Her parents organized a party for her saying na it's for her upcoming marriage. Germen Lu wasn't here so instead of calling it an engagement party, it became some sort of congratulatory party. Maraming taong dumalo na hindi niya naman lahat kilala by name although she knows some of them by face.
"Sino naman ang maswerteng mapapangasawa ng bunso ninyo, Mrs. Garcia?" Tanong ng isang ginang sa mama niya. Hindi siya nagsasalita sa halip ay ngumingiti lang siya kapag napupunta sa kaniya ang topic at kinakausap siya. Kapag kagaya ng ganito na hindi siya ang tinatanong ay hindi siya umiimik.
"Well," misteryosong sagot ni Ann Garcia sa kausap na ginang. "My future son-in-law is actually very famous, si Mr. Lu!" Proud na sagot nito.
Napalingon ang mga bisitang malapit sa table nila. "Mr. Lu? As in German Lu?" Gulat na gulat na tanong ng nakarinig.
Tila proud na proud ang mama niya habang pinapangalandakan sa mga tao ang nalalapit na kasal niya sa pamosong si German Fritz Lu. Halos hindi naman makapaniwala ang mga nakarinig.
Mr. Lu was happily married until because of unknown reasons, he divorced his wife. The people within the circle knows how ruthless the case had been and some of them even heard that the former Mrs. Lu cheated pero the man in question never confirmed it.
I, too, wouldn't answer for you if I were him. isip isip ni Natasha. The people within the circle are so nosy. Mayayaman pero curious parin sa buhay ng may buhay. Pero dahil lumaki na siya sa ganitong klase ng mga tao kaya't alam niya na pano pakikisamahan.
"Hey, sis." Napalingon si Natasha ng may bumati sa kaniya. She saw her "sister" walking towards her together with a man in his forties. Looking at the man in her sister's arms, she silently noticed that they look like more of a father and daughter rather than husband and wife.
Mr. Rodriguez wasn't bad looking, in fact all the men their parents chose were all good looking, it's just that her sisters' husbands are older than most guys. Not as old as her parents but older than her 28-year-old sister.
Mas matanda din naman si Mr. Lu kesa sa kaniya dahil 24 pa lang siya at 32 na ito pero hindi kasing tanda ng asawa ng ate Janine niya na halos twenty years ang age gap. Her sister didn't mind as long as she has money and was pampered.
"Excuse us, dear. You should go and talk to your business partners. I'll be speaking with my little sister," ani ate niya sa asawa. Ngumiti lang ang lalaki sa kaniya bago nagpaalam sa ate niya at humalik sa pisngi nito.
She maintained her perfunctory smile all the while.
Nang makaalis ang asawa ay ngumisi ang kapatid sa kaniya. They are not that close wala din naman silang paguusapan. "You got lucky, huh?" Anito at ininom ang wine na hawak hawak.
Kumuha din siya ng wine sa server na naglalakad at nakipagcheers sa kapatid. "I'm not quite sure what you mean, ate." Saka siya mahinhin na lumagok sa wine glass.
"Mr. Lu's a nice catch. Too bad he wasn't for me." Anito pero alam naman niyang hindi talaga ito nanghihinayang.
"We could swap," aniya at tumaas ang sulok ng labi.
Tumawa naman ang ate niya. Kahit ganoon ay nakikitang may poise parin ang lahat ng galaw nito. Iyon ang sinanay sa kanila mula noon. No matter what they do, no matter where they are, they have to be elegant.
"No thanks, the Rodriguez' pampers me well." Nakitaan niya ng lambot ang mata ng kapatid. And she was a bit surprised.
"You fell for the guy?" She probed.
Nagkibit balikat ang ate niya, "Why not? I have money and I'm pampered. If all he wants is love and someone to care for him then I'll be glad to give him the perfect wife."
She chuckled at her sister's words, "Aren't we supposed to be the perfect wife?"
Since young, their parents drilled the fact that they will be the perfect wife for the perfect husband in their minds. It sounds sweet pero alam nilang apat na hindi ito ginagawa ng mga magulang nila para sumaya sila. Ginagawa ito ng mga magulang nila dahil kailangan ng mga ito ng connection. For their underground business. They need connections and they need names that they can use.
That's why they have them. To use and abuse as much as they want.
“Don't get me wrong, sister. I'm not mad or disappointed. I, too, just want to get this over with.” saad ni Natasha habang patuloy na pinaglalaruan ang goblet na hawak.
Janine chuckled, “Oh, I know. Sa ating apat you were always the perfect puppet. A little spunky but you know, men likes that kind of girl.” her smile was friendly but her words were laced with acid.
Inubos ni Janine ang hawak na wine, “A little sisterly advice, don't trust that husband to be of yours too much. That man could be the end of you.” saka ito naglakad papunta sa asawa at kumapit dito para makipag-socialize sa mga tao na nasa party.
“Is your soon to be husband not coming to you own engagement party?” tanong ng isa pang pamilyar na boses. “Aren't you ashamed of walking alone? It's like you're the only one who knows you'll be getting married.”
The woman was wearing a gold v-neck lace a-line dress. The slit in the front was very noticeable. It was another one of her "sisters". Aimee was not exactly on friendly terms with her. Knowing that she'll be married to the famous son of "The Dragon" Germen Fritz Lu, might've triggered her hate buttons.
Guess I'll be meeting all of these women tonight.
"Hello, ate. Great to see you here. Where's your husband? Too busy sleeping with her mistress to accompany you to the party?" Natasha replied while kissing her sister's cheek.
She saw the anger on her sister's eyes. But the smile remained. “Watch your words, sister. My shoes might become yours any day now.” anito at tumalikod.
She smiled even when Aimee is not looking. “Does it look like it matters now?” she answered under her breath.
BINABASA MO ANG
Tangled Sheets
General Fiction"It was impossible... Or so I thought." German (read as Hermen) Lu is a handsome, rich man but that wasn't enough to keep his wife from sleeping with another man behind his back. Since then he treated women no more as tools. Natasha Garcia was mad...
