Oneirataxia: My Fictional Man

CHAPTER 32

Chapter Thirty-two

"You seem beyond surprised," puna ni Madam Belen, na ngayon ay nakangisi pa rin sa akin.

My brain stuttered for a moment. It formulated no words to utter. The hell. I'm indeed beyond surprised--- no, it's much more beyond that even the word 'surprised' is an understatement itself.

The 'Madam Belen' I knew arrived unannounced. Who would have thought that she and Madam Chua is just the same person! Plus, what's more shocking is the fact that she is the wife of Mr. Clark. Why didn't I know that for the past years I've worked with him!

Madam Belen stepped forward to me and at a slow speed, she shook her head in dismay.

"Bukod sa puso, pati ba dila mo ay nakuha rin ni Benjamin, huh?" Kapwa nagkatinginan ang mag-asawa at sabay na tumawa.

Sa kabila ng mababang temperatura sa loob ng opisina, nakaramdam pa rin ako ng panginginit sa aking mukha.

I could even feel the cold sweat escaped in my temple and palms.

In an instant, my brain functioned again from an emergency shutdown, enabling me to move aside from just blinking my eyes. When I grasped what she has said to me, I immediately bowed my head in embarrassment.

She probably knows everything I've been doing here. Imagining her expression upon knowing my romantic attachment with Benjamin heated my cheeks more. It feels like a hot pan drawing near to my face.

"B-bakit hindi niyo po sinabi na kayo pala si Madam Chua sa kuwentong ito?" tanong ko, medyo nag-angat ng tingin upang masalubong ang kanyang mga mata.

"Would it change anything?" she asked back.

Hind na ako umimik. I couldn't think of any difference, puwera na lang sa pagiging gulantang ko ngayon.

My mind instantly filled with questions that need an answer right away, or else, my brain cells would freakily explode.

"B-but wait, you're the wife of Mr. Clark, right? You could have helped him beforehand. Bakit pa po umabot sa ganito?" nagtatakang tanong ko.

Iyan ang isa sa mga tanong na bumagabag sa utak ko. Madam Chua owns the Fantasia Web, she should have merged it with the Book Pal Publishing House Inc, which Mr. Clark owns as well. Hindi na sana humantong ang lahat sa paghihirap.

Just after my thought, someone immediately crossed my mind; Benjamin.

No--- I should still be thankful that Madam Chua and Mr. Clark didn't merge their institutions together. If they did, then I wouldn't be able to meet such a man that I didn't expect to love this much.

Mr. Clark suggested us to sit first but only her wife obliged. I remained still on my position, standing near the table.

He sighed heavily first and from the sound of its weight, I think there's more shocking he would throw.

"To tell you honestly hija, Book Pal was just only a cover before. A façade. A front. The reality is, it's only a portal toward Fanstasia. Did you remember the sudden disappearance of our writers before you became the Editor-in-Chief?" tanong ni Mr. Clark.

Tumango naman ako nang maalala ang mga panahong iyun.

It was odd and strange when writers only disappeared when they're almost near toward their story endings. It was a complete mess because the company couldn't just produce incomplete stories. Assigning people to continue their works is not legal either since the company didn't buy their copyrights.