Accomplice Then, My Bride Now (Completed)

ATMBN 11

(Present Time)

They're in the fourth month and things are doing well except of course for the obvious—Rachel is still MIA.

Maine is getting impatient so she tried to email Rachel again.

"Cheng...
Buhay ka pa ba? Please naman o
email me back or call me, you know my number. I really need to talk to you.

Please, please, please...

I love you and I miss you so much, my Chengcheng.

Love,
Meng."

—
It's weekend—she's in her study, as usual reading books, while RJ is there outside, watching Netflix with her parents. Mamaya pa yon sila matatapos. She can't help but smile, last month—she gave herself to the man she loves. RJ has become extra clingy after that. She is being loved the way any woman should be loved. She is being showered by attention and affection in a good kind of way. They didn't utter the magic words but their actions speak so much more.

Kunting time pa, Gob. I just really need to talk to Rachel. I need to get her blessing, Gob. Nararamdaman na kasi niya that RJ is getting impatient. Most of the time, RJ is insinuating a topic that would lead to commitment but she always finds a way to change the topic, and she knew RJ gets it.

Her cellphone rings and she stares at it with certainty that this is the call she's been waiting for. This must be Rachel. Kinabahan siya because she knew in her heart na ito yong hinihintay niya. On the third ring, she receives the call.

"Hello?"

"Meng..."

"Oh My God! Cheng!!! Thank you!" Napaiyak siya. Sobrang miss na niya ang bestfriend niya at gusto niyang malaman kung kumusta na ito.

"Okay lang, Meng. Masaya. Ikaw? Kayo diyan?"

"Did you talk to your parents? Nag aalala sila Tito at Tita, Cheng."

"I did, a few days ago."

"So, kailangan pa bang, e-email kita ng paulit ulit at sabihin ng paulit-ulit na tawagan mo ako bago ka magparamdam sa akin?"

"I am sorry, plano ko naman talagang tawagan ka, na busy lang."

"Ano ba pinagkakaabalahan mo diyan? Kailan ka ba uuwi?"

"Soon, Meng. Basta kwento ko sa'yo pag nagkita na tayo. Kumusta ka na?"

"Ito okay lang. Rachel, nakausap mo na ba si RJ?"

"One at a time, Meng. I will talk to him soon, pero maigi siguro in person ko siya kausapin."

"Kailan naman yon?"

"Malapit na..."

"Please make that sooner, umuwi ka na dito at may ekukuwento din ako."

"How is he pala?"

Hindi siya makasagot. Paano ba sagotin ang tanong na to? Na okay lang si RJ? Na wala pang bente kwatro oras naka move on na ito sa ginawa niya? Na nakahanap na si RJ ng taong tunay na nagmamahal sa kanya? Gusto niyang sabihin lahat.

"Why don't you find it yourself, Cheng? Iniwan mo siya sa araw na ikakasal dapat siya, ako itong walang kinalaman dapat, pero sinalo kita, kahit gusto ko ng sabihin una pa lang sa lahat kung nasaan ka. If only you knew what happened that day Cheng, para mo na rin akong pinambayad utang."

"I am so sorry, Meng. I'll make it up to you soon, okay? I'll make it up to you all, soon. I love you, Okay? And I miss you bestfriend."

"I miss you too, Cheng. Take care of yourself. Please go home na, the soonest time. Please."

"I will. I have to hang up now. Bye Meng."

"Bye."

"So you knew?"

"RJ..."

"All along, you knew, Maine?"

"RJ, let me explain—"

"—so, these past few months na sinasamahan mo ako, it's all because nagbabayad utang ka? Kasi nakokonsensya ka? Dahil putangina! Alam mo?!"

"RJ, please..."

"Nasaan siya? Sumagot ka! Nasaan si Rachel?"

"..."

"Sagot!"

Maine is so terrified by the anger she is seeing in RJ's eyes. This is it. The moment of truth had finally come.

"RJ, what you hear is the first time Rachel contacted me after she run away."

"Hindi yan ang gusto kong malaman, ang tanong ko, nasaan siya ngayon?"

"Italy..."

"At wala kang balak sabihin sa akin?"

"RJ, it's not my place to tell you. Please understand na sa mga panahong yon, I tried my hardest to convince her to tell you ahead of time. Pero I failed. I am sorry. Please, huwag ka namang magalit."

"What angers me is the fact that you lied to me, you have every reason and every chance to tell me, pero di mo ginawa! Akala ko ba nagkakaintindihan tayo? Akala ko ganon na ka deep yong relasyon natin para hindi tayo maglihim sa isa't isa?"

Maine hears the frustration and pain in RJ's voice and she's breaking at this moment. The last thing she would do is to hurt this man.

"RJ, before you came into my life, she was my bestfriend and she still is my bestfriend. Please understand that. Huwag mo din sabihing nagbabayad utang ako, it was a term I used to make light of the situation me and my bestfriend went through before. Pero kung yon talaga ang iniisip mo, that means—ganon kababaw ang tingin mo sa akin?"

Maine can't help it, she cries and she is hurting because RJ doesn't know how much her heart loves him and to be accused of something that in the first place wala siyang control is quite unfair to her. Alam niyang she lied, but to discredit how she feels parang ang sakit-sakit naman non.

"Ganon ba pagkakaintindi mo RJ? Ang cheap ko naman pala sa paningin mo? Pambayad utang lang sa kasalanan ng bestfriend ko sa'yo. So ipinambayad utang ko puso't katawan ko sa'yo? Ganon ba tingin mo sa mga nangyari? Kung ganon naman pala, so, quits na kayo ni Rachel ha. Bayad na bayad na siya."

Patuloy sa pagpatak ang mga luha niya, bakit ang sakit sakit nito?

"Maine.."

"Makakaalis ka na, RJ."

"Maine, please, hindi ganon ang ibig kong sabihin, I am sorry kung nasabi ko yon. Please, Miss Maine. It obviously hurts you and I can't take back my words pero di ko din kayang makita kang nasasaktan ng ganyan."

RJ tries to get her hands but she didn't allow him to.

"Please, umalis ka muna RJ. Hayaan mo muna ako. Don't worry, mula sa mga oras na ito, I am freeing you from the responsibility, total wala naman tayong commitment. So, okay na yon. Maraming salamat sa lahat."

"Maine naman. Huwag naman ganito, please."

"RJ, please! JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!!!"

RJ froze, it's the first time he saw her this angry and frustrated and pained. He raises his two hands, accepting defeat—just this time.

"Okay. I will leave you for now, but I will be back Maine. I will come back and let's talk."

"Just...leave please."

She saw RJ slowly walkout in her study and every step RJ takes is like a knife cutting her heart. She wanted to run to him and hug him but all she knows right now is sobrang nasasaktan siya.

And when the door finally closes. She breakdown. She pours all her pain knowing that this might be the end of her and RJ's story.