INTERNAL CRIES

Kabanata 15

Kabanata 15
Flight

Matapos kaming mag-usap ni Rhomisor ay agad din itong umalis ng planta dahil may hearing pa itong kailangan attend-an.

Ang nakakabinging katahimikan sa loob ng opisina ay parang sumasakal sa akin. It’s suffocating and triggers my anxiety and panic attack.

My stomach churns kaya nagmamadali akong tumakbo sa cr na nasa loob lang ng opisina ko.

I vomit the food that I ate. My throat hurts and my head spun.

Shit! I know that I am delayed for a week now. Kaya alam ko na malaki ang possibility na buntis ako dahil may nangyari sa amin ni Kheeno. Hindi ko lang alam kung ikatutuwa ko iyon o hindi, knowing my situation right now.

I breathed heavily, sunod-sunod, para pakalmahin ang sarili ko. And thankfully, I did.

Kinahapunan, alas siete y medya na nang magpasya akong umuwi. Nagpasundo lang ako sa isa sa mga driver mula sa mansion para magpahatid sa bahay ni Kheeno.

Mga ilaw lang mula sa labas ng bahay ang nagbibigay ng liwanag sa paligid. I'm sure that Kheeno wasn't home yet, kasi patay pa ang ilaw ng kwarto nito.

That's what I thought, pero nang tuluyan akong makapasok sa bahay ay bumungad sa akin si Dalia, na prenting nakaupo sa may island counter. The light was dim, and only the part of the island counter ang naiilawan.

I saw a bottle of wine at the top of the island counter, and Dalia was holding a wine glass and sipping on it.

Mahina akong nagpakawala ng buntonghininga nang makita itong nakasuot ng pulang dress, at napakaganda nitong tingnan.

My insecurities will always choke me up every time I see her.

She really looks like a goddess with her red dress.

“Oh! You’re home already,” maarting bati nito sa akin nang maglakad na ako palapit sa hagdan.

I stopped myself from walking at hinarap si Dalia. She stood and walked towards me.

“You know what, curiosity really eaten’  me up if how did you manage to still stay here despite the fact that Kheeno doesn't love you?” nakaka-insultong saad ni Dalia nang tuluyan siyang tumigil sa harapan ko.

She looks at me from head to toe, at ngumisi.

“You ain’t her type. Kheeno likes women who have class. He likes women whom he knows can make him satisfy him in bed. And obviously, it wasn't you,” she added.

Nanatili akong tahimik habang pinapakinggan ang pang-iinsulto niya sa akin.

Pagod ako at wala akong oras na makipag-sagutan sa kanya. Wala nga sana akong planong umuwi rito, knowing that she's here, pero ayaw ko rin namang malaman pa ni Daddy ito.

“Did he even touch you? Opps, sorry. He didn't even go home the night after your marriage, right?”

Dalia laughed insultingly.

“By the way, he’s with me during your honeymoon night. While you're waiting for him to come home, he’s with me the whole time, and I’m giving him the thing that you can't give him, and can't even satisfy him.”

My heart tightened, just like how I held my bag, just to stop myself from throwing words and cried in front of Dalia.

“Remember this, Arden McKenna, Kheeno Jakobe will never love you the way he loves me. Stop your disgusting attitude and being a brat. Kaya siguro maagang namatay ang ina mo dahil sa kunsimisyon niya sa ‘yo, or maybe, she died due to her selfishness and giving birth to a person like you. Kaya siguro siya namatay dahil pareho kayong mga makasarili. Well, she deserves it—”