"Do I have something to do with the company? Diba wala? I just told you na wala akong pakialam sa kompanya." naiinis kong sagot kay tanda.
"Come on, Vyle, can't you at least do it for me?" nagsusumamo nitong sabi.
I scoffed. "For you? At bakit ko naman gagawin 'yan, aber? Can't you manage it, old lady?"
"Vyle, para nalang sa papa mo." she pleadingly asked.
"No thanks. If I were to do it for him, I would've done that way back. Pero kung gagawin ko 'to ngayon, it's like I'll be doing it for you." I told her blankly.
"Para naman ito sa kapakanan mo, Vyle! Can't you get a grip of yourself?!" frustrated nitong tanong sa akin.
"For your information, I can live without your money."
"Vy-" pinutol ko ang sasabihin niya.
"Drop it. I won't marry Isaac or anyone. I'll work for the company, but I won't marry him." pagtatapos ko sa kung ano pa man ang sasabihin niya. Umakyat na ako sa kwarto ko at umupo sa desk ko.
I turned my laptop on and opened an excel document. Nakita ko doon ang expenses at income ng kompanya. I get 50% of the company's income and try my best to lesses the expenses para mas malaki ang income, mas malaki din ang makukuha ko.
Kinuha ko na ang share ko sa kompanya and deposited it to my bank account. Sinara ko na ang laptop at natulog na.
"Hey, baby." narinig kong sabi ng boses na nasa kabilang panig ng pinto ng locker ko.
Kinuha ko muna ang vape ko bago sinara ang pinto ng locker ko nang pabagsak. I turned it on and waited for the liquid to wick. After a few minutes, I drew it into my mouth and held it in before inhaling it to my lungs.
"Don't baby, me. You're nothing to me." I told him blankly.
"Ouch." he feigned hurt by putting his hand over his chest. "Didn't your mom tell you about the engagement and merging?"
"Una sa lahat, I don't have a mom. And yes, tanda told me about those stupid things." I drew the vape once again into my mouth.
"You call your mom tanda?" tanong niya at halata ang pagkagulat sa mukha niya.
Tumango lang ako at hindi na nagsalita pa. Kinuha ko lahat ng gamit ko na nasa locker ko saka dinala ito sa sasakyan ko. Naramdaman kong nakasunod lang naman 'yong Fetcher na 'yon kaya hindi ko na siya pinansin.
"Sasama ka sa kompanya?" tanong ko sa kanya dahil nakasunod lang naman siya sa akin nang walang imik at dahil napansin ko ang suot niyang bussiness suit.
"Oo. Makikisabay nalang din ako ha?" sabi niya sa akin sabay upo sa passenger seat ng sasakyan ko nang hindi man lang nagpapaalam. Inikutan ko lang siya ng mata saka sumakay na driver seat.
Pinaandar ko na ang sasakyan at pinaharurot ito patungo sa kompanya.
"By the way, we haven't met properly." narinig kong sabi ni Fetcher sa tabi ko. "I'm Isaac Lee Fetcher, twenty-five years old, and a male species." walang kaseryo-seryosong pakilala nito sa sarili niya. Ngumiti pa ito sa akin habang nakatingin sa akin. "Ikaw, sino ka?"
"You already know my name, no need to tell you that. I'm eighteen years old." bored kong sagot sa tanong niya.
"Oh, so you're seven years younger than me." sabi nito na parang hindi ko 'yon alam.
"Yes. Kaka-eighteen ko pa lang last month." dagdag na sabi ko sa kanya. My! I'm getting too talkative for my liking kapag kasama ko ito si Fetcher. I better keep my mouth shut.
Maya-maya ay dumating na kami sa kompanya. Dadaan sana ako sa main entrance ng building namin ngunit madaming reporters ang nakapalibot doon.
"Ms. Herera, the only daughter of the CEO of Herera Tech. Corp., has entered the building."
"It has been eight years when she was last seen entering the company's building."
"The heiress finally returned, four years after her father's-"
Sinuot ko muna ang shades ko bago ako lumapit sa mga guards na wala namang ginawa kundi tumunganga.
"Get them out of here!" sigaw ko sa mga guards.
Tumalima naman sila agad ngunit may isang reporter na lumapit sa kanina.
"Miss Herera, do you feel any nostalgia as you step on the only remembrance from your father, this building?"
Suddenly, I can hear distant voices and whispers coming from the back as different scenes played right in front of me, kaya lumingon ako sa likod para tingnan kung sino 'yong nag-uusap.
Or was it just me?
________
06/13/17
BINABASA MO ANG
Finding Love
RandomBrooklyne Vyle Herera was a cold and heartless girl, until she met Isaac. Isaac Lee Fetcher never fell in love, until she met Vyle. [Disclaimer]: Story is written in TAGLISH