Regan handed her the simple present he had for the housewarming party. "Miss Serenity, we apologize for coming here so hastily. This is the only thing I was able to grab quickly as my present," the noble and tall man uttered politely to her. Napakurap si Audrey at agad na umiling. "No, it's fine, Mr. Vasquez. I appreciate it so much. No need to apologze..." Tinanggap niya 'yon saka nilingon ang katabi nitong babae. The young lady looked gentle and beautiful with a slight shy smile. "H-hello, Miss Audrey... My name is Reina," Regan's sister introduced herself enthusiastically. Audrey was confused for a while. She remembered how Regan describe Reina's symptoms and how it affects her daily life. Seeing her now, it felt like she's not sick. She looked pretty and lively. She smiled at the young lady gently. "Nice to meet you, Reina. You're very beautiful." Nilingon niya ang lahat nang naroon. "Please come in." Pagpasok ng mga ito ay siyang paglabas mula sa kusin
Hindi alintana ni Regan ang makahulugan na tingin ng tatlong kasama nila sa mesa na nanonood sa kanila. His eyes only focused on Audrey. He acted as if they were the only people on the table. "I heard that you already started working at Farwell League University, Serenity..." His tone was light and casual as if he was talking about a family matter. His little sister sitting next to him was surprised hearing that. Her eyes widened in delight. "Are you a teacher at FLU, ate Audrey?" There's excitement in her voice. Do'n din siya nag-aaral and it's a good news that Audrey was working there. Hindi maitago ang saya sa mukha ni Reina sa nalaman. Unang beses pa lang naman niya nakita si Audrey pero gusto talaga niya ito. She sees Audrey as a beautiful and gentle woman and she wants to be close to her. Si Audrey naman ay natigilan sa nakitang saya sa mga mata ni Reina. It was genuine, not fake. She smiled gently at the young lady. "I am a counselor at the counselor's office
Audrey looked at Lucy who looked really worried for her. She smiled gently and decided to explain her side to her best friend patiently. "Lucy, when I signed the divorce agreement, it meant that I am really letting him go. Hindi ko hihintayin at aasahan pa si Lawrence. Wala rin akong plano na tumandang dalaga lalo na para lang sa kaniya. But as of now, I really want to focus on myself first. Wala pa akong interest sa umibig ulit." Lucy breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good to hear..." Akala niya ay talagang hindi pa ito nakakamove-on kay Lawrence. But thinking of Regan, a handsome, attractive, and wealthy man, hindi ba naaattract si Audrey dito? Mas lalo tuloy niyang hindi maintindihan kung paano ito nagkagusto in the first place kay Lawrence kung sa tulad ni Regan ay hindi man lang ito naattract. Hindi kaya ang type ng bestfriend niya ay pangit na g*go? Dahil maaga pa bukas si Audrey papasok sa trabaho niya, hindi na nag-sleepover si Lucy para makapahinga na
Namilog ang mga mata ni Leandra sa mga sinabi ni Audrey sa kaniya. "You, bîtch!" she screamed as she was so angry to her. Hindi niya akalain na may tinatago pala itong talas ng dila. Why didn't she realize that this woman is so eloquent? Hindi niya ba 'yon napansin o talagang hindi lang nito pinakita? Talagang magaling itong magkunwari. She was a great pretender to show that she's a good wife to her Kuya Lawrence. Pakitang-tao para maging katanggap-tanggap sa pamilya Villafuente! Tinaasan lang siya ng kilay ni Audrey at akma siya nitong tatalikuran. Leandra stopmed her feet angrily. "Just wait, Audrey! I will definitely ask my brother to find a way to get you fired! Madali kang mapapaalis dito and that's the consequence for you for offending me," gigil na dagdag ni Leandra. Cleaner lang ito at mahirap lang din naman ang pinagmulan. Firing her would be just a matter of word. They could make it happen in a snap. "What's the big deal if my Ate Audrey offended you, h
Leandra didn't expect that the princess of the wealthy Vasquez family, Reina Amari would protect Audrey this much. She swallowed hard and her face lost its color. Nilingon niya si Audrey at sinamaan ito ng tingin. "You're really good at leeching, huh?"Pinaningkitan ng mga mata ni Audrey ang kapatid ni Lawrence. "Leandra, I might be blind and in love with your brother at that time but you and your family also know really well the reason why Lawrence married me. Kaya huwag kang magkunwari na ginusto ko 'yon mag-isa dahil in the first place, kayo rin ang pumilit na ituloy talaga 'yon. Your family had a choice!"Nang mag-propose sa kaniya si Lawrence para magpakasal sila, supportive pa noon si Leandra at ang ina nito because they have hidden agendas. First, ang lolo nina Lawrence ay talagang gusto si Audrey kaya para makuha ni Lawrence ang approval ng grandfather niya ay talagang pinush ng mag-iina na magpakasal sila. Pangalawa, they also thought that Lawrence marrying Audrey would mak
May sasabihin pa sana si Gina para ipagpatuloy ang mga papuri niya kay Audrey but she paused when she saw Leandra's dark expression. Obvious na hindi nito nagustuhan ang mga sinabi niya. Napakurap siya kapagkuwan ay muling nagsalita ngunit nagbago na ng sinasabi. "But I think, sakto lang naman hitsura ng babaeng 'yon. You can also tell from her upturned nose and beautiful eyes that she had plastic surgery. Ang laki siguro ng nagastos niya para ma-achieve ang ganiyang mukha and yet, she's far inferior to you, Leandra," aniya at ngumiti sa kaniya. Leandra smirked in satisfaction. Of course, alam niya na hindi naman talaga nagpa-plastic surgery or anumang paayos ng mukha si Audrey but she was very pleased with Gina's words. Her expression became lighter. But she can't ignore what Gina told her earlier. Audrey is a new counselor in the counselor's office? She's doing psychological counseling? Her? Halos matawa siya. Talagang ambisyosa nga naman ito. Leandra curved her lips when she t
Post sa university forum? Audrey paused then shook her head. She was stunned to see the panic and worry on Reina's face. Hindi niya maintindihan kung bakit ganito na lang ang panic at kaba nito. Agad nitong pinakita sa kaniya ang screen ng phone at pinindot ang pinaka-popular na post saka pinahawak sa kaniya ang cellphone para mabasa niya 'yon nang mabuti. "That's the post. Someone, an anonymous, posted that you're only a high school graduate and relied on other means to enter the university and become a counselor... It's scandalous and almost everyone in the school already read it, ate." Reina bit her lower lip while staring at Audrey with great concern. Audrey stared at the post and scanned it. Naalala niya ang mga tingin ng mga estudyante sa kaniya kanina lalo na ang mga pabalik-balik kanina na dumadaan para silipin siya. She understood why it felt strange... it's because of the post. The young lady beside her was getting anxious and uneasy. Nanatiling kalmado naman si Aud
Reina turned around to see the one speaking at hindi siya nagkamali, si Leandra nga 'yon. All those words were from her filthy mouth. Pinag-krus nito ang braso sa harap ng dibdib niya at nakataas ang kilay na nagsalita. "It was said on the post in our website that Audrey is college undergraduate. Highschool diploma lang ang meron siya so it means, she became our counselor through special means. And what could that be? It also means that her education level is lower than ours! It's a shame for all of us and FLU to have that kind of person here!" dagdag pa nito sa mga sinabi niya. Leandra glanced at Audrey with an arrogant gaze. Her confidence in every word she utters is overflowing. On the other hand, Reina was even more furious for her Ate Audrey. Akmang hahakbang ito palapit kay Leandra, handa para makipagtalo rito but Audrey who was eating quietly stopped her. She then stood and walked in front of Leandra who has been trying to trigger her. She stared at Leandr
Half an hour ago, Audrey wanted to cook some noodles in the kitchen. Sinubukan niya kaso talagang sumakit ang legs niya dahil sa mga paso niya kaya tinawagan na lang niya ang bestfriend niyang si Lucy. Pagdating nito ay alalang-alala ang babae. Audrey had no choice but to tell everything to Lucy. Lahat ng nangyari ay kinwento niya sa matalik na kaibigan, simula sa nangyari sa kompetisyon, sa pagsabuy ng mainit na tubig ni Leandra sa kaniya, and even the fact that Lawrence went to infirmary with such request and demands.Kaya naman gigil na gigil si Lucy matapos marinig ang buong kwento ng nangyari. "Ang mga hayop na 'yon talaga! 'Yang si Leandra, ayaw ko na talaga sa babae na 'yan noon pa. When you're still her sister in law, she bullied you and treated you as if you are her nanny. Ngayon na divorce ka na sa gagó niyang kuya, talatang pinapakialaman at kinakalaban ka pa rin niya. Ang pangit-pangit talaga ng ugali ng babaeng 'yan, sobra na!"Napailing si Audrey saka bumuntong-hininga.
Agad siyang yumakap sa Kuya Lawrence niya at agad siyang umiyak, hindi pa rin nauubos ang luha mula kanina. "Kuya, please! Palabasin mo ako rito. Ayoko dito! Please, kuya. I don't like it here, I don't belong in this place!" Ang ina niya ay tinignan siya, awang awa at tila nadudurog ang puso para sa anak. "Alalang-alala kami sayo ng kuya mo, Leandra. As soon as we heard the news that you were in trouble, we immediately went to find that bîtch to release you from here, but she refused to let you out no matter what! And that Vasquez, I think he is determined to protect Audrey. And were you even thinking? Bakit kinalaban mo pa talaga si Reina knowing na isa siyang Vasquez!? How dare you mess with their family!" "Mom! I was wrong, I know I was wrong! Please get me out of her quickly! All the news tomorrow will definitely be about me being taken away by the police! How embarrassing would that be? I don't want it! Kuya, you will definitely help me, right?" Punong-puno ng luha ang m
Maingat ang paghawak ni Regan kay Audrey. Tila ba babasagin siya na kailangan talaga ingatan. Kahit sa pagpapasakay nito sa kaniya sa kotse ay talagang dahan-dahan upang hindi masagi ang mga paso niya. After getting in the car, Audrey could see the condition of her legs clearly. After applying ice, her legs were now swollen. Napabuntong hininga siya habang pinagmamasdan iyon. Regan sat in the driver's seat, and he felt a little guilty seeing her wounds even clearer. After all, he was the one who gave Audrey the thermos cup, and he also put the hot water in it. If he hadn't given her the thermos cup, perhaps this situation wouldn't have happened. Wala sanang maitatapon na mainit na tubig si Leandra kay Audrey. There was a deafening silence in the car. Pansin ni Audrey ang malalim na pag iisip ni Regan. "What are you thinking about? Parang ang lalim," aniya sa magaan na boses. He didn't have this expression in the infirmary just now. Could it be because of th
"Keep it on for a while longer," ani Regan, tinutukoy ang ice pack na nagbibigay ginhawa kahit papaano kay Audrey sa sitwasyon niya. After a while, just as the ice was removed, the door of the infirmary was pushed open loudly. Pumasok ang pamilyang Villafuente, nangunguna ang ina nila na sinundan ni Lawrence at Gayle. Kasunod nila ang ama ni Gayle na sumama roon. "You, bitch! Give me back my daughter! Pinadampot mo siya sa mga pulis! Kausapin mo sila ngayon at ipa-release mo si Leandra!" Sinigaw iyon ni Thelma habang dinuduro siya. On the other hand, Lawrence was somewhat calm and rational. Nabigla pa siya mang makita ang lagay ni Audrey ngunit nang makita si Regan Amadeus sa tabi niya ay nagbago ang ekspresyon nito. "Sobra na ang ginawa mo, Audrey! We can apologize to you, mamghihingi ako ng tawad sayo para sa kapatid ko pero kaya hindi mo na kailangan na ipadampot siya sa mga pulis! Call the police now then tell them to release her, then we will negotiate later to
Leandra came back to her senses. Napatayo siya, nanlalaki ang mga mata. "No, you can't do that to me!" she screamed like a madman. Tinignan niya ang principal. "You must not call the police on me! If you call the police, my life will be over! Hindi pwede. I am also from the Villafuente family! My brother is on the school board. Hindi niyo pwedeng kalimutan 'yon!" she cried. Absolutely not! Hindi siya papayag. Never in her life did she imagine that she would be brought to the police station.Her eyes were full of tears. They must not call the police! Siya rin ang nag-iisang babaeng anak ng Villafuente. She's their princess and she had all the people's attention in their city. Once they called the police on her and she went to jail, she would be ostracized by all the rich families and she would inevitably become the target of their scorn. Pati pamilya niya ay damay at talagang malalagot siya sa kuya niya no'n. Principal Lee hesitated a little... after all, the Villafuentes w
Taas noo niyang tinignan si Leandra. Audrey's eyes became sharper, staring at the lady. "Who told you that?" tanong niya. Leandra's eyes dodged her gaze, but she still said with determination, "Don't worry about who told me that! Anyway, this test paper is the original test questions for the competition. Don't deny it! You helped Reina cheat because you have a good and close relationship with her! Bakit? Dahil gusto mo siyang manalo, 'di ba?" The people present were once again ignited with anger. Muling do'n na-focus ang attention nila, sa pambibintang kay Audrey. If it was really like what Leandra said, Audrey had the audacity in challenging the nerves of each of them. The long-lasting glory of the Department of Psychology has always been because of the annual psychological knowledge competition. And now, someone actually cheated in the school competition! Audrey smiled indifferently and stretched out her hand to get everyone's attention. "Please listen to me... Miss
Miss Vanessa, Professor Henry, the principal and all the judges were shocked and confused when they saw the test questions. They received a new set. Iba iyon sa test questionnaires na natanggap nila kaninang umaga at iyon ang inaasahan nilang gagamitin sa competition. All the contestants only had ten minutes to answer the questions. Pagkatapos ng unang round na 'yon ay nakabibiglang forty na estudyante lang ang nakalusot para sa susunod na round. Reina advanced to the next round while Leandra was immediately eliminated. Halos padabog siyang umexit. Kinuha niya ang bag niya saka galit na galit na kinuha ang crumpled na test paper mula roon. Ang alipores niyang si Gina ay agad siyang nilapitan para aluhin siya. "It's okay, Leandra. This is just a competition. At isa pa, si Audrey ang nag-organize no'n, so it's no big deal!" "Go away, Gina. Layuan mo ako!" she pushed her away as she threw tantrums. Gigil niyang pinunit ang test paper saka iyon tinapon sa kung saan. Iniwan
Tumayo si Regan at kinuha ang pot kung nasaan ang iba pang tsaa na nagawa niya. Umuusok pa iyon. Dinala niya 'yon sa mesa kung nasaan si Audrey na pinagmamasdan siya. "Drink more of this tea. Ubusin mo," saad nito sa kaniya. Bahagyang nanlaki ang mga mata ni Audrey nang makita ang sinasabi nitong dapat niyang ubusin. "It's too much! Hindi ko 'yan mauubos, Mr. Vasquez." Sa dami no'n ay pwede pa siya ro'n maligo! It's an exaggeration, pero talagang marami iyon. It's impossible for her na ubusin ang lahat ng 'yon sa isang upuan lang. "It's for your health. It will make you feel even better." Regan smiled at her. "For your health." Rong Yu smiled gently. Hindi niya alam kung seryoso ba ito. Napatingin siya sa wall clock saka muling tinignan ang lalake. "Mr. Vasquez, it's already late. You should go home and rest..." Marahan niyang sinabi rito. Tumayo si Regan at tumango. "Remember to drink all of that." He reminder her. Pilit siyang napangiti. Hinatid niya ito sa may pin
Mas naging abala si Audrey sa araw bago ang kompetisyon. Halos tapos naman na ang paghahanda pero kailangan niyang balik-balikan ang mga detalye para masiguro na maayos ang lahat. Naging abala siya at ang mga estudyanteng katulong niya sa pag-organize ng competion sa pag-decorate sa venue kung saan iyon gaganapin bukas. Even Professor Henry was worried and stayed late with them. "Have you already secured the test questions for the competition?" Professor Henry asked. Tumango naman si Audrey. "Opo, Professor. It's already in the safe in the consultation room. I'm the only one who has the key to the safe." Professor Henry nodded. "That's good to hear." Nakangiti nitong sagot sa kaniya. Nang nauna ng umuwi si Professor Henry ay naiwan do'n si Audrey. She tested the various equipment in the auditorium again. She needed to make sure that everything will go as planned. After everything was checked, it was already 11:30 in the evening. Nakahinga nang maluwag s