Chasing that Billionaire (LOB series #3)

Chapter 30

"What if–what if mali lang yung nakita ko? Pano kung hindi naman talaga si Enrique yun?" Sage sighed.

It could really happen naman di ba? I could be wrong. What if I was just hallucinating na si Enrique yun pero hindi naman talaga? Or baka naman kamukha niya lang kasi I know him. I saw it in his eyes when he told me he loves me. Ramdam na ramdam ko na mahal niya ako.

"It was him."

"What if he pushed her? Nakita ko yung babae ang lumap—"

"I saw him kissing her back." Sage immediately said. "Wag mo nang lokohin ang sarili mo Mira. You're my friend and I really care for you."

Hindi ako nagsalita. I just stared at my phone when it suddenly rings at hinintay ko na mawala ang pangalan ni Enrique sa screen. So now he's calling. Para ano? Para paikutin nanaman ako? No thanks. Quotang-quota na ako. I turned my phone off and I took another shot of whiskey that I ordered. I heard Sage sigh.

"Mira tama na." Tinignan ko lang siya at inirapan. We went to a different place to drink. To think.

Ang tanga ko talaga dahil I believed him when he said he loves me. Ang tanga ko. Ang tanga tanga ko. I was so crazy about him that I believed everything that came out of his mouth. So what if I felt that he actually loves me? For I have known, it was all an act.

"Hindi ka ba iiyak?" I gave him a bitter laugh.

"What for? Dahil tanga ako? Dahil pinaglaruan ako? Oh please." Tama na yung iniyak ko kanina. He doesn't deserve my tears— he doesn't deserve me. Period.

"It's my fault, I should have told you about her last time." Agad na napatingin ako sa kanya. "I-it's not the first time I saw him with her. Nung araw ng show nakita ko siya kasama si Lorraine —"

"Wait— that was Lorraine?" Tumango siya. Kaya siguro mabilis akong napalitan. Tumawa ako ng mapakla at umiling. Of course. I should have known.

I took my phone and immediately searched Lorriane Princess of Charity bitch may lumabas pero walang bitch na nakalagay. Meron dapat to eh.

Lorraine Natividad. So that's her name. I scanned her photos. She looks familiar pero hindi ko maalala kung sino. Her face is so innocent that it made her look like an angel. Yung mga mukha ng mga bidang babae sa movies? Yung mga palaging inaapi? Her face looks like one of those. Ako kasi, my personality is strong kaya ganon ang nagrereflect sa mukha ko. I have this strong aura while she—bullshit. Now I'm comparing myself with this Lorraine.

So all this time that I was so worried about him—sa lahat ng oras na nami-miss ko siya– eto pala ang ginagawa niya?

Enrique made me look like a lovesick fool. Hindi sakit ang nararamdaman ko ngayon kundi galit. My heart is so full of bitterness na hindi ko na makuhang umiyak. Fuck Enrique. Fuck that princess charity bitch. Magsama silang dalawa.

"Uwi na tayo." Umiling ako. "Mira lasing ka na."

"Fool me once, shame on him. Fool me twice... I've let him fool me twice! And what do I get? This! Shame on me right?" I laughed with full of hatred. "Akala ko kasi this time, it'll last na but I was wrong."

Hindi nagsalita si Sage. Siguro kung ako din naman nasa kalagayan niya hindi ko rin alam kung anong sasabihin ko. Maybe if he was the stupid friend who made a fool out of himself, no matter how madaldal I am, I will also be as silent as him right now.

"Kaya nga utak ang nasa taas di ba? Utak muna bago puso. I'm so stupid." Umiiling na sabi ko habang tumatawa ng mapakla.

"You're not crying."

"Bakit parang gusto mo na umiyak ako? I won't. Not anymore. Not because of him, I will not." I took another shot of alcohol. I smirked at him. "Hindi ko hahayaan na isipin niya na ako ang tanga sa aming dalawa."

• • •

Can I see you? I miss you

I rolled my eyes as I stare at Enrique's message. Two days ago nakita ko siyang nakikipaghalikan sa ibang babae, last time ni hindi manlang siya magtext, but now he's telling me that he miss me? I took my phone and composed a message.

Can't. I'm busy. I pressed send.

I have an interview with Sage today. It's actually for the promotion of our episode that will be aired tomorrow, I'm pretty excited about it. Hindi ko hahayaan na sirain ni Enrique ang araw ko. I'm not the same woman that I was before.

A basta! Hindi na ako magiging marupok ulit when it comes to him.

"Maam pakiramdam ko magiging maganda ang araw mo ngayon." Sprite told me with a wide smile on his face. Hindi ako sumagot. "Ay bad mood. Di bale maam, mamaya okay ka na. Di ba Coke?"

"Oo nga! Baka manlibre pa yan si maam sa sobrang tuwa." I rolled my eyes at them. I know naman na it's not my fault and wala silang alam since I insisted that I don't want any bodyguards that night. Gusto ko din kasi na makapag pahinga sila because I know naman na napagod sila kakabantay sa akin. Besides, wala naman na akong masiyadong bashers unlike noon.

Kung alam lang ng dalawang to ang nangyari, they won't be smiling like that to me now. Hindi kasi nila alam na their Captain is a lying two-faced jerk who knows nothing but to play with feelings—my feeling, unfortunately.

"Does the both of you have a girlfriend? Or wife..?" I asked them after a moment of silence dahil hindi ko pinansin ang sinabi nila about my mood.

"Ito maam si Sprite may long time girlfriend na. Ako wala pa. Bakit maam? May irereto ka bang model? Yung chiks ba?" Nakangising sabi ni Coke na pinagtawanan lang namin siya ni Sprite.

"Umiral nanaman pagiging chikboy, kala mo gwapo." Umiiling na sabi ni Sprite binatukan naman siya ni Coke and he scowled at him.

"Hindi noh! If I'm going to introduce you sa babae hindi sa mga model na kilala ko dahil, they'll just break your heart and I don't want to see your ugly face crying. Baka sisihin mo pa ako." Tumawa naman ng malakas si Sprite.

Although it was I said it as ajoke, I really don't want to introduce him to any models na kilala ko kasi alam ko na yang mga models na yan, most of them only plays around with boys. Sprite and Coke, are good looking and has nice bodies–not that I check them out. Napapansin ko lang. So it's not impossible kung maging type sila ng kapwa ko models who just plays around and I don't want that to happen.

These two diabetes are now a part of my family. Importanteng parte na sila ng life ko ngayon.

"Aray maam ha? Di ka naman yata nang iinsulto sa lagay na yan?" He said sarcastically then he gave me an arrogant smile. "Itong mukha na to? Marami nang babae ang pinaiyak nito. Maraming babae ang pinaasa. Kaya ingat ka maam, baka pati ikaw mabiktima. Sorry maam pero takot ko nalang kay Captain."

"Hello Karma asan ka na? May mayabang dito, paki break ng heart niya yung super hard na katumbas ng lahat ng tears ng mga babae na pinaiyak niya." I said talking to the air. Lumingon lingon naman si Coke sa paligid na akala mo he'll see karma around.

"Joke lang naman grabe ka sakin maam." I just laughed at him. If there's one thing that Enrique did right in my life, it's hiring them as my bodyguards. Hindi lang safety ko ang nakuha ko, I also got friends.