"So hold your head high, gorgeous. People would KILL to see you fall."
--
The incident didn't sit well with Dama. She was cranky all day. Lahat na tinarayan nya. Kahit mga teachers sa klase, sinasagot nya ng pabalang. She was not afraid of anyone. Hell, she's pissed off so they should be the ones scared.
"Miss Dirham, do you mind turning off your phone? You're in the middle of my class." Saway sa kanya ng professor nya. He was giving them a lecture about the famous historians of the world when she decided that she was bored, took out her phone from her bag and began tweeting.
At talagang ipinapakita pa nya yun sa prof para mainis itong lalo.
"With all due respect SIR, I find your subject so boring. I find YOU boring. So don't tell me to turn off my phone because I wouldn't be using it in the first place if you aren't so boring."
Nanlaki ang mga mata ng mga estudyante sa loob ng classroom. The teacher had too clear his throat several times to redivert their attention to him.
"With all due respect Ms. Dirham, if you don't like my class, feel free to drop this subject. I have no intention of dealing with you like this for the rest of this semester." Kalmado pero iritado nitong sagot sa kanya.
Dama's eyebrows shot up.
"Fine." She spit out. Tumayo si Dama at iniikot ang mata sa loob ng klase. "Enjoy your class bitches." She said in her sweetest voice then she turned to the teacher before she leave. "Oh and by the way--you're fired."
--
Pagkauwi nya sa mansion, mga katulong naman sa bahay ang pinagbuntunan nya ng inis.
"I told you to prepare me a milk bath! Nasan na? Hindi kayo binabayaran dito para tumunganga!" Inis na inis nyang sabi sa mga katulong na supposedly ay ipaghahanda sya ng pampaligo.
"Pasensya na po Miss. Marami po kase kayong ipinag-uutos kaya medyo hindi namin naasikaso agad--" The young maid quivered under her stare. She was about her age and had been one of her personal maids for two years.
"Nagrereklamo ka?" Mataray nyang tanong dito.
The maid shook her head vigorously. "H-Hindi naman po--"
"You listen to me... utusan ka. Amo ako. No matter how many errands I told you to do, dapat gagawin mo silang lahat ora mismo. Hindi kita binabayaran para magpahinga. Naiintindihan mo?"
"O-Opo."
"Good. Now get out of my face!" She pushed the maid out her room. Nang isasara na nya ang pinto, another maid--this time older--entered.
Dama laid in her queen-sized purple canopy bed and pointed to her walk-in closet.
"Find my Vivienne Westwood dress. Iron the plaids. I'll wear them tomorrow."
"Opo Miss."
The old maid did what was instructed and took out the Anglomania Multi Bale sunday dress from the closet.
--
At dinner, Dama was looking gloomier than the others at the table. Her dad and mom were busy chatting about their whole afternoon while her kid brother--Dylan Marco--was eating quietly.
She snapped her fingers. Isang katulong ang dali-dali lumapit sa kanya.
"I want an orange juice."
Tumango ang katulong saka nagsimulang maglakad papuntang kusina when she hold her up.
"Ano pa po Miss?"
"Freshly squeezed," she added.
Pinagtaasan sya ni Megan ng kilay.
"What?" Tanong nya dito.
"You never liked orange juice." Puna nito.
"So?"
Megan shrugged. "Nothing. How's school?"
She grunted. "A bore."
"May nagreklamo na naman sa 'yo. You know you have no right to fire a teacher."
"Since when did you meddle with my business?"
"Don't use that tone on me!"
"Girls! Wag naman sa hapag-kainan." Saway sa kanilang dalawa ni Dani. Bilang isang padre de pamilya--sadly, walang nakikinig sa kanya kundi ang anak nyang lalaki. Dani rolled his eyes as the two women went on bickering.
Medyo nagsasawa na rin sya sa ganitong eksena. Galing sa nakakapagod na trabaho, ito pa ang madadatnan nya pag-uwi sa bahay.
His daughter is constantly proving to be a bit too much to handle and his wife... well, pumapatol naman ito. Good thing he still have his son to keep him sane.
"Dad! She's not listening to me!" Dama pointed out to him.
"What is it this time Dama?" He asked exasperatedly.
"I said I want to get the administrator's son to be my boyfriend! I said it many times over! Hindi ba kayo nakikinig?"
"And why would you want that?" He raised an eyebrow, thinking that this is by far, the most ridiculous request he's heard from her in a long time.
Usually kase, Dama would request for a new condo unit (na hindi pinayagan ni Meg) or a yacht for her birthday party (na hindi rin pinayagan ni Meg.) Point being--hindi ito ang tipong magrerequest ng isang bagay na mag-iinvolve ng tao... unless of course, kapag may gusto syang ipa-fire na staff sa bahay or sa school (na hindi rin pinapayagan ni Meg.)
"Because I like him. That's why."
"If you like him, you don't have to force him to be with you." Sagot ni Megan.
"I'm not asking for your opinion." Pang-iirap nya rito.
"And I'm not asking for you to listen to my opinion. I'm just saying what I think. And I think that he doesn't like you." Nakangiti nitong sabi. Yung ngiting nagsasabing tama na naman ito.
"Of course he likes me!" She retorted.
"Oh dear, if he does, then you wouldn't have to ask what you asked."
She glared at her mother. "Would you just shut up?"
"If I do, then the meal would be boring."
"Mom, can you pass me the roast please?" Her kid brother asked her mom. Ngumiti dito si Megan saka iniabot ang ipinapakiusap ng bata.
"Here you go sweetheart."
Dama rolled her eyes. It's pretty apparent naman na paborito ng mama nya ang bunso nyang kapatid. He was always the smarter, the better, the kinder one.
Wala na itong nagawang mali sa mata ng mga magulang nya.
Of course, she's envious. Lahat kase ng pagmamahal ay napupunta rito. That's partly the reason why she was such a bitch in the first place. Parang lahat kase kailangan pa nyang hingin. Lahat kailangang paghirapan. Lahat kailangang ipakiusap.
Her kid brother doesn't have to ask for anything... kusang-loob na kaseng ibinibigay rito ang lahat.
"Thanks for the intervention noob." she said to him. Ngumiti lang ito sa kanya. Naiiling na ibinalik nya ang tingin sa mga magulang. "So what now?"
"No." Mabilis na sagot ni Megan.
She looked at her father. "Dad?"
"Well..." Dani looked at Megan and met her glare. He apologetically looked back at Dama. "Your mom said no."
Dama grunted. "What about you?"
"Sweetheart, liking someone isn't supposed to be forced. If he doesn't like you, then go find somebody else to like."
"He likes me nga Pa! He just doesn't know it yet!"
Meg laughed.
"Sorry... I just find it so funny!" Meg continued laughing. It was her mock laugh. The one na ginagamit lang nya kay Dama.
Dani gave out a defeated sigh and continued eating.
Si Dylan naman, tuloy lang sa pagkain. He admires his kid for being oblivious about the two women bickering. Siguro ay sanay na rin ito. Sa araw-araw ba namang ginawa ng Diyos--ganito lagi ang eksena.
That's why Dama wanted to own a condo unit in the first place. Lahat kase ng kilos nito ay minamanmanan at pinapakialaman ni Megan.
"Kapag hindi nyo ako pinagbigyan... titigil ako sa pag-aaral!" Banta ni Dama.
"So? Go ahead." Sagot naman ni Megan.
"Maglalayas ako!" Banta nya ulit.
"Ipag-i-empake pa kita, gusto mo?" Nakangiti nitong sagot sa kanya.
"Arrrgh! I hate you!"
Dama slammed her fists on the table, knocking off her plate and the utensils. Agad iyong pinulot ng mga katulong.
"If you won't do as I say... I'll--I'll slit my wrists!" Pananakot nya.
Dani looked helplessly at Meg. Si Megan naman, wala lang reaksiyon.
Dama smiled inwardly, thinking that she had finally won... when Megan spoke again.
"Yaya, pakikuha nga ng cleaver sa kusina."
Nanlaki ang mata ng lahat ng nasa hapag... pati ang mga utusan.
"P-Po?"
Meg snapped her head at the maid nearest to her.
"Bingi ka ba? I said get me the cleaver!"
"Meg what are you doing?" Tanong sa kanya ni Dani.
"She said she wanted to slit her wrists. I say *tingin kay Dama* why not take the hands off? Tutal naman magkaka-scar lang sya. Might as well amputate them."
Dama hid her hands under the table as the maid fetched the cleaver. Pagkabalik ng katulong, maingat nitong iniabot kay Megan ang hiningi. Pinilit iyong agawin ni Dani pero matigas ang ulo ni Megan.
Si Dylan, tahimik lang na nakatingin sa kanila, naghihintay ng susunod na mangyayari. Lahat ng katulong ay halos hindi na makahinga dahil sa takot.
Lumapit si Megan sa hindi na makagalaw na anak.
"Hold out your hands." She ordered.
"No!" Mariing pagtanggi ni Dama.
"I said hold them out!"
"And I said NO!"
Itinaas ni Megan ang cleaver.
Napasigaw si Dama. "Okay! Alright! I'm sorry!"
Satisfied, Megan handed the cleaver to a shaken maid.
"Next time, think twice about using your empty threats on me." Galit nitong sabi sa kanya. Megan went back to her seat and smiled at her husband. Then she looked back at her crying daughter. "Fine. I'll talk to the administrator." Sabi nya.
--
"You scared the hell out of everyone. Please don't do that again Meg."
"Yang anak mo kase, lumalaki na ang sungay."
"Kahit na." Yumakap si Dani kay Megan. "Nakakatakot pa rin yung ginawa mo."
"She doesn't respect me so I opted for the alternative."
"What--scare her?"
"Terrify her. She needs to learn her place in this house."
"Pero pinagbigyan mo din naman." Naiiling na sabi ni Dani.
"Para masaya." Nakakalokong sagot ni Megan.
--
The next day, Dama went to school looking like someone out of Vivienne Westwood's spring fashion show. She was wearing a leather cropped jacket over her Vivienne Westwood dress and a pair of peep toe heeled shoes from Prada.
She smiled to herself as she saw the guy from yesterday waiting at the gate, looking glum but still hot.
"Hi!" She greeted him. Inirapan lang sya nito. Sumimangot ng bahagya si Dama pero nagawa nyang kumawit sa braso ng lalaki. He didn't complain so she knew na nakausap na ito ng papa nito.
Lalong lumapad ang ngiti nya ng makita ang ex-girlfriend nito na nakalaglag ang panga.
She rushed to them and punch-slapped the guy hard on the face.
"How could you Krauss! And you! You bitch! Ganyan ka na ba kadesperada at nang-aagaw ka ng boyfriend ng may boyfriend?!"
Dama raised an eyebrow. "Inggit ka? Eh di mang-agaw ka rin ng boyfriend ng iba."
"Hindi ako katulad mo! I don't need to force myself to someone for him to like me!" Sagot nito sa kanya.
"Eh di ikaw na." She casually said. "Let's go boyfriend... My class is about to start."
Tahimik na sumunod si Krauss kay Dama.
"I should have known. You're just another asshole like the rest of the guys at this school. Bagay kayo--bitch at asshole. Match made in hell."
Nilingon ni Dama muli ang babae.
"Ah... so na-boyfriend mo na lahat?"
"Excuse me. Di mo ako katulad. I don't date guys like there's no tomorrow."
"Mas maganda lang ako sadya sa 'yo kaya mas maraming pumapatol sa 'kin."
"Pwede bang tama na?" Krauss finally spoke.
"Pwede naman. Yang EX mo lang kase... masyadong bitter."
"BITCH!"
Dama laughed. "I know right?" Binigyan nya ng mapang-asar na ngiti ang dalaga saka nya hinila si Krauss papunta ng classroom nya.
--
After a few days, nanatili pa ring malayo ang loob ni Krauss kay Dama. He doesn't kiss her. He does not hold her hand... willingly in public. He does not even smile at her.
When it was time for Dama's debut party, Krauss was expected to be there--to be her escort. Everything was well planned. Lahat perfect--the venue, the food, the guest list... even the dress.
Dama was beaming when she went out of her room. She walked up to the top of the grand stairs. Every one stopped chattering and looked up at her.
The ball room of the mansion was decorated in purple roses and silver dangling lights. The huge chandelier was donned with purple crystal and the guests were made to wear black and white. Si Dama lang ang naka-purple.
Purple gown--the dress was made by Vera Wang herself. It looks like a wedding dress--but purple.
Dahan-dahan syang bumaba ng hagdanan habang pinapalakpakan ng mga bisita. She had the urge to raise her right hand and wave at them pero natatakot syang bitawan ang dress nya at matapilok. So she held her dress with both hands.
Halfway across the stairs, her eyes met Krauss's. She smiled at him but that smile faded as quickly when she saw the girl in his arms--Reema, his EX.
She was smiling at her, wearing a hideous-looking purple gown.
She gaped at them and lost her balance. Ayun--semplang.
Nagtawanan ang mga bisita. She even saw her mom laugh at her. Sa galit, hinubad nya ang sapatos at ibinato sa mga bisita. It landed on the grape punch at the table.
Napatigil lahat sa pagtawa.
She glared at them.
"GO TO HELL! ALL OF YOU!" She yelled. Tinanggal nya ang natitirang sapatos at ibinato kay Krauss. Sumala--si Reema ang tinamaan sa mukha.
Dama hiked up her dress and ran upstairs.
While she was moping in her room, her parents apologized to the guests. Reema was sent to the hospital and the party went on... without the celebrant.
Even Megan doesn't look sorry at all.
"I'll just go and see if she's alright." Paalam sa kanya ni Dani.
"No." Pinigil nya ito. "Leave her be."
"But Meg--"
"She needs to learn Dani. Don't tolerate her dramas in life."
Dani pressed his lips together. "Masyado ka naman yatang malupit sa kanya Megan."
Megan gave him a wicked grin.
"You think that's cruel enough?"
xxx
AN: Ahem... so inatake na naman ako ng impatience. Haha... hindi ko napigilan eh. Pero yung chapter ko... di ko alam kung kelan ko ipopost. Baka after 5 chapters pa ng TFRB? Anyway, comments are very much appreciated. Comments fuels me to update more often so... please comment! ^_^