THE DEAL

TD- 54

Dawn was running towards her office, holding her laptop. She was wearing her poker face but it was evident that there's something going on.

"Oh, D, ba--"

"What is this?" Dawn asked her and showed her the video playing on her laptop.

A copy of the the CCTV footage taken yesterday inside the elevator. Her eyes widened. She gulped as she remembered that they used the staffs' elevator which has a hidden camera and not her personal elevator.

"My gosh, Lea?! Anong katangahan na naman 'yan?!" she shouted.

She didn't answer.

"How many times will you cheat on Angelo? Ano ba?! Pigilan mo namang bumigay when it comes to Aga!"

"Dawn--"

"Nakakainis ka na. Nakakapagod nang magalit sa'yo over these stupid things. Ano ba? Kailan ka ba matatauhan?"

Her eyes squinted. She doesn't like the way Dawn talks to her and scolds her as if she's her mom. "Bakit mo ako pinapakialaman?" she asked her.

"Hindi kita pinapakialaman. I am just concerned, Lea. You're too intoxicated. Ilang beses ka nang niloko, isang lambing lang sa'yo, hulog ka na naman. Stupid ka na naman."

"Hayaan mo ako. I know what to do."

Dawn faked a laugh, "Really? You know what to do? Talaga ba, Lea?"

Lea stood up, "Dawn, will you stop this? Stop meddling with my personal issues because you don't know how and what I feel. You don't know everything!" she shouted.

"Ayan ang hirap sa'yo, eh. Sa sarili mo lang ikaw nakikinig. Sa gusto mo lang ikaw sumusunod. Mag-isip ka naman nang maayos." she answered. "Kaibigan mo ako, Lea at ini--"

"Exactly." she blurted out. "Kaibigan lang kita."

Dawn got hurt. And a tear fell down her face.

"Kaibigan lang kita and you don't have any right para pagalitan ako na para bang nanay kita. Wala kang karapatang gawin sa akin 'to, Dawn. Mind your own business. Mind your own life."

The heaviest fight they ever had.

"Yeah, that's right." Dawn's voice cracked. "Sige, kaibigan mo lang ako kasi marami ka pa namang ibang malalapitan bukod sa akin, 'di ba? Nandiyan si Vice, si Vina. At nandiyan din si Celine. Pero, Lea, they are not as concerned as I am. Remember that."

"Leave my office. Leave my office, now!" she shouted again.

Dawn went to Vice, crying her heart out.

"OA ba ako, Vice? Mali bang maging concerned ako sa kanya? Mali bang protektahan ko siya from getting hurt again?" she asked him.

Vice rubbed her back. He, too, couldn't speak any word.

"Sabihan ba akong 'Kaibigan lang kita'? Who wouldn't get hurt? I love her as much as I love my sisters. Kapatid ko na siya. Tapos gano'n lang turing niya sa akin?"

"Dawn, stop crying. 'Yong baby mo." Vice reminded her.

She wiped her tears. "Hindi ko na siya pakikialaman. Ginusto niya 'yan. Bahala siya."

After a while, Vice entered her office to check on her. He saw Lea massaging her temple, blankly staring at her laptop.

"How are you?" he asked her and sat in front of her table.

She looked at him, "Kung pagagalitan mo rin ako, umalis ka na."

Vice's forehead wrinkled, "I don't know what's happening to you."