The Billionaire's Contract Wife [COMPLETED]

Thirty-Seven: The Confrontation

Nagmartsa akong palabas ng elevator papunta sa office ni Louie. Nakasunod naman sa akin si Mei. 

May nakasalubong kaming iilang mga employees ng ThinkSoft. Mukhang nagulat pa ang mga ito nang makita ako. But they still greeted me, nonetheless.

I went directly to Louie's office. Wala si James sa table nito kaya dire-diretso ako sa opisina ni Louie. 

Pagkabukas ko ng pintuan ay agad na tumambad sa aking paningin si Louie, kasama si James at isa pang empleyado. 

Sabay-sabay na napabaling ang mga 'to sa akin. They all looked surprised to see me.

"I'm so sorry, Mr. del Rosario," narinig kong wika ni Mei mula sa aking likuran.

Bigla akong tinablan ng hiya. Kung kanina'y ang lakas ng loob kong sumugod dito, ngayon naman ay tila bigla akong tumiklop. Na para bang naglahong lahat ng baon kong confidence nang magtagpo ang mga mata naman ni Louie. 

Yeah, I shouldn't have come here.

"I-I'm s-sorry, I shouldn't have barged in here," ang sabi ko nang matauhan.

I wanted to run back to the apartment above. 

"No, we're done." Si James ang sumagot.

Louie glared at him. Tumayo si James at saka tinapik nang bahagya ang balikat ni Louie. At pagkatapos ay tinanguan nito 'yong empleyado na agad namang tumayo matapos pulutin ang mga papeles mula table.

I saw Louie's jaw move as he closed the laptop right in front of him.

Bahagya akong tinanguan ni James nung nadaan ito sa harapan ko. Nakasunod naman dito 'yong empleyado.

They both left the office, closing the door behind them.

Noon ko lang din napansing nakaalis na pala si Mei. She left the paper bags on the corner table.

Louie stood up and crossed his arms across his chest. He looked tense. 

He cleared his throat. "Why are you here?" 

"I'm sorry for barging in. Naistorbo ko pa yata kayo," I started. "I just brought back the bags here. Babalik na din ako sa taas."

I spun around to leave the office.

"Why?" he asked.

Natigil ako sa gagawin ko sanang paglabas ng opisina. Muli ko itong hinarap.

"Di ba ako dapat ang nagtatanong sa'yo nyan? Why are you giving me these bags?" ang balik tanong ko dito.

Kumunot ang noo nito. "You don't want them?" 

"Yes, I don't want them."

"You want another design? Another brand? You want me to ask Mei to exchange these?"

Is he serious?

"No! Of course, not! I don't want any bags from you!"

Medyo napalakas ang boses ko. Nagsimula nang lumabas ang frustrations na ilang araw ko na ding kinikimkim.

"But why?" anito. He looked confused.

"I should be the one asking you that. Why are you giving me these bags?" 

"So that.. uhmm.. you have something to use? Aren't those bags for?"

"I have enough bags already. I don't need another one."

He heaved a deep sigh before he put both arms on his waist. "Okay, this was Mei's idea."

It was my turn to frown. "Mei? But why?"

"I asked her what normally makes girls happy and she said bags. So I asked her to buy some bags for you," ang pag-amin nito. 

"Some bags? But this is not 'some bags'! These are all designer bags!" I exclaimed. "Plus I don't get why you're suddenly buying me all of these. Are you sorry for what happened in Miami?"

My question caught him off guard. Hindi ito agad nakasagot. Tumitig lang ito sa akin.

"Is that the reason kung bakit hindi ka umuuwi?" Okay, I sounded like a demanding wife but who cares? I just wanted to get this off my chest.

"Bakit ayaw mo akong kausapin?" I added. "Bakit ayaw mong magpakita sa akin? Bakit hindi mo man lang sinasagot ang mga messages ko?"

I am going overboard, I know. But I just couldn't help it. Pakiramdam ko'y sasabog na ang dibdib ko.

"I was busy," he said.

"Busy? Pucha," ang mahina kong wika. 

Nagulat ako sa nasabi kong iyon. I didn't mean to cuss on him. Pati ito ay mukhang nagulat din sa ginawa ko. 

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to cuss on you. I gotta go." At dali-dali akong lumabas ng opisina nito. 

Halos takbuhin ko na ang elevator. Pinagtitinginan ako ng mga empleyadong nakakasalubong ko pero wala akong pakialam.

I just want to get out of here. 

Naabutan kong pasara na ang pintuan ng elevator. Dali-dali akong pumasok sa loob. May tatlong empleyado ang naroroon. Agad namang bumati sa akin ang mga iyon. 

I just nod before I punch the button that would take me to the penthouse.

But just before the elevator closes down, Louie was able to catch up. Medyo nagulat pa ako. I didn't expect him to come after me. 

He went inside the elevator. 

"Everyone, please get out," anito sa mahina ngunit puno ng otoridad na boses.

Agad namang naglabasan ang mga empleyadong naroroon. 

That left me alone with him. And suddenly the elevator felt too small for the both of us. 

"We need to talk," anito. 

"I'm sorry. I know I went overboard. I shouldn't have said everything that I said. You're still my boss," sabi ko nang 'di makatingin ng diretso dito. 

"No, you have all the right to get mad," anito. "I was an asshole."

Napataas ako ng tingin. Our eyes met. He looked like he meant what he just said.

"I don't.. you don't.." I stuttered. Suddenly, I don't know what to say.

"I avoided you, yes," ang tahasan nitong wika habang nakatitig ng diretso sa aking mga mata. 

"I didn't have the guts to face you after what happened," he continued. "I couldn't blame it on the alcohol. I wasn't even that drunk. I have no excuse. I was just being an asshole. And I hate that you witnessed that side of me."

"No, Louie. There's nothing wrong with that," ang sabi ko. "There's nothing wrong in showing how you truly feel. You're just human. You have flaws. Everyone has. Lahat naman tayo nagbi-breakdown at one point. And that's normal because we're all human. What's wrong is running away from the consequences of what you did."

"I know, I know. I was such a coward." Nakita kong pinisil nito ang nose bridge nito. "I was just… I was confused."

"Confused about what?"

Hindi ito sumagot. Nakikipagtitigan lang ito sa akin ng may ilang segundo.

Biglang bumukas ang pintuan ng elevator kaya sabay kaming napabaling doon. We've reached the top floor. 

"You go back to your office now. Sorry ulit sa istorbo," ang sabi ko bago tuluyang lumabas na ng elevator.