Underneath Your Clothes (Completed)

CHAPTER 1

ONE: "Lahat ng bagay na ini-invest ay may kabayaran."

"HOW could you do this, Philip?!"

Natigilan ako sa paglalakad nang marinig kong nag-aaway sina mommy't-daddy sa loob ng kwarto nila.

Magpapaalam sana ako dahil aalis ako ngayong gabi para sa bridal shower ng kaibigan kong si Celine pero hindi pa 'ko nakakapasok ay naririnig ko na sila!

Their room is just beside mine but it's sound proof. Actually, all rooms in this house are sound proof. Natiyempuhan lang na nakaawang ang hamba ng pinto nila at mukhang hindi nila namalayang hindi nila ito naisarado tapos tamang-tama pang napadaan ako. Paano naman kasi ako hindi mapaparaan dito, because whether I like it or not, tuwing pupunta ako sa kwarto ko or bababa sa first floor, madadaanan ko talaga itong kwarto nila. Pagkaakyat kasi rito sa second floor, ito ang pinakaunang kwarto- ang kanila.

"How would you explain this to our daughter, huh! How?!" patuloy ni mommy sa pagsesermon kay daddy.

Natigilan pang lalo ako. How could daddy explain this to his daughter? Definitely, mom is asking him if how could he explain something to me. Ako lang naman ang daughter sa pamilyang ito dahil nag-iisang anak akong babae. I have a brother, yes, but it's so obvious that they are talking some matter about me.

Ano kayang problema? Is it so serious? Oh, it seems like it really is!

"Ako nang bahalang magpaliwanag sa kanya, Lucia. Matatanggap at maiintindihan din naman siguro niya." mahinahong ani daddy.

Anong ipaliliwanag niya sa akin? Anong kailangan kong maintindihan at tanggapin? What's really happening here?

"Knowing Sasha, knowing our daughter? She's independent and she always stands with her own decision in life kaya sa tingin mo ba papayag iyon ng ganun-gano'n nalang na guguluhin natin ang buhay niya?!"

Kung mahinahon lang si daddy, si mommy naman sa paraan ng pagsasalita ay parang magkaka-hypertension na.

By the way, what she told him was just indeed true. I'm independent, I stand by my own decision, and I never let anyone control my life like a damn hell! Never. Pero anong ibig nilang sabihin na guguluhin ako't ang buhay ko?

What the hell really is going on here?!

"Kasalanan ko itong lahat, I'll take all the charge and take all the blame." matamlay na pahayag ni daddy.

Parang kinurot bigla ang damdamin ko sa narinig ko, sa katamlayan ng ama ko. Why does he have to take all the charge and the blame? Charge and blame for what? What did he do?

May nagawa kaya siyang hindi maganda?

Well, knowing Philip Dunmore... knowing my dad, it is so unusual for him to do things that are not good because knowing him very well, he does good in everything. From being a family-man, a husband, a business man, and most of all, from being a father. He is good at anything!

"Ano ba kasing pumasok sa utak mo't nagsususugal ka?!"

Sugal? Nagsusugal siya? Parang ayokong maniwala... No, I know him a lot. He's not like that. Just like what I've said a while ago, he does not do anything that he knows is not good. Hindi ganoon ang daddy ko.

"Sa kasusugal mo'y nalulong ka tuloy! 'Ni hindi ko man lang alam na gabi-gabi ka palang nasa Casino, and you do that for almost two years now!"

Nanlaki ang mga mata ko... Si daddy gabi-gabing nasa Casino dahil lulong sa pagsusugal sa loob ng halos dalawa na palang taon? No... No, that can't be! My daddy wouldn't do such thing as ridiculous as that! He wouldn't. No way!