"This is wrong, Ismael."
Muli kong naalala ang tungkol sa fiance niya, pati na rin ang balitang magpapakasal na siya. I don't want to be his mistress. I don't want to mess with someone else's relationship.
"I am here as a marketing associate because of LMC's collaboration with Safira. I am not here for this," I stated while still catching my breath. Muntikan na naman akong madala ng bugso ng damdamin.
Nakita ko ang paggalaw ng kaniyang lalagukan. Mukhang nadismaya siya sa sinabi ko. "Right," sambit niya. "I apologize for being aggressive," paghingi niya ng paumanhin. "Thank you for reminding me, Miss Alvandra."
Ako naman ang napalunok nang tawagin niya ako sa apelyido ko.
Kinuha ko ang phone ko para tawagan si Miss Sapphire. I should apologize. Alam ko mahalaga 'to sa kaniya, pero hindi ko talaga kayang makita si Ismael lalo na't kasama ang fiance niya. Dinudurog ako. And I am really disappointed with myself because I was too unprofessional to bring my personal things into business. I shouldn't have reacted that way.I was waiting for Miss Sapphire to answer the call when someone grabbed my phone from me. I was about to react when I saw Ismael holding it. He immediately held my hand and pulled me away."W-what are you doing?!" I asked. "Bitiwan mo ako! Ano ba?!"But instead of listening to me, he interlocked his fingers with mine. I was in a panic, seeing those employees now surprised to witness their boss holding someone's hands.
"I understand you, Jothea, but as you can see, Safira needs this opportunity. Hindi palaging may ganitong pagkakataon para sa maliit na brand na kagaya natin. Also, I doubt that the LMC would take the collaboration as a joke, in fact, they are the ones who reach out to us. Pumunta pa rito si Miss Levanier to fetch you. It might be a ridiculous thing to hear, but I want you to take this seriously. I want you to apologize to Miss Levanier and also to the CEO of the Loeisal Malmdan Company."I nodded in obedience. Miss Sapphire was right, but I couldn't take myself to do it. Am I being stubborn again? How am I supposed to face Ismael to get things back for the collaboration after what I did?"I am giving you time until today to reflect, Jothea, but do what you think you must do for the sake of our
"A-anong kailangan mo sa 'kin?" nauutal kong tanong, habang humahakbang paatras. Never did I imagine that I will experience something like this. Nanghihina ako. Kaya ko namang lumaban pero ngayong nakikita kong may hawak siyang kutsilyo, tila ba nawalan ako ng wakas. Kung dati ay hindi ako natatakot na mamatay, hindi ko alam bakit ngayon ay takot na takot ako. Nangangamba. At ang tanging naiisip ko lang ay walang iba kung hindi si Ismael.Puno ng pagsisisi ang puso ko. I should have just accepted him if I know this would happen. Ni hindi man lang ako nagkaroon ng pagkakataong humingi ng tawad sa muli kong pagsampal sa kaniya kanina."Something you have that you will not know when I take it."It's my life.He's after my l
Napatigil ako sa paglakad at napalingon sa kaniya. Sumalubong sa akin ang seryoso niyang mukha na kababakasan ng pag-aalala sa akin. Mali, pag-aalala iyon sa aming dalawa.Naramdaman ko ang mahigpit niyang paghawak sa kamay ko, na tila ba nagsusumamo na huwag ko na 'yong bitiwan kailanman. "Do you still love me?"I never expected that question to come from him. Nangilid na naman ang mga luha sa mga mata ko. God knows how much I do, but I can't seem to say it because of the things going on around us. He's now with someone else."Bakit mo tinatanong?""I feel like you love me less now." Tuluyan nang nahulog ang luha mula sa mga mata ko. Agad ko iy
Inunat niya ang kamay niya, at idinampi ang mga daliri sa tainga ko. Napapikit ako nang haplusin niya iyon. Naalala ko tuloy muli noong turuan niya ako kung paano paamuhin ang isang pusa, at mukhang iyon ang ginagawa niya sa akin ngayon."I said that to protect you because I don't want you to be involved. I don't want you to get hurt. Raviel's grudge toward me is so incomprehensible that even you cannot be spared from using it against me. That guy who follows you every night is his minion. He was the one who took the video of us together entering my hotel. He's looking for anything that can drag me down," paliwanag niya."So you're telling me, 'yong lalaki kanina na gusto akong patayin, si Raviel ang may pakana no'n?" tanong ko.
"I-Ismael, w-what are you doing?" nauutal kong tanong. Nakaramdam ako ng pagkailang. Hindi na katulad ng dati na kaya kong maging kahit na ano kapag nasa harap niya. Pinangungunahan ako ng hiya at kaba lalo na't nasa harap ko siya ngayon. Matagal kaming hindi nagsama kung kaya't hindi ko maiwasang makakaramdam nang kakaiba na para bang bago lang kaming magkakilala.Magkatagpo ang aming mga mata. Nakatunghay siya habang ako naman ay nakayuko. Magkalapit ang aming mga katawan at ramdam ko ang kaniyang kamay sa mga hita ko. Ang kamay ko naman ay nakayukom sa ibabaw ng sandalan ng upuan niya."Raviel was just messing with us, Jothea. Jenna is my cousin on the father's side, just like Yves, who is my cousin on the mother's side. I have no one else, Jothea. How many times do I have to tell you that you are the only one I love? And
Bumitiw ako sa pagkakayakap sa kaniya at tinagpo ang kaniyang mga mata. Hindi ako makatagal na tumigin sa kaniya, pero sinubukan ko. Gusto kong makita niyang nagsisisi na ako, kahit paulit-ulit ko na lang ginagawa.Ano ba talagang problema ko?Kahit ako, hindi ko gusto ang sarili ko. Hindi ko nagugustuhan ang nagagawa ko sa kaniya."Ikaw pala talaga ang may karapatang magalit sa akin dahil napakatanga ko. I'm so sorry, Ismael. You were thinking about our marriage when all I did was hate you because you left me.""At least you hate me for a good reason, and you never find someone else. I'm at ease. I can see that you really love me."He keeps on blabbing a counterattack to my sentiments while caressing my hair and tapping my back. "I do. I won't hate yo
In his penthouse—that's where he brought me. The room filled with our moans and squelches as we kept on making love. I never thought this would happen so soon. We just met earlier again, but here we are in front of each other, doing the business we haven't done in the past few months.My eyes slowly moved to meet his intense gaze. Kahit kailan, hindi nabawasan ang angkin niyang kagwapuhan kahit sa mga sandaling ito na nakakunot ang kaniyang mga noo habang tinatrabaho ako. He's gorgeous, and I can't stop thinking about how his life would be without me beside him.I stretch my arms to embrace him. God, I really missed him—not just him on top of me pleasuring me, but I missed his existence—his presence that motivates me to live every second of my life.Hin