Filed Up Feelings (Charity Series #2)

• Twenty Four •

Catalina Konan

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Kakabalik ko lang sa office dahil sa meeting ng isang guest nang maabutan ko ro'n si Hailey habang may mga inaayos na papel. Binati ko siya agad na siyang kina-angat ng tingin niya sa 'kin.

"Konan, have you seen Sir Claudius?"

Umiling naman ako at tumabi sa kan'ya sa sofa, "I haven’t. What are you doing?"

"I haven’t seen Sir Claudius since yesterday. He’s not even picking up my calls."

Kinuha ko ang isa sa mga papel na nasa ibabaw ng maliit na mesa. I see. Minutes of meeting with executive directors...

"I wanted to tell him what happened. I tried to reached him to his office but he’s not letting anyone in," buntong hininga pa ni Hailey, "If I didn’t talk about this with him now, It will add stress on me and I’ll suffer again for sure."

"May... may nangyari ba sa ‘yo?"

Obviously I'm trying to avoid the subject. Pero dahil sa binabanggit ni Hailey, hindi ko maiwasang dapuan ng kuryosidad.

Inayos niya ang kan'yang salamin at muling bumuntong hininga, "Anastasia and Lauren visited my house out of the blue this morning. It's childish the fact that they reached me to ask if Sir Claudius and I has a romantic relationship with each other."

Nanlaki ang mata ko sa pagkagulat. Ano raw?!

"I had no reason to answer, but I didn’t want them to take it the wrong way. So I told them we’re not. How childish, right? Alam dapat nila na hindi pwedeng magkaroon ng personal relationship ang isang assistant sa kan‘yang boss. And I wouldn’t want either to have a personal relationship with him. Sir Claudius is not my type of guy."

"Iyon lang ang dahilan kung bakit sila nagpunta sa bahay mo?" I asked.

"They’re asking too if he is seeing another woman. Maybe because Sir Claudius were avoiding them."

"I saw him last time in the lobby with that Lauren and I think they were talking?" sabi ko sa pagkaka-alala no'ng oras na 'yun.

"Because Sir Claudius was telling her to stop visiting him. Kung hindi mo alam, madalas nagpupunta sa office niya si Lauren sa tulong ni Mr. Lefebre. ‘Yun ang kinadi-dismaya ni Sir Claudius kaya kinausap n‘ya si Lauren sa baba," sagot naman ni Hailey.

So that was it...

"They were so bold. Sir Claudius has to know this, he must tell them to not visit me at my house and stop texting me to look out for him," dagdag pa niya habang hinihilot ang sintido.

Because of that, I got more worried. Parang pine-pressure nila si Sir Claudius sa bagay na hindi niya gusto. His father, his work, his situation with those ladies, is giving him more stress. Sabi ko sa sarili ko ay hindi ko na siya iisipin pa dahil sapat nang pinagdarasal ko ang sitwasyon niya. Pero iba 'to, nanggugulo pa sila ng ibang tao.

I'm feeling kind of guilty. Hindi ko alam kung bakit, pero nagi-guilty ako.

"Konan..."

Umangat ang tingin ko kay Hailey. Kapansin-pansin ang itim sa ilalim ng kan'yang mata, halata sa kan'ya ang pagod. Sa dami ng ginagawa niya ay malamang nakukulangan na rin siya sa tulog.

"I know that you’re close to Gavin and maybe you have special feelings for each other. But I would just like to ask a favor..."

"A-Ano ‘yun?" may kaba sa akin.

"Wala akong ideya kung bakit hindi na kayo masyadong nag-uusap ni Sir Claudius pero... pwedeng kausapin mo siya? Ayokong hilingin ito kay Betina dahil sobrang busy n‘yang tao, idagdag mo pa na may dinadala na siyang bata at hindi ‘yun magugustuhan ni Zen. Can you try to talk to Sir Claudius? Maybe if it’s you, it’ll work out."