"Lev! I missed you so much!""Becca! You're here!"Kumalas sa yakap yung babae kay Lev at nakangiting hinarap siya. "Look at you! You look so handsome!""And you too," sagot ni Lev.Uhm. Hello? I stared at the both of them with knitted brows. What is this? Bakit hinahayaan lang ni Lev na yakapin siya nang ganyan in front of a lot of people? I know who Rebecca is but I don't know who she is in Lev's life. This thing that they did to me is downright insulting!"Kaia," Kali whispered. "Are you okay?""I'm good." I cleared my throat para makuha atensyon ni Lev.Lev's eyes met mine kaya all of the sudden, bigla niya akong naalala. Wow."Oh! Right. Becca, I'd like you to meet--" Naputol yung sasabihin ni Lev nang biglang nagsalita yung MC."Ladies and gentlemen. Let me introduce to you, the hostess for tonight's event!" He announced."Teka lang. That can wait," Sabi ni Rebecca at hinila si Lev papalayo sa amin."But wait--"Nakakunot yung noo kong sinundan sila ng tingin. At hindi pa talag
"Kaia, can you please tell me what's wrong?" He asked frustratedly. "I can't read minds!"Napatitig ako sa kanya. He's really upset. Kumirot yung dibdib ko sa sariling naisip. Doesn't he loves me anymore? May nagawa ba ako para ikaka-turn off niya? Am I too harsh towards him. Naramdaman ko nalang yung pagtubig ng aking mga mata. Fvck! I don't want to lose him."Do you love me less now?" I asked at tuluyan nang tumulo ang aking mga luha.Nawala yung kunot niya sa noo at napalitan ng pag-aalala. "Kaia, please don't cry."Inilapit niya yung kamay niya sa mukha ko para sana punasan yung luha ko pero umiwas ako, leaving his hand in the air. Nasasaktan niya akong tiningnan. I wipe my own tears aggressively."Do you want to stop this ruse, Lev? Sabihin mo lang sa akin na ayaw mo na. Tell me that you don't like me anymore before my feelings for you deepens!" I cried. "K-Kaia...""Okay na sana tayo e. But why do you have to show that stuff to me?" I asked, pointing at the party. "A girl sudde
"How did you learn how to cook?" I asked Lev when I took a spoonful of his cooking.Nakakagulat yung luto niya, animo'y bihasa na sa gawaing ito. The last time I remembered, halos hindi na nga niya matapos-tapos yung niluto niya kung hindi ko pa tulungan."Masarap?" He chuckled.I nodded. "Sobra!""Well I took cooking class, one of the best class." Pagmamalaki niya. "Why?""Para mapagluto nga kita," He smiled. "Dapat lang alam ko na kung paano magluto kapag ikakasal na tayo. We will be sharing the same house, baby."Mapait akong napangiti sa sinabi niya. Ikakasal nga kami. Don't get me wrong, I want to spend everyday of my life with him. Kaya lang naaalala ko yung ruse. Now that he told me the way he feels, matutuloy pa ba ang ruse? Will we get divorce after a few months? Iniisip ko palang yan ay parang gusto ko nalang manatili kami sa ganitong sitwasyon. A situation where we don't have to be separated. Napansin ni Lev yung pananahimik ko kaya lumingon siya sa akin na nakakunot yung
I woke up because my phone is ringing. Nang buksan ang aking mga mata, naninibago ako sa nakita. This isn't my room. Definitely not my bed. Saka ko lang naalala ang lahat nang makaramdam ng bigat sa aking tiyan. I look at the person beside me and I saw Lev. Napangiti ako. He's sleeping soundly as his arms are possesively wrapping my waist. Narinig ko na namang magring yung phone ko kaya dahan-dahan kong tinanggal yung kamay niya para maabot ko yung phone pero bigla siyang umungol. "No..."Napangiti ako. "Someone's calling.""Dito ka lang," reklamo niya."Saglit lang, Lev. Kukunin ko lang phone ko," Sagot ko dito.I received a groan from him pero niluwagan niya naman yung pagyakap niya sa akin. "Fine. Hurry."He lets go of me kaya tuluyan na akong nakabangon pero napahinto ako nang makaramdam ng hapdi sa pagkababae ko. I bit my lower lip when I remembered what happened last night. I gave in. I also realized that I am fully naked. I shrug my shoulders. Nakita naman niya lahat sa akin
"That's incest, my dear. Very immoral," Iling ko sa kanya.Kumukulo na talaga yung dugo sa babaeng ito pero gusto kong cool pa rin akong tingnan. How dare she ruin my morning? Sobrang ganda kaya ng gising ko! And she just ruined it by saying that she likes my fiancé. To think na magpinsan sila, that's not right!"We are not related by blood," Iling niya. "I am adopted so liking him wouldn't be a problem. Do you really think you are fit to be his wife?"I shrug my shoulders. "I know that I'm not perfect but I also know that he loves me. Is that a good enough for you?"She scoffed. "I don't believe you. Something is really off about this set up but I just can't point it out. Kadalasang tama yung hinala ko ang believe me, hindi ko gusto itong nararamdaman ko.""Siguro I can point out what you are feeling," Ngisi ko.Tumaas yung kilay niya. "And what is that?""Jealousy?" I guessed. "Envy?"Mas lalong nagdilim ang kanyang paningin. I saw how her jaw clenched with her fists. Mukhang isang
"I'll see you later, Kaia. Magbihis ka na. Baka magkasakit ka pa," He said."I'll get in after I see you leave," I smiled pero umiling lang siya."No. I'll leave after you get in.""Lev!""Kaia," ma-otoridad niyang sabi. "Sige na bago ka pa magkasakit."I frowned. "Fine. I'll see you later."He slightly pinched my cheeks. "Stop frowning. Sige ka. Tatanda ka nang maaga.""And you will love me less?" Taas-kilay kong tanong."What? No," iling niya. "You know how much I love you."I smiled. "Okay. See you later!" Tatalikod na sana ako nang pigilan niya ako. "Ano?""Walang goodbye kiss?" Nguso niya. Napailing nalang ako at tumingkayad. I gave him a peck on the lips. "Yun lang?" Reklamo niya."Wag abusado," Iling ko. "Sige na. Magbibihis na ako.""Fine," He chuckled. "See you later."I nodded. "See you."Pumasok na ako sa loob kasi alam kong hindi siya aalis hanggang hindi ako papasok. Pero akala lang niya na tuluyan na akong pumasok. Naghintay pa ako ng ilang segundo bago ako lumabas uli
"No..." I whispered under my breath.I see nothing but darkness around me. I know for sure na sa akin nakatingin ang lahat. They may be judging me right now. Gusto kong maiyak pero pinigilan ko lang yung sarili ko. Lev, saan ka na? Kali? Sebastian? Where are you?Napuno ng bulungan ang buong paligid. Gusto ko nalang kainin ako ng lupa dahil sa hiya. "You thought this day wouldn't come?" She scoffed. "Kaia Dorchner, isang business woman at kinababaliwan ng mga kalalakihan. She's smart, pretty, and raised by a well-known family. So well known that everyone wants to be like them. That's how influential they are."Lumingon siya sa akin at tinaasan ako ng kilay. "But who would've thought that Miss goody two shoes could be this mischievious? She's tricking everyone!""That's enough, Becca!" May biglang sumita.I then saw Lev running towards me and hid me behind him. Kumapit ako sa suot niyang damit, as if trying to get protection from him. I've never been this vulnerable, ever!"What?" Ino
I got up from my feet and ran towards the door. Walang pagdadalawang-isip kong binuksan ang pinto and there I saw the man that I've been longing for."Lev!"I immediately wrap my arms around him as he did the same. Habang magkayakap ay dahan-dahan kaming pumasok sa loob saka niya sinara yung pinto. I cried and cried at wala na akong pakealam kung ano na yung mukha ko ngayon. God! I missed him."Stop crying," He chuckled."Bakit ngayon ka lang?" Tanong ko at tumingala sa kanya."I couldn't get hold of you. Pinagbawalan akong lumabas kagaya mo," Sabi niya habang hawak-hawak yung pisngi ko."But how did you get out?" I asked."Secretly?" He replied. "Sebastian called me and told my family na pinapatawag ako ng Presidente. It was faux though. He just said that para makalabas ako.""So you can visit me?"He nodded. "Oo. Nagseselos pa ako dun pero siya naman pala yung tutulong.""But how did you get in?" "Si Kali," he smiled. "She lets me in and both of them will turn a blind eye kapag nal