Me and My Fake Fiancé {HIATUS}

Chapter 7

FRELE

   The ride home was quiet. Really quiet. A heavy silence. Kahit isang salita mula ng umalis kami sa company, wala. At kinakabahan ako dahil doon. I shouldn't be, I know but I can't help it. A small part in my brain is telling me na things won't go according sa inaasahan namin. It may just be because anxious ako pero most of the time, tama yung intuition ko. That's mostly why I'm worried. I don't want what I did to all go to waste.  

   Another 30 minutes of traveling bago kami nakadating sa bahay. As soon as na-park na yung sasakyan sa garahe ay nagsalita si uncle. "Frele, proceed to my study. We must talk."

   I remained silent for a moment bago akon nagsalita. "Yes, uncle."

   Sinunod ko yung utos niya at dumiretso ako sa kanyang study. Umupo ako sa sofa at naghintay. Sana... Sana lang... Ugh! I need to calm down. This would get worst if hindi ako kakalmado. I need to be able to convince them. I let out a deep sigh. My mind began wandering sa time kung saan nagsimulang magbago ang pananaw ko kina auntie.

A year ago...

   It's been 4 years since the accident. Marami na ang nangyari sa buhay ko. I got the position I wanted in the company, with hard work of course, habang sina auntie yung nag-mamanage ng company. According sa lawyers, I am free to take over the company as soon as nag-25 ako (as was stated sa will ng father ko, that he was supposed to read to everyone during my 24th birthday) but until then, either my aunt or uncle muna magiging president ng publishing house. Si uncle yung kumuha ng responsibilidad. And I was okay with it dahil contented ako sa pagiging editor-in-chief.

   A lot of my co-workers were rooting for me dahil 24 na ako at isang taon nalang, ako na yung magiging president. Karamihan kasi sa kanila ay hindi pabor sa pamamalakad ng relatives ko. Let's just say na may favoritism sila ng konti at yung hindi nila feel ay agad-agad nilang tinatanggal sa trabaho, kahit veterans na sila. And I plan to change that. One more year. Just one more year and it's going to be my turn.

   Although... That time never came.

   It was during lunch break when I discovered what they had done. Most of the time, kasama ko si Rayla kumain ng lunch. This was one of the times na hindi kami magkasama. She's with her assigned writer right now. Malapit na kasi yung deadline kung kaya't busy ang karamihan, including me pero I always have time for food.

   I then remembered na niyaya ako ni uncle kanina na mag-lunch kasama nila. I rejected the offer earlier because I thought na magkasama kaming kakain ni Rayla, to which an hour before lunch ay nagtext si Rayla na hindi raw kami kakain ng sabay.

   I was on my way to my uncle's office when I see the secretary and someone from sales na nag-tsitsismis. She was telling her companion that - 

Present...

   Na-interrupt yung flashback ko because of the sudden noise of the door opening. My uncle entered and sat on his usual place and just stared at me. I know na I can stare back and let him know that I'm not afraid to face anything but I don't want to be viewed as cocky so, adjust muna yung tingin ko sa baba o kaya'y sa palibot ko.

   "Hintayin lang natin si auntie mo, then we will discuss everything," sabi niya.

   My only response was a quick nod, plain and simple. That'll give me time to think. Thanks sa events kanina sa office, we have established the "beginning" of our love story. All that's left is dagdagan yung info and immediately relay it kay Launce before he tells anything to his parents or mapagkuwentuhan ng parents namin yung "past" kunwari namin.

   Somehow, there's a gnawing feeling in the back of my head that's telling me na hindi lang ito isang simpleng discussion, yung ngayon. There's more to it. I'm a woman of logic, most of the time, but my intuition is rarely wrong. Na-prove ko na kaya na useful siya. And sometimes, I hope na hindi totoo yung sinasabi ng intuition ko because it's making me nervous.

   As cliché as it sounds, drop a pin and you'll be able to hear it, that's the state of the room right now. Okay... Hindi masyado. One can hear the sound of my breathing, and I try to control it. The room's atmosphere is suffocating. What more if mag-start na yung discussion. No doubt mag-dodouble ito.

   Uncle's back is now facing me, thankfully. Ayaw kong makita niya yung stressed expression ko. It'll give away everything, if I ain't wrong. To relieve some tension, I began rubbing my hands together. Hindi nagtagal ay nakarinig ako ng footsteps. Deep breath in, deep breath out. Alright! Prepared na ako.

   A minute later, the door opened with a creak. A face with the usual "business" look looked at me. Nag-smile ako ng konti kay auntie. This is it, people.

   "Let's get down to business, young lady," sabi ni auntie. She is sitting on her favorite armchair.

   "Yes, auntie, uncle. First of all, I deeply apologize for not informing you about our relationship. We were about to. We have already planned about it, but it seems that Launce has other plans and ended up surprising everyone." So far so good. "Mahilig siya sa mga surprises, although hindi lang obvious sa karamihan."

   "Continue," sabi ni uncle.

   What to say next? Our "love story" ? Paano kami nagkakilala? I took a deep breath. Bahala na. "We met on an accident. I was taking a break from working on Hacinto's novel so I decided to buy coffee. I was debating if I'll stay at the café or drink it in the nearby park. I chose the latter. Hindi masyado matao yung park, the perfect place for relaxing at that time. I found a good bench to rest. Doon muna ako nag-stay, happily drinking my coffee."

   Sa totoo lang, how relaxing would that be. Maybe I should try that sometime. Now, unto the "meeting" part. "Pero na-interrupt yun. I heard running. A bark and a man shouting. Akala ko may naglalaro lang sa corner. I didn't think na that dog would spill my coffee. And that dog belonged to Launce. He apologized and explained na na-attract yung dog niya sa smell ng coffee because his dog likes the smell a lot. Then... Nag-offer siya ng help, seeing my condition. And I accepted it. That was how we met. Not the best meeting for a start of the relationship but it was the start."

   At naging tahimik uli yung study. Did I convince them? Yung mga sinabi ko... Were they enough? I again took a deep breath. 

   "Frele," uncle started.

   "Yes?" tanong ko sa kanya.

   "You should stop this."

   "Why? Please explain why, uncle. Masaya ako sa kanya. I love him. And he, without question, loves me as well." Shit... Nag-cricringe ako. I can't believe I'm saying this. And on top of that, I have to sound in love and desperate.

    "Why? Did you perhaps forget, Frele?" tanong ni auntie.

   Umm... Forget what? Ano? I'm not forgetting anything, am I? Okay... Calm down. Don't panic, Frele. Baka isa lang ito sa mga manipulation schemes nila. Must answer them calmly.

   "I don't think that I have forgotten something," ang sagot ko.

   My auntie and uncle exchanged looks. "Young lady, let us remind you then."

   "Nakikinig ako, uncle, auntie."

   "You have to stop this nonsense, Frele. Why? That's because you are already engaged."

-=-=-=-=-=-

A/N: 

Hello, everyone! Sorry being inactive for months. Sem break na, yehey!

Did you expect that? Hahahaha... Yung engaged na pala siya? We shall see how things will escalate sa next chapter. ;)

Thank you sa lahat ng love and support para sa story na 'to. <3 Hoping to bring you another chapter soon.