More Than I Feel Inside COMPLETED (Published by PHR)

Chapter 1

"Gab..." Napapaigik na siya sa sakit. Hindi na rin siya makatingin sa mga mata nito. more than the way he grabbed her, the look on his eyes were enough to kill her. "Please, Gab, please..." She wouldn't be surprised if she would end up handicapped after this encounter.

"Damn!" He pushed her away.

Patihayang bumagsak siya sa sahig, una ang balakang. She stayed still for a while. Her fall was so painful, just like the other time he made her fall. Hindi na nga niya mabilang kung pang-ilan na ang isang iyon. She really didn't mind all these falls for these only caused her physical pain. Unlike her other fall from him dahil hindi katawan niya ang bumabagsak at nahuhulog kundi ang puso niya mismo.

She looked up at him. Hindi nabawasan kahit kaunti ang apoy sa mga mata nito. Sa pakiwari niya ay lalong nadagdagan iyon. Ngunit may iba pang emosyon na sumalit sa mga mata nito maliban sa galit. Something like remorse? Ngunit imposible iyon. He could feel everything but remorse. Maybe she just imagined it.

"Remember this, Althea Viguilla. The next time na suwayin mo uli ako, hindi lang 'yan ang aabutin mo!" Then he forced her to stand up. "Now go, bago ko pa makalimutang babae ka!"

She ran out of the room without even looking back. She ran into her own room. Pagkapasok na pagkapasok niya roon ay agad na ini-lock niya ang pinto at dumapa sa ibabaw ng kama. She buried her face against the pillows. Doon niya pinakawalan ang kanina pa niya pinipigil na mga luha.

Impit na impit lamang ang ginagawa niyang pag-iyak dahil ayaw niyang makakuha ng atensiyon ninuman. She had no intensions of getting others involved in their marital problem. Ginusto niya iyon kaya dapat lang na pangatawanan niya. She wanted this more than anything else in this world. She wanted Gabriel—No, she loved him more than anything else in this whole damn world.

But their marriage was a lie from the very start. It was just a sheet of paper to Gabriel. Ngunit sa kanya ay hindi. Their marriage was everything to her. She still remembered how the marriage that seemed so impossible at first became possible.

Una niyang nakita si Gabriel sa isang malaking pagtitipon sa bayan ng San Agustin sa Iba. His father was a very famous businessman in Zambales. Sa bawat bayan ay may pag-aari itong hacienda, o hindi kaya ay mga mansiyon at beach resorts.

She saw him in the middle of the crowd. Hindi niya alam kung bakit sa dinami-rami ng tao nang gabing iyon ay ito lamang ang nakakuha ng atensiyon niya. But then again, she couldn't help it. Lalo pa at hindi lamang siya ang nagsu-swoon dito. She could see that most of the females had their eyes set on him. But all through the night he acted as if he wasn't aware of it. O talaga lamang sigurong hindi ito aware. His nonchalant manner made him look even more attractive.

She would never ever forget the first time their eyes met. He had the most beautiful black eyes she had ever seen. Since then, his eyes haunted her. And one morning, she just woke up and realized she had already fallen in love with him.

Since then, she attended every function in the whole town dahil sigurado siyang naroon din ito. For years she stalked him and dreamt about him. Five years to be exact, ngunit ni minsan ay hindi man lang sila nagkakilala nang personal.

All of her hopes died when she heard the news about him and his rumored girlfriend Genevieve Quillanora, a beautiful socialite with a bad reputation.

Nagkaroon siya ng pagkakataon na makita ito kasama si Genevieve.

She was introduced to them by his parents. Noon lamang niya nalaman na kaibigan pala ng mga magulang niya ang mag-asawang Vasquez...

"'Nice to meet you, Señorita Althea," Gabriel said, as he raised her hand and kissed it.

Nais sana niya itong sawatahin sa pagtawag nito sa kanya ng "señorita." Hindi siya kailanman nagpapatawag ng ganoon, kahit sa mga katulong nila. Ngunit hindi na niya naituloy ang anumang balak dahil sa naramdaman niyang tila may kuryenteng gumapang mula sa mga labi nito papunta sa kamay niya paakyat sa bawat himaymay ng kalamnan niya. Bigla niyang nahila ang kanyang kamay.

She saw his girlfriend's brow rise in annoyance. He, on the other hand, simply shrugged his shoulders.

Hinila na siya palayo ng mama ni Gabriel. Something about the meeting felt very awkward. Parang hindi gaanong pinansin ng mga magulang ni Gabriel ang nobya nito.

Lumingon siya at nakitang naghahalikan sina Gabriel at Genevieve na para bang walang ibang tao sa paligid. Her chest tightened in pain. Mukhang wala na siyang chance na mapansin nito. His love for his girlfriend was very obvious.

Since then, she tried her best to forget him, but to no avail. Hinayaan na lang niya ang kanyang sarili na mahalin ito sa malayo dahil hindi rin naman niya alam kung paano patitigilin ang puso't isip niya sa pagmamahal dito.

She didn't believe there was only hope until one day, her parents and Gabriel's parents talked to her about their plans.

At first she thought it was ridiculous. But she knew in her heart of hearts that she wanted it, too.

Malinaw na malinaw pa sa alalala niya ang lahat pagkatapos—the wedding, Gabriel's raging anger, his promise...

"You may now kiss the bride," said the priest.

She saw fire in Gabriel's eyes. She couldn't help but shiver at the intensity of his stare.

"I promise," he whispered softly for her ears alone to hear, "that I will do everything within my power to make your life miserable. Your life with me will be living hell. Mine already is. Hindi ako makapapayag na ako lang ang mahirapan." Then he sealed his promise with a punishing kiss...

Kumurap-kurap siya sa bahaging iyon ng alaala. She wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand but the tears continued to stream down her face.