Husband For Rent (Published, Now in Bookstores)

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Typo errors are a lot.

Chapter Thirty-Nine

One of my dreams when I was a child.. was to meet and marry my prince charming. Siguro dahil sa kakapanuod ko ng mga fairytale movies kaya ganun ang inisip ko. I love to read romantic novels because I believe that I might meet the right man for me just like in the novels. Kahit sobrang cliché na ng iba.

When I first met him together with my brother, I really thought he was the prince charming that I have always dreamed of. But as what most kids do, he loves to tease me which annoys me so much. Kaya ang prince charming kong akala ko para sa kin, hindi pala talaga prince charming. I remembered I labeled him as a beast instead. Because of that, I hated him for the rest of my life.

I also thought that when I will have my first boyfriend, he'll be my one and only. Pero expect the unexpected, ang inaasam kong happy ending ay hindi pa rin pala. He cheated. He lied and it sucks. I was devastated. He was my first boyfriend and he ruined everything. Yung pagiging hopeless romantic ko, mas lalong naging hopeless.

And here he comes again. The man I used to hate a lot when I was young. Ang lalakeng ayoko ng makitang muli ay bigla na lang dumating. When Mr. Gabanna asked me if I was married, I said yes. Though the reality was, I wasn't really married—kasi siguro takot ako. Takot pa kong magmahal ulit.

But he came. He helped me. We had a deal. But I didn't expect in that simple deal—that we have to act as a real married couple would go something deeper. Yung pagpapanggap namin bilang mag-asawa ay naging totoo na. I fell. I fell in love with him.

No, even before, when we were young, I already had a crush on him—pero dahil sa inis ko sa pagtutukso niya sa kin, I hated him—na ipinagdadasal ko pa sa Diyos na sana hindi kami magkita ulit. Pero life is really unexpected—full of unexpected events. We met again. We married each other. We became husband and wife.

But I came to the picture too late. He was with someone already. When I learned and realized that what we had before when we were teens—that our feelings were mutual, it was really too late. It was very too late. I was so numb not to realize it, not to notice it.

Siguro, kung sumipot ako 'dun sa usapan, naging kami kaya? Kung naniwala ba ako sa mga pinagsasabi niya sa kin, kami kaya yung nagkatuluyan ngayon? If I told him my feelings before, does my dream of having a fairytale ending would come true? I don't know. Maybe.

Oo, naisip kong akala ko siya na. He helped me. He changed me. He helped me overcome my fears—of loving again. I loved him. I learned how to love again and how to move on. I was happy being with him.

Ngayon na sana ang anniversary namin—well if we didn't get divorced. Two months ago, nagpakasal na siya sa ina ng anak niya. They invited me to come. I did go. Siguro nga dahil sadista ako, kahit alam kong napakasakit, pumunta pa rin ako. I even told myself that that day was one of my happiest moments in my life because I got to see him happy—to finally have his own complete family. In which in the reality, it was the most painful to me.

Hindi ako nagtagal kasi alam kong iiyak lang ako doon. Haha, akala ko sa mga nagdaang buwan, I completely shut down my feelings for him pero nung araw ng kasal, it was still there. Ang sakit. Ang sobrag sakit na nakikita mo ang taong mahal mo, ang taong akala mo ng siya na ang makakasama mo habang buhay ay ikinasal sa iba.

Fate is really cruel. Palagi na lang kaming pinaghihiwalay—that we have the right love but at the wrong time.

Anyway, I'm still happy. I'm still happy for him especially for his son. I know, I always know he'll be a good father. Yun kasi ang nakikita ko sa kanya dati pa. I'm glad that he already have a family of himself and a son who could brighten your day even when it's not.

Siguro, hindi lang talaga kami ang para sa isa't-isa. We weren't really destined for each other. Siguro kaya ganun ang naging kapalaran naming dalawa ay may tao talagang nandiyan para sa min. And I could feel it—that even though we ended up like this, we'll still be going to be happy for our own lives.

"Ches, what are you writing?" Napatigil naman si Cheska sa pagsusulat nang may nagsalita. She then saw Miles who was wearing a black sweater and pants. It was snowing in France. Hinihintay kasi niya ito doon. And right there, she was just sitting on the bench, writing something.

"Something." Tumayo na siya. Nilagay niya doon sa bench ang letter. She also has written there the address and to whom to be sent. Hindi rin naman niya kasi iyon ipapadala kaya iiwan na lang niya doon.

"Something what? For who?"

"For somebody, tara na nga!" Natatawang sabi niya rito, "Let's find some place to eat."

She'll get her happy ending soon too, right?

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