TAMING THE LIONESS °[KathNiel] ✓COMPLETE

28. Other Side of the Coin

Maddy

After the scene that embarrassed my parents from everyone who attended the party, I was too hurt to care. Seeing Tres tonight after a few weeks of what happened between us on my graduation came as a surprise. Not that I wanted to see him because the truth is, I've been wishing for all of these to be just a dream and wake up on the following day staring at that perfect guy who does nothing but love me.

"What was that Madellaine? Huh! Aren't you hearing anything? Young lady, I am talking to you so don't even try—"

"Enough Willow!" I heard dad's voice coming out in full volume so I flinched and returned my attention to them. "You don't have the right to blame our own daughter who you're trying to sell to your friend!"

Mom's palm hit dad on the cheek after he said it.

"I was doing this to save your company. Your  company, Von! And you know for yourself that this is what's best for your daughter!"

Why are they screaming at each other? I can no longer stand this. Exhausted at the bickering my parents have been doing since the past months, I ran away from them. I was in tears while I kept my pace from running. Remembering the night and all the other times I broke Tres' heart, I wished silently to be taken up by the ground, be ran over by a truck, be abducted by alien or at least be bombarded by a meteor just for me to disappear. 

When my feet were worn out by the running that I did, I called for a taxi. I had no idea where to go. I actually wanted to go to one place alone—to him... but that would just make everything worse for the both of us. 

"Sa'n po tayo ma'am?" Tanong ng taxi driver. Hindi ko alam kung ano ang isasagot ko hanggang sa may maalala akong lugar na sigurado akong makakapagpagaan ng nararamdaman ko.

I climbed out of the car as soon as we arrived at the mountain top. It's dark. The stars aren't shining tonight. But the moon is enough to illuminate and show me the silhouette of a familiar man inside the view deck.

No. He can't see me. Not right now.

"You're no longer welcome here." I heard him say when I was about to leave. 

"I was just... I was just about to leave." I replied without trying to look back. I walked fast as I could but Tres coped up and caught me in his arms. In that still cold night, we sobbed in each other's arms. For minutes... which felt like just a second, I had my heart broken to pieces again.

"So you knew it. You planned everything to make me miserable, am I right?" Sumbat ni Tres sa'kin. Nag-aapoy ang mga mata niya. "Binalikan mo 'ko, pinaniwalang mahal mo rin ako pero ang totoo, you saw this coming. Alam mong sa huli, sasaktan mo 'ko."

Bumabaon ang kuko niya sa braso kong hinahawakan niya ng mahigpit. Ayaw kong sumagot. Hindi dahil tama siya kundi dahil wala na akong lakas. Durog na durog na ako.

"Ang daming tao sa mundo, Maddy. Si Cedric pa talaga?" Pag-iyak lang ang tanging nagawa ko. "Do'n ka sa kanya!" Sigaw niya sabay tulak sa'kin.  "Magsama kayong dalawa! Pareho naman kayong walang kwenta e. Bagay kayo para sa isa't isa." 

Hindi siya tumigil sa pagtulak sa'kin hanggang sa bumagsak ako sa damuhan. Napahagulhol ako sa tuhod ko.

"Pera ba Maddy? Pera ba ang kailangan ng mommy mo?"

"Tama na." Pagmamakaawa ko. "Tama na Tres. Oo, tanga ako. Gago ako. Hindi ako karapatdapat sa'yo. Wala akong kwenta. Tama na. Matagal ko ng alam 'yon." I said to stop him from bringing up my mom to the argument.

"Talaga? Alam mo? Mabuti naman." He really is so angry. I can tell how much he's trying not to hurt me physically. 

"I'm sorry."