O Silent Night (Isla de Vista Series #1)

Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Taken

"Elijah, I'll get going now," paalam ko.

Tumango siya habang nakatingin lang sa pinggan niya. Mas mauna siyang nagising sa akin at naghanda siya ng agahan. But I need to be early on my first day of work that's why I didn't bother eating breakfast.

For the past two days, all I did is get familiarize with the general overview of VAL and its components. Just the, soon to be usual, our driver drove me to work.

"Good morning, Miss Valencia..." bati ng sekretarya ni Daddy.

Ngumiti ako. "Good morning, Tess."

"Architect is inside the office po. I'm given orders that you can go in immediately."

"Thanks,"

Diretso ang aking lakad sa opisina ni Daddy at itinulak ito. Because Dad remarried I seldom went here in two main reasons. I don't want to mingle with the stepdaughter and second, I don't want to meet his second wife. Pero ngayon na nandito ako magtatrabaho, nilagay ko na sa isip ko na maging madalas ang pagtatagpo namin. I mentally prepared myself for another stressing encounters.

Ngumiti ako kay Daddy nang nakapasok sa silid.

"Good morning, Dad."

"Oh, good morning, hija." he smiled. "You look beautiful,"

"Got my genes from Mom." I mumbled so he wouldn't hear it.

Tumayo siya. "Come on, dadalhin kita sa opisina mo na pinahanda ko."

Giniya niya ako patungo sa lobby at malapad na hallway.

"How are you and Elijah? He's not stressing you?" tanong niya bigla.

The living creature that's stressing me is your little side family, Dad. Pero hindi ko iyon sinabi. Umiling ako sa ama.

He chuckled. "Eros should be grateful that his dumb-good-for-nothing son got married to a fine woman."

"Dad, 'wag kayong magsalita ng ganyan." pambara ko.

Tumingin siya sa akin at humalakhak na tila biro ang lahat. "You're defending your so-called husband, hija."

"Of course. Elijah is not a dummy. He is just childish but he understands people well and values my feelings too." giit ko.

Sa mukha niya pa lang, halatang hindi niya inaasahan ang mga sinasabi ko. He looked at me in disbelief. He shook his head and mockingly chuckled.

"Wag kang magpapadala sa hitsura no'n, hija. That man--"

"He's got a name!" medyo tumaas ang boses ko sa pagkairita.

Naniningkit ang tingin niya sa akin at sarkastikong natatawa.

"Right. Don't get swayed by his looks, hija. They are rich, they can find another woman to wed that--Elijah. I'll have our lawyer prepare your divorce papers. Dump him after a year before he dumps you."

"It's not your decisions anymore, Dad." sita ko. "I move out in your house. Decisions about my life will be decided by me."

Huminto siya sa paglalakad. May bahid ng irita sa mukha ngunit mas naiirita ako sa mga sinasabi niya. Kahit kailan, hindi talaga magbabago ang tao.

"Do you like that man, Amber?" he squinted. "He is a useless bastard! I wouldn't let you marry him if he was penniless."

I scoffed. "I married him because I want to, Dad. And again, his name is Elijah. He is not useless!"

"Look at you--"

"Don't tell me I deserve better. You are lucky Eros Buenavista kept his word and cooperated with you. Don't forget that I am already a Buenavista too, Dad. I can try and tell them to stop supporting you because you're busy degrading his son." I coldly said.