The unknown number didn't just send one photo but two. Kuha iyon sa club nung birthday ni Hadeon.
That night, I thought we'd be safe because the dance floor was crowded. I assumed that everyone was too inebriated and they wouldn't pay attention to what was happening around them and if they were, I figured that they'd forget about it the next morning. Obviously, I was wrong.
The photos were enhanced kaya sa unang photo ay kitang-kita ang mukha ko. We were staring at each other. I had a smirk on my face while Hades looked surprised. The second photo was when I leaned closer to his ear so he could hear me properly. Those who don't know what really happened will think we were kissing because of how it was taken.
Who took these photos? And why did the person send it to me? Was it the same person who tipped it off to that cheap digital tabloid? If the person had this incriminating photos in their arsenal, then why didn't they release it with the article?
Unknown Number:
I know what you did tonight too :)
Tuluyan nang naglaho ang antok ko. How? The unknown number was stalking me? For how long? What else do they know?
Hindi ako nagdalawang isip na tinawagan ang number. Isang beses lang 'yon nag-ring at matapos ay napatay rin. I tried again but my call was rejected.
I quickly typed in a message.
Seph:
Who are you?
It took the person three minutes to reply. Maybe to add a suspense effect and make me more anxious. Mind games and all that.
Unknown Number:
Wrong question.
Of course the person won't tell me who they were. It would be stupid to reveal their identity.
Seph:
What do you need from me?
Is it a paparazzi and they want to extort me with money? Ibibigay ko ba kapag hiningi? Fuck.
Unknown Number:
Turn down the Dream Girl role.
My forehead creased. That was an odd request. Why would a paparazzi ask me to turn down a movie role? What would they benefit from that?
Unless it wasn't a paparazzi... Sino naman ang makikinabang kapag hindi ko tinanggap ang job offer? I was sure a lot of people covets that role. Was I being blackmailed out of the role because they want the role for themselves? Or are they just trying to sabotage my career?
If the photos get out, it would be the end of all things. My career, my reputation, my father, Hadeon...
I couldn't care less about a damn movie role. I could get another one. But how could I be sure that whoever this was won't hang these photos over my head? Paano kung gamitin nila ito para mapasunod ako sa kahit anong mga bagay? They had something against me that would be enough to make me do their bidding.
It reminded me of my father. They should meet up and exchange notes. They were both good at manipulative schemes.
Unknown Number:
I'll give you a week to decide. Goodluck.
My head spun. Did my room get smaller? Are the walls closing in or is it just in my head? I need a drink.
Lumabas ako ng kwarto para pumunta ng kitchen. I grabbed a bottle of wine and poured it to a wine glass. Inubos ko ang isang baso at matapos ay nagsalin pa ng isa.
What was I going to do? Susundin ko ba ang gusto niyang mangyari? It's not like I can report this to the police. That would be stupid. The press could easily smell the smoke and it wouldn't be long until they see the fire.
I could try to find out who was blackmailing me. It would be easy to hire private investigators and track the number but what would I do with the information? Ano ang gagawin ko kung sakaling malaman ko kung sino ang nasa likod nito?
At ano ang gagawin ko ngayon na may nakakaalam na tungkol sa amin ni Hades? Should I stop seeing him? Should I end us? Kaya ko ba na hindi na siya makita? Kaya ko bang tapusin ang meron sa aming dalawa?
🍷🍷🍷
The sound of the doorbell woke me up from sleep. My aching head registered to me next. Napahawak ako sa ulo sa naramdaman na kirot.
Muling tumunog ang doorbell. I looked at my nightstand to check the time. My eyes bulged when I saw that it was seven in the morning. Sa oras na 'to ay dapat paalis na ako ng unit ko.
Agad akong bumangon at hinanap ang phone ko sa bedside table. I forgot to charge it last night and the battery was dead. I wasn't usually dependent on my alarm but last night was a different case because I had too much wine. I must have slept through my alarm or maybe the battery died before that.
The doorbell chimed again. Alam ko na si Emma 'yon na sinusundo ako dahil wala ako sa lobby.
God. I'm gonna be so late.
Nagmamadali akong bumangon at itinakbo ang main door para buksan 'yon. Emma had a phone on her hand and she looked extremely worried.
"Kaia!" gulat niyang sabi nang makita ako.
"Give me twenty minutes. Please prepare me some medicine and coffee, too," utos ko at iniwan din siya agad para dumiretso ng bathroom.
It was the fastest shower that I've ever taken. I threw on a simple white shirt, ripped jeans, and black leather jacket. Hindi na ako nag-makeup kaya black sunglasses na lang ang sinuot ko. My hair was still damp but I don't have enough time to dry it.
Sa elevator ride ko na ininom ang gamot. Emma handed me the travel mug. I carefully sipped some cofffee from it.
"Masama ba ang pakiramdam mo, Kaia?" nag-aalalang tanong ni Emma.
"It's just a headache."
"Pwede naman siguro tayong magpaalam kung hindi mo kaya mag-trabaho."
I massaged my temple with one hand "I'll be fine. Did you let them know that we're running late?"
"Oo, Kaia."
The morning traffic caught us. Alanganin na kasi ang oras. We ended up being late for an hour. I apologized to the whole crew for being late. It was unprofessional kahit na nakapagsabi naman na si Emma na mahuhuli kami. It was still a short notice.
"Sigurado ka bang okay ka lang, Seph? I'm sure papayag naman si Direk na mag-absent ka kapag nalaman niya na masama ang pakiramdam mo," sabi ni Darcy.
Umiling ako at hinawakan ang ulo na kumikirot pa rin. "Mawawala rin 'to mamaya."
"Ano ba ang ginawa mo kagabi at biglang sumama ang pakiramdam mo?" Darcy asked.
I stiffened. I was too hangover to even think about what happened last night.
Why was Darcy suddenly asking me about what I did last night? Am I being too paranoid or was the question coming from her just really suspicious?
A thought suddenly came into my mind. What if my blackmailer was someone that I know? What if the person behind it was just around me? Was it another actress?
Sino ba ang makikinabang kapag pinili kong h'wag tanggapin ang role? Paniguradong 'yon ang dahilan. Why else would the blackmailer ask me to back out from that role?
The only person that I know who openly wanted that role was Asia. I've heard it from other celebrities. Could it be here? But that would be so obvious.
Whoever planned this was stupid and pathetic. It wasn't like removing me from the equation guarantees that the blackmailer would get the role.
I set my thoughts aside when I was called. Nasa set na ang ibang mga artista na makakasama ko sa scene. Rowan was already there, too.
"Ayan na ang late," asar ni Rowan nang makalapit ako sa kanila. Umirap lang ako bilang sagot.
"Goodmorning," bati ko sa ibang mga katrabaho.
"What were you upto last night? Bakit late ka?" Rowan snoopily asked. The others were listening for my explanation, too.
"Sumama lang ang pakiramdam ko," paliwanag ko para matapos na ang topic na 'to.
"Oh." Sumeryoso agad si Rowan. Concern crept on his face. "Are you okay now? You should get some rest if you're not feeling well."
I nodded. "I'm fine. Uminom na ako ng gamot."
Nang nagsimula na ang taping ay tsaka ko lang naalala na hindi ko nalagay sa bag ang phone kanina dahil sa pagmamadali which reminded me of Hades. I haven't greeted him goodmorning.
And even if I had my phone with me, am I still hoing to greet him goodmorning? Am I still going to see him ever after the fact that we were caught and now at the risk of being exposed to public?
Crisis Management 101 was avoiding the root of the scandal and that scandal was my affair with Hadeon. The right thing to do was to stay away from him. From the start, I knew it was what I should have done. I did it anyway because I was selfish. I loved how he made me feel.
My life was already complicated before Hades came into my life and it got more complicated when I chose to be with him.
A part of me thought that I deserved this. Sinisingil na ako sa kaligayahan na pinilit kong kinuha kahit na alam kong hindi tama at hindi para sa akin.
I needed time to think... and at the same time, I didn't want to think. Work was the perfect distraction. I kept myself occupied. Pati breaks ay pinili kong mag-aral ng script para lang may mapagkaabalahan at hindi mag-isip.
"Seph, nagtatanong si Direk kung okay lang daw ba sa'yo mag-extend? Two hours pa raw," nag-aalinlangan na tanong ni Darcy.
Agad akong tumango. "Okay."
"Oh?" Bumakas ang gulat sa mukha niya. "Akala ko hindi ka papayag. Excited ka kasi lagi umuwi nitong mga nakaraang linggo."
That caught me off guard. May kakaiba ba sa mga kilos ko nitong nakaraang buwan? Halata ba masyado? Marami bang nakapansin?
"Ipag-order na ba kita ng dinner, Kaia? Anong gusto mo?" singit ni Emma. I was thankful for her butting in. Hindi ko alam ang isasagot sa sinabi ni Darcy.
"Baked Feta Pasta. Thanks." I went back to reading the script.
Dumadaan ang tingin ko sa mga linya pero ni-isang salita ay walang pumasok sa utak ko. Nanatili sa isipan ko ang sinabi ni Darcy.
It made me look back on every move that I have done for the past month. All of the mistakes that I made and what I could do to avoid it.
Mali ang ilang beses na pagkita namin ni Hades sa club. Mali ang lahat ng pagkakataon na nagkasama kami in public. Pati ang pagpunta ko sa bahay nila kagabi. Hindi ko dapat ginawa 'yon.
I bitterly smiled at myself. Here I was, thinking of these laborious things instead of planning on how to end it with Hadeon.
I shook my head, hoping it was enough to shake the thoughts away and forced myself to resume to my readings.
🍷🍷🍷
Past eleven na nang makarating ako sa condo. I was bone-tired that I knew I was gonna fall asleep as soon as I reach the bed. I felt physically and mentally exhausted.
"Uh... Kaia," tawag ni Emma bago ako malakabas ng sasakyan. It stopped me from my course of action.
The long day got me irate. I wasn't in the right mind frame to bother with courtesy. Sumimangot ako. "What?"
"Tinawagan ako ng secretary ng Papa mo kanina kasi hindi raw ma-reacg ang phone mo. May family dinner daw kayo bukas. Ngayon ko lang nasabi kasi busy ka at nasa trabaho," naiilang na paliwanag ni Emma.
My eyes closed at the mention of my father. It was like the last straw that kept me in tact somehow despite how jaded I felt dissipated into ashes.
Huminga ako nang malalim. Pinili ko na lang na h'wag sumagot at tumuloy na sa paglabas ng sasakyan bago pa ako pigilan ni Emma ulit at magdala ng balita na hindi ko magugustuhan.
I felt so drained and empty that they could measure the weight of the elevator right now and my presence wouldn't even count.
The elevator dinged as a signal that it reached my floor. I pushed myself off the wall to force myself to get moving.
I half-heartedly entered my unit. It took me a few seconds to realize that the lights were on.
I was instantly alarmed at the thought that an intruder barged into my unit. Then I remembered giving an extra card to Hades last time.
A part of me wanted to run away but a bigger part of me wanted to run towards him. There wasn't an internal battle. I resumed with my steps, closing the door behind me.
He wasn't at the living room. Itinuloy ko ang paglakad patungo sa bedroom ko.
That's exactly where I found him. He was sitting at the bed. His gaze was permanently nailed to the floor. Mukhang hindi niya narinig ang pagpasok ko.
Nang isara ko ang pinto sa likod ko ay tsaka lang umangat ang mga mata niya at agad na nahanap ang akin.
He stood up from the bed. His eyes were bloodshot. He looked spent and angry. His jaw clenched. I just stared back at him, accepting his resentment.
Para akong lalong nanghina sa pagkakita sa kanya. I had been exerting what's left of my energy to keep it together and the sight of him made me feel like I could finally let it go.
I dropped my bag to the floor and hastily walked towards his direction. Startled, his arms raised as I wrapped my arms around his waist. His ambrosial scent hit my nose as I buried my face on his chest.
Hades stiffened. Hindi niya ibinalik ang yakap ko. I didn't care though. I just hugged him and let his warmth chase all of my worries away.
"I've been trying to reach you all day." The coldness of his voice almost made me shiver. "What, Kore? You're ghosting me again?"
Hinigpitan ko pa ang yakap ko sa kanya. I clutched on the back of his shirt.
"I forgot my phone," I meekly answered.
"The next time you disappear on me, I won't look for you," he said though it lacked conviction.
"I'm sorry," it was all I could say.