Amara I went back to the hotel after that. Para akong nakalutang, hindi maintindihan ang dapat na maging reaksyon. Hindi naman ako sigurado na siya iyon, nakakapanibago lang. Pumasok ako ng hotel ngunit wala na sila roon. Ibinilin ko naman sakanila bago ako umalis kanina na umalis nalang sila kahit wala ako. Susunod naman ako pagkatapos. Pero parang nawalan na ako ng gana. Hindi dapat ganito, matagal ko nang ibinaon sa limot lahat ng nangyari. Kung sakaling siya man iyon, ano naman ngayon? Malamang ay sila na ngayon ni Tiana. Baka nga may anak na sila. Ilang taon na rin ang nakalipas. Kontento na rin ako na ako lang at yung mga anak ko. Nandito pa si Rafael upang suportahan ako sa lahat ng bagay. I sighed at my own thoughts, feeling the weight of my fears pressing down on me. Shaking my head to clear my mind, kinuha ko yung cellphone para tawagan si Rafael. Kailangan ko silang puntahan ngayon, nangako ako sa dalawa na susunod ako doon. Kailangan ko rin ikalma ang sarili.
Amara "Ask mommy" sagot ni Rafael kay Yuan. Nangungulit itong huwag muna bumalik ng States at pumunta sa bahay ni Rafael sa probinsya. I chuckled as Yuan kept tugging at my hand, trying to get my attention. "Mom, can we stay here a little longer? Please?" he begged, his eyes wide with excitement. Kasalanan talaga ito ni Rafael, dahil sinabi niya pa iyon. Hangga't maaari sana ay pagkatapos namin na mag gala rito, ay babalik na kami ng States. Hindi ako komportableng mamalagi rito. On the other side, Ayala was quietly taking in the surroundings, her small hand firmly in Rafael's grip. She looked up at him every now and then, her curiosity evident in her gaze. Tahimik lang si Ayala, hindi ito yung tipong nangungulit pero makikita pa rin sa mukha niya yung kuryusidad. Naghihintay ng magiging desisyon ko. Paano ako tatanggi kung ganito yung mga mukha nila. I glanced at Rafael, who was smirking playfully, his eyes sparkling with encouragement. "It would be a good experience for t
Javier I sat at the head of the table, fingers tapping against the polished wood. The room bustle with low conversations, but the tension was thick. Every eye was on me. I took a deep breath, trying to keep my cold anger in check. We were in trouble, and my team knew better than to waste my time.Masyado ko na yatang napapabayaan ang kompanya dahil lang sa balitang nasagap ko. Ilang araw palang ang nakalipas nang hindi ko ito nasuri. Ito na agad yung nangyari. Napasapo ako sa aking noo at napabuntong hininga, sanhi ng pagtinginan ng mga taong nandito sa loob ng conference room.The projector flickered on, casting a pale blue light across the room. Graphs and charts filled the screen, outlining our latest setbacks. Delays in our big project, rising material costs, labor disputes. It was a nightmare threatening to destroy one of my companies. “Let’s get started,” I said, my voice cold and firm. I leaned forward, elbows on the table, and looked each executive in the eye. They were nerv
JavierI’m driving at top speed to get to our house. Mom keeps pulling stunts like this, and I’m fed up. This is going to be her last warning. I can’t deal with all this bullshit anymore.Palagi nalang pinaparatangan ang asawa ko sa mga walang kuwentang bagay. Ilang beses ko na itong pinagsabihan, umuulit pa rin. Kung hindi niya mabigay ang respeto na karapat-dapat sa asawa ko, handa akong tapusin lahat ng ugnayan namin kahit siya ang mismong nagluwal sa akin.When I finally pull up to the house, I see her sitting comfortably on the terrace, a cup of tea in her hand. She’s smiling sweetly at me, as if she’s been eagerly waiting for my arrival. Her calm demeanor only fuels my anger. I step out of the car and walk up to her, my eyes cold and unyielding. She’s accusing my wife of cheating on me, and it’s tearing my life apart. I can’t understand how she can be so relaxed and content while causing so much chaos. Natutuwa pa yatang nasasaktan niya ang asawa ko dahil sa ginagawa niya.“We
RafaelWhen we finally arrived in my home province of Capiz. Mabuti nalang at pumayag si Amara, ngunit kanina pa itong seryoso. The journey had been long, but seeing the lush, green landscapes and the familiar sights of my childhood made every mile worth it. Amara sat beside me, tahimik lang ito na nakatingin sa labas, while Yuan and Ayala pressed their faces against the windows, eager to take in every detail."Look at that beach, Papa! Can we swim in it?" Yuan asked, ang boses nito ay malaki at tuwang tuwa. "Of course, we can," I replied with a smile. Tumingin ako sa dagat, inaalala ang mga nangyari noong bata pa ako. "I used to swim there every day when I was your age."The winding roads brought us closer to the village, and the scent of the sea mingled with the fragrance of the fields. Amara leaned over, her head resting on my shoulder."Ang ganda rito," she whispered. "I can see why you love it so much." Napangiti naman ako sa sinabi nito, at kinindatan ko lamang siya.We drove p
AmaraI stayed at the mansion with my daughter Ayala, who was sleeping so peacefully. Her tiny body curled up under the soft blankets, completely relaxed after the long journey. Rafael and Yuan had gone out to explore, leaving the house in a gentle, serene quiet.Settling into a cozy armchair, I opened my book and let myself get lost in its pages. The silence was comforting, a rare moment of calm.Mabuti na rin na pumayag akong pumunta rito. Napakaganda ng lugar na ito, malayong malayo sa kinalakihan kong lugar. Kung sa lugar na nakasanayan ko ay halos malalaking building ang makikita, dito naman ay konti lang. Wala masyadong malalaking gusali.Noong nalaman ko kay Rafael na Capiz ang probinsya nito, ayoko na tumuloy. Ngunit pumayag nalang ako, kaysa bawiin yung sinabi ko.Naalala ko ang mga nangyari dati, hindi naman na dapat pang inaalala. Ang sinabi dati ng mama ni Javier na nandito sila ni Tiana, nag babakasyon habang ako ay naiwang mag isa. Matagal nang tapos iyon. Kaya mas mabut
RafaelI stood on the balcony, overlooking the beach as the moonlight danced on the waves. Ang payapang kapaligiran ay siya namang kabaliktaran ng isipan ko. I pulled out my phone and called my assistant, needing to get updates on the situation with Javier’s company."Hello" I said when my assistant picked up. "What's the latest update on sabotaging Javier's company?"I leaned over the balcony, watching the waves crash against the shore. The night air was cool and crisp as I took a long drag from my cigarette, the tip briefly lighting up in the darkness.Matagal ko nang minamatyagan ang kompanya ni Javier, ex husband ni Amara. Simula nang malaman ko ang bagay na ginawa niya noon, hindi ko maiwasan ang hindi magalit. Hindi naman ako ang niloko, pero sa tuwing iniisip kong sinaktan nito si Amara, parang may kung ano sa loob ko na gusto siyang pahirapan.At iyon ang naghantong sa akin sa ganitong posisyon. Ako rin naman ang dahilan bakit ang lapit nila ngayon nang hindi nila alam. Malaki
RafaelI was little bit impatient today. I can’t call my assistant because right now, she’s maybe at Javier’s side attending all his schedule.And the only one who left me is Norrine, one of my people I planted inside of his company. Her great intellegent towards at mathematics raise her position as Accounting Manager. I picked up my phone and dialed her number. It took two rings before she finally answered.“Sir,” she said, her voice steady and professional."Norrine, what's the status on the plan?" My voice was steady, but beneath the surface, a storm brewed.I stood before the towering glass wall. The sky was a brilliant blue, the sun casting a warm serene light over the chaos of my thoughts.My eyes traced the buzzling city but all I could see was my reflection on the glass wall with a dark expression on my face. I couldn’t help but to feel anxious now that I know that Javier would be there in the collaboration of Amara and Penelope’s business venture. The knowledge that he wou