The Replacement Wife

Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Natulala ako. Para akong nabingi at nanlalabo ang paningin dahil sa mga luhang sumusubok na kumawala sa mga mata ko.

The hope that I have was slowly becoming blur. The hope to see her, to feel her warmth, to hear her voice and talk to her again, was slowly fading.

N-No... Athena is not dead! Mathilde's just making fun of me. Athena can't be dead, right? She's healthy when I left her, how come...

"Y-You're.... You're.... You're lying! Athena's not dead. Nasa States lang siya... Makikita ko pa siya! Wearing her lab gown as what we promised. Y-You're lying, Mathilde! Stop joking around!" I said but my heart was shattering as Mathilde's tears continues to fell and her lips quivering.

She laughed at me and she wiped away her tears when the waitress came and served her orders. Mathilde thanked her and she walked away swiftly, giving us some privacy.

Mathilde looked at me with hurtful eyes. She closed her eyes, and the emotions she had automatically went gone when she opened her eyes again. It was like the emotions I've seen earlier wasn't there at the first place, at all.

"Stop being plastic, Elaine. Alam kong masaya ka dahil nalaman mong wala na talaga siya, hindi ba? Na hindi na siya babalik, 'di ba?"

Natigilan ako sa sagot niya. Bawat pagbigkas niya ng salita ay may diin, may halong galit. Agad akong umiling habang nararamdaman ko ang paninikip ng dibdib ko.

"Ikaw ang sinungaling!" she spatted angrily as she pointed at me.

I can feel other people eyeing us as we make a scene, but I did not mind them at all.

"You're selfish, Elaine! Don't act like you care about Athena kasi makasarili ka—"

"I cared for her dahil best friend ko siya! K-Kaya hindi ko maintindihan kung bakit... Bakit wala man lang nagsabi sa akin na wala na siya... B-bakit hindi niyo sinabi sa akin? I'm her friend... B-best friend ko siya..." Napayuko ako at hinayaang tumulo ang mga luha sa aking mga mata.

"I hate you, Elaine. And now, you'll ask why did the people around you did not bother to tell you the truth that Athena's dead? You don't deserve it! You're selfish!"

Nanlalaki ang mata akong tumingin sa kaniya dahil sa pagkabigla sa mga salitang binitawan niya. Tears are forming in the sides of her eyes and her lips quivered as she looked at me.

"You took the opportunity to marry Zeiger when you knew that Athena was gone! That the both of them ended! And now you'll have the guts to tell me that you have the right to know the truth just because you're her best friend? Ahas ka! A-Athena don't deserve you as her best friend! You don't deserve to have Zeiger! You don't deserve the both of them! I don't see anything special with you, yet you have Athena and now Zeiger. How unfair." Her tears fell.

"I was there for Athena, yet she still loves you more than she loves me. You know how it hurts when you considered someone as your best friend, yet they don't see you as that? That the person you see as your best of friend, only sees you as a cousin. Iyon lang." As I stared at her, the tears that I've been holding, fell.

I want to tell her that it wasn't true but I couldn't. I know Athena doesn't just love and see her as a cousin, but that's not the point. Even so, Athena's... dead. My heart's hurting so bad. My chest's too heavy and my tears won't stop from falling.

Gusto kong ipaglaban ang sarili ko mula sa mga paratang ni Mathilde sa akin. But somehow, I understand Mathilde's loathe towards me. Mali ako. Mali ako kasi hindi ko tinanong kay Zeiger kung ano ang mangyari sa kanila ni Athena. Mali ako kasi kahit anong sabi ko na pinakasalan ko lang si Zeiger dahil gusto kong makatulong sa kaniya, alam ko sa sarili ko na pinakasalan ko siya hindi lang dahil doon kundi dahil mahal ko pa din siya. Mali ako dahil minahal ko ang lalaki'ng sobrang minahal ng best friend ko. Maling-mali ako at hindi ko itatanggi iyon. She's right. I've been really selfish.