A/N: MGA BELOVED READERS NA NABIGYAN KO NA NG DEDICATIONS.
CHAP1- PookieAndChia
CHAP4- jennaration
6- mamidudi
7- lostmushroom
10- graffini
11- MaryGraceDumasis
12- terencebiggat3
14-milley_pede17
15- Amityheart
16- Imparfaitelove
17- nicz24
18- VeliaBautista
19- SandyMoore19
21.2- ireneb83
22- simplehilda
And this chap is dedicated to you dear, Marigel_mjd28 :)
For dedics dun nalang ako pipili sa mga nagcocomment :) thanks!
MATTHEW’S POV
I was about to make love to Kathy when they called and told me that I need to be in the office for this f*cking emergency meeting.
Kauuwi lang namin sa dinner date and she told me… No, she pleaded if I could just stay with her and sleep with her…
But I said no. Mahalaga ang meeting na iyon dahil may namatay na construction worker sa site ng bagong hotel na pinapatayo ko. At may nahuling deliver ng pagkain para sa malaking event na magaganap bukas. I must sort these things out para makasabay ako kay Kathy pauwi ng pilipinas. Kaya kahit labag sa loob kong iwan siya, I left her after she confessed her undying love to me.
“Sir, Mr. Marc Mariano would like to see you now. Should I let him in?”
I nearly spilled my coffee when I heard my secretary’s voice in the intercom.
“Let him in, Diana.” I answered.
“Okay, Sir.”
Marc? Ano na naman ang kailangan niya?
Umayos ako ng pagkakaupo sa aking swivel chair at hinintay ang pagpasok ng kapatid ko.
“Hello! Dear brother.” Marc said.
“Tell me what you want then leave. Marami pa akong gagawin.” Walang buhay na sagot ko.
“What I want? Bring back my wife’s life. That’s what I want, Matthew.” may diin nitong sabi at umupo sa couch na nasa loob ng opisina ko.
“You know I can’t do that, Marc. Hindi ako Diyos para bumuhay ng taong matagal ng patay. If you came here to talk again about the past, spare me this time. Masakit na ang ulo ko sa dami ng gagawin. Bumalik ka nalang bukas.”
“Spare you? Did you spare my wife’s life with your stupid actions and decisions? Kung kailangan kong ipaalala sayo araw-araw kung ano ang nawala sa akin, gagawin ko! Gagawin ko para kay Rica!” tumayo ito at lumapit sa desk ko.
Tinitigan ko lang siya. I was used to it. To Marc’s outburst every time he remembers the past. Anim na taon ko ng tinitiis ang masasakit na salitang binabato niya sa akin. And I can’t fight back because it was really my fault.
“You’ve been doing that, brother. Anim na taon na ang nakakalipas at hanggang ngayon ay patuloy ko pa ring pinagbabayaran ang kasalanan ko sa inyo. Isn’t that enough, BROTHER?”
“ENOUGH?!” hinampas nito ng malakas ang desk ko. “WALANG SASAPAT SA BUHAY NG ASAWA KO, MATTHEW! WALA! KAHIT BUHAY MO AY HINDI NITO MATUTUMBASAN! YOU WILL SUFFER UNTIL YOUR LAST BREATH, MATTHEW! YOU WILL SUFFER!
Hindi pa din ako gumalaw kahit hinawakan na niya ako sa kwelyo.
“I know, Rica was my friend and no one can replace her in our hearts. That’s why I’m working my ass out in this company but in the end it will all be yours. And I swear in Michael’s grave that I will die alone. No family. No children. That’s suffering, right?”
Marc laughed but I can see pain and anger in his eyes.
“Oh, yes. Yes. The promise that you made in your real brother’s grave. Nagawa mo na ba? May balak ka pa bang tuparin ang pangako na iyon?”
Ayokong isipin na wala na akong balak na tuparin pa iyon…
“Yes, I will fulfill that promise.”
“You’re a bad liar, brother! At ano si Kathy sa buhay mo? Ang nag-iisang babaeng nagtagal sayo? Unang babaeng iniuwi mo? You are planning a life with her, didn’t you?”
”How dare you talk about her! Touch her again and I will kill you!”
Marc can mock anything but Kathy. Hindi siya pwedeng madamay sa kung anong mayroon sa nakaraan ko.
“Now you’re talking. Touch her? I already did, brother. Not once, not twice, and definitely not thrice.”
“What do you mean?”
“Don’t be so naïve, Matt.” Kinuha nito ang coffee ko at dahan-dahan na uminom. “Just like this coffee, parehas tayong uminom dito. Katulad noong nasa kolehiyo tayo, we shared same girls. At alam kong hindi iba sa Kathy sa lahat ng babaeng nakama mo, dahil madali ko din siyang nakuha.”
The minute he said it, hindi ako nagdalawang isip na suntukin siya. Narinig ko ang pagkabasag ng cup na hawak nito kanina kasabay ng pagtunog ng panga niya sa lakas ng suntok ko.
“F*ck you! Huwag mong gawan ng kwento si Kathy na alam mong hindi totoo! I am serious, Marc. TOUCH HER AND I WILL KILL YOU!”
“Do you think I’m kidding? At ano? Nakahanap ka na ng babaeng magmamahal sayo? Walang magmamahal sa katulad mo, Matthew! Walang magmamahal sa taong sarili lang ang iniisip! Walang magmamahal sayo! No one can love you! They only want your money! Ang perang mapupunta din naman sa akin!”
I grinned. “I know your game. You are good at making stories. At anong akala mo? Maniniwala ako sayo? I am her first Marc. Alam kong ako ang una kaya impossible ang sinasabi mo. And I know Kathy; she’s not a gold digger! You’re doing this for revenge. Leave, now!”
“You know her? That was a good joke. Almost two months of being with her and you’re saying that you know her? Really? Ikaw ang nakauna sa kanya? Of course you are her knight in shining armor. Ang nagligtas at tumulong sa kanya dito sa Paris. At ano? Ipinagmalaki mo agad na ikaw ang may ari ng hotel na tinutuluyan niya? She’s just a girl Matthew, at lahat sila ay silaw sa pera. At alam niya ang kahinaan mo. Ikaw ang nauna dahil ang akala niya ay sa iyo ang lahat ng ito! But the moment I told her about what you did to Michael and Rica, she was disgusted. And when I told her that I am the true heir of this building she willingly gave herself to me, Matthew!”
No! That’s not true, she told me that she love me even without my money. At alam kong totoo lahat iyon dahil ramdam ko ito. And she never mentioned Marc after the incident when Marc almost raped her. Marc’s only doing this for revenge. For Rica. For his wife.
“You’re desperate, brother. Umalis ka na bago ko pa ipatawag ang security.” Kalmadong sabi ko at bumalik na sa swivel chair ko.
“Alam kong darating sa point na hindi ka maniniwala sa akin so I bring a proof with me. And after you see this, tignan natin kung hindi ka pa maniwala.”
I gazed up at marc. May inilabas siyang envelopes sa bulsa ng coat niya.
He spilled the pictures in my desk.
And when I saw the pictures… it drained all my blood.
This can’t be true.
“And when she told you that she is pregnant, maniniwala ka na sa akin. Dahil alam mo sa sarili mong kahit kailan ay hindi mo siya mabubuntis. Pero ikaw pa din ang sasabihin niyang ama nito because she agreed on making you suffer. She is on my side now, Matthew. Tinutupad ko lang ang pangako mo kay, Michael. You will die alone. Alone.”