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KABANATA 20: Painful Past
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
Love Survival KABANATA 21: Invitation
SLOAN“Oh my god, Trice! The Philippines still hasn’t changed, it’s still hot as fucking ever. I hope I won’t get any darker here because I’m sure my manager will freak out if my skin gets any darker,” Avianna ranted exaggeratedly, her eyes widening while pulling her pink suitcase.“Why? I think tan skin looks good on you, Avi,” I said. Kakalabas lang namin ng NAIA terminal airport dahil sinundo ko siya.Nagkaroon si Avianna ng pagkakataon na makapunta rito sa Pilipinas para sa kaniyang one week vacation and para mabisita niya rin daw ako. She informed me last week through the phone that she was going to visit me here and have some relaxing vacation. Ang huling punta niya kasi rito ay eight years old pa lang kami no’n and my mom was still alive back then. Madalas ay ako ang bumibisita sa kanila sa Croatia kaya kahit papaano ay naging close kaming dalawa.“I know, right? I always try out filters that give me a tan skin look, and I am starting to get really obsessed with it.” She pouted
Love Survival KABANATA 22: Party
KABANATA 22: PartySLOAN“Do you think this gown looks good on me, Dom?” I asked Dominic, a little worried, as I stood in front of the full-length mirror, holding the gown I’d be wearing to Daddy’s party later.I’m usually confident when it comes to choosing my outfits because that’s one of the things I’m only good at, but I don’t know why I’m feeling self-conscious right now.Nakita ko sa repleksiyon ng salamin na tumayo si Dominic mula sa pagkakaupo sa gilid ng kama at saka lumapit sa kinatatayuan ko. He wrapped his arm around my waist from the back and rested his chin on my shoulder. Our eyes met in the reflection of the mirror.“You’re always beautiful, wife. Kahit ano ang suutin mo bagay sa ‘yo,” he said gently and smiled.I felt my cheeks warm up because of what he said. I rolled my eyes at him para matago ang pamumula ng pisngi ko dahil sa pambobola niya.He smirked. “You’re being a little bitchy na, huh?” he teased, pinching my nose.“Dominic!” I chided him, but he laughed and
Love Survival SIMULA
When I was young, my nanny used to ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up, and I always told her that I wanted to get married in a church in front of God to the man I loved.As a kid, that might be the weirdest dream to hear instead of being a teacher, police officer, actor, or doctor. But not me. I had my sights set on the church’s aisle.“Bata ka pa kaya dapat hindi mo pa iniisip ang ganiyang bagay, Ma’am Sloan. Ayaw mo bang maging doctor o kaya negosyante kagaya ng Daddy mo?” Nanny Basya asked again.The seven-year-old me pouted. “No po. That’s really my dream, Yaya. I wanted to get married in the church because I wanted to promise Papa God that I could be a good wife to my future husband just like my mommy to my dad,” I said and smiled sweetly.Yaya Basya massaged her temple because of what I said. “Diyos ko kang bata ka.” I just chuckled and continued playing.I had a perfect and ideal family back then. Masaya at kumpleto. Masaya ako sa magulang ko kahit na wala akong kapatid.
Love Survival KABANATA 1: Fiancé
SLOAN“Sloan, anak, kumain ka na,” Yaya Basya said while knocking on my door.I stayed frozen in place, not even bothering to flinch or utter a word. My eyes were fixated on the wall, lost in a whirlwind of thoughts. I pondered relentlessly, trying to figure out what to do next. It was like a mental chess game, with every option weighed and analyzed. But at that moment, I was stuck, undecided, and unsure.I was completely wiped out. My body felt like it had run a marathon, my mind was running on fumes, and my heart felt like it had been through a rollercoaster of emotions. It was as if someone had sucked all the energy out of me, leaving me feeling like a deflated balloon.It's been two weeks since Yosef died. Hindi ko alam kung makakahinga na ba ako ng maluwag dahil hindi pa ako pinupuntahan ni Daddy para kausapin ako tungkol sa susunod kong papakasalan. Usually kasi pinagkakasundo niya na ako kagaad apat hanggang limang araw matapos mamatay ng mga naging asawa ko.Actually, that’s i
Love Survival KABANATA 2: Dream
SLOAN“I-Ikaw?” bulong ko habang hindi makapaniwalang nakatingin sa kaniya. I don’t know what to say. I can’t believe that the person I just met a week ago is my fiance!“You know each other?” Daddy asked confusedly while looking at Dominic and me.Hindi ako sumagot. I couldn’t tear my gaze away from him. His expression was a perfect blend of seriousness and intensity, as if he were trying to unravel the mysteries of the universe just by looking at me. “We met a week ago, Mr. De Falco,” tugon niya pero ang mata niya ay nakatingin sa ‘kin. “So, she’s your daughter?” Bumaling siya kay daddy.He used to be all smiles and friendly, but now he’s all serious and cold when talking to my dad. Parang ibang tao siya habang kinakausap ang daddy ko.Daddy smiled. “Yes, Mr. Velasco, and she’s willing to marry you, right, dear?” Daddy turned to me. Hindi nakatakas sa paningin ko ang pagbabata sa mata niya.Bumilis ang tibok ng puso ko dahil sa takot. Ganito ang palagi kong nararamdaman kapag nasa
Love Survival KABANATA 3: Reception
SLOANNasa iisang sasakyan kaming umalis ni Dominic sa Manila Cathedral, kung saan ginanap ang kasal naming dalawa. We are now on our way to Luxe Haven for the reception. It is a five-star hotel located in Manila. Our guests are heading there too, using the vans provided by Dominic, while others are using their own vehicles.Binabalot ng nakakabinging katahimikan ang buong sasakyan. Abala si Dominic sa pagmamaneho habang ako naman ay nakatingin lang sa labas ng bintana. Nakikiramdam.I don’t know how to initiate a conversation. I don’t know Dominic that well yet, so I don’t know what to say to him.Ngunit kung ganito na lang ako palagi, laging natatakot, hindi ko talaga siya makikilala. Should I talk to him? Pero ano naman ang sasabihin ko? Tatanungin ko kaya siya ng mga common information about sa sarili niya? Pero hindi kaya magmukang ang random ko naman no'n? I just asked him out of nowhere, gano’n?“Are you okay? Do you have something to say?” he asked. My eyes widened as I looked
Love Survival KABANATA 4: Office
SLOANThe smell of something new hits my nostrils, making me wonder where I am. I’m still half asleep, trying to piece together the events of last night.Inadjust ko muna ang mata ko bago ko ito unti-unting binuksan. Kulay gray na kisame kaagad ang bumungad sa akin pagkatapos ang panlalaking amoy ng kama. The room is dark because the large glass wall near the bed is covered by thick gray curtains.I blinked when I remembered what happened yesterday.I am married… again.Bumangon ako habang kinukusot ko ang mata ko. Mag-isa lang ako sa kama. Walang bakas ng may tumabi sa akin kaya sigurado akong mag-isa lang ako ditong natulog kagabi.Where’s Dominic? I bet this is his condo.Nilibot ko ang paningin ko sa kwarto kung nasaan ako ngayon. It is a modern room designed with a color scheme of gray and white. The walls are painted a cool shade of gray, while the furniture and décor follow a minimalist aesthetic. Sobrang simple lang pero elegante.I remove the duvet blanket that covers my body
Love Survival KABANATA 5: Dinner
SLOANTwenty minutes na ang nakakalipas simula nang umalis si Dominic para sa meeting. I was left alone here in his luxurious office.I have been wandering around his office for quite some time now. I am amazed by the house miniatures displayed in the glass case. Halata talaga na iniingatan iyon.Even though Dominic’s business is in the metal industry, his acquired course is not irrelevant because I also saw various blueprints hanging on the wall, such as elevators, escalators, appliances, and ships! Siya ang may gawa no’n dahil may pangalan niya sa pinakababa.“Wow…” I muttered as I saw the blueprint of an aircraft. May nakalagay sa taas na Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird.Malinis ang pagkaka-drawing no’n. Walang kalat na ink at detailed talaga. Sa unang tingin ay aakalain na printed ‘yon pero ang totoo ay hindi. Naka-sealed ‘yon para maprotektahan sa kahit na ano mang alikabok.I think this is the original blueprint copy.Nawala ang atensiyon ko sa mga iyon nang biglang bumukas ang pinto n
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Love Survival KABANATA 22: Party
KABANATA 22: PartySLOAN“Do you think this gown looks good on me, Dom?” I asked Dominic, a little worried, as I stood in front of the full-length mirror, holding the gown I’d be wearing to Daddy’s party later.I’m usually confident when it comes to choosing my outfits because that’s one of the things I’m only good at, but I don’t know why I’m feeling self-conscious right now.Nakita ko sa repleksiyon ng salamin na tumayo si Dominic mula sa pagkakaupo sa gilid ng kama at saka lumapit sa kinatatayuan ko. He wrapped his arm around my waist from the back and rested his chin on my shoulder. Our eyes met in the reflection of the mirror.“You’re always beautiful, wife. Kahit ano ang suutin mo bagay sa ‘yo,” he said gently and smiled.I felt my cheeks warm up because of what he said. I rolled my eyes at him para matago ang pamumula ng pisngi ko dahil sa pambobola niya.He smirked. “You’re being a little bitchy na, huh?” he teased, pinching my nose.“Dominic!” I chided him, but he laughed and
Love Survival KABANATA 21: Invitation
SLOAN“Oh my god, Trice! The Philippines still hasn’t changed, it’s still hot as fucking ever. I hope I won’t get any darker here because I’m sure my manager will freak out if my skin gets any darker,” Avianna ranted exaggeratedly, her eyes widening while pulling her pink suitcase.“Why? I think tan skin looks good on you, Avi,” I said. Kakalabas lang namin ng NAIA terminal airport dahil sinundo ko siya.Nagkaroon si Avianna ng pagkakataon na makapunta rito sa Pilipinas para sa kaniyang one week vacation and para mabisita niya rin daw ako. She informed me last week through the phone that she was going to visit me here and have some relaxing vacation. Ang huling punta niya kasi rito ay eight years old pa lang kami no’n and my mom was still alive back then. Madalas ay ako ang bumibisita sa kanila sa Croatia kaya kahit papaano ay naging close kaming dalawa.“I know, right? I always try out filters that give me a tan skin look, and I am starting to get really obsessed with it.” She pouted
Love Survival KABANATA 20: Painful Past
SLOAN“Lahat ng problema ay may solusyon. Lahat ng problema ay nagagawan ng paraan. Kaya sana parehas ninyong lawakan ang inyong isipan kung sakaling dumating ang mga pagsubok na iyon.”Ito na ba ang pagsubok na tinutukoy ni Lola Pining no’ng minsang pumunta kami sa Isla San El Paso?I just realized now how difficult it is when you don’t have someone to turn to during times like this. I want someone to talk to so I can share what’s running through my mind right now, but who would I talk to? Wala naman akong kaibigan. Once again, I’m feeling the familiar loneliness again, which I haven’t felt for the past three months.“Kumusta, ma’am? Nagustuhan po ba ni sir—” Lila furrowed. “Teka, ayos lang po ba kayo, ma’am?”I looked at Lila and smiled forcefully.“Y-Yes. I’m fine. Magpapahinga lang ako sa kwarto,” sabi ko at nilagpasan siya. Dire-diretso ako paakyat sa pangalawang palapag, hindi binibigyang pansin ang mga nakamasid na mata ng mga kasambahay.Hindi ko alam kung bakit ako nagkakagan
Love Survival KABANATA 19: Cheating
SLOANDays had passed smoothly. A week after getting back from Pangasinan, we moved to the mansion Dominic bought in Forbes Park.Nauna na doon ang mga gamit namin at pinaayos niya na sa mga kasambahay ang mansion para raw wala na akong aalalahanin pa.“It’s not really necessary to have maids anymore, Dom. I can do household chores, can't you see?” I argued while he was driving.He sighed. “It’s a mansion, sweetie. It means it’s huge. You can't clean that mansion alone, okay? Besides, you're my wife, not my maid,” he said calmly.“Yeah, pero kaya ko naman kasi…” pagpipilit ko pa.“No.”“But—”“Sweetheart, no.”Ngumuso ako. Kanina ko pa siya kinukulit na huwag nang mag-maid dahil dagdag gastos lang iyon ngunit ayaw niya talagang pumayag. Yes, I know that he has tons of money, and the salary he'll give to the household staff is just a pittance to him, but still hindi ko mapigilang manghinayang.I took a deep breath. “Fine,” pagsuko ko.He smirked in victory. Ganiyan siya palagi kapag si
Love Survival KABANATA 18: Promise
SLOANI almost killed him… I almost killed my own husband. I didn’t know. I didn’t know that he was allergic to shrimp. If I just know… hindi ko na sana siya pinakain no’n.Tahimik lang ako habang nakaupo sa sofa at nakatingin kay Dominic na nakahiga sa hospital bed. He’s stable now and has been transferred to the VIP room. The doctor said it’s a good thing he was brought to the hospital quickly before the situation got worse.Davina, Attorney Delmundo’s twin sister, was sitting next to Dominic’s hospital bed, holding my husband’s hand as she watched him sleep.Hindi ko alam kung saan nanggagaling ang sakit na bumalot sa dibdib ko habang pinapanood siya. Ako dapat ang nandoon. Ako dapat ang may hawak ng kamay ni Dominic habang hinihintay siyang magising. Ako dapat ang una niyang makikita pagbukas ng mga mata niya pero pakiramdam ko ay wala akong karapatan pagkatapos ng nangyari.Ako ang nagdala sa kaniya sa ganitong sitwasyon. Gusto kong mainis kay Dominic dahil alam niya naman na all
Love Survival KABANATA 17: Quarrel
SLOANAfter I bought pasalubong for Yaya Basya and Ate Beeba here in Nepo Mall, I looked for a restaurant because I plan to bring lunch to Dominic at the factory.I don’t know the exact address of the VMC factory here, but there’s Google Maps naman and the company Dominic works for is well-known, so I know I won’t have a hard time finding it.Tumigil ang paa ko sa harap ng Yankee Bites isang American restaurant na nadito pa rin sa loob ng Nepo Mall.Kung tama ang pagkakaalala ko, half-American si Dominic kaya sigurado ako na miss niya nang kumain ng American cuisine.Pagpasok ko sa restaurant ay medyo maraming tao. Most of them are Americans who probably missed eating the American foods that they’re used to.I walked toward the counter. Dadamihan ko na lang siguro ang order ko para sabay na kaming mag-lunch ni Dominic.“Good noon! What do you want to have, Ma’am?” nakangiting tanong ng babae sa counter.I looked at the countertop menu and read the available dishes.“C-Can I have Jamba
Love Survival KABANATA 16: Gratitude
SLOANI gulped hard while looking at her dangerous eyes that were darting into me. Kung nakakamatay lamang ang tingin, malamang kanina pa ‘ko nakabulagta sa sahig at hindi na humihinga dahil sa paraan ng pagtingin niya sa akin.“Ang kapal naman talaga ng muka mong maglakad-lakad ng malaya pagkatapos ng pagpapabayang ginawa mo sa anak ko, ano?” galit niyang turan.I quickly averted my gaze and stood up. My knees and hands were trembling because of nervousness. I could feel my forehead sweating because I could sense the sharpness of Tita Fina’s gaze.“I-I’m sorry po. A-Aalis na lang po ak—”“At sino ang nagsabi sa ‘yo na pwede kang umalis habang kinakausap pa kita? Bakit? Natatakot ka bang marinig ang mga sasabihin ko kasi totoo?” she cut off.Nag-angat ako ng tingin ngunit mabilis ding umiwas. Kaparehas niya ng mata si Frederick. Naalala ko kung paano sa ‘kin tumingin noon ang anak niya kapag galit siya sa trabaho at sa akin ibubuntong ang init ng ulo niya.I closed my eyes tightly to
Love Survival KABANATA 15: Trust
SLOANKinabukasan ay umalis na nga kami ng Cebu kagaya ng sabi ni Dominic. Leaving San El Paso was not easy for us, especially because I could really feel the sadness of the people there when we told them that we had to leave.Naiintindihan naman daw nila na aalis talaga kami, hindi lang talaga raw nila inaasahan na mapapaaga. Nangako naman kami na babalik kapag nagkaroon kami ng libreng oras. We are currently inside Dominic’s Mercedes-Benz A-Class car, heading to his penthouse. Gumamit kami ng private plane na pag-aari ni Dominic kaya mabilis kaming nakarating dito sa Manila.“Ano’ng oras tayong pupunta sa Pangasinan?” basag ko sa nakakabinging katahimikan na kanina pa bumabalot sa loob ng sasakyan.He glanced at his wrist watch and said, “Two hours from now. Magpapahinga muna tayo at mag-iimpake ng mga gamit na dadalhin natin doon.”Sumulyap rin ako sa suot kong rose gold na wrist watch. It’s already ten in the morning, so we’ll leave around one in the afternoon.“How long will we
Love Survival KABANATA 14: Wish
SLOANI’ve experienced a beach wedding before with Frederick, and I didn’t feel anything that day but sadness and disappointment. But today, as I walked on the white sand, wearing only my flip-flops, a simple white dress, and a fresh crown flower, it felt like I was walking on clouds.Ang buhangin na nilalakaran ko ay may nagkalat na petals ng mga iba’t ibang bulaklak at sa dulo nito ay naroon ang arkong altar kung saan naghihintay si Dominic at si Mayor na siyang magkakasal sa amin sa pangalawang pagkakataon. Nakatayo lang ang mga residente ng Isla San El Paso habang nakangiting nakatingin sa amin. Lahat sila ay nakasuot ng puting damit. Mapababae man o lalaki.I gulped when Dominic and I locked eyes. He was looking at me intently, like I was the only one he was seeing, and not minding the people around us. Ang gwapo niya sa suot niyang puting button down long sleeve at saka itim na slacks. Nakasuot lang rin siya ng flip-flop kagaya ko.Ang itsura niya ngayon ay malayong-malayo sa it
