"Your place or mine?"
Maine looked at Alden. "ANO?! Hoy, joke lang yung video."
"Sira. Maguusap lang tayo!"
"Ay."
"Gusto mo ba?"
Maine was surprised. "Huy, nang-ga-gago nga lang ako kanina. And if ever, just because magkaron tayo ng video, it doesn't make you bad. It just makes us people who had a sex video. Besides, ayoko ng may video."
"Pero gusto mo ng -"
"Shut up. Mas malapit ang condo ko, pero I have a lunch meeting. Remember? Yung dun sa tabloid writer na parati nating pinagaawayan."
Alden complained. "We need to talk!"
"I know. Pero schedule mo 'to - sabi ni Mama Ten, never kayo nagcancel sa tabloid writer na yun so pupunta ako sa lunch for her and bring her flowers."
"But, this is important."
"I know. And for you, so is this."
"Meng, she bashes you and spreads so many lies about you. Cancel it!" Alden begged.
"Rj, YOU scheduled this, remember? Have you forgotten last year? I begged you to, at the very least, refuse her event invites because of that horrible, horrible rumour she spread? You still went. I don't understand it. I still don't. But, you wouldn't cancel then, I shouldn't cancel now."
Alden remembered that time.
Everyone around them was livid, Maine's management was attempting to sue, social media was exploding with the article claiming there's evidence that Maine went into a hotel room with two other actors Alden knew from his early acting days.
The truth was she was a bit disheveled when Maine left the hotel room. It was Alden's hotel room for a shoot, where she surprised him because they had just gotten into a fight and she wanted to apologize. They got a bit carried away with their make-up kisses and by the time she had to leave, she had hickeys all over - some of them visible.
Said writer made it out to be malicious and people had been calling Maine names on all her social media accounts, on some radio shows and tabloid articles. They couldn't say anything because it has always been their policy to not speak about personal matters.
It was one of the worst they had seen and Maine was truly broken - on the verge of quitting acting.
But he was still in the writer's good graces that he was even invited to a showbiz event this tabloid reporter hosted. Maine was pleading for him not to go.
He went.
Because he thought he could talk some sense to the writer.
He didn't.
Maine almost broke up with him then and he wouldn't have blamed her. Her family became doubtful of him, even his family questioned him.
Alden explained his intentions, wanting the writer to see Maine in a different light and maybe she would ease up on the vile things she says about Maine, because they can't deny the fact that this writer had been in the industry for a really long time. For Alden, it was never good to burn bridges.
It was Nanay Mary Anne who spoke up that night - Maine refused to see him and Tatay refused to speak. "Masyado kang mabait sa lahat, Rj. Siguro nga, tama ka din diyan. Pero masakit pa para sa min, hijo. Hayaan mo nalang muna kami." Alden was escorted out. "Siguro selfish pero bilang nanay ni Meng, sana minsan maipagtanggol mo naman siya dun sa mga taong hindi naman din mabuti sa kanya."
