PROLOGUE

A beautiful and venerable modernized stadium welcomed me while the crowd keeps banging and clapping ceaselessly.

This is the day I've been waiting for. I'm so excited and a bit disappointed, pero inalis ko na lang 'yun sa isip ko dahil ayokong masira ang mood ko sa araw na 'to.

Everyone is happy and cheerful today. The people are greeting us a congratulation endlessly. Pero hindi ko na 'yon napansin nang malapit na ako sa stage para tawagin ang pangalan ko.

"Belshaw, Aloha Anastacia, Cum Laude." The stadium gave me a round of applause as I walk to the stage to get my medal and diploma. I am so happy right now because all the hardships, tears, money, and sweat have been paid off.

After the ceremony, kaniya-kaniyang picture taking ang batch namin at ang iba naman ay umalis agad for their graduation party. I have so many so-called friends because of my family's name. And they were asking me why my parents didn't attend my graduation. Ang tanging nasagot ko na lang ay may very important business meeting sila kaya hindi sila umabot. 

Well, I'm not lying to that part dahil may ka-meeting naman talaga sila. Pupunta naman sana sila kung Summa Cum Laude ako. Ang kaso, Cum Laude lang ang kinaya ko. They are disappointed that I didn't make it to the top.

Hindi naman na bago sakin ang senaryong 'to. Uma-attend lang naman sila ng mga awarding ko kung ako ang 1st place. Pero kung hindi, then mag-isa akong aakyat sa stage. And it's not big deal for me anymore because I got used to it.

"Aloha! Congrats! Grabe ka. Ang yaman na, ang ganda na, ang talino pa! Cum Laude!" sigaw ng best friend ko na sa Corrine. Napangiti naman ako ro'n. Nakakahiya nga lang dahil ang ingay at sinigaw pa nya. 

"Hoy tulala ka dyan? Ano aangal ka na naman? You're so down to earth talaga." Then she rolled her eyes.

"Sira ka talaga." I laughed. "Anyway, Congrats din!" I said cheerfully and gave her a warm hug.

"Thank you, girl!" Then she kisses me on the cheeks. "Mom and Dad invited you nga pala to my party. Wala ka naman kasama diba? Come on, let's celebrate sa house," excited niyang sabi.

 She's so happy. I can see it in her eyers kaya mapapa-sana all ka talaga. Her parents are very supportive to her kaya naman napaka-close ni Corrine sa parents nya. Even I was close to tito at tita. They treat me na rin as their daughter since madalas ako sa bahay nila kapag bored ako sa bahay. Kaso nga lang, di ako makakapunta ngayon sa bahay nila.

"May party rin kasing ginawa sina Nanay Lorna para sa 'kin. They are waiting for me," I lied.

"Ay gano'n ba? It's okay! Alis na lang tayo bukas para makapag-celebrate tayong dalawa! Nagyaya kasi sina Chris and Kiel." Nagmistulang heart shape ang mata niya dahil makakasama uli namin ang dalawa. I miss those guys.

"Sure, sure! Call mo na lang ako." 

Nag-stay lang muna ako for 10 minutes dahil hinatak pa niya ako sa parents niya na tuwang-tuwa sa na-achieve ko. Mabilis lang din ako nagpaalam dahil may inaabangan pa ako sa bahay.

Inabot din ako ng gabi sa pag-uwi at pagpasok ko ay may nakahanda ng pagkain sa mesa.

"Congrats, Ma'am Aloha. Kumain na po kayo," bati sa 'kin ni Nanay Lorna. I smiled to her and said 'thank you'. Pinasabay ko na rin sya kumain sa 'kin para naman may kasabay ako at hindi ako malungkot.

"Hindi pa po ba umuuwi si Ivan?" bigla kong tanong.

"Hindi pa po Ma'am per—"

"Tatlong taon na tayo nagsasama dito Nanay pero ma'am pa rin kayo nang ma'am sakin. Aloha na lang ho" pagputol ko sakanya.

Ngumiti naman sya at tumango sa sinabi ko. "Pasensya ka na. Yung asawa mo kasi alam mo naman na gusto ng ma'am at sir ang tawag kaya nasanay na talaga ako. Pero sige, pwede bang iha o anak na lang ang itawag ko sayo?"

"Sure po! Para ko na rin naman po kayong nanay" tuwang-tuwa kong sambit.

Kumain na kami at hindi na hinintay si Ivan. For sure naman ay kumain na yun sa labas.

It's already 11pm but my husband is still not home. Ivan is my husband. But our marriage is not what people think. Contract marriage lang kami para sa kapakanan ng negosyo ng pamilya ko. Pero kahit contracte marriage 'to, I love him so much. Ang problema nga lang ay one-sided love lang.

Tomorrow is our 3rd wedding anniversary. Sa loob ng tatlong taon, hindi nya ako nagawang mahalin. And I think I've had enough. In our contract, we can file an annulment after three years dahil graduate na nga ako no'n. At bukas nga ang tatlong taon ng pagsasama namin. I am planning to give him a gift that will surely make him happy.

I want to celebrate our anniversary and my graduation with him today kaso busy sya sa trabaho. Because since we got married, sya na ang nagma-manage ng business namin na business din ng family nila. I thought I can celebrate with him today pero pati yun ay pinagkait pa sa'kin.

May lakad pa naman ako bukas with my friends so siguro iwan ko na lang yung gift ko sa kanya sa desk nya if di ko sya maabutan.

Past 12 na at wala pa rin sya so I guess I need to leave my gift here. Kinuha ko ang isang envelope sa drawer ko at nilabas ang laman niyon.

'Annulment Paper'

My eyes are starting to get blur because of tears. My memories with him flashbacks in my mind as I reminisce about our wedding. I even paint our wedding photo because that day is one of the great memories I had in my life. Lahat naman siguro ng babae ay napakasaya kung maikakasal ka sa taong gustong gusto mo hindi ba? Ang pagkakaiba ko lang naman sa kanila ay.. sila mahal ng taong gusto nila, samantala ako ay hindi.

I signed our Annulment Papers at the exact 12mn of our 3rd anniversary. I cried in pain as I let go of the pen and bring back the papers inside the envelope.

This is my gift for him. Setting him free will surely make him happy because all I want now is to see his smile and happiness even if it's not because of me or not with me. I know I suffered a lot just to be with him, but I'm sure he suffered the most because he's living with a woman he never wanted to be with.

Kinuha ko ang wedding picture namin at hinawakan ang mukha nya rito. He's so handsome here while wearing his mischievous smile. I will miss him so much.

My tears continuously streamed down my face, and even how many times I wipe them off, it never stops from falling. I look once again at our wedding photo with so much love and pain and whispered,

"Happy Anniversary, love. I love you with all my heart and I wish you genuine happiness in life. May you receive the woman you deserve and I hope she'll take care of you more than I do. Thank you for everything and Goodbye."