Tinitigan niya ng maigi ang lalaking nasa tabi niya ngayon at natutulog. He looks so harmless and fragile. Adjectives that are far from what was used to describe the man beside her. This man is not harmless and most definitely not fragile. He's ruthless and vicious. He didn't even give a flying fuck even if Ann and Erwin are her foster parents.
On the contrary, she just learned a very important secret. Her husband became impotent after marriage and only recovered recently. Which means before her there was almost no one else except for his ex-wife.
It's a bit funny how she knows a lot about him but he doesn't know a thing about her. She again stared at the handsome man in front of her. Napaisip rin siya kung papaano nagawa ng asawa nito na lokohin ito.
Well, one man's trash is another man's treasure. Since she lost everything she doesn't mind sticking up to him. Although he was clear that he cannot be serious with anybody anymore, ramdam naman niyang wala naman itong balak na magloko habang mag-asawa sila.
Not that she cared. She can simply take care of it.
She got up and picked up his shirt. Nilingon niya ang lalaking natutulog sa malawak na kama nilang mag-asawa, looks like German won't be getting up anytime soon.
Nagtuloy-tuloy siya sa kusina upang maghanda ng pagkain nilang dalawa kung sakaling magising ang asawa. Alam niyang may pasok ito pero wala naman itong sinabing gisingin niya ito kanina.
She was in the middle of cooking when she heard the doorbell rang. Saglit niyang pinatay ang stove bago naghugas ng kamay. Then she went to check who was visiting them early this morning.
Isang magandang babae ang bumungad sa kaniya pagbukas na pagbukas niya ng pinto. The woman in front of her looks like she came directly from a fashion magazine to their doorstep. And the woman had every reason to look like a model because she used to be one.
In front of her was her husband's ex-wife, Jessica.
Ever since her foster parents decided to wed her to German, she was forced to study the people in his life. From his business associates to his friends. So if she knew his friends' name then of course she knew who the woman in front of her at the moment looking like it was her privilege to see her come to her willingly.
Still haughty despite of being poor as a rat.
"Yes?" She asked with her usual smile.
Sinuyod ni Jessica ng tingin ang buong katawan niya but she wasn't in the very least intimidated.
"You look quite good for a mistress." Ani ng babae at tinaasan siya ng kilay. Isang ngiti lang ang sinagot niya rito na ikinabusangot ng mukha ni Jessica.
"What? You won't even bother to invite me to you place?" Tudyo nito pero kita niya ang inis sa mukha ng babae. Hindi parin niya ito pinatulan. "Is this the kind of girl he likes now? Tactless and without proper etiquette?" Saka siya nito binangga para pumasok.
Although Natasha knows a lot about German, she wasn't careless enough to throw the ex-wife out of his home. First, she didn't want to look like a jealous, pathetic wife. Second, she wanted to know what kind of show will they give her today.
What a great way to start my day.
"May I know why you're here--," nagpanggap si Natasha na hindi niya kilala ang babae pero pinakita niya na pamilyar sa kaniya ang babae. "Uhm, miss...?"
"Don't pretend." Malamig na saad ng kaharap sa kaniya.
"Excuse me?" Nakangiti niyang saad dito. Halatang nang-aasar.
Hindi siya pinansin ng babae at tinitigan ulit. Ramdam na ramdam niya ang insecurity na iniluluwa ng buong pagkatao nito habang nakatingin sa kaniya. And she's not talking about the 'I'm-insecure-because-you're-prettier' kind of insecurity. What she felt from her is the animosity and insecurity caused by having your greatest possession snatched under your nose by someone you treat as more inferior.
Ganun ang tingin ni Jessica kay Natasha. Mababa. She doesn't deserve German because he belongs to her. She's the first wife and she will forever see Natasha as a mistress. Without considering that she was the one who cheated on him first.
She felt that what she did was still forgivable. Men cheat all the damn time and women still forgives them and accepts them. Why was it different when it's the other way around? She believes she still deserves to be forgiven.
Lahat ng naiisip ni Jessica ay basang basa ni Natasha. She secretly smiled then threw a look upstairs to see if her husband was woken up by the commotion.
Pero wala ni anino ng asawa niya ang nagpakita so she knows she will have to handle this raging woman on her own.
"Don't pretend like that you don't know me. Everybody knows me!" Anito sa mayabang na boses. Bagamat may class parin naman sa galaw ng babae, Natasha feels like the woman had already lost her cool. Mukhang masyado itong nathreaten sa isiping may bagong asawa na ang dating asawa.
"Oh," aniya na parang ngayon lang niya naalala kung sino ang babae. Then she smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry, I didn't recognize you. Although you really looked familiar when I first opened the door."
She tried to apply the white flower technique but Jessica was having none of her nonsense. She slightly sneered. "You think he's serious about you? He's just toying with you. He can never forget about me. I was his everything." There was a crazed look in Jessica's eyes.
She remained silent while observing the woman. Di niya malaman kung ano ang mararamdaman sa babaeng nasa harapan niya. Should I pity her?
"I have him dancing at the palm of my hands. He answers to my every whim. You think he can still take you seriously after having the best?" Jessica taunted her.
"You think you're the best just because you were the first one he married?" She asked back, coldly. Mukhang hindi inasahan ni Jessica ang naging sagot niya. Lumapit siya rito kaya't bahagyang napaatras ang babae.
"You think you're so great? Why? Because you have a supermodel body that most women would die for? Or the fact that guys would still want you even if you were married?" Then she showed her a cruel smile.
Alam na alam ni Natasha na tinamaan niya ang bagay na pinakaapektado si Jessica.
Kita niya ang pamumutla ng babae sa sinabi niya. Mukhang hindi nito inasahan na una niyang titirahin ang bagay na kinahihiya nito ng sobra.
"Why? You look stiff, miss Jessica. Did I hit a nerve?" It was her time to taunt the woman. "Did I push the right button?" Pinaikot-ikotan niya ito na para bang inoobserbahan. She made it look like she was judging her and looking down on her. She saw how Jessica clenched her fist and gritted her teeth in annoyance.
"You probably came here to scare me. Acting all haughty and feisty. I believe you just made a very, very bad choice." Bulong niya rito ng mapansin niya ang anino ng lalaki sa gilid ng kaniyang mata. Hindi man halata sa malayo ang naging bulong niya dala ng mapanlokong ngiti sa labi niya ay nararamdaman naman niya ang intensidad ng tingin ng asawa sa kaniya.
Nilayuan niya ang babae bago ibinaling sa asawa ang tingin. Isang malambing na ngiti ang ibinigay niya rito.
"Hi, darling. We have a guest."
YOU ARE READING
Tangled Sheets
General Fiction"It was impossible... Or so I thought." German (read as Hermen) Lu is a handsome, rich man but that wasn't enough to keep his wife from sleeping with another man behind his back. Since then he treated women no more as tools. Natasha Garcia was mad...
