Oneirataxia: My Fictional Man

CHAPTER 27

Chapter Twenty-seven

After long years of working, this is actually my first time to feel sluggish of preparing myself off to work. I have never been this lazy and lifeless my whole life. I'm just maybe strained from all the mixed emotions I have dealt with these days.

I had full-blown happiness and then shifted to agony later on. This cycle only repeated a few times, but it's too much to take already. Stress na nga ako sa totoong mundo, mas nadagdagan pa rito.

I let out a heavy sigh. I wouldn't be productive if this goes off the whole day, I might as well take a day of absence from work. Mabuti na rin 'yun para hindi ko muna makita si Benjamin. I don't know how will I react kapag nagkita kami at harap-harapan pa. I'm sure he would bug me nonstop because of how I treated him last night.

I realized I shouldn't have acted that way. I was too foolish to think that we're somehow a thing, because who wouldn't be, right? He was too tender and his words were kinda hope-dragging. But still, it was my fault. At ngayon, nahihiya na akong harapin siya.

Nagpakawala ulit ako ng buntong-hininga. Siguro liliban muna ako ng ilang mga araw sa trabaho. The company would still function without me, anyway.

I stopped for a moment when I realized something to do.

Naghanap agad ako ng malaki-laking bag na mapaglagyan ko ng mga damit at iba pang kakailanganing dalhin. I then removed my corporate clothes and changed it into a casual one; jeans and halter top.

I decided to take a road trip and have a short vacation to where my car would lead me. Siguro sapat na ang isang linggo para mahimas-masan ako sa kahibangan kong ito.

I was walking on the ground floor when a sharp tiny voice called me. Nang lumingon ako sa kanan ay nakita kong kumakaway at papalapit sa akin ang anak ni Mr. Monteclaro at maging siya ay nakatingin na rin sa akin.

"Hi Miss, don't you have a work?" tanong ng bata nang makalapit na sa akin, ngunit hindi ko siya nasagot dahil una kong binati ang kanyang ama.

"I haven't recognized you last night, I'm sorry for that," biglang turan nito na nagpagulat sa akin.

I bowed a bit and just smiled at him reassuringly.

"It's no big deal, Sir," sabi ko sa magaang tono ngunit ngumiwi lamang siya.

"I must have offended the President of CCREC and the girlfriend of the current CEO." Napamaang ako sa tinuran niya.

Anong girlfriend? Maging siya ba ay naniniwala at hindi pa rin makalimot sa isyung yun?

"You seem surprised hija," pansin niya.

Ilang beses akong napakurap bago sumagot.

"Hindi po ako girlfriend ni Benjamin, Sir," tanggi ko at tumawa pa para hindi maging defensive tingnan.

"Hmm, really? Mr. Ben doesn't want any scandal associated with his name, so he could have silenced that rumor off. He has all the capacity to do that, but he didn't."

Because of what Mr. Monteclaro told me, my mind is in turmoil again.

I don't want to conclude because I think it would drive me crazier this time. I was just left asking myself, what does he mean by that?

Habang nagmamaneho ako ay gulong-gulo pa rin ang utak ko lalo na't tungkol kay Benjamin ang lahat ng pumapasok sa isipan ko.