There's No Way

Ten

Anger never ceases down easily and Risa knew that.

She felt as if she went back to square one; she tries to establish contact with Leni in order to say sorry but her advances are turned down one after another. Her advances spanned out in months alongside Leni's cold treatment.

When the news broke out within their circle, a lot of them gave her an earful. Even Leni's kids avoid her and her very own kids sends disappointed glances on her way.

Am I losing her? Risa thought one night as she fiddled with the pink leatherband in her hand.

Maybe.

And its all my fault.

Risa dropped by Angat Buhay as frequently as she could yet Leni was either away for meetings or was out of town. As if she was deliberately trying to avoid the senator knowing that she'd drop by here.

"Rona, um. Paki sabi nalang kay Leni na dumaan ako. May pagkain kamo ako dinala, kainin nya kamo for lunch. " Risa says, shoulders deflated and her eyes glossy from the unshed tears.

Rona looked at her with pity but that was the last thing Risa needed. Yet the secretary couldn't avoid doing so.

"Sige po, Senator. Ako po bahala."

Risa nods before leaving the office. To some, Risa's constant bugging would only force Leni to drive her away. But to Risa, the fear of Leni drifting away from her if she didn't do anything about it is eating her alive.

"Senator Risa?" Raffy, Angat Buhay's Executive Director, was shocked coming face to face with the senator on a regular day. "Kamusta po kayo? Si Atty Leni po ba sadya nyo po dito?"

"Ah, oo. Kaso wala daw sya eh. Alam mo ba kung nasaan sya?"

"Um, kasama po nya si Atty Michelle. Nag lunch po ata sila." Raffy, who is clueless about what happened between Risa and Leni, informs the senator. "Kanina po sinundo sya dito."

And in that day, Risa felt her heart crack even more.

"Ay ganun ba? Ah, salamat sa pag-sabi sakin, Raffy. Um, mauna na ako." Risa tried to keep her voice from cracking, her sobs starting to rise.

She quickly fled the scene, leaving Raffy confused. Rona, who is always around the scene of the crime, knocked him over the head.

"Sir Raffy, mawalang-galang na po pero bakit mo ginawa yon." Rona frowns.

"Tinanong si Sen, eh! Bakit ano ba meron?"

"Sir, di ka informed sa chika? Nag-away yang si Madam tsaka si Senator Risa kaya lagi nandito yan hoping na maka-usap nya si Madam."

"Hala."

"Oo, hala talaga, Sir Raffy. Yari ka, mukhang mangiyak-ngiyak na si Sen."

Risa called in sick and asked Allan to drive her home so that she could 'rest'. But the driver knew what was going on yet chose not to speak about the matter to avoid upsetting Risa even more.

At this point, the tension is so thick between Leni and Risa that it is impossible to not know of it.

Pia, who was on the way to work, opened the door and was shocked to see Risa on the other side. "Ate?" But the senator ignored her and immediately headed upstairs where her room is.

"Hindi padin ba sila bati?" Pinky, who was behind Risa all this time and was here to fetch her fellow news anchor, asked as she peeked from the doorway. "Five months na silang hindi naguusap. Malapit na mag-December."