CHAPTER 3—After five years, ex-lovers finally met

ROME

I surely wasn’t stupid not remembering the name of my ex-wife. Her full name. Thinking back to when I mixed my surname with hers is a little unsettling. The name I saw brought back all the hurt and painful memories, stabbing me in the heart once more.

I told Regina, my right hand and my trustworthy employee that she needed to find me a new secretary since my previous one wanted me to be her husband ever since we slept together in the same bed.

What a trashy idea of her.

It was just all show and game for me, but she anticipated that I wanted to be with her after that one-night stand. I only want her body, not anything else.

As if…

And my job is just to give them a nice and warm pleasure without any compensation. Pagmamahal? Nevermind.

In the world of sex things, love doesn’t exist. Kahit ipilit pa nila na mahal nila ako o may gusto sila sa akin, hindi ko binibigyang pansin. Why? Do they deserve my love? No one deserves my love even the woman that I marry a long time ago. Nagsisisi ako na ibinigay ko lahat para sa kanya, maging ang pagmamahal ko sa sarili ko ay ibinigay ko para sa kanya but she failed me.

Get back on. When I reviewed the resume of the new applicants for the position of secretary, which is the third rank position of my company, suddenly a familiar name popped into my eyes.

Seeing her name made my blood boil as I wanted to cuss her nonstop. Pangalan pa lang niya napapasara na niya ang kamao ko, paano pa kaya kapag siya na ang nakita ko?

Hindi pa naman ako natutuliro para manakit ng babae. Naiinis lang.

She is unaware that I will be her boss for her entire life in my company. I smirked when a plan came out of my mind.

It is time to take my turn from what she did to me.

A cheater wife.

Not only that, a gold digger.

She is also arrogant when she holds a huge amount of money. How I wish I could slap my billion dollars to her face, not only dollars but my things, a mansion, a business, a car, everything.

She stole 5 million from her mistress and the reason why my aunt died was because of her and her mistress. Iniwan niya ako at sumama siya sa sugar daddy niya. Dahil sa lahat ng ginawa niya, I am the one who suffered. Nadamay pa ang napakainosente at napakabait kong mahal na tita. Not only once, but doubled the torture I got. Si Tita ang kalahating porsyento ko e. Siya ang naging magulang ko at kaisa-isang tao na nagtitiwala sa kakayahan ko.

She left me with no words. Only I found out that she was with the rich old man. They even sent me a picture that they are together, covering their bodies in white blanket while she was resting her head to his chest.

Bago kami magkahiwalay, we have a couple argument, and we misunderstood each other because of the finances that we needed at that time. We are poor as mice.

Hindi ko alam ang dahilan kung bakit balisang-balisa siya na magkapera noon, kahit mga sweldo ko sa loob ng isang buwan kinukuha niya, but she doesn’t even buy some groceries. Kahit nga deodorant ko nahihirapan pa niyang ibili ako. Kahit pang-load ko man lang hirap na hirap kami at naghehesitate pa akong gumastos.

In my mind, she was using the money for her own happiness, alam ko na pinanlalalaki niya lang ‘yon.

Pero hindi ko na prinoblema ‘yon dahil iniisip ko na mas maganda kung ang babae ang humahawak ng sweldo ng kanilang mga asawa. I tried to find a job that pays me high, but based on our status, it is difficult.

I didn’t give up even if we didn’t have that much money to live. Ayoko ring puro ang tita ko ang gumagastos sa amin noon kaya’t hindi ko tinigilan ang pagkakayod sa trabaho.

But while I was out, she was flirting, I knew it ‘cause she was always absent in our house. Kahit sa trabaho niya ay nag-aabsent siya. Wala akong kaalam-alam sa lahat. I loved her so much. Ipinaglaban ko pa siya sa lahat. I sacrificed all for her, but she will just do that to me? What a shame.

Natatawa na lang ako kapag naiisip kong pinakasalan ko ang taong inaasahan kong magiging kakampi ko hanggang sa dulo, iyon pala ay siya rin ang sisira sa pagkatao ko. Ang dami-daming mga babaeng may gusto sa akin at siya ang pinili ko kasi siya ang nirereflect ng puso ko.

I get her resume as I sip to my coffee. Wala pa naman nagbago sa kanya.

Kung sigurong ako pa rin ang dating Rome, malamang ay nakatanggap na siya ng kompliment.

“Tss.”

Kung mayroon man na hindi mangyayari, that’s the thing that I go back to being a husband for her. But somewhat I am thankful, kung hindi dahil sa kanya, hindi ako magiging successful.

What she would do if ever she knew that I am holding tons of gold now? Sell herself to me?

Malademonyong ngiti ang ipinakita ko sa salamin na nabalingan ko. Why not buy her to be my slave then?

At mapanood niya kung paano ako tumayo sa sarili kong paa nang iwan niya ako.

Well, I doubt she will ignore the offer, basta pera siguro sasama ‘yon.

“Sir, I already called Faye Reagon for the face-to-face interview later,” Regina informed me. I just nodded. After five years I will see her.

Ito ang gustong-gusto kong mangyari eh, ang makaharap ko siya at maipagmalaki ang sarili ko. I will make her kneel before me.

“Tell her to come here. Guide the direction of this building. One more thing, I want you to know her background even the status of her family,” I ordered and put back her resume to my table.

“Yes, sir. Later will do,” she bowed her head and got out of my office.

“Hi!” the office echoed his happy-go-lucky greetings.

Before he came closer to me, he got the sandwich that lying at my dining table.

“What the? That supposed my dinner!” I complained and tried to get the sandwich but he bit it. “Moron!”

“Gutom ako,” punong-puno ng pagkain ang kanyang bibig. “Ang lalim ng iniisip mo ah? Tara club? Maraming new girls daw doon, ang sesexy pa!” maloko nitong sabi. “Ilan gusto mo?”

I just shook my head. If I am a playboy, mas malala siya. Halos nakakailang babae siya sa isang araw. I could say he is a bad influence ‘cause he taught me how to be a womanizer, but somewhat good, para na rin akong nakakapaghiganti sa manloloko kong ex.

And I am not in the mood to flirt with girls right now. Naipon na naman kasi ang sama ng loob ko at galit nang makita ang pangalan niya.

So by the way, he is Xino Massimo. He was the person that I am with since I was empty. Alam niya rin ang tungkol sa buhay ko mula noong ikinasal ako kay Faye hanggang sa magkahiwalay kami dahil sa panloloko niya sa akin. Siya ang pinaka-best friend ko. Bale sampong taon ko na siyang kaibigan.

He is humorous and somewhat irritating but I can honestly say he is a trustworthy friend.

“I have something to tell you,” I said and grabbed her resume. I handed it to Xino. His eyes widened when he saw her.

“Come back na ba this?” he joked.

Lumapit ako sa lugar niya para lang pukpukin ang ulo niya gamit ng matigas na parte sa daliri ko.

“Aw! Biro lang! Papayag ka bang makasama mo siya sa trabaho? I-reject mo na agad-agad,” he suggested and put back the paper on the table. “Pero ang cute niya,” pahabol niyang puri kaya’t nangasim ang mukha ko.

“Hindi ‘yan mangyayari. Marami pa akong dapat singilin kay Faye. Marami na akong pera na pambabayad sa kanya, sa palagay ko bibigay agad ‘yon,” I grinned and finished the coffee.

“I like your plan,” he smirked and bumped my fist.

Faye, my dear and my sexy ex-wife. I will see you soon.

As Regina said, she would give me her background of Faye. May mga documentary photos din silang nakuha.

Faye was talking to her brother, Francis. Their house is just simple and it likes it is only one room and one living room. The surroundings are also scattered with full of dry leaves and other trashes just like her.

Pumayat siya, nagmukha na rin siyang may anak na. Mahirap kami noon pero hindi ganyan ang hitsura niya. Shouldn’t she make herself better when she was her sugar daddy? She is proud of the money she has then.

Noon hindi ko hinahayaan na mapangitan siya sa sarili niya. She's gifted. May hubog ang katawan at maganda ang mukha kasama ang may pagkamaputi nitong balat. Bakit niya naman hinayaan ng ganito ang sarili niya?

Tss. Pakialam mo ba, Rome?

“Her father died 4 years ago,” Regina told me. I stopped paging the paper.

Her father just passed away? Her father was good when I met him first. They were residing in the province. I and Faye were living at the same proof in Manila with my auntie.

Pero kahit papaano may epekto sa akin ang narinig ko na wala na si Tito.

“Her mother is sick so she needed to have a job for her mother and her brother,” dugtong pa niya. “Her mother cannot talk nor walk.”

I wondered what happened 5 years ago when we separated. Pero kay Faye lang naman ako walang pakialam. Nandoon pa rin naman ang awa at respeto ko sa dati kong mga biyenan.

“Well, I'm sorry for what happened to her parents,” I commented and put the paper on the top of her resume. “Siguro naman ay narealize na niya lahat ang mali niya after what happened.”

“Do you have a relationship with her back then?” Regina asked. I just wore my usual expression: blank and cold.

“I appreciate for minding your own business, Regina. You may now leave,” I remarked. Mukhang napahiya naman siya.

Wala akong balak na ipaalam sa kanya ang tungkol kay Faye.

Later on, someone knocked on the door. I was looking at my laptop and reviewing the new project that they submitted to me. I rejected most of them and was not satisfied with their work.

I just stopped pressing the cubes of the keyboard in my laptop when I felt someone standing in front of my office table.

“Good m-morning,” she was shy as she said that.

Naisip ko na naman bigla ang pagiging mahinhin niya noon. Ganyan na ganyan siya, the attitude that I love before. Ang attitude na unang napansin ko sa kanya n’ong una kaming magkita. Ang boses niya na parang isang huni ng ibon sa mga tainga ko.

But behind her gentle face and actions, she was a terrible woman that I’ve ever known. Suminghap ako at ikinuyom ang mga kamao ko dahil sa panggigigil pero pinigilan ko na lang ang sarili ko.

I crossed my legs below the table and wrapped my arms around my chest as I lifted my head to face her.

She stood, shocked, and also her lips shape an ‘o’. She even let go unintentionally her handbag and made it noise when it fell to the floor.

“It is nice to see you again, my cheater, slut, gold-digger ex-wife,” I teasingly said.

She started to tremble and I could sense she wanted to run out of my office and never show herself to me. Dapat lang na maramdaman niya ang mga ganyang emosyon dahil siya ang dapat managot at mahiya rito, hindi ako.

Kung alam niya lang na naaattemp na ang mga kamay kong hablutin siya at parusahan, but not now. There is another time for everything.

Sino nga ba ang matutuwa kung makikita mo ang taong niloko mo na ngayon ay hindi mo na maabot?

I smirked at her.

While examining her, I remembered how I became like that, mukhang tatay at luma ang damit. Ngayon, sa kanya lahat nagrereflect. Totoo nga talaga ang karma. Totoo nga talaga na ang taong unang nanloko, sa kanila mapupunta ang kamalasan.

My forehead creased when she cried in front of me full of begging and regret in her eyes.

“I-I… I missed you, Rome…”

Natawa ako sa kaloob-looban ng isip ko.

Namiss rin kita, Faye. Kaya nga tinanggap kita rito para ipalasap sa ‘yo ang ganti ko.