Hate To Want You

Prologue

PROLOGUE

ATHENA felt a pang in her heart while reading her fiancé text to her repeatedly. Pilit niyang nire-rihistro sa isip niya ang text na iyon at kahit na anong gawin niya ay hindi niya maiproseso.

She thought, they could fix it. Despite the fact that she knew he cheated on her with her friend Lori, she thought, they still has the chance to fix what has to be.

One month! They only need to wait one month before their big day! How can he shamelessly dumped her like this?! Through text!

Hindi na niya napigilan pa ang emosyon. She screamed her heart out and because of that, her friends hurriedly opened her door. Nang makita siya nang mga ito ay labis ang pag-aalala ng mga ito na lumapit sa kanya.

"What's wrong?" Ang kaibigan niyang si Dennise ang nagtanong.

"He dumped me." She said between her sob. May kung ano sa kanyang lalamunan ang bumara. "He..c-called off t-the wedding!"

Mabilis na pinunasan ni Clara ang kanyang luha. Maging ito ay umiiyak na rin. "That Lori bitch!" Singhal nito sa hangin.

Lori had been one of her bestfriend since college. Magkakaiba man ang kurso nila ay  naging magkakaibigan sila dahil sa club na nasalihan nila.

She thought their friendship can last forever. But you know what they say, sometimes the people you trust the most are the people will hurt you the most.

Clara is one of the cheerful among them. Ito ang palaging nagpapasaya sa kanila sa tuwing down na down sila sa buhay. Gagawin nito ang lahat mapasaya lang sila. Ngunit sa mga oras na iyon ay hindi nito alam kung paano siya papatahanin.

"I am so sorry, Athena." Hinagod ni Sofia ang kanyang likuran. "You didn't deserve this! You deserve better."

Her sob didn't stop. She felt her eyes getting heavier and stingier from all the tears she'd let loose. She couldn't speak properly because of how heartbroken she was. Hindi niya alam kung kaya ba niya na mawala si Jay sa buhay niya.

Dennise, Clara and Sofia are now hugging and comforting her. They didn't speak. They just let her cry and cry and cry her heart out until she got tired of crying.

After awhile they left her alone. She needs to be alone.

She hugged her pillow while still silently crying. Nag-hahalo halo ang kanyang emosyon. Galit, sakit at kung anu-ano pa na naghalo sa puso niya. 

She is now questioning herself for what she did wrong for him to leave her like that. She knows that she isn't pretty and classy as Lori. She couldn't even last long on her heels like Lori. She is not as wild as Lori.

But she is smart, good at cooking, very understanding and a woman who always follow rules. A woman of virtue. Kind and caring. 

Is that it?

Kaya ba iniwan siya ni Jay ay dahil sa ayaw niya ibigay ang kaisa-isang hiling nito sa kanya? Na hindi na nito nahintay ang kanilang kasal at sumama na kay Lori?

No matter how many food she'd fed him, it's still not enough. It's always not enough. She thought, if she pretend not to know everything, they will still be together. If she just stay quite and not confront them, everything would've stayed the same.

Pero imbes na kausapin siya ni Jay sa personal ay idinaan nito sa text ang pakikipaghiwalay sa kanya. What a fucking coward!

And what's worst, Jay even fought for their dog's custody. Now she will never be able to see Mocha again.

Nasa ganoong sitwasyon siya nang tumunog ang cellphone niya. Kaagad niya itong kinuha at umaasang si Jay iyon at babawiin ang sinabi sa kanya.

But to her disappoint, she almost throw her phone out.

It's her Mom.

Sinagot niya ang tawag at halos maiyak siya nang marinig ang sermon sa kanya ng ina. Nang matapos ito ay nadinig naman niya ang ama at ilang segundo lang ay ito na ang sumi-sermon siya kanya.

Kinagat niya ang unan niya upang pigilan ang pag-hikbi habang pinakikinggan ang masasakit na salita na nagmula sa bibig ng mga magulang niya.

How can they say that to her? How can they make her even more miserable than she already have.

Damn life!

She'd been a good daughter her entire life. Lahat ng mga gusto ng mga ito ay sinunod niya.

No sex before marraige. Check!

No alcohol. Check!

She's already twenty-four and living her own life! Can't they just leave her alone? Or for once, can they atleast show them they care? What did she do to deserve all of this?

Dahil sa pagod niya sa kaiiyak at sa sakit na nararamdaman niya ay binaba na niya ang tawag. Ayaw na niyang umiyak pa dahil wala na siyang mailuluha pa. 

She closed her eyes and let herself succumb into darkness. Hoping that tomorrow, the pain would go away. Pero kahit na anong gawin niya ay hindi parin siya makatulog. It's been an hour but she couldn't bring herself to sleep.

May mga oras na tinitingnan siya ng mga kaibigan niya at tinatanong kung ayos lang siya at tango lang ang sagot niya. 

Nang hindi na niya makuha ang antok ay umupo siya.

She was about to sit up when her phone rang. Ayaw sana niyang sagutin ang tawag pero nang mabasa niya ang pangalan ng caller i.d ay kaagad niya iyong sinagot.  

"Should I kill him?" It was her older brother Zeus. She can sense how angry her brother was at that moment but trying to keep it together for her.

Kahit papaano ay napangiti siya pero umiling. As much as she wants to kill Jay, she won't. Ayaw niyang madungisan ang kamay ng kuya niya sa walang kwentang lalaki. But she loves him. "No."

She heard him growled on the other line and gave her lots of reason why he should kill Jay, starting from how jerk Jay was and how he hate his guts.

 Her brother wasn't fond of Jay from from the very beginning of their relationship. Pero dahil sa mahal siya ng kanyang kuya ay hinayaan siya nitong gawin kung ang ano ang gusto niyang gawin. 

Hindi maalis sa kuya niya ang pag-aalala at nagpupumilit itong puntahan siya upang yakapin. But she insist, telling him that she will be alright and needs sometime alone  Ayaw niyang iwan nito ang trabaho para lang sa kanya. 

"If you need someone to talk, you know where to call me."

"Thanks, kuya. I will."

"I love you."

"I love you too."