Love Survival (Hunk Omega Society 2)

SIMULA

NOTE: Before diving into this chapter, I strongly recommend taking the time to read the previous one. Thanks!

SIMULA

When I was young, my nanny used to ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up, and I always told her that I wanted to get married in a church in front of God to the man I loved.

As a kid, that might be the weirdest dream to hear instead of being a teacher, police officer, an actor, or even a doctor. But not me. I had my sights set on the church's aisle.

"Bata ka pa kaya dapat hindi mo pa iniisip ang ganiyang bagay, Ma'am Sloan. Ayaw mo bang maging doctor o kaya negosyante kagaya ng daddy mo?" Yaya Basya asked again.

The seven-year-old me pouted. "No po. That's really my dream, yaya. I wanted to get married in the church because I wanted to promise Papa God that I could be a good wife to my future husband just like my mom to my dad," I said and smiled sweetly.

Yaya Basya massaged her temple because of what I said. "Haru diyos ko kang bata ka." I just chuckled and continued playing with my toys.

I had a perfect and ideal family back then. Masaya at kumpleto. Masaya ako sa mga magulang ko kahit na wala akong kapatid. That was before, not until my mom died.

Losing my mom was a devastating blow that rocked our family to its core. Her absence left an enormous void that we are still struggling to fill. The impact of her death cannot be overstated. It has changed our lives in ways we never could have imagined.

After my mother's death, my father transformed completely into a different person. Lagi na siyang umiinom at hindi niya na ako naaalagaan. Hindi ko na siya maramdaman. Parang hindi ko na rin siya kilala. He's not the carefree and loving father that I used to know.

He transformed into a power-hungry dictator, cunning and ruthless, unrecognizable from the man I once knew. He became a stranger to me. He's not my father anymore. But despite all that, I make an effort to understand him because I know he just loves my mother deeply, nasasaktan lang siya sa pagkamatay nito.

It's a tough pill to swallow, sacrificing my own dreams—my dreams to marry the man that I love—for this understanding.

"I want you to marry Maximiliano Arellano, Sloan. He's a good friend of mine, and he wants a wife before going back to Cuba for war," my father casually mentioned while munching on his breakfast, as if marriage weren't a big deal.

I met Maximiliano once. He is five years older than me, and, if my memory serves me right, he is a soldier who is deployed to other countries to participate in wars. Gentleman naman siya at gwapo. Mayaman din siya at mabait. I just noticed that he exudes an air of seriousness and coldness that made me feel uncomfortable.

I wanted to protest. I wanted to tell my dad that I wanted to marry the man that I loved, but instead I said, "Yes, dad." I agreed.

Ever since my mother died, I have never said 'no' to my father. Si Daddy na ang nagde-desisyon ng lahat sa 'kin na tila ba tinanggalan ako nang karapatan para gawin iyon sa sarili ko.

Daddy nodded and wiped his lips with the table napkin. "Good. The wedding will take place this week. Maximiliano has requested a private ceremony, so we will be having a civil wedding for the both of you," he authoritatively said.

For the second time, I wanted to protest. I wanted to speak for myself, but then, again, I said, "Yes, dad."

Bago siya tuluyang umalis sa dining hall ay seryoso niya muna akong tiningnan. "Don't you dare to disgrace our last name, Sloan Beatrice."