With You

Chapter 5: Business Proposal

Chapter 5: Business Proposal

Nakatingin lang kami sa isa't isa pagkatapos. Kinalma ko rin muli ang sarili ko. "I mean, I actually have a business proposal to you..." I finally told him.

"A business proposal?"

Tumango ako sa kaniya. "Yes. I heard that you have a daughter..." I said.

Pagkatapos nang mag-angat ako ng tingin sa kaniya ay muli kaming nagkatinginang dalawa. He looked at me in the eyes. And I got a bit intimidated by his stare...

"It's not a secret." he said with a bit of sigh.

Bahagya naman nanlaki ang mga mata ko habang nakatingin din ako sa kaniya. Kaya siguro alam ni Claire kasi hindi naman pala talaga sikreto ang pagkakaroon na niya ng anak...

"And what about it?" he asked me.

And I spaced out a bit thinking about it so I composed myself first before I continued. "About your daughter... I can be her mother..." sabi kong parang nagdududa na rin sa sarili at sa ginagawa ko ngayon...

While he just remained looking at me.

At parang nagising naman ang utak ko sa pagliliwaliw pa. "About my business proposal, it includes this. And what I mean to say is that I can also be like a mother figure to your daughter... And in return you have to marry me..." Damn it... I have to really organize my words properly. Hindi na ako sigurado kung ayos pa ba itong mga pinagsasabi ko sa kaniya ngayon. I'm slowly feeling pathetic and stupid... in front of him now.

Pero nanatili pa rin akong nakatingin sa kaniya at tinatagan ko na lang din ang loob ko.

Bahagya naman nang kumunot ang noo niya sa'kin pagkatapos niyang pakinggan ang mga sinasabi ko. "When... Why... Did you just thought that you wanted to become a mom?" aniya sa'king mukhang bahagya nang naguluhan nang dahil din sa akin at sa mga sinasabi ko.

I sighed a bit obviously now. "You might not realize it now but your daughter would also need someone who's like a mother to her. The child would need a complete family to grow in to..." I still tried to reason. Because I thought of this, too.

He was looking at me. Until a slow smirk formed on his lips that it sent me some shivers...

"Or are you just actually trying to save your family from the inevitable?" he directly asked me.

And my eyes widened a fraction at what he said. He might think that I was even using his daughter as an excuse. He might get offended. But I didn't mean to offend him. Umiling ako. Pero tumango rin kasi naalala ko ang totoo kong pakay sa kaniya at ang talagang rason kung bakit ako nandito ngayon sa harapan niya, at sinusubukan siyang kausapin...

At nalungkot din ako nang maisip ko si Ate Rosie. She's still working very hard until now trying to save our family from complete bankruptcy... Dahil ngayon lang sa sinabi sa akin ni Harrison ay mas naisip ko pa na talagang nanganganib na nga ang pamilya namin...

And it's also probably the reason why my grandmother was so into getting me to marry that dirtbag. Because maybe Maverick's family could also help the De La Cerna's...

Wala pa talaga akong alam. Pero tingin ko ay ganoon na nga. I'm here now with the thought of only myself... Kasi sarili ko lang naman talaga ang inisip kong gusto kong masalba sa pamamagitan ng pagpapakasal ko kay Harrison Abella...

Pero parang nakakalimutan ko na at hindi ko rin pala naisip ang pamilya ko na nasa hindi rin magandang sitwasyon ngayon...

Tiningnan ko si Harrison at tinatagan ko pa ang loob ko. "Of course, sino ba naman ang ayaw na isalba ang pamilya niya..." I said while I was looking at him. But then I also looked away...