Regrets.
Right now I regret one thing and that is when I said no to Daniel, we should have runaway that day edi sana hindi na umabot sa ganito right?
And right now here I am with Enrique who’s smiling and all. Bakit parang hindi siya gulat na ako yung kasama niya alam ba niya?
“Good evening. I know you must be all wondering, how. Right? Well it will be a secret that will never be told.” Clarisse started. “And if you’re also wondering if Leila’s alive then maybe just maybe Éclair would be too.” She stopped.
Tama pwede ding buhay si mommy. And baka buhay nga siya at alam nila kung nasaan si mommy.
“But unfortunately I couldn’t find her. It wasn’t easy to find Leila, it was let’s say we were lucky to be a family.” She said so wala talaga si mommy. “So now that Leila’ back the engagement between the Vanderbilt and Rutherford is also happening.” She said and clapped her hands ganun din ang iba “Congratulations my dear.” She said and looked at me that smile really.
After that, they told us to dance, at eto kami ni Enrique sumasayaw. “You look beautiful Leila.” He said.
“Kath, call me Kath Enrique.” I said coldly. “Alam mo ba to?” I looked at him.
He looked at me “I… at first I didn't know pero mom told me everything kanina. I wasn’t surprised really.” Sabi pa niya. “And I supposed alam ni Daniel?” tanong niya
I didn’t answer kasi parang hindi naman tanong eh. And then someone interrupted us. si Paul. “Milady.” He said. Disappointment was all over his face.
Sumama na ako kay Paul, nagpunta kami sa isang kwarto at to my surprise nandun si Clarisse.
“The ever so loyal assistant of Éclair is here.” She said. At uminom na ulit siya ng champagne niya.
“Paano mo nalaman na buhay si Miss Leila?” tanong ni Paul. “And the engagement is not valid. After all Miss Leila’s death is recorded, she’s dead.”
“Well don’t worry Paul, bukas na bukas pupunta tayo sa city hall and tell them she’s alive. No record.” She said. “At kung paano ko nalaman?” she smiled “Who can you really trust Leila?” she asked me
Who can I really trust? Right now dalawa lang si Paul at si Daniel… si Daniel.. could it be? No. he wouldn’t.
“What do you mean by that?” I finally had the voice to speak up to her.
“Paul will always be loyal to your family after all, his family owes yours and they’re indebted to you forever. But then there’s this one guy you trust the most….”
Don’t believe what she’s about to say Kath, don’t.
“The one guy you love the most but how can you be sure he’s on your side? How can you be sure to trust him?”
Daniel wouldn't, he wouldn’t right? Siya pa ang nagsabi na we should runaway right?
“He wouldn’t” I firmly said.
She laughed “Hindi kita mahahanap kundi dahil sa kanya Leila. Who would have thought that may nagagawa palang tama si Daniel. The very first day he met you and found out that you’re alive sinabi niya agad sa akin, he tricked you to trust him fully, para hindi ka makatakas uli sa amin.” She said “Memories with him were all lies, it was all for a show.”
Tears were falling, “ENOUGH.” I shouted “Hindi niya magagawa sa akin yan mahal niya ako.” I defended Daniel.
Daniel please save me.
“But where is he?” she asked me “He’s probably with Bea.”
Napatingin ako sa kanya “You don’t know Bea? She’s Daniel’s fiancé and no hindi ito isang fixed marriage. Daniel has always love Bea.”
Nanlambot yung mga tuhod ko kaya napaluhod ako sa sahig and Paul tried to catch me but hindi na ako makatayo pa. It was hard to absorb everything. I should trust Daniel but why can’t I?
Then may binato si Clarisse sa harap ko isang envelope, I opened it and saw pictures. I saw Daniel with a girl, they looked so happy together.
Bea. I’ve heard that before…
*Flashback*
Nandito ako ngayon sa classroom namin, uwian na pero tinatamad pa akong umuwi, Daniel has practice at pinauna na niya ako pero nakakatad parin talagang umuwi eh.
So nagstay muna ako sa classroom, then outside nakabukas kasi yung pinto ng kunti kaya nakita ko si Julia, I was about to call her when she called Daniel. “Dan.” She called.
“Oh bakit andito ka pa?” tanong ni Daniel, I couldn’t see him si Julia lang kita ko, tumayo na ako para mapuntahan sila
“Was in the library. And you?”
“Practice.”
“Si Kath?”
“Umuwi na. Osige Juls una na ako may pupuntahan pa ako eh.”
“Kay Kath?” I saw Julia smile mischievously. I love her for that.
“Hindi. Kay Bea.” When he said that Julia’s smile turned to a frown. “Sige na she’s waiting.”
Hindi na ako nakalapit kasi umalis na din siya nun. And I didn’t know who Bea was.
*End of Flashback*
So this must be Bea, tinanggal ko yung mask ko to see it clearly, Daniel looked so happy, I scanned every pictures and one did totally break my heart, it was when Daniel kneeled in front of Bea and Bea was surprised.
Ang sakit. He betrayed me. He has Bea.
All were lies.
I fall for him but he didn’t.
“Bakit ba gusto niyo akong ma-engage kay Enrique?” I asked. Ang dami dami naman na pamilya diyan na medyo well off din like us, pero why us?
“It was an agreement made my our forefathers and it needs to be done.” She said “Hindi naman ito tungkol sa mga merger, this was made because of the promise of the two families that someday the two families would be one. The third generation successor of two families which is you and Enrique would make the agreement complete.” She explained. So it was about that.
I cleared my face. “Let me think about this.” I said, I still need to believe in Daniel, kahit pa may mga pictures pa, pwede naman na past yan ni Daniel, and he promised, at bakit niya papaalala sa akin yung tungkol bukas ng midnight? Right?
Mahal ako ni Daniel.
Hindi ko dapat siya i-doubt mahal niya ako, ako at hindi yung Bea, at kaya wala siya ngayon ay dahil siguro naghahanda na siya diba? Sympre bukas na kami tatakas kailangan may destination na.
Tama ganyan nga Kath.
The next day it was fine, I stayed at my house, Paul was begging for forgiveness dahil daw hindi niya ako na-protektahan, he didn’t say anything about Daniel, siguro alam niyang sensitive pa yung topic but I believe in Daniel, hindi niya ako lolokohin.
Inayos ko na yung mga gamit ko, I didn’t tell Paul about my plan with Daniel, no one should know, kahit pa si Paul yan, no one is to be trusted.
And umalis na ako sa bahay aroung 11 ang aga ko dahil baka nandun na si Daniel, I went to the fountain umupo ako dun at tinignan ang mga stars.
“Mommy forgive me.” I just said.
Ang lamig ng hangin at medyo makulimlim din. Pero I still waited for him malapit na may midnight pero still no sign of him, baka may surprise pa siya sa akin kaya wala pa at usapan namin, midnight.
And when the clock struck twelve, wala pa siya.
Pinigilan ko yung luha ko, ano ba yan baka late lang siya, kasi nga naghahanda pa siya eh. Late lang siya.
I remember our happy days, yung nagtapat siya, yung sinabi ko din yung nararamdaman ko sa kanya, yung nagpunta kami sa puntod ni mommy at sinabi niya na siya na bahala sa akin.
Daniel tutuparin mo naman yung mga promise mo diba?
You’re not who they told me you are.
It was 12:30 when it started to rain really hard, and pero hindi ako umiyak. Darating siya. May tiwala ako sa kanya na tututparin niya yung pangako niya.
And from a distance I saw a silhouette, napatayo ako and there naglalakad na siya palapit sa akin, and nung medyo malapit na yung figure, I couldn't see his face.
Nakatayo lang siya ganun din ako, and then he broke the silence “Tara na Kath.” He said and that’s when my tears fell.
I was crying in the rain, napaluhod na ako at humagulgol sa ulan, I just couldn’t believe it. Why?
Lumapit siya sa akin at niyakap niya ako, nabitawan niya yung payong na dala dala niya.
“Shh.. don’t cry.”
Pero hindi ko mapigilan ang hindi umiyak. It hurts.
To be continued…
Kill me now please I didn't like what I wrote really. Anyway few chapters left. Remember 20 or 25 chapters lang to. Bahala na si batman.
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