My Greatest What If - Moira Gokongwei (Published)

Chapter 33

They say that we need to make peace with our past so that it won't mess up our future. That was why I never considered my father's wife as part of the past – she would always be a part of my present; a hurdle that I oftentimes ignored and occasionally thought about. But it seemed that she had grown tired of me ignoring her existence so she contacted Gio's lawyers again.

"Bakit ka natatakot? Baby, kaso lang 'yun—"

"Lang? Kaso lang? Gio, have you forgotten that your family owns a business? May bearing man o wala 'yung kasong isasampa ng Tita ko, mag-iingay s'ya. And you know what's worse? Ikaw, 'yung pamilya mo, at 'yung business ninyo ang maaapektuhan. Alam mo ba kung bakit hindi ako ang kinasuhan n'ya? Dahil alam n'yang wala s'yang mahihita sa akin."

"Baseless 'yung mga kaso n'ya, 'yung mga abogado na namin ang bahala d'un. Baby, stop worrying."

"I can't!" I exclaimed before I sighed. "Masaya na ako. Masaya akong kasama ka..."

"Exactly..." she softly said cupping my face with both her hands. "Masaya tayo. Bakit hahayaan mo 'yung asawa ng Daddy mo na bahiran 'yung kasiyahang 'yun?"

"Kasi hindi s'ya hihinto, G. She'll drag this out. She's no longer even after me. Sa tingin ko ginagawa na lang n'ya ito because she's a spiteful woman."

"Lilipas din 'to—"

"No!" I emphatically said. "G, please, I want a family with you. I want a new life with you—"

"At mangyayari 'yan."

"Oo, alam ko. I am claiming that blessing. Pero, kailangan kong harapin si Tita. Kailangan namin dalawang mag-usap. Please, G, pagkatiwalaan mo naman ako. Let me do this for us. I'm not really a helpless damsel. Besides, I want to protect my knight. Let me, please."

"I'm that knight, right?" she asked.

I nodded. "May iba pa ba?"

"Halika ka nga rito." She pulled me into her embrace and I put my arms around her.

"I don't want anyone or anything to ruin our happily-ever-after, G."

"Natatakot lang akong magkita kayo ulit. Kasi ilang taon ka ba n'yang inapi? Ilang taon n'yang pinaikot ang buhay mo? Ilang taon kang takot sa kanya?"

"That's where you're wrong, hindi ako takot sa kanya, pero, kailangan ko s'yang pakisamahan dahil alam kong s'ya lang ang pag-asa ko n'un na makaalis sa poder n'ya. Akala mo ba ay hindi ko alam kung bakit n'ya ako sa Enderun pinag-aral kahit na sobrang mahal? Because she couldn't wait to see me fail. She couldn't wait for me to beg for her help. Alam ko kung bakit n'ya ako binitin, kung bakit kung kailan naman isang taon na lang ay hindi na n'ya ako sinuportahan. Naisip ko nga n'un na baka hinintay pa n'yang ibenta ko ang katawan ko para lang makawala sa kanya."

"Tangna s'ya."

"At binenta ko naman talaga..."

"What?!"

"Hindi 'yung katawan ko kundi 'yung puso ko...mabuti na lang ikaw ang nakabili," I replied with a soft laugh.

Gio groaned. "Akala ko nakuha ko nang libre."

"Idinaan mo sa promo, nakuha mo tuloy nang libre," I kidded.

She laughed. "Pasalamat ka talaga na mahal na mahal kita, Baby. Kaya kahit ang tigas ng ulo mo minsan, pinagbibigyan pa rin kita."

"Ay, akala ko ako ang nagbibigay sa'yo gabi-gabi...minsan kahit madaling araw...minsan kahit tanghali..."

"Nagbibilang si Baby..." she teased.

"Hindi, ah. Kapag ako rin naman naglalandi sa'yo, pinagbibigyan mo rin ako."

"Gustung-gusto ko kapag nilalandi mo ako..."