Ruthless Beauty

Chapter 21

Chapter 21

"I'm so sorry for your loss, Anna." Tito Cristophe said quietly. Kitang-kita ko sa mukha niya ang pagsisisi at kalungkutan. "Nahihiya ako. I was not there during my best friend's last minutes. Mas inuna ko pa ang negosyo ko."

"Wala po kayong dapat ikahiya, Tito Cristophe. I'm going to be okay." I assured him, swallowing the lump in my throat once again.

He nodded and went to glance at Papa's coffin. I arranged a respectable funeral service for my father. Sa tulong ni Atty. de Guzman ay naipalam din namin sa mga malalapit niyang kaibigan ang pagpanaw niya. Most of them came. We have no close relatives here so the service is full of strangers for me... Ang ilan sa kanila'y nakita ko na noong bata pa ako. Samantalang ang ilan ay talagang mukha ng estranghero para sa akin.

"What's going to happen to me? I'm so distressed to have lost my husband! Hindi ako alam kung anong gagawin ko!"

Napalingon ako kay Valerie na bigla nalang umiyak nang malakas. Her friends quickly came to rub her back and whisper soothing words. Umiiyak talaga siya. Naningkit ang mga mata ko at kasabay noon ang panghahapdi ng dibdib ko.

"Hindi ko alam kung anong mangyayari sa akin... sa amin ng mga anak ko! I have tw—three kids under my care... I wouldn't be able to raise them properly without Simone!"

"Don't cry, Valerie. I'm sure you're a great mother. You're going to raise them just fine. At isa pa, meron naman atang pera na iniwan si Simone para sa inyo? Nand'yan pa ang hacienda na pwede mong pagkakitaan..."

"Oh, I don't know... I might just sell the hacienda even though it means so much to me. We've lost a lot of money due to my husband's treatments and medicines. Importante ngayon ang mga anak ko..."

Hindi ko na pinansin ang sumunod niyang mga sinabi. Samantha is sitting silently, staring into abyss. Habang si Steve naman ay hindi mahagilap. I am now alone in this house full of strangers. Niyakap ko ang sarili habang papalapit sa kabaong ni Papa.

I don't know where to start now that he's gone. Valerie did not help me with the funeral service. It was all my initiative. She just mourned and cried and ruined her mascara and made sure that everyone sees her theatrics. Even though I am fuming mad at her, ayokong bastusin ang funeral service ni Papa sa pag-aaway naming dalawa.

"Anna..."

Naramdaman ko ang mahigpit na paghapit sa baywang ko at sinundan iyon ng malambing na pisil. Tracing the veined arms, I looked up and saw Blake. His eyes are weary, but he still managed to smile. Palagay ko ay galing pa siya sa trabaho at dumiretso siya dito.

"Kumain ka na ba?"

I nodded.

"Good. I just saw Dad. Sinabihan ko na siyang dito muna ako matutulog at babantayan kita hanggang sa mailibing si Tito Simone."

Sighing away, I nodded again. In the background, I could still hear Valerie wailing. Some of the visitors are disturbed while some more came to comfort her and tell her everything's going to be okay.

Nagkatinginan lang kaming dalawa ni Blake ngunit wala nang sinabi pa. Valerie stopped crying after a while, thank goodness, and the funeral service went on smoothly. Nang malaman ni Valerie na sa mansion matutulog si Blake ay wala naman siyang sinabi. She just looks tired... and irritated.

"Pagkalibing na pagkalibing kay Simone, tawagin mo si Attorney para sa reading of the will..." she said to me when I came down in the middle of the night for a glass of water. I found her sitting in the kitchen countertop, drinking a bottle of wine and looking a complete seductress. Parang hindi siya umiyak kani-kanina lang.