My Boyfriend is a Freak (Published under Pop Fiction)

36: Vren

"Mira." I gently held my girlfriend's arm before she could get out of the car.

The two of us just arrived at Medialink after visiting Bella at the hospital. The drive to work was painfully silent.

"Bakit?" Mira gave me a deadpan look. "May iba pa ba tayong bibisitahing ex-girlfriend?"

I exhaled. "You do understand that Bella and I are long done, right? She said so herself. I'm just trying to be a friend. I mean... she's dying."

"That is so nice of you." The sarcasm in her voice, impossible to miss, made me wince. "Tara nang pumasok. Kanina pa tayo late, e. Marami pa akong tatapusing trabaho."

"Mira, please try to understand the situation."

My girlfriend gave me a look of disdain. "Ang demanding mo naman masyado, Vren. Sapilitan mong ipinaiintindi sa akin ang lahat? Pasensya na kung mabagal akong mag-process, but I still don't understand why you need to be involved with Isabella again."

I tried to speak, but no words came out. My instinct was telling me that no matter what I say, it would just make the situation worse.

Sinamantala naman ni Mira ang katahimikan ko para muling magsalita. "Vren, tapatin mo nga ako. May nararamdaman ka pa ba para kay Isabella? So, what if she's dying? The last time I checked, si Vince ang doktor – hindi ikaw. It's not your place to give her medical attention."

My lips parted in surprise. I never expected to hear such words from my kind and cheerful girlfriend. "That was rude, Mira."

"Okay, fine. I'm being rude about it. Pero hindi mo ba naisip na nagiging rude ka rin sa akin? Girlfriend mo ako, Vren. Have you even considered how uncomfortable this situation might make me feel?" The look of resentment on her face didn't even change. "And don't get me started on how rude I find your ex-girlfriend. Walang anu-ano ay bigla na lang siyang susulpot sa eksena? Tatapatin kita, Vren. I'm not the sharing type."

After giving me one last unfeeling look, she got out of the car and marched towards Medialink, leaving me alone to contemplate just how fast everything went downhill between us.

****

Great. Now Mira's mad at me.

Obviously, I was wrong to hold on to a tiny hope that my girlfriend would recognize my intention to help my ex get through her remaining days. I mean, may pinagsamahan din naman kami ni Bella. I am not that heartless to ignore someone who is at the brink of death.

So, how do I assure Mira that there's no reason for her to be resentful? How could I make her understand that Bella's not someone she should be jealous of?

I was so absorbed in thinking of ways through which I could get back to my girlfriend's good graces that I barely heard what my secretary was telling me.

"Sir, later at 1 PM, you'll be meeting with the general manager of Phil-Asia Programming, then after... Uhm, Sir Vren, okay ka lang po ba? Kanina ka pa po palakad-lakad, para kang hindi mapaanak na pusa!"

"Excuse me?" I stopped and gaped at Lally. "Did you just compare me to a pregnant cat?"

My secretary had the audacity to chuckle. "E kasi naman po, sir, hilong-hilo na ako sa pagparoon at parito mo! May problema po ba?"

"Actually, yes. I do have a problem."

Lally looked intrigued. "Pwede ko po bang malaman kung ano? Baka po may maitulong ako."

I sighed. Wala naman sigurong mawawala kung ipaalam ko sa sekretarya ko kung ano ang dahilan ng pagiging distracted ko ngayon. "Mira and I are not exactly okay – that's the problem."

"May LQ po kayo ni Ma'am Mira? Parang unusual 'yon, ah," she commented.

"Unusual?" I chuckled without humor. "Lally, I'm telling you – every time we are together, my girlfriend and I fight every ten minutes. But then again, those are just petty fights. We almost always sort things out eventually. This time, though... it's an entirely different story. There's this ex-girlfriend of mine and Mira's getting really worked up – what? Why are you looking at me like that?"

Lally looked so thrilled, she seemed to be on the verge of wetting her pants. "Sorry po, sir! Excited lang po ako dahil first time kang magse-share sa akin ng something personal!"

"Don't make me change my mind." I smirked.

"Okay, okay. Sorry po." She fanned herself, cheeks still pink with enthusiasm. "Ituloy mo na po ang kwento, sir. May ex-girlfriend ka, and...?"

"And that ex-girlfriend is making a comeback, sort of." I exhaled heavily, remembering again how poorly Mira reacted after learning about Isabella.

"Ang gwapo mo talaga, Sir Vren!" Lally exclaimed. "Imagine, hindi maka-get over sa'yo ang ex-girlfriend mo?"

"Hindi maka-get over?" I echoed, my brows furrowed. "Lally, it's been six years since that woman and I broke up. Getting over is not the issue here."

"Ha? Six years na pala, e. Ano pa ang habol niya sa'yo, sir?" She frowned, suddenly confused. "Kaya naman po pala napapraning si Ma'am Mira. Kung ako rin naman, kapag nakita kong umaaligid ang old flame ng boyfriend ko, magiging paranoid din ako. Normal lang ang reaksyon ni Ma'am Mira."

"Yeah, I get that. But here's the catch – that ex-girlfriend of mine? She has cancer."

"Cancer?" Lally was so surprised, her eyes seemed to pop out of their sockets.

"Yup. Leukemia." I sighed. "She has only three more months to live. That's why I want to be a friend to her, to show her I don't keep a grudge anymore... You see, she cheated on me and dumped me for no apparent reason. She's really guilty about it, and I don't want her to die burdened by our past. That's just cruel."

"I see. Gets ko naman ang point mo, sir." My secretary nodded. "Ang problema nga lang po, si Ma'am Mira, hindi pa. Siguro sir, kailangan mo lang siyang bigyan ng time para ma-process ang lahat. Mare-realize din naman po niya ang point mo, kapag lumamig na ang ulo niya."

"That's what I'm hoping to happen, too."

"At saka tingnan mo sir, ha? Hindi po ba dapat, medyo matuwa ka pa nga sa reaksyon ni Ma'am Mira?"

"Come again?" I stared at her. "Gusto mong matuwa ako na galit sa akin ngayon ang girlfriend ko?"

"Hindi ko naman po sinasabing magbunyi ka, sir," Lally amended. "Pero 'yong reaksyon po kasi ni Ma'am Mira... it only means na talagang mahal ka niya! Kapag walang pakialam sa'yo ang significant other mo, aba sir, matakot ka na."

"Go on," I prodded. "I'm listening."

"A little jealousy from your girlfriend is healthy in this case, sir," she continued. "Sige nga po, baliktarin natin ang sitwasyon. Ano po ang mararamdaman mo kapag may lalaking bigla na lang umaligid kay Ma'am Mira?"

Lally's words made me recall how I reacted during those times I saw Mira entertaining a guy other than me, even in a non-romantic way – a random male Medialink employee, her stupid college friend Chase, my brother Vince...

Yeah, I was jealous. Damn real jealous.

It suddenly hit me, clear as day – the reason for Mira's hurt and threatened reaction.

"Lally?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Kindly tell Phil-Asia's general manager that I won't be able to meet him today. Please reschedule that 1 PM meeting."

"P-po? Bakit po, sir? Ang dami niyo nang nami-miss na appointment, ah!"

"Frankly, that meeting is unnecessary. I'm going to reject their proposal, anyway. We're better off partnering with somebody else," I explained as I headed out of my office. "And, more importantly, no appointment is worth more than my Mirathea. I need to have a mending-up talk with my girlfriend."