I had sighed before going back to the bedroom with her hot on my heels.
"Bren..." she had wept snaking her arms around me. "Bren, please..."
"Enough, Maggie..."
"Bren, I'm pregnant..." She had smiled tearfully at me. "Magkaka-baby na tayo. Magiging Daddy ka na..." she had added. "Aren't you...happy?"
"What is wrong with you?" I had asked before walking to the bathroom to remove her makeup and personal effects from the counter before dumping them inside the garbage bag.
"Baby natin 'to, Bren! Anak mo 'tong dinadala ko! Hahayaan mo bang broken family rin ang kagigisnan n'ya? Hahayaan mo bang matutulad sa'yo ang batang 'to—!" she had stopped talking when I gave her an icy glare.
"Sabi ko tama na..." I had spoken about removing her clothes from the laundry hamper and then stashing them inside the garbage bag.
"Ipalalaglag ko ang batang 'to kung makikipaghiwalay ka sa akin! Nasa konsensya mo kapag namatay 'tong batang 'to—"
"Putang ina, hindi ka pa ba talaga titigil?" I had asked massaging the bridge of my nose.
"Bren..."
"Unang-una, dinatnan ka bago ako umalis, nakalimutan mo na? Kaya hindi tayo nag-sex, 'di ba, kasi meron ka? Pangalawa, king ina naman, tatlong beses lang tayo hindi nag-condom sa halos walong buwan na magkasama tayo at lahat 'yun was months ago. Pangatlo, alam ko na niloloko mo ako, I hired a private investigator when my things started disappearing – una 'yung Rolex ko, pangalawa 'yung Nike Kobe 6 ko na basketball shoes, at pangatlo 'yung mga pabango ko."
"You hired a private detective to follow me?!" she had screeched.
"Sa dami ng sinabi ko ay 'yun talaga ang tumatak sa isip mo?" I had emotionlessly asked.
"I have the right to my privacy—!"
"And I have a lawyer," I had said. "The private detective I hired comes from a reputable company that, I am sure, operates within the bounds of law. Unless you want to take this to court, I suggest you leave quietly. We have enough evidence that your boys on the side have the things I lost, Maggie. My lawyers are contacting them as we're talking."
She had let out a shaky breath.
"Look, ayoko nang pahabain pa 'to. Pakibigay sa akin 'yung susi ng kotse kasi nakahanap na ako ng buyer para d'un—"
The key had hit my forehead as she threw it at me. "You're a bastard, do you know that?!" she had crossly said. "Akala ko ba ay hindi ko alam kung gaano kalala 'yang saltik mo?"
I had chosen not to reply and picked the key up from the floor instead.
"Hindi mo deserve mahalin kasi baliw ka!" she had spat. "Walang babaeng makakatagal sa'yo, Brennon Moore! Wala ring babaeng magpapakatangang pakisamahan ka kasi walang babaeng kakayanin 'yang mga hinanakit mo sa buhay! Hindi mo napansin na lahat ng babaeng naging girlfriend mo ay iniwan ka para sa iba? Because you are damaged, Brennon! You're fucked up in the head! At kahit anong gawin ng isang babae ay hindi ka na n'ya maaayos!"
I had watched as she put my jacket on. "Sa totoo lang, ako lang ang kaisa-isang babae na kaya kang mahalin but here you are wasting someone like me!" she had ranted putting on a pair of shorts. "Pwede naman natin 'tong pag-usapan, eh, dahil wala namang relasyong perpekto! Pero, 'eto ka imbes na ayusin ito ay mas pinipili mong sirain!"
I had frowned as she picked up my Berluti wool baseball cap from the bed before placing it on top of her head. "I hope you will realize soon kung sino ang sinayang mo," she had tearfully announced slinging her bag over her shoulders before walking towards the door.
Chapter 2: Pounding Skin
Start from the beginning
