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I FELT utterly lost, unsure of what to do next. All I wanted was to let the tears flow freely, to cry out the ache that had settled in my chest after hearing the news. Zerachiel was engaged to Miss Evangeline, and he seemed all too willing to go along with it. The reality crushed me, the pain lingering like a heavy fog.
The room I entered was dark and unfamiliar. I had been in this mansion many times, but I had never had the chance to enter this room. I recalled the time I was supposed to close it, and a maid warned me never to enter. Baka nga mapagalitan pa ako ni Vice Gov sa pagpasok ko rito na walang pahintulot.
Despite the alarm bells ringing in my mind, I stubbornly stayed put. I locked myself in and settled into a dark corner, embracing the silence punctuated by distant sounds from outside. A soft beam of light filtered through the window, casting a sliver of illumination that clashed with the oppressive darkness enveloping the room.
Habang nakaupo ako, bumabalik sa isipan ko ang itsura ni Zerachiel habang kausap niya si Miss Evangeline. He was smiling from ear to ear as if he was portraying himself as a prince charming who was well fitted to be with someone like her. Kung sabagay, who would refuse to be with someone like Miss Evangeline? She embodied beauty and intellect, the proud heir of a powerful lineage; her reputation was so carefully guarded that no whisper of scandal could tarnish it.
Ito naman ang gusto ko hindi ba? Ang mabaling ang atensyon niya sa iba? Hindi naman siya kasama sa plano ko, eh. He was never part of my future plans. Mas maganda nga ito para mas mapadali ang pag-alis ko.
But he should have told me. He should have let me know about his arranged marriage with Miss Evangeline. Instead, he kept me in the dark—blinding me with everything I thought was real.
My tears continued to stream down my cheeks. My heart was aching so painfully that I had to put my hand on my chest. Ganito na ba kalalim ang nararamdaman ko para sa kaniya? It was as if a dull blade had been driven into my chest, twisted without mercy until every breath burned.
While I was calming myself, my phone beeped once. Noong binuksan ko iyon, nakita ko ang mensahe mula kay Zerachiel. Agad ko iyon binuksan.
From: Zerachiel
Where are you?
I closed my eyes, holding back the storm inside me. Why did he speak so lightly, as if no truth was left unsaid? Why pretend innocence when he was already bound to someone else? Putangina mo, Zerachiel. I didn’t think betrayal could look this calm.
I pressed the power button, letting silence fill the room as I nursed my wounded heart. Sana hindi ko na lang hinayaan ang sarili kong mahulog sa lalaking gaya niya. My first impression had been right—he was cold, unrepentant. He slipped into my life with a charm so deceiving I forgot my own caution. Now I was left scorched, a casualty of my own misguided love.
My vision blurred, but I could make out the faint glow of the computers on the study table—they were still open. Kumunot ang noo ko nang makita kong may mga nakabukas na files. Bakit nakabukas ‘to? What if there were important documents left unattended? I bit my lip, hesitated for a moment, then rose to turn them off.
