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Twelve
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2024-10-29 19:42:56"Sobrang nabusog ako. Nag-enjoy ka ba?" Nilingon niya ko.
Tumango ako. "Thank you for this, boss. Nag-enjoy ako ng sobra." Ngiti ko sa kanya.
"No. I should be the one thanking you. If it wasn't for you and your unique taste, hindi ko matitikman ang lahat ng ‘yun." I blushed. "So, saan mo gusto pumuntang sunod? Movie? Walk sa may beach? Anywhere you want to go?"
"Hindi ko na alam, e. Ikaw, baka may alam ka." Sagot ko.
Umiling siya.
Napatingala ako dahil sa isang ligaw na paputok. Parang isang bulaklak na nagbibigay ng liwanag sa malungkot at madilim na gabi.
"Alam ko na! Can I drive?" Ngiti ko sa kanya.
"Sure." Sabay hagis ng susi sa akin na agad ko naman nasalo.
Hinila ko siya papunta sa sasakyan niya at inutusan ko siya na sumakay na. Sumakay siya sa passenger’s side sa unahan at ako naman ay sa driver's seat.
"Ready for a ride of a lifetime?" Sarcastic ko siyang tinanong.
"Ah... Oo yata. Dahan dahan
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Stand Still: Please Stay Thirteen
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Stand Still: Please Stay Fourteen
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Stand Still: Please Stay Fifteen
Gabriel’s Point of View"Second day pa lang kitang kasama pero grabe na ang impact ng personality mo sa akin. Ano ba ang meron ka? Your smile? Your words? Or maybe your whole being.It feels so strange, imposible naman na magkagusto ako sa kanya."Natapos na akong maligo pero wala pa rin si Anna."Saan ka na ba nagpunta, Anna?" nakatitig ako sa upuan niya.Hinanap ko siya sa buong opisina. Wala sa pantry. Wala sa comfort room."What?! Wait! Bakit ko ba siya hinahanap? Malaki na siya. Siguro naman kaya na niya ang sarili niya."Halos kakaupo ko pa lang nung biglang bumukas ang pinto."Sir?" tawag nung guard."Bakit?""Si Ma'am Anna po kasi..." Bigla akong napatayo. Kinakabahan ako."Bakit? Anong nangyari?!" pasigaw kong tanong."Nahihilo daw po siya."“What? Where is she?”“Nasa lobby po, Sir.” Kabado niyang sagot.Hindi ko na hinin
Stand Still: Please Stay Sixteen
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Stand Still: Please Stay Seventeen
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Stand Still: Please Stay Nineteen
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Stand Still: Please Stay Twenty
I went back to my table right after finishing the food provided. The phone started ringing when I got back. I answered the call immediately.“Come to my office,” Gabriel’s voice echoed in my ears.“Coffee?” I offered.“No,” he said. “Miss Jean already took care of my coffee. You were eating when I called earlier, siya na pinagtimpla ko. I didn’t ask kung sino kasabay mo. I don’t think kailangan ko malaman,” he said before he handed me a red sticky note.“That’s the password you needed, ‘stayawayfromanna’. Please send the file to the e-mail address also written on the paper,” he said while he kept his eyes on the papers in front of him.“Anything else, Boss?”“Nothing more. You can go.”Gabriel didn’t bother me for the rest of the afternoon. I was loaded with paper works, but sometimes, I can’t stop thinki
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Stand Still: Please Stay Epilogue
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Stand Still: Please Stay Thirty Nine
“What are you doing?” Anna asked Joshua, who was following her.“I just want to talk to you.”“I don’t want to talk to anyone. Especially not you.”“Why? Are you that angry?”“You’re making me crazy. I don’t want that.”“I just want to explain.”Anna stopped and faced him. Her face was turning red from anger.“Explain? After all, that’s happened? How dare you? Do you think your explanation would change what’s already happened? After how I’ve felt, do you think I would believe you?”“I just want you to know why I left. You deserve to know.”“Well, you should have thought of that before you went AWOL. And what’s the point of that? Are you here to make me feel bad or do you just want me to forgive you?”Joshua did not react. Anna could see tears welling up and when a tear fell, he looked down as to not let Anna know how he was losing his faith.“If it makes a difference, I forgave you the moment you left.”“Then us alone – Alexandra and me.”Anna did not hold back when he slapped him. Sh
Stand Still: Please Stay Thirty-eight
“What do you think? Come out and let me have a look at it,” Dianne shouted and tried to wait, but in the end, she barged into the fitting room. Anna was startled but did not mind the company. “I like how it fits me,” she said while removing the creases. Dianne looked at her with teary eyes. “Look in the mirror,” she pulled Anna. “It looks good on you,” she added while Anna continued with what she was doing. Anna was in awe when she saw what gown she was wearing. “Dianne, this isn’t a bride’s maid dress,” she looked at Dianne. “I am not the bride. This is a wedding dress.” “I just wanted to see you wear a wedding dress. I might not be able to see you wear one soon, and that’s why.” “Dianne!” Anna protested along with another familiar voice outside the cubicle. Dianne quickly responded. “Honeyboo!” Dianne left me and run to greet Lance. Even at the distance, Anna could make out the silhouette of the man Lance was with. Anna wanted to walk away, but her feet seemed to have a life o
Stand Still: Please Stay Thirty Seven
“Are you okay? What’s on your mind?” Dianne asked when she saw Anna staring blankly at her cup of coffee.“Nothing,” she answered.“Nothing? Daydreaming is one thing, but smiling while daydreaming is another,” Dianne pointed out.“Yes, this is nothing,” she denied and went up to get an apple from the fruit basket on the table.“Fine,” Dianne admitted her defeat.*** “It looks like your prince charming misses you,” Dianne pointed at Anna's cell phone. It was ringing to Gabriel's call.“Shut up!” Anna said mockingly while grabbing and answering the call.***“Hello?” Anna answered the call shyly.“Hi,” an unfamiliar woman’s voice came from the other line.Anna pulled the phone away from her ears and looked at the screen. She made sure it was Gabriel's number.“Hello?” she said again, hoping to hear Gabriel's voice.“Anna? Anna Miller?” asked the woman on the other line.“Yes. This is she.”“Gabriel asked me to tell you that you are fired. He said you don’t have to bother going to the o
Stand Still: Please Stay Thirty Six
“Shall we find another bar or shall we crash at my place?” Lance asked.“I think we should go to your place. So, Anna won’t complain of any smell,” Gabriel suggested, thinking he was funny.“You think you're funny, right?” Anna said, still feeling feisty after the scene in the bar. “Continue that and you'll regret having met me.”“But, of course, I’m just kidding,” he hugged Anna from behind and she wasn’t sure if Gabriel's turned on or he was hot from alcohol. She could feel his warmth amidst the cold air.Their laughs echoed in the almost empty parking area. This night, they are just normal people having fun. Who would think they are a CEO, a sibling of a CEO, a multi-billionaire businesswoman, and a friend of a multi-billionaire businesswoman? Who would think they are all connected while should usually be fighting over power and other company issues? No one!***Anna was impressed when they arrived at Lance’s condo unit. It looked stunning in its black and white interiors and furni
Stand Still: Please Stay Thirty Five
“Congratulations, Dianne!” Anna hugged her. “I’m excited for you!”Anna looked at Gabriel who was smiling from ear to ear and also looking at her.“Good job, Dude! I’m happy for you,” he said, averting his eyes from Anna.“Kuya, I’ll be first this time.”“Don’t worry, Kid. I’m not too far behind,” he smiled and looked at Anna.Don Miguel cleared his throat to get everyone’s attention. “Let’s enjoy the night people. Hit it, DJ!”***Anna and Gabriel went out. The party’s getting a bit noisy for them. Old people went home to rest, leaving the party to younger people. The speakers blasted electric music, almost blowing them out“I envy them,” Gabriel said.“Why do you envy them? Once upon a time, you’ve also been married.”“So, you’re the one who should envy them.”“Me? Why me? I’m perfectly fine. That’s why I’m still single. Why should I envy them?”“What?”She knew he'd react.“You heard me right, Mister Gabriel Anderson. Besides, I don’t have anyone courting me, so, I don’t have any b
Stand Still: Please Stay Thirty Four
“Okay, that was unexpected,” Don Miguel smirked. “Let it be a reminder to those social climbers, gold diggers, and cheaters. You might have met your karma already. You wouldn’t know when they’ll strike.”Everyone laughed, except Alexandra, Madamé Rebecca, and Joshua.“Don’t leave yet, I still have my announcement,” Don Miguel added when he saw Alexandra leaving.“It has been twenty-six years since I started the Anderson Group of Companies, and I think it’s about time I give my throne to someone worth my trust. To someone who also worked hard for the company. It’s time for him to take over. Gabriel, son, prove me that I'm doing the right thing. And if you want to ask why not Lance? It’s because he has a different announcement. For now, I'm calling Gabriel for an impromptu speech. Gabriel?”“Wow! I don’t know what to say,” he looked at Don Miguel who just exited the stage. “Thanks, Dad. I’ll make you proud dad. You would not regret giving me your throne, but honestly, Dad, this is terri
Stand Still: Please Stay Thirty Three
Everyone in the room made a fuss. She didn’t hear but she knew they were judging her.“It was him, the man of my dreams. Unbelievable, isn’t it? Anna Hemsworth Miller had a love life even though she wanted a private life, but you heard me right. I met the man of my dreams in that blogging team. He was kind and sweet. He was caring and thoughtful. He does not pretend to be anything that he’s not. He was just a humble blogger waiting for the right time to shine. And what brought me closer to him? He was not rich.”Everyone went quiet, even Dianne and the Anderson Family. Joshua, however, was sweating like a pig.“Yes. Once upon a time, I fell in love. I loved someone who was not rich. I know you’re wondering why I’m saying this, but this is just to prove that I was not a gold digger or a social climber to get to where I am. My family belonged to the lower class, but we were lucky enough to afford three meals a day. I was attracted to that guy because he understands me and because I thou
Stand Still: Please Stay Thirty Two
In Anna’s eyes, everything slowed down – the music and the people dancing. Even Alexandra was in slow motion. Anna could see Alexandra talking, but she could not make any sense of it. Gabriel was calling me and pulling me away. Dianne was crying and Lance was comforting her. All of a sudden, it was only her and Joshua left in the ballroom.“Anna?” Joshua said softly.“I thought you’re…” she said – voice breaking. “I thought you were dead.”Everything became blurry. Her eyes welled with tears. She’s confused and wanted to run. She’ll leave everyone and everything. She thought she was invincible. She made it through four years of her life without him. She was successful without him. She could not understand why she was feeling weak.“Anna…” Joshua said, almost out of breath. “I’m sorry. Let me explain.”He was trying to touch her, but she moved away. Joshua continued to try, but Gabriel push his hand away.Gabriel looked at Anna. He’s now her knight in shining armor. Anna saw anger in G
