He turnaround from his chair. It sure, those five years make him aged. I noticed it from the strands of gray hair in his head. He smiled at us.

“ Was that Lucas?” I can sense fondness in his voice. I just nodded.

“ Go on anak, he’s your Lolo.” I explained to Lucas as he looks up to me in confusion.

“ Aren’t we here to meet dad ma?” he asks, innocence was written all over his face.

“Yes anak, but we need to see Lolo first.” I explained as he wasn’t moving his feet, I heard the old man chuckled.

“ He’s one snob little guy, he takes after you.” He can’t help but comment, he helps himself to get near us.

    He leveled himself into her son’s.

“ It’s good to finally meet you little guy.” He said, habang ginulo ang buhok nito.

“ Can I ask you a favor Lucas?” he ask him. Lucas looks at me asking for permission and I nodded.

“ Can you give us some space? may pag uusapan lang kami ng mama mo.” He asks Lucas, as he pinches his cheek. Lucas nodded and went to the other e of the office. He sat at the sofa and waited for her.

     We went to his desk. He sat on his swivel chair habang naupo naman ako sa bakanteng upuan sa harapan ‘nya.

“ I thought, you would never let me see him.” He seriously said referring to Lucas.

“ I always keep my promise.” I replied to his assumption.

“ So? Does this mean you were handing him over to us now?” he asks.

“ No. Instead, I want to make a proposal.” I said not wavering.

“ Go ahead tell me, about this proposal.” He encouraged me to continue.

“ Let me marry your son.” I said without hesitation.

    He smiled as if he found something interesting.

“Go ahead, you have my blessing. I just doubt kung papayag si A-chi… but I assure you, I’m on your side.” He said to my surprised.

   I’ve always thought it would be hard for me to ask him about this, but he just agreed so easy.

“ It’s about, Lucas’s custody tama ba? Right now, you have no Legal rights to have him, and marrying A-chi was your only way out.” He guessed correctly.

“ I have already expected this much from you, that is why I want to give you the support you need since you were finally starting to know what you want.” He said mysteriously.

    With that he stood up and approach Lucas.

“ See you again soon little guy, come visit my house next time. Take care of your mom until then,” sabi n’ya na hinaplos ang magkabilang balikat nito.

“ Send my regards to Chase.” He added lastly.

    As she decided to leave with Lucas, she then put up a plan of how she could meet Achilles soon. She needs to settle things with him, she will do everything to make things work with him.

OTHER PERSON’S POV

     It will always be her.

 Hindi ko alam kung dinadaya ako nang mga mata ko o kung tama ang nakikita ko… it was her.

          He went blank in an instance. Seeing her walk towards his table makes him gone crazy. He wants to deny it but, he misses her. The exact same feeling he has for her six years ago. All kinds of emotions were crawling inside him, hatred, longing and fear, all mixed in one. She’s still the same exact person I used to know, the person I used to love.

“Please be seated” she said, as she helps herself to sit.

“… it’s been a while, how have you been A-chi?” she asks casually.

“ Well as you can see, I’m all good until you come back… Tell me, kaya ka ba bumalik  kasi wala ka na namang choice.” I can’t suppress my sarcasm.

“I may be that special to you, but I suggest you forget about the past, that would be better.” she said, as she sips from her glass.

“Tell me, how am I supposed to forget when it was actually part of the reason why we were here, right now. Wow! I didn’t know you have the guts.” I said mockingly.

“It was just a formality---” she said.

“O’o para sayo, kasi hindi ka nasaktan, hindi ka naiwan, hindi ikaw ang naka-miss limang taon sa buhay ng anak mo! And just so you know, I already have a fiancé.” I said in anger.

“Do you love her?” I ask seriously.

“Were you asking me that, because you were still confident na may feelings parin ako sayo?” I ask, because I found her unbelievable.

“ If you were confident about yourself, you will give me an answer not a question. The fact that you ask me that, means you were shaken.” She said with a straight eye.

“ You were still heartless!” he cannot help to comment. I was about to leave I hear her say.

“ Hold on, I’m not done yet.” She said looking up to me.

“ I won’t agree with it, kung ‘yon ang dahilan ng pagpunta mo rito.” I firmly said.

“ You’ve changed a lot, I thought you were still the same exact person who will come crawling after me…” If there was a sound of regret in her voice. I choose to ignore that.

“ Iyon ang akala mo! Those six years change me and so do you… Did you have a great time with Chase?” This time, I don’t know if it was jealousy that I get to ask her that.

“ I did. He was so good to me I even think of marrying him.” I know I shouldn’t be shock hearing that from her, but I did. Those Five years were long enough to change the both of us, but it wasn’t the case for me, and I just realized it now.

“ Then, why are you here?” I can’t help to ask.

“ Because of Lucas… marriage doesn’t need to be because of love, we’re old enough for that. Marry me for Lucas.” I smiled bitterly; she was asking me to marry her but sounded like she’s asking me to buy her a meal.

“ I can’t do that.”  I insisted.

“Why?” she was asking him to elaborate.

“ Samantha… she’s, my fiancé.” I finally told her.

    She pause for a moment, but I can’t recognize if it was because of surprise.

“ Take it back.” She said to my surprise, even when I know she was heartless I never expect such thought from her.

“ You can’t have a relationship with her… marry me instead. You can do anything against me, but not this one… it was something that involves Lucas.” She insisted.

“ This is just between us, do not use the child to blackmail me.” May pag diriing sabi ko sa kanya

“ Ginagawa ko to’ bilang Ina n’ya. You can do anything you want after the marriage A-chi, I’m not asking for anything but the right to be a legal mother to Lucas. We could get divorced kapag handa na si Lucas… for now let’s be a good parent to him besides, he was asking for you…” she said and stood up to leave.

“ Think about it, but don’t think too long.” She said before leaving.

    I watched her back as she walks away from me. I must say, I don’t like everything that she says but the last thing strikes me, a part of me longs to see my son. I was wondering how he look like. How he grows up without me? Did he miss me? I want to ask him that, or if her mom misses me too. ‘D*mn me!’ for thinking this way after all the things that happen, even after her leaving me.

    I hate to admit it, but it was always her. I hate myself even more because seeing her after a very long time, I can still recognize those feelings. Those feeling that I have for her… those feelings that long for her. I want to stop her from leaving but I held myself back.