Diane’s P.O.V.
“Do you have a turtle-neck blouse, sissy?” Karen asked me all of a sudden. Siya pa ang sobrang busy na naghahanap sa nasabing damit sa duffel bag ko.
We were both done with our shower when Karen went inside my room a while ago. Pareho na rin kaming nakabihis, so I wasn’t sure kung bakit pa siya nagtatanong.
“Hmm… wala, best. Bakit?” Nagtatakang tanong ko kay Karen. We were both wearing a spaghetti-strap top tank that could show a little bit of our cleavage.
As far as I knew, she doesn’t want to wear a turtle-neck blouse because she always wanted to flaunt her slender neck. She still had a white towel on her hair but after drying and combing it, I guessed she would be all set.
“Because you have a hickey on that pretty neck of yours,” she frankly spoke. “Wait here, I’ll get mine
Diane’s P.O.V.“So, guys… let’s start. Para hindi magtagal, sa simula lang natin gagawin ang bobo game. At baka sabihin ng iba na unfair na naman dahil ako ang magbibigay ng category, I’ll answer in the middle na lang, okay?” Xielo stated, na parang sinasadyang paringgan ang mga lalaki.“Siyempre, obvious naman na napaghandaan mo na ‘yan! Baka nga hindi na nawala sa utak mo ‘yong sagot eh!” Tumatawa si Peter habang nang-aasar sa kanya.“Well… it would be a little advantage for me dahil kung wala ako, this getaway will only bore you to hell,” Xielo refuted. “Aba! Hindi madali ang mag-organize ng games ha? But enough na, Peter. Huwag ka na lang sumali kung marami kang reklamo!” She scowled at him before clapping her hands to alert us. “Alright, everyone! Just get ready and I’ll definitely start in three,
Diane’s P.O.V.“No, it’s not me. My real name starts with the letter C, so it should be C and not K!” Karen waved her hands to disagree, but her tone wasn’t complaining. Mukhang tanggap naman niya ang kasalukuyang nangyayari. “Should we sleep now? Maaga pa tayong gigising bukas!”“Sorry, Karen… the night is still young and please lang, ‘wag kang kj diyan! I didn’t know your real name, so K ang nilagay ko sa roulette. Had I known, C ang ilalagay ko. So, whether you liked it or not, you’re the K to whom Chef Sam will dedicate his pickup lines to,” Xielo rebutted to Karen before diverting her attention to Samuel.“Go, Chef! Make us all proud! Sana lang ay hindi kayo tuluyang mag-away mamaya,” natatawang sigaw ni Xielo, na may pa-fighting sign pa.“Hmm… hindi ako magaling sa pickup lin
Diane’s P.O.V.Above all, I couldn’t blame Barbie because she was right. The way Samuel looked at Karen with concern in his eyes and how he delivered those words while tenderly holding her hands—showed me that it wasn’t just a simple pickup line.There was something more to it because I could feel how it naturally came from his heart. Karen was also lost for a few minutes of staring at his green eyes before she decided to pull her hands away from Sam.“Ano bang ka-corny-han ang mga pinagsasasabi mo riyan ha? Wala na bang iba, Chef? You know what? I was expecting a lot from you pa naman like in our newspaper game, but sadly… you’ve just ruined my expectation again.”Karen averted her gaze as she hardly swallowed something on her throat. Hindi niya alam kung saan titingin na para bang bigla na lang siyang nalito kung kaya’t ipinasy
Diane’s P.O.V.Hindi ko naiwasang masamid habang nanlalaki ang mga mata kong nakatingin sa roulettes. Medyo naubo pa nga ako, but Karen was fast enough to get a bottled water from the cooler and gave it to me. Liam attempted to stand up too, but I silently signaled him not to.Nagkamali lang pala ako ng tingin dahil ang akala ko kanina, letter S talaga ‘yong tumapat sa arrowhead. But what happened was definitely a surprising turn of fate.I sighed because it was indeed the letter L. And now, I had no other choice but to be sandwiched in between the Evangelista brothers again… because only Liam and Leandro’s names start with the letter L here.Grabe talaga kung maglaro ang tadhana sa akin! Mukhang mas madali pa nga yata kung magla-lap dance na lang ako kay Sharmaine.“Wala pa nga pero mukhang nag-iinit ka na riyan, Diane ha! Kung sin
Diane’s P.O.V. Focusing my attention back to Liam—he tried to stand up, but it looked like he was fragile enough and just ended up being a statue. It just happened that he couldn’t stand on his own, like how I was stuck up in my position too. Hindi ko maiwasang lalo pang kabahan sa mga nakikita ko. I could feel nothing now but blind terror. This time, the uncontrollable fear which sank into my mind was no longer about me. It was now all about him… and Liam was much important more than anything. “W-What’s happening? Is S-Sir Liam having an allergy?” tanong ni Xielo na tila napako na rin sa kinatatayuan. Ilang saglit pa ay halos hinahabol na ni Liam ang paghinga na para siyang hinihika. Nakatingin siya sa akin habang hawak-hawak ang dibdib niya. Dahil doon ay agad na akong dumalo sa kanya para damayan siya. Pinilit kong buhatin ang
Diane’s P.O.V. Si Leandro naman ay duguan ang mukha at saka parang baliw pa na dumura ng dugo sa kanang bahagi nito. “You—you think, you know everything? Don’t act as a hero here, Samuel!” Unti-unti naman itong itinayo nina Matt, Yexel, at Peter, habang si Kenneth ay hinarang ang katawan kay Samuel na akma pang babalikan si Leandro. Karen rushed and grabbed Samuel’s wrist para agarang ilayo ito. Sa laki ng pangangatawan nito ay kayang-kaya lang namang ihagis ni Samuel si Kenneth sa malayo. Putok ang magkabilang gilid ng mga labi, namamaga ang mga pisngi, gulo-gulo ang buhok, at halos nakapikit na ang kaliwang mata ni Leandro. Sigurado akong bukas na bukas ay may black eye na rin ito. He also had a cut on his nose that might be caused by the huge gold-metallic ring on one of Samuel’s fingers. Karen helped Samuel on assisting Liam and that was when I got the opportunity to stan
Diane’s P.O.V. No matter how stressed I was with what happened tonight, I found my lips forming a thin smile sa batuhan nila ng mga salita. Hindi ko man makaka-kuwentuhan ngayong gabi si Karen tungkol sa totoong namamagitan sa kanilang dalawa ni Sam at kung paano sila unang nagkakilala, mas importante naman ang kalagayan ni Liam. I hastily opened the room with my keycard. It only took Sam and Janno a few seconds to lay Liam’s body on the bed after that. Mabilis din naman silang nagpaalam sa akin with a promise that Samuel would talk to the rest of the group—that whatever happened here should only stay here in Moulin Paradise Resort. Siguro naman ay matatakot sila kay Samuel pagkatapos nilang masaksihan ang ginawa nitong pambubugbog kay Leandro. Calling it a night, I thanked the three of them bago pa kami nag-besong dalawa ni Karen. “Don’t even overthink about Leandro’s demean
Diane’s P.O.V. Waking up with heavy eyelids made me realize that I only slept in just a few hours. Then, memories from last night started to sink in which made me feel a little bit slumber. I just couldn’t help but lean my body against the door during the dawn. Alas-tres na rin yata ng madaling-araw ako nakatulog. Para kasi akong mapa-paranoid kanina sa kaluskos na paulit-ulit kong naririnig sa labas ng kuwarto. Masyado lang siguro akong nag-iisip ng kung ano-ano at baka guni-guni ko lang pala ang lahat nang ‘yon. However, something was telling me that it was real. It was like a conversation, and what I heard was a vague voice of a mad woman—having an argument with someone over her phone. Nasabi ko ‘yon dahil kung may kasama siya sa labas ng kuwarto, dalawang boses sana ang narinig ko. Dismissing my thoughts about that ambiguous person, I looked by my side and seeing the stri
Diane’s P.O.V.“Oh, sorry… M-Mommy A. I honestly forgot but I remember it now,” atubili kong tugon. If my memory was right, I used to call her Mommy A before. The moment I struggled from being a rape victim, I suddenly had two mothers.That time, Dra. Ava was persistent enough at ayaw niya talaga na tinatawag ko siyang Doktora o Dra. Ava. I lived with her for a few months while continuing my psychotherapy sessions at kapag nga may nagtatanong kung bakit ako nakatira sa dating bahay niya, she would often joke around na anak daw niya ako sa pagkadalaga.“Perfect! I could say that you now fully remember me.” Dra. Ava pleasantly released me from her hug and diverted her attention to my best friend.“And also, Karen, right? I’m glad to meet you. Diane has been talking a lot about you over the phone. Please, make yourselves comfortable. You
Diane’s P.O.V.Glossy white walls surrounded with landscaped paintings, double-floating bridal staircases with exotic brown columns, sophisticated elevators, and high ceilings with cascading chandeliers and remarkable drapes, greeted us from the inside. All furniture varieties were properly placed at its own position creating a minimalistic style.The mansion’s interior bespoke amenities that were even imported from other countries. It was truly breathtaking and I could say that the mansion had more than ten enviable rooms in it, other than the living room space and what I pictured out to be a chef-inspired kitchen.There was still a huge space for decorations, and generally, the overall mansion provided a natural light and ventilation. What we were breathing was indeed fresh air and there was no need for an air-conditioner. Kahit sino naman ay bigla na lang mapapanganga sa l
Diane’s P.O.V.After buying some treats and fruits sa nadaanan naming convenience store, it didn’t take long for Karen and I to finally reach Dra. Ava’s house. But it was an understatement to only describe it as a house. Hindi na pala ‘yon ang dating duplex townhouse ni Dra. Ava and little did I know na mansiyon pala ang aming pupuntahan.It was indeed a celestial and luxury house of about five thousand square feet—built with three stories and it even had what I thought were some attic levels. The exterior alone of modern peach-colored bricks casts a shadow of lavishness and makes a sassy statement in the entire place.The terraces were boldly overlooking and could already satisfy a visitor, who was just eyeing the second and third levels. Sky-rocketing French-designed and prostyle-fiberglass columns were dominatingly crafted at their finest.Fr
Diane’s P.O.V.“Best, if you really have to pull-over for us to better talk about it, it’s fine with me. I can wait. Isa pa, hindi naman aalis si Dra. Ava sa bahay niya at makakapaghintay naman siya sa akin,” I told Karen while gently wiping the tears on her right cheek using my handkerchief.Karen just nodded and parked at the right side of the road kung saan walang gaanong tao at mga sasakyan. She then pushed the ‘hazard’ button, alerting those within the perimeter that we were on a hazard—either having a mechanical problem, a flat tire along the way, or whatever they think was wrong with us.In this case, Karen should pacify herself first. She was overwhelmed by too much emotions and it wasn’t good for her. Lalabo lang ang mga mata niya habang nagmamaneho and I couldn’t afford to be in another car accident. That was the last thing I could have ever
Diane’s P.O.V.“Don’t lie to me, sissy. More than anyone else that surrounds you—well, even your siblings—it was me who can read you from head to toe. I can see right through you. Malakas ang pakiramdam ko na alam mo ang totoong dahilan kung bakit nagkaganoon si Liam at hindi lang ‘yon basta allergy lang. Don’t worry, I’ll seal my lips and whatever you share will only stay between the two of us. Deal?” Tumitingin-tingin si Karen sa’kin ngunit agad namang bumabalik ang atensiyon niya sa daan.“In three-hundred meters, turn left.” It was the female voice of Qooqle map on Karen’s infotainment system.I pursed my lips because I should have known her better. Karen wouldn’t share any of her secrets nang walang kapalit. She was quite clever… and most of the time, unpredictable.But being my most trust
Diane’s P.O.V. “So, where are we going now?” Karen asked me while taking care of her car infotainment system—wiping it with some tissues at her hand. Ilalagay niya kasi roon ‘yong address na kailangan naming puntahan. Mahirap na, baka kung saan pa kami mapunta at bigla na lang kaming maligaw rito sa Batangas. “Here,” sagot ko. Pinakita ko naman sa kanya ang cell phone ko at agad niyang binasa ang address na nakalagay roon, habang nilalagay ‘yon sa touchscreen niyang car monitor. Hindi naman ako mapalagay dahil pagkatapos ng ilang taon ay madadalaw ko na rin ang doktorang naging malapit sa buhay ko noon. Namamasa rin ang mga kamay ko at bahagya pang nanginginig ang mga ito. Actually, kinakabahan talaga ako and I had to take a deep breath to be comfortable. Out of all people, I knew that Dra. Ava Manuel was the only person who could
Diane’s P.O.V.Kung makikita lang ni Lorenz ang eksenang ito ay tiyak kong magseselos talaga ang kumag. But as much as I wouldn’t want to hurt him, I wouldn’t want to betray Karen too. I couldn’t say that I entirely knew her feelings, pero ayoko namang pangunahan ang kaibigan ko.I would want her to decide for herself—to decide who she would choose to be with in the end. It doesn’t matter who Karen would choose, as long as she would follow her happiness.“What can you say?” I asked Liam. “Mukhang nagkasundo na ang dalawa. I guessed there was something deeper between Karen and Chef Sam… at mukhang higit pa ‘yon sa kung ano mang pagkakakilala natin sa kanila.”“Hmm, I guessed your instincts are right. But anyway… si Lorenz ‘yong ka-video call mo kanina, ‘di ba? Did you mention to him anyth
Diane’s P.O.V. “Hmm… h-hindi pa kasi gising si Karen, Lorenz eh. You know her, right? It was still earlier than six and she’s not a morning person at all,” maang kong sagot while shrugging off my shoulders. “C-Can you call again later? Or… do you want me to relay your message to her?” I even straightened my posture para naman kahit papaano ay maging kapani-paniwala ang alibi ko. Sobrang lakas ng tibok ng puso ko dahil kahit ayokong magsinungaling sa kaibigan ko, ginagawa ko na iyon ngayon. Namamasa rin ang mga kamay ko. Ang lakas ng boses ko kanina habang pinagagalitan ko si Lorenz, ngayon naman ay halos bumulong na ako. “Oh! I get it now, Diane. Was it Liam who called you? My bad! Sorry for being insensitive here. I forgot that you’re also busy rebuilding your own love story.” Then, he smiled. “No, it’s fine. I’ll call her again later. Or maybe, I could set a date and tell Karen everything I neede
Diane’s P.O.V. “And how would you expect me to react, ha? Magpa-party dahil lang tumawag ka? Kung nandito ka lang eh baka nahampas pa kita!” gigil na sabi ko, pero hindi pa ako nakuntento roon. “You know what? Nagulat nga ako eh! Pagkatapos mo kasing hindi magparamdam sa amin nitong mga nakaraang araw, eh bigla ka na lang tatawag ngayon at malalaman kong buhay ka pa pala?” I contemptuously snapped at him. It was harsh, but I had to do it. Naiirita ako sa kanya, but at the same time… hindi ko mapigilan ang maawa. Pero, kasalanan naman niya ang lahat. “Hey! Do you have your monthly period, Diane?” natatawang buwelta niya sa lahat ng sinabi ko. “Can you please relax, take a deep breath, and hear me out first, okay? I’ve been trying to reach Karen ever since last night, but her cellular phone was damnably unattended. Hindi rin siya online eh, so I had no other choice but to call