Giving In

Chapter 2

               It was half an hour before five pm and Mari couldn't wait to get out of the office. Liam wasn't talking to her and she thanks God for that pero iba ang mga tingin at sulyap nito simula nung una silang muling nagkita. She avoids running into him pero wala siyang magawa dahil yung trabaho nito ay may kaugnayan sa trabaho ng boss niya. At sobrang lapit lang ng mga lamesa nila. Only a makeshift wall was separating them.

She was subtly preparing to go. It was Friday and she wanted to go home already. May lakad pa siya mamayang alas nuwebe. And her baby won't let sleep unless sya ang magpatulog dito. She doesn't mind though. Her baby was the world to her.

"Mari, pakibigay nga to kay Liam. Sabi mo pirmahan agad. Hintayin mo talaga," utos ng amo niyang si Eve. Kung pwede lang sana siyang tumanggi. Inabot ni Mari ang mga papel na hawak ng amo niya at tumayo para pumunta kay Liam. He wasn't in his table but in the conference room. Di kasi kasya ang blueprints sa lamesa nito kaya nasa conference room to.

Di na siya kumatok pagpasok kasi di rin naman nakasira ang pinto. "Sir, pinapapirmahan po ni Ma'am Eve. Ngayon na po daw," sabi ni Mari. Lumapit si Mari sa kinauupuan ni Liam.

Liam tried not to stare at her. Mari changed so much. She didn't look like the carefree and fun loving girl he knew. Mukhang sineseryoso na nito ang buhay nito ngayon. She used to live in the moment, whatever consequences be damned. Sobrang nagbago na ito ngayon.

Inabot ni Liam ang mga papel at pinirmahan ito na halos di binabasa. "Mari, I just want you to know that I never wanted things to end the way it did," he said as he handed her the signed papers.

"Sir, I don't know really know what you're talking about. So if you'll excuse me, kailangan ko na tong ibalik kay Ma'am Eve," malamig na sagot ni Mari.

"Mari, you can't keep on pretending that nothing ever went on between us. And we have to talk about it sometime. How else can we have closure?" frustrated na tanong ni Liam. Mari's indifference was getting to him. He was amazed but baffled at how she didn't seem to be affected. Their arrangement lasted for more than a year. Ngayong kung makaasta to, para wala silang naging ugnayan dalawa.

Mari was trying damn hard not to look how she felt. Because she felt all the hurt she felt when she heard what he thought about her. Bumabalik lahat ng alaala ng nakaraan nila. Including the memory of him saying she was a gold digger and social climber.

"Sir, we have nothing to talk about. And we don't need closure. What we had didn't involve feelings kaya para saan pa ang closure? It was just a case friends losing contact. Excuse me," Mari said without facing him. Nagsimula nang magsiuwian ang mga tao sa opisina. Mari wished to be one of them at the moment.

"What about your pregnancy?" he whispered. But the silence in the room made Mari hear the words. They've been circling that issue for about a week now but the both of them were too much of cowards to talk about.

Mari sighed, resigned with the fact that unless she gives Liam some acceptable answers, di siya makakauwi. "What about it? I was pregnant. Life happens. Things worked out as should have. May tanong ka pa?" Mari couldn't help the bitterness lacing her voice. Life did happen. Umuwi siya at tiniis ang disappointment at galit ng mga magulang niya. Tiniis niya ang paglilihim niya sa mga kaibigan niya.

"Okay then. I guess that's it then," Liam said. He wasn't expecting Mari to be happy with seeing him again but did she have to show she wasn't happy about it. "Sorry kung isa ako sa mga naging dahilan ng paghihirap mo."

Mari couldn't believe what she just heard. Lakas maka assume ng gago. She never blamed him for anything. She only blamed herself and her stupidity to let herself be used the way Liam used her. Sasagot pa sana siya pero minabuti niyang hayaan na lang si Liam sa iniisip nito. He probably assumed she opted for abortion or had a miscarriage. Pero wala na siyang pakialam sa opinion nito. Whatever happens, she didn't need him.

Author's note:

Nakakapressure po yung gusto ng update agad dito hahahaha. Wala pa kasi akong plano ipost to kasi 2 chapters pa lang natype ko. Di na naman napigilan eh. Pero at least ito may outline na talaga. Enjoy guys. Magcomment kayo please.