Chapter 1

Nagising si Sunny na hindi maganda ang pakiramdam niya. Hindi niya masabi kung dahil lang ba puyat siya kagabi kakahintay sa asawa, o tatrangkasuhin siya.

Bumangon na siya. The house was too quiet, too quiet. At hanggang ngayon ay wala pa rin ang asawa niya. Hindi na naman ito umuwi.

For months, Sunny done everything in her power to save her marriage to Efren, her husband of five years. But despite her efforts, nothing seemed to change. Kahit ang mga magulang niya ay kakampihan pa si Efren kapag nagsumbong siya sa mga ito kaya sinasarili niya na lang madalas ang sama ng loob.

She walked down the stairs, her heart pounding. 

Every step felt heavier than the last as if her body was already aware of the devastation awaiting her. Sunny tried to get rid of the dread, holding on and hoping that maybe, just maybe, Efren had something planned for her birthday. Kaarawan niya ngayon at kahit happy birthday man lang muna sa pamilya niya ay wala rin siyang natanggap ngayong paggising niya.

Pagpasok ni Sunny sa living room ay kagimbal-gimbal na pangyayari ang tumambad sa kanya. Efren, her husband, was locked in an intimate, passionate kiss with Melissa.

"Ate..." hirap at hindi makapaniwalang usul ni Sunny.

She froze, her mind refusing to accept what her eyes were seeing. Efren pulled back, his face immediately draining of color when he saw Sunny standing there. Melissa, on the other hand, looked horrified at first, then her expression softened into something like regret.

"Anong ibig sabihin nito?" singhal niya sa dalawa. "Anong... Anong ginagawa niyo?!"

“Sunny… it’s not what it looks like,” Efren stammered, but even he couldn’t find the conviction to make that lie sound believable. "Maupo ka muna. Hayaan mo kami magpaliwanag."

"Magpaliwanag?" Dinampot niya ang pinakamalapit na finguerin at ibinato iyon sa harapan ng dalawa. "Kitang-kita ko ang ginagawa niyo! Huwag niyo ako gawing tanga!" Mabilis naman niyakap ni Efren si Melissa para huwag matamaan ng bubong. Mas malalo pa iyon dumurog sa puso ni Sunny.

“But we didn’t mean for you to find out like this, Sunny…” wika ni Melissa. She stepped toward Sunny, looking torn between guilt and desperation.

"Ate, naririnig mo ba ang sinasabi mo?" Halos lumuwa na ang lalamunan niya sa sobrang galit. "Asawa ko si Efren! Kapatid kita!"

“I never meant for this to happen! Efren and I... it just happened, okay? We didn’t plan it!"

Sunny laughed bitterly, the sound harsh and cold. Hindi siya naniniwala sa ate niya. Mga bata pa lang sila ay ganito na ito sa kanya. Kapag may laruan siya na wala ang ate niya ay kinukuha na lang nito at inaangkin.

“Kailan niyo pa ako niloloko?” Sunny demanded, her voice shaking.

Hindi agad nakasagot si Melissa. Si Efren naman ay nakatingin lang sa kanila.

“It doesn’t matter,” Melissa whispered. "Hindi ko na rin maalala—"

“Alalahanin mo," her voice quieter now, but no less angry. "Alalahanin mo at sabihin mo sa akin kung anong pakiramdam na agawin ang asawa ng kapatid mo. Nag-enjoy ka ba? Pinagtatawanan mo ba ang kawawang ako habang naghihintay sa asawa ko na umuwi, habang ikaw ay kasama niya sa kama? Sabihin mo, ate!"

Before Melissa could answer, Efren stepped forward, looking like he wanted to jump in and defend her. Pero malakas itong sinalubong ng sampal ni Sunny. She couldn’t handle hearing his voice right now. His betrayal hurts in a way she couldn’t even begin to describe, but Melissa, her sister, her betrayal was greater than his. Hindi sila magkasundo ng ate niya, pero hindi niya naisip na magagawa nito ito sa kanya. 

“You were my sister... My family. How could you do this to me?” Tears welled in her eyes.

"Gusto mo talaga malaman kung kailan?" There. Ito ang totoong Melissa, walang pakialam kahit sino ang masaktan basta masaya.

“How long?” Sunny demanded again, her voice steadier than she felt inside. She wasn’t even sure she wanted to know the answer.

"A year," proud ang tono ni Melissa. "Mag-iisang taon na ang relasyon namin. Masaya kami, masaya siya sa akin, Sunny."

Efren still couldn’t look at Sunny. Iwas ang mga mata nito na tinginan siya.

“I’m sorry, Sunny,” iyon lang ang sabi nito. It sounded more like a coward than the man she once loved. "Hindi ko na kaya na makasama ka. Mahal ko ang ate mo at gusto ko panindigan ang meron kami."

The sound of paper rustling caught Sunny's attention. She looked down and saw Efren holding out... divorce papers.

“G-Gusto mo... makipaghiwalay?” Sunny choked out, feeling the weight of the word fall heavily on her. "Alam mo man lang ba kung anong araw ngayon, Efren? You want a divorce... on my birthday?"

Efren flinched but said nothing. Melissa glanced at him, then back at Sunny.

“Hinding-hindi ko kayo mapapatawad sa ginawa niyo. Kahit kailan, tandaan niyo yan." Without another word, Sunny grabbed the pen from Efren's hand and signed the papers, throwing them back at him. "Masaya na ka?” sarkastikong tanong niya. "Masaya na kayong dalawa? Ayan, malaya na kayo magmahalan."

Melissa's face crumpled, and she stepped closer, reaching out as if to touch Sunny's arm.

“Ako na ang magsasabi kina Mama. Wala kang sasabihin sa kanila. Hindi pa sa ngayon, palilipasin ko muna ng ilang buwan," mahinang sabi nito pero may banta iyon. "Believe me, hindi ko ginusto na saktan ka. Pinigilan ko ang nararamdaman ko sa kanya, Sunny. Pero bigla na lang talaga nangyari."

“Pinigilan?” I repeated, my voice trembling with disbelief. "My god, ate. Tama na, nasaktan mo na ako. You throw yourself to him, iyon ang totoo."

“Don’t act like you were the perfect wife, Sunny. Efren was miserable with you. You barely paid attention to him. It’s not my fault he came to me," palatik ni Melissa, ubos na siguro ang pasensya.

Sunny blinked, momentarily stunned. "Wala kang alam, ate. Hindi mo alam kung anong mga sinakripisyo ko para lang sa marriage na ito." Masama niya itong tinapunan ng tingin. "What’s your excuse? I wasn’t good enough for him, so you thought you’d step in?”

“Maybe if you were a better wife, he wouldn’t have had to. Kasalanan mo rin kung bakit ka niya ipinagpalit—"

Not only one, but two slap. Iyon ang ibinigay ni Sunny sa ate niya. "Ang cheap mo, ate. Mababaw ka. Enjoy playing house with my sloppy seconds.”

Nang ipagkasundo si Sunny at Efren ng mga magulang nila, si Melissa ang nagpursigi kay Sunny na pumayag. Para sa pamilya kaya niya pinakasalan si Efren. Sana ay ang ate na lang niya ang nagpakasal noon kay Efren kung aagawin din lang naman pala.

Melissa's expression faltered, but she quickly recovered, her smirk returning.

“Oo naman. Masaya ako dahil akin na si Efren ngayon. Matagal ko rin hinintay ang pagkakataon na ito. And finally, dumating na."

Sunny yanked the door open and stepped outside without another word. As she walked down the driveway, she could feel her sister's eyes on her, but she didn’t look back. She wouldn’t give her sister the satisfaction.

Sana lang ay magtagal ang pagiging masaya ng ate niya at ni Efren. Dahil kung dumating ang araw na maging magulo na rin ang pagsasama ng mga ito, si Sunny ang unang tatawa at papalakpak.