Lumipas ang mga oras. After class, Reina went to find Audrey first, but she found that Audrey was absent-minded. Tulala ito sa desk niya sa office. "Ate Audrey, okay ka lang? What's wrong with you?" Nag-aalalang tanong niya. Audrey always gave her the impression of being very calm. Kaya naninibago siya sa nakikita niya ngayon. Audrey smiled slightly. "I am fine. No big deal." Napalabi si Reina. "You are lying, Ate. Is it because of the thing that everyone has been discussing on the forum? I don't know who actually sent out this kind of news. Is the school leaders putting pressure on you?" Reina asked with concern. Ang dami niyang naririnig tungkol do'n sa bawat sulok ng university kahit pa sa classroom nila. Napangiti na si Audrey saka bumuntong-hininga. "I can't hide anything from you. Hindi naman ako pine-pressure ng school leaders. It's just that, Leandra invited me to her birthday party, and pupunta ro'n si Miss Vanessa." Bahagyang nalukot ang mukha ni Reina s
Si Reina naman ay sumingit para suportahan ang banat ng kuya niya. "It just feels like it's been a long time since the last time you two met!" Regan chuckled. "Reina is right." Audrey can't help but to laugh. These two are really cute when they are together..Many people at the banquet looked at Regan excitedly. Although the Villafuente invited some well-known figures to the party, halos walang dumalo na nasa level ng pamilya nina Regan kung hindi silang magkapatid lang. These people in the party naturally couldn't get in touch with Regan's circle. They tried their best to get into the banquets of big figures just to get in touch with people like them. Lawrence just sent the invitation letters to all the big wealthy figures out of habit, but he didn't expect that the Vasquez siblings would really come. Nang dumapo ang tingin niya kay Regan at Audrey na tila may sariling mundo, nangngingitian at tawanan, nagbago ang pakiramdam niya. His eyes began to turn red, glo
The screen lit up. Pinakita roon ang medyo madilim na lugar ngunit kitang-kita pa rin ang lalake na hinihila ang isang babae. Everyone was shocked. Sunod-sunod ang pag-flash ng camera ng mga reporter, kinukuhanan ang masanscreen. It was a scandalous presentation of a wealthy family, after all. Leandra did not look back. Inaakala niya na ang biglang-bigla na reaksyon ng mga naroon ay dahil sa hinanda niyang mga litrato. She was so satisfied to see their reaction. She pointed at Audrey excitedly and said. "The person in this photo is Audrey, a psychology teacher at FLU and my former sister-in-law. I want to show everyone the true face of this bîtch! She cheated on her husband and hooked up with men everywhere!" Punong puno siya ng excitement, hinihintay na lang na mangyari ang inaasahan niyang pagtulak at pagtaboy ni Regan sa babae. That's what she's waiting for. She looked at Audrey's direction to see if she's now shocked and scared.Ngunit ang nakita niya ay ang b
Ang mga reporters sa paligid ay na-record ang mga sagutan ng dalawang panig. The flashes of camera didn't stop. "You even edited a photo just to ruin her day!" sigaw ni Thelma habang nakatingin kay Audrey. Ang camera ng mga naroon ay tumutok naman kay Audrey, naghihintay sa mahalagang isasagot niya. Suddenly, a figure blocked Audrey's figure. Sa isang sulyap niya lang sa mga reporter ay agad nag-atrasan ang mga ito at hindi na sumubok pang itutok ang camera sa kaniya. Regan's expression was cold and dark, his anger was suppressed. "Was that really edited? Isn't the man in those photo was hired by your daughter to harm Miss Audrey? Maririnig din sa video ang pag-uusap nila. Sa tingin mo ba ay maloloko mo ang mga taong nakarinig no'n?" Nagbago ang ekspresyon ni Lawrence. Yes, the presentation was forcibly turned off after it played for more than ten seconds. Pero narinig pa rin ang usapan ng mga naroon. The man accused Leandra of asking him to harass Audrey. Thelma Villafuen
Ngumiti si Vanessa saka hinawi ang buhok. "To be honest, I have not been a judge for quite a while now but I can't stay here in the Philippines for too long." "Some of your theories have always been a guide for our psychology students at FLU. I know that you have been invited to international competitions before and you declined them. I am just trying my luck but I understand, Ma'am. But I still want to ask you to take a look at these, please. I hope you don't mind," sincere ang tono ni Audrey. Mula sa bag niya ay may kinuha siyang naka-folder na mga documents. Maingat niya 'yon na inabot sa ginang. "These documents are all written of FLU's students based on your theories. Some students have proposed new ideas. I hope you can take a look. It will be an honor for all of us." Tinanggap ni Vanessa ang mga dokumento. Saglit niya 'yon na pinasadahan ng tingin saka nag-angat ng tingin kay Audrey. "Sure, I will check this..." Audrey breathed a sigh of relief. Hindi man siya
Pupulutin pa lang sana niya ang mga bag ngunit mabilis na yumuko si Regan Amadeus. Akma siyang tutulong ngunit napatayo na lang siya sa gilid para panoorin ang lalake. When he picked up everything, she was about to grab some bags to help him pero malalaki ang hakbang na nilampasan siya ng lalake. Her eyes widened. Humabol siya rito. "Teka! Let me help, Mr. Vasquez!" she said. She tried to grab some, ngunit iniwas iyon ng lalake sa kaniya at muli siyang nilampasan."I can carry everything," he said. "But still, give me a few bags. This is too much, gusto ko rin magdala."Nakahihiya naman na pinadadala niya ng lahat ng 'yon ang isang Regan Amadeus. Ngunit hindi naman ito pumayag. Dumating na ang elevator at bumukas 'yon. "Go in first," Regan said. Audrey immediately entered the elevator. Susunod na dapat si Regan ngunit hindi ito nakapasok agad dahil hindi nagkasya agad ang mga dala nito. Kumuha ng iilan si Audrey para makapasok ito. Nang makapasok si Regan ay may tatlong humab
She had many suspects of who could have stolen her cellphone. Leandra and Thelma Villafuente were the ones who hated her the most. While Lawrence would not do this, but it was not impossible. After all, may posibleng motibo pa rin ito para gawin iyon. Leandra took a leave of absence, nagsimula iyon noong birthday party niya hanggang sa mga sumunod na araw. Without hesitation, she went to Villafuente's house as soon as possible. Nasa harap na ng pinto si Audrey. The servant who opened the door was surprised to see her there. Hindi naman lingid sa kaalaman ng katulong kung paano siya itrato ng mag-ina no'n kaya nagulat ito nang makita na bumalik siya. "Miss Audrey... bakit po kayo narito?" tanong nito sa kaniya. Agad na sumagot si Audrey. "I'm looking for Lawrence." "Wala po si Sir Lawrence, Ma'am. Bumalik na lang po kayo sa sunod na araw." A soft voice came from inside the door. "Who is it?" Gayle came over and saw that it was Audrey. She didn't know
"Miss Atienza, this is a serious matter. Kailangan natin 'to malusutan. Why don't you go and get some information first? After all, there are still a few days before the competition. Baka makahanap pa tayo ng paraan..." Principal Leehesitated. Although he is the principal, mahalaga rin ang miyembro ng school board. It's important to get their satisfaction. "Yes, Mr.Lee." Problemado na sobra si Audrey ngunit pinipilit niyang manatiling kalmado. Of course the Villafuentes really pushed her in the front, para talagang mapunta siya sa delikado na pwesto. After leaving the principal's office, she went to the counseling office, where Reina was waiting for her. Napatayo ito nang makita siya, may pag aalala sa mukha. "Ate Audrey, alam ko na ang nangyari, I heard about it. Paano na 'to? What should we do now?" Audrey smiled bitterly. "I can only contact Miss Vanessa again and try. Iyon na lang at magbaka sakali." She also passed her own thesis among the documents
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