Falling in Love with the Heiress

Being Around Her

Nang mahimasmasan na siya ay umupo kami sa bench na nasa labas ng ICU and I was holding her hand to comfort her pa rin.
"What happened mom?" tanong ko sa kanya but instead of answering me ay suminyas lang siya sa bodyguard at may inabot ito na brown envelope sa akin. "What's this?" tanong ko ulit sa kanya pero wala pa ring sagot but instead ay hinaplos lang niya ang aking mukha and I can see the tender love in her eyes as she looked through my eyes. She've grown a lot older and kita sa mukha niya ang stress at pag-aalala.
"I'm glad that you are here, princess." at niyakap niya ako ng mahigpit pero hindi ako yumakap sa kanya. Even with what I felt towards them dahil sa nangyari, I still feel indifferent.
"Mom, it's late na, I think you should go home na and rest. Ako na po ang bahala dito." sabi ko sa kanya at bumitaw na siya sa pagkakayakap sa akin at tumayo na.
"Okay." at tumalikod na siya at umalis kasama na naman ang anim na bodyguard na sumundo sa akin.

I was supposed to open the envelope and see what's inside it when my phone vibrates in my pocket.
"Hi, love." bati agad ni Grace pagkasagot ko sa video call. "Kamusta d'yan?"
"I don't know love, I haven't talked to anyone yet about dad's condition. He's in the ICU now and I haven't seen him yet."
"I hope he'll recover soon, love. By the way after shift ko ay didiretso na ako d'yan and will be there for three days and you can stay there for as long as you need. Have you informed na ba your professors?"
"Thanks, love. I haven't told them pa po, ang dami kong iniisip ngayon. Will you please remind me tomorrow?"
"Sure love. Anyways I am on my lunch break, tumawag lang ako to check on you. Kakain na po ako and see you tomorrow. I love you, love and ingat ka d'yan."
"I love you din po, I wish you're here."
"Me too love. Don't worry, I will be there tomorrow. I miss you, love. Bye." at tinapos na niya ang tawag. I really wish she's here to comfort me. Sigh.

"Ma'am kape po." abot sa akin ng isang bodyguard when I was about to open the envelope again.
"Thank you po. Kayo po, magkape din po kayo."
"Kakatapos lang po namin ma'am. Sige po, dito lang po kami."
"Ah by the way po, my boss is coming tomorrow morning, can you please pick her up at the airport at ten forty?"
"Sige po ma'am kami na po ang bahala, ipapasundo lang namin siya sa iba naming kasama kasi hindi po namin kayo pwedeng iwanan na mag-isa."
"Okay. Thank you po."
"You're welcome po ma'am. Sige po, dito lang kami."

Nanginig ang kalamnan ko sa takot looking at pictures na nasa loob ng envelope kanina. The first picture was when I was at the airport waiting for my flight going to Manila, then the rest were pictures of me taken sa loob ng old apartment ko while I was sleeping. How... how was it possible? I thought that room was safe? Mas lalong nanginig ang kamay ko to see pictures of us ni Grace na natutulog. Sa una wala lang ito dahil nakapantulog lang kami parehong natutulog at magkalayo sa isa't-isa but the following pictures ay nakayakap na ako kay TL and our naked bodies were just covered by a blanket. Paano nangyari ito? We always made sure to lock the door and who the hell took the pictures? And my parents saw these? Mas lalo pang nanginig ang katawan ko, nanlamig ang aking mga kamay at pinagpawisan ako. So they knew about us?

Along with the pictures are printed documents of conversations on chat and text and what's clear from the conversations was a man threatening my dad to harm me if he won't get what he asked for. He was asking for five hundred thousand pesos every month and the price doubled when I was sleeping intimately with TL as he threatened my dad to exposed it to the media that I was a lesbian. What the fuck? Was this the reason why we moved to a bigger house? Was this the very reason bakit hindi nila ako hinanap publicly because of this threat? And here I thought walang pakialam sa akin ang mga magulang ko.

Tumayo ako at sumilip kay daddy na nakahiga sa hospital bed na maraming aparatos ang nakakabit, naawa akong nakatingin sa kalagayan niya at bigla na lang tumulo ang aking mga luha remembering how badly I treated him when he visited me in Manila. Sorry dad... I am so sorry. Please gumaling ka na para makabawi ako.

I woke up from the smell of the coffee and when I opened my eyes ay napayakap na lang ako sa girlfriend ko who smiled sympathetically at me. I somehow felt better just from being around her, her warmth, her scent, her body, it comforts me.
"Tara breakfast tayo." saad niya na kumalas sa pagkakayakap ko. Tumango lang ako, observing her tired appearance kahit nakangiti pa siya to assure me na magiging okay ang lahat.
"Thanks for being here with me, love." at yumakap ulit ako sa kanya.

Kahit nasa cafeteria lang kami ng hospital ay may nakabantay pa rin sa amin na mga bodyguards. Is my life still in danger? Tanong ko sa sarili ko as I watched the bodyguards that were always on alert.
"Okay ka lang love?" tanong ni Grace sa akin.
"Yes, love." maikli kong sagot still thinking about my safety... our safety. I held Grace's hand ng naisip ko ito when I looked at her. Sana hindi siya madamay sa kung ano man itong kinakaharap ng pamilya ko.
"Kain ka na." saad niya habang nilalagyan ng ulam ang kanin na nasa kutsara ko and I just nodded at her.

Pagkabalik namin sa labas ng room ni daddy ay inabot ko sa kanya ang brown envelope at tiningnan niya agad ang laman nito at kita sa kanyang mukha na hindi makapaniwala sa kanyang nakita.
"How?" tanong niya sa akin and I just shrugged kasi hindi ko rin alam. "This isn't from a hidden camera kasi lagi naman akong naglilinis at wala naman akong nakikitang kakaiba and this was taken from an angle sa pinto natin. And we've always locked the door... so papaano?"
"Hindi ko rin alam, love. These photos were taken at night, so it means it was during our offs."
"OH MY GOD! Yo-your parents knew about us!" it wasn't a question dahil obvious naman sa larawan namin. "Was this the reason why we shared a room kahit marami namang bakanteng kwarto sa bahay ninyo?" hindi ako nakasagot sa tanong niya dahil napaisip din ako. Maybe? Does it mean na okay lang kina mommy at daddy na may relasyon kami ni TL?
"Wow this is a lot of money." wika niya looking at the printed conversations. "One million in two months, that's six million in a year and you've been gone for about five years at nag one million per month pa for ilang months! Ang yaman ninyo." and I can sense some uneasiness in her last words kaya hinawakan ko na lang ang kamay niya. "So what happened to your dad is connected to this?" pinakita niya ang brown envelope.
"Siguro? 'Di ko pa alam, my mom won't tell me, she just handed me that envelope and the bodyguards won't say a word either."
"I see, but I guess it is related to this one. So how's your dad?"
"Still unconscious, but the doctor says he is no longer in danger."
"That's good to hear. Ayaw mo munang umuwi para makapagpahinga?"
"I am still waiting for my mom, may importanteng meeting lang po na pinuntahan. Baka she will be here after lunch. 'Do you want to sleep na ba?"
"'Nope, 'di pa naman. I am just worried about you. Parang hindi ka pa nakatulog simula kahapon."
"Yeah, parang kakapikit lang 'ata ng mata ko nang dumating ka. I was really waiting for you." she just patted my head at umayos ng upo at isinandal ang ulo ko sa balikat niya.
"Nap ka muna while we wait for your mom." saad niya at 'di nagtagal ay nakaidlip agad ako.