I'm The Substitute Wife [COMPLETED]

Kabanata 2

MALALIM na ang gabi, ngunit gising na gising pa rin ang diwa ni Rouge. Nakatitig lamang siya kanyang asawa habang mahimbing na itong natutulog. Inayos niya ang ilang hiblang buhok nito na nakatabon sa magandang mukha saka niya hinila ng maayos ang kumot sa katawan nito. Hinalikan muna niya ang noo nito bago umalis sa tabi at tinungo ang terasa.

The cool air greeted Rouge as he exited the terrace. He poured whiskey into his glass and drank it. He leaned on the railings where he could see his wife sleeping soundly. He immediately noticed the difference in her appearance when he faced her earlier in the car. Ibang-iba ito, ngunit ito pa rin ang asawa niya. Sa hitsura nito ngayon, naalala niya lang iyong una niya itong makita sa Paris. Sa maamo at inosente nitong mukha, walang sinuman ang hindi mapapatingin rito. To him, Amari was more than beautiful. May mga ugali man itong hindi kanais-nais, pero tinanggap niya iyon. His family didn't accept her, but he ignored that because for him, he accepted her whole being.

Rouge looked at his buzzing cellphone that was on the metal table, someone was calling him. He saw his friend's name registered on the screen.

Luca Calling...

Ininom muna niya ang natitirang whiskey sa kanyang baso saka niya sinagot ito.

"Hey, bud.."

"Watsap, man! I have good news for you," masigla nitong sabi na ikinangisi niya.

"You're too late, bro," sagot niya at napadako uli ang tingin sa asawa.

Nagpatulong siya sa kaibigan niyang ito para hanapin si Amari. Dahil sa uri ng negosyo nito, mas maraming tauhan ito at malawak ang koneksyon mapa-Asya, America o Europa man.

"So, are you in Mallorca now?"

"We are here in Madrid."

"Are you with her?"

"Yeah, she's with me."

"Tss! Nagpakapagod pa ang tauhan ko, mauunahan mo pa rin pala. Sana hindi ka na lang nagpautos e, no! Tss!" palatak nito na ikinailing na lang niya.

"That is not my fault, bud. Your men are so slow."

"Malay ko ba d'yan sa asawa mo kung saan-saan pumupunta. From Korea, Dubai to Mallorca."

"Korea? Dubai?" kunot noo niyang tanong.

"Stop over, bro. Stop over. Subukan mo din kayang sumakay ng commercial plane para malaman mo. Sa susunod sasabihin ko si Zero na hindi ka pagagamitin ng private plane niya para malaman mo. Para ramdam mo ang pagod ganern." Tss! Tingin nito sa kanya bobo?

"Whatever, Luca." Baliw ang abnormal. "By the way, thanks, bud. I'll just tell my secretary to send it to your account."

"Good! Iyan ang gusto ko sa'yo e, madaling kausap. Hindi tulad ni Valentin na kuripot ang gago. Adios mi amigo! Oh, I almost forgot, don't forget Yura's birthday next week. Ready your gift. Babush!"

A few minutes passed after Rouge talked to his friend, but he still couldn't get out of his mind what his friend had said about the two places before his wife arrived in Mallorca. Hindi na niya inalam pa iyon dahil alam naman niyang ginagawa ng kaibigan niya ang pinag-utos rito. The only thing on his mind when he found out that Amari left was Paris and Mallorca because that was the only place where he had seen her several times before they met her face to face in the Philippines.

Ilang oras na lang at aalis na sina Imari mamaya pauwi ng Pilipinas. She couldn't explain what she was feeling at the moment. It was a mix of emotions and concern for her grandparents about what was happening to them when she didn't come home yesterday. Alam niyang umiiyak na sa pangamba at takot ang kanyang abuela ngayon dahil ganoon ito pagdating sa kaligtasan niya. Hindi naman siya makatawag dahil kinuha ni Rouge ang cellphone niya kahapon pa lang sa kotse.