Until Forever (Published!)

Chapter 52

"What are you trying to imply, woman?" she asked in a voice laced with agitation. Lalong nadagdagan ang pagkunot ng kanyang noo. Ang mga kilay niya ay mag-iisang linya na yata ng mga sandaling iyon. "Sino ka ba? I don't know you." Hindi niya nagustuhan ang binitawan nitong mga mga salita. But her curiosity was piqued.

"Of course, hindi mo ako kilala. Dahil hindi ako ipapakilala ni JM sa iyo. But let me do the honor of introducing myself to you, Mia," she jeered at her. "Well, I'm Leera Vinzons. Does it ring a bell?"

She shook her head. "No," she answered firmly. "I don't know you, Leera. Who the hell are you?"

The woman's face darkened. "Well, well, well..." patuyang wika nito. "Inagaw mo lang naman si JM sa akin."

"What?!" she snapped at her.

"I'm JM's girlfriend. Apat na taon na kaming magkasintahan at nagbabalak nang magpakasal nang pumasok ka sa eksena. Ang galing rin naman ng timing mo, ano? We just had a petty misunderstanding after four years. And the next thing I knew, JM walked down the aisle with you. Ni hindi ako nakatutol sa nangyari. I was caught off guard..."

Mia stood on her feet firmly. Now she knew why this woman hated her. She was a scorned ex-girlfriend. "So you're my husband's ex," putol niya sa litanya nito.

She saw how her teeth gritted in anger, how blood rose to her cheeks. "Ex?!" she exclaimed through clenched teeth. Then, the woman smiled an acidic, deadly smile. "How can you call me an ex when we still see each other?"

Parang may mga pinong sibat yatang tumusok sa kanyang dibdib sa narinig.

"Yes, you heard it right, Mia," susog pa nito. "Your husband and I are still seeing each other. It turned out that he still loves me afterall. Na napilitan lang siyang magpakasal sa iyo to protect his family's interest. You see, we're living in peace until you barged in here, and brought chaos to the Travillas. At bago pa ako makatutol ay kasal na kayo. Gusto kong magwala sa galit dahil sa ginawa niyang panloloko. Kung hindi lang niya sinabi na hindi magtatagal ang pagsasama ninyo at pagdating ng araw ay kami pa ring dalawa, hindi ko siya patatawarin. You know what? Once Tita Jasmin will die, he will file an annulment from you. Then, he'll marry me."

Pakiramdam ni Mia ay natulig siya sa narinig. Micheal fed her the idea that he married her for the sake of her mother, that it was a selfless sacrifice on his part to protect his family. Ano pa nga ang sabi nito sa kanya noon? That he was a family man? At sa ilang beses nilang pag-uusap, sinabi nitong wala itong intensiyong ipa-annul ang kasal nila. O interpretasyon lamang ba niya iyon? Now, there was a woman here who was claiming that whatever she shared with her husband was't true. Na pagpapapanggap lamang ang lahat.

"I know that you're lying. Everything you said are not true," pagkakaila niya. Ngunit mabuway ang tinig niya nang sabihin iyon. At the back of her mind, there was this nagging thought that what if Leera was telling the truth?

Isang nakakalokong ngiti ang pinakawalan ng babae. "Do you really know your husband? What are the things that you knew about him before you married him?"

Hindi siya nakaimik sa tanong nito. What would she say? Nothing. She knew she completely married a stranger. She knew nothing about him. Well, maliban na lamang sa katotohanang stepson ito ng kanyang ina. Si Jasmin lamang ang nagsisilbing common denominator sa pagitan nilang dalawa.

"Isa kang tanga, Mia. Nagpakasal ka sa isang lalaking ni hindi mo kilala. You're pathetic. Tsk!" Nang-uuri ang titig na iginawad nito sa kanya.

Sa kabila ng sakit at pait na nararamdaman niya ay pinilit niyang huwag magpakita ng reaksiyon. She was already emotionally unstable and vulnerable before she went to the resort. Ang bigat nang pinagdadanan niya pagkatapos mabasa ang sulat ni Gilda. Only to be greeted by another hurtful discovery that her husband was having an affair with another woman. Na ginagamit lamang siya nito? Nasaan na ba si Micheal? She wanted to talk to him, and confront him. She didn't want to deal with his ex/mistress anymore. She had already enough. Another bitter truth would make her gag. Her defenses were slowly deteriorating.