Giving In

Chapter 11

               Mari was surprised to see Katherine dela Vega outside her front door along with Sophia Torres. Actually, surprise was an understatement. "May kailangan kayo?" tanong niya.

Katherine had the audacity to brush off her question at pumasok sa bahay. "Nasaan ang apo ko?" maldita nitong tanong.

"Naniniwala ka na apo mo talaga? Akala ko ba pineperahan ko lang si Liam?" palabang tanong ni Mari. There was no love lost between her and Liam's mother. Masyado nang effort kung makikipagplastikan pa siya. She neither had the willpower or the energy for it. There's something about pretending to tolerate a person's existence that just drains the hell out of you.

Pinaninkitan siya ng mata ni Katherine. No one ever dared talk back to her that way. And the way she looked at Mari showed that she wasn't going to let Mari get away unscathed. "This is Sophia Torres, siguro naman kilala mo siya," sabi ni Katherine. Saglit tiningnan ni Mari si Sophia. She looked exquisite but there was a coldness to her eyes. The same coldness in Katherine's.

"Yes, I've heard of her," Mari said, passably indifferent. "Let me guess, this is the woman you want for Liam?" Katherine wasn't surprised with Mari's bluntness.

Nasa sala silang lahat ngayon. Mabuti na lang at nasa sariling kwarto Kara at kasama ang yaya. "You don't look as stupid as you look." It was Sophia Torres who said the words.

Mari was already expecting the vindictive outburst. But she expecting a little more subtlety and class along with it. "So let me guess, you're here to ask me again, or try to bribe me again, to stay away from Liam. But since you considered that maybe Kara really might be Liam's daughter, you want to keep her with Liam while waiting for the results of the tests you're going to perform on her to prove her paternity. And if she really is Liam's daughter? Ano? What's your next step?"

Katherine and Sophia's mouths were hanging open. Pero si Sophia ang unang nakabawi. "Next? Liam legally adopts Kara. And you will do that in exchange for five million," galit na sabi nito. "And when Liam and I get married, I will be the mother she will know."

"So you're expecting me to sell my daughter to you for five million?" Mari was laughing when she asked the question. "You didn't have to offer me five million you know. Showing up here? Sapat na yun para ilayo ko ang anak ko sa mga taong tulad ninyo. My daughter will survive without her father but I'd rather have that than have women like both of you have an influence on her." Mari's chest was heaving at the effort to stay calm as she said the words. "Makakaalis na kayo."

"How dare you? This is my son's house. You can't make me leave when I don't want to go!" sigaw ni Katherine. Mari wasn't sure if naririnig siya ng anak niya at yaya nito but she probably wasn't able to stop Katherine screaming.

"Yes she can!" It was Liam's voice. Lahat sila napalingon sa pinto. "The house is in her name ma, kaya wala kang karapatan pagsalitaan siya ng ganyan sa sarili niyang pamamahay. This is my daughter's home. This is Mari's home!" galit na sabi ni Liam. The three of them were taken aback to see him there. He was supposed to be at the office. "Victoria called. Sinabi niya sa akin na pupunta daw kayo dito. Utang na loob ma, tigilan mo na ako. Ginawa mo nang miserable si Dad, pati ba naman ako?"

"Liam, I'm only doing what's good for you! Gaano mo ba kakilala tong babaeng to? Her child might not even be yours. You're a good catch anak, this woman is probably using you for your money," medyo mahinahon na ang nanay ni Liam. She was probably not ready for the backlash of her son's anger.

"If she really wanted my money, bakit niya ako iniwan noon?" galit na tanong ni Liam. Mari wondered why everything always came down to money with him and his family. "She left me, even after admitting she was pregnant, because she heard me accusing her of being a gold digger. Ngayon ma? Ano pang dahilan mo para iwan ako ni Mari?"

Natahimik ang nanay ni Liam. Sophia wanted to escape. After being caught by Liam being an accomplice to his mother, she knew her chances with Liam were shot to hell. "Hijo, I just want what's best for you."

"What's best for me? Ano yun ma? Ang relasyon na tulad ng sa inyo ni Dad? Eh pareho kayong miserable. I will not give into pressure like Dad did before. At ibang usapan na kung ang babaeng mahal ko na ang nilapitan niyo para layuan ako." Medyo kalmado na si Liam pero halata pa rin ang galit.

Pero wala nang naging pakialam si Mari sa iba pang sinabi nito. All she heard were the words "ang babaeng mahal ko." Surely that was just an exaggeration. Wala yun sa usapan nila ni Liam. They were still attracted to each other but Mari thought it was all just physical.

"Just leave ma," mahinahong sabi ni Liam. "Before I forget that you're still the person who brought me to this world. Just leave me and my family alone. Wag mong hintayin na si Dad ang makialam."

Katherine looked resigned as she stopped tears from falling. Pero di niya napigilan. All her children went against her in favor of Mari and her daughter. Sophia helped her out.

Agad namang bumaling si Liam kay Mari matapos masigurado na umalis na nga ang nanay niya at ang kasabwat nito. "I'm sorry you had to go through that," Liam apologized.

"Naisip mo ba Liam, na baka tama ang nanay mo? Maybe I'm not good for you. She's your mother Liam, and I'm taking you away from her." Mari was full of doubts now. Oo galit siya sa nanay ni Liam pero nanay pa rin niya yun. She couldn't take it if some time in the future, kamuhian din siya ni Kara.

Liam grabbed her and held her close to him, her face in his chest. It just felt so good to be this close to him again. Ito ang namiss ni Mari kay Liam. This kind of intimacy but without the sexual implications. Inangat ni Liam ang namumulang mukha ni Mari. "I will always choose you, okay? And not because you're the mother of my daughter. It will always be you Marianna. Noon pa man ikaw na. I just never accepted that fact because of all my preconceived notions of you. You don't know how lost I was nung nawala ka. Dun ko narealize ang totoong nararamdaman ko para sayo. And that you were the opposite of what I thought you were. Di ko nga alam paano ko nasurvive ang pagreview ko at paano ako nakapasa sa board exam when all I could think about is you." Mari couldn't believe what she was hearing. Totoo ba to? Or nag-iilusyon naman siya. Sometimes, wanting things too much gave you unrealistic hope.

"Liam... ano... ano ba yang sinasabi mo?" she stuttered. She wanted to look away. Kinakabahan siya sa pagtitig ni Liam sa kanya. It was giving her the most unrealistic expectations. "Liam please, wag kang magsalita ng ganyan. Ayaw ko namang umasa."

Liam caressed her face repeatedly. A tender look on his face. "I love you Mari. I always have. But I realized it too late. Masyado akong nasanay na isiping friends with benefits lang tayo, di ko namalayan na higit pa run ang nararadaman ko. I had to lose you to see what you meant to me. I was too blinded by what I thought you were pero nung nawala ka, dun ko naisip na sa lahat ng ginawa mo at pinakita mo sa akin, I had no reason to think as I did. Hanggang ngayon nakukunsensya pa ako na pinag-isipan kita ng ganun."

Mari thought it was a dream. Dahil sa panaginip niya lang nangyayari ang ganito. It was only ever in her dreams that Liam loved her. Di siya makapaniwala na nangyayari na ang minsang pinangarap niya.

Liam noticed the tear trickling down her cheek but she smiling. It gave him hope. "So stop thinking that you're better off without me or I'm better off without you. Di na ulit mangyayari yun."

Mari was choking on her own sobs. Liam didn't have any other choice but to silence her with his own lips.

Author's Note:

Last chapter na ba ito? Hahaha I don't know. Let's just say that this chapter didn't go according to plan or the way I imagined it.

COMMENT KAYO HAHAHA LAST CHAPTER NA BA ITO OR HINDI? HAHAHA

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