Cassidy Hurdiss intentionally broke the heart of the one man who has always loved her. She had to set him free so he could fulfill his lifelong dream to be a successful business tycoon in New York City.
Four years later, Aaron Ceyx Monteverde come...
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"I miss Paris so bad, don't you?" Drei said.
"I miss everything about France." I replied.
Nakay Aaron na naman ang kambal. Sinundo niya sa bahay kaninang tulog pa ako. Buti hindi kami nagpang-abot. Dahil hindi ko rin alam kung paano ko siya pakikitunguhan.
We'll be leaving for Paris next week. Kung gusto ni Aaron na makita ang kambal, then he could go to Paris to ocassionally visit them.
Napalunok ako nang maalala ko ang likod niyang naglalakad palabas ng restaurant no'ng gabing nag-propose si Drei. He followed us. He was watching us having a date all along. Hindi na ako nagtataka kung paano siya nakapasok do'n kahit pinasara ni Drei 'yon. Aaron is a billionaire. Pera ang kumikilos para sa kanya.
The day ended in a blur. Kinabukasan, gumising ako nang maaga para ako na ang mag-grocery. I needed time alone. Kaya nagmamadali akong naligo at nagbihis. Si Drei ay tulog pa.
I drove calmly and I reached the supermarket in no time. Kinuha ko lang ang wallet ko at ang car key bago ko sinara ang pinto ng kotse. On the way to the supermarket's entrance, someone bumped into me.
It was a guy who was carrying her groceries. "I'm so sorry!" hinging- paumanhin niya.
Nagtaas ako ng tingin at agad na bumalatay ang matinding galit nang Makita ko kung sino siya.
He stared at me too, also wide-eyed. At nang makabawi ako ay binigyan ko siya ng isang ubod nang lakas na sampal. Hindi pa ako nakuntento at sinampal ko ulit siya nang isa pa sa kabilang pisngi.Nanginginig ako sa galit at siya naman ay tinanggap lang lahat ng sampal ko.
Nagtagis ang mga bagang ko bago ko dinuro si Aerold. "At may lakas ng loob ka pang bumalik sa Pilipinas pagkatapos ng ginawa mo?" Sinapak ko ang dibdib niyahabang nangilid na ang luha ko.
Si Aerold ay nakayuko habang ina-absorb ang mga sapak ko sa dibdib niya.
"You ruined our relationship!"
Nagtaas siya ng tingin at nakita ko ang lungkot at pagsisisi sa mukha niya. "I'm sorry, Cassidy."
"Sorry? Maibabalik ba ng sorry mo 'yong relasyon naming nasira? Mababago ba ng sorry mo 'yong sitwasyon?" puno ng pait kong tanong.
Dahil sa pagkikita namin ngayon ay parang nabuhay 'yong sakit sa puso ko. 'Yong mga alaala ng dati na pilit kong binabaon ay parang hinuhukay ang sarili nila para makawala. Ngayon ay damang-dama ko 'yong sakit na para bang bago lang ito.
"Cassidy, I know you won't forgive me. Pero sana malaman mo na nagsisisi ako sa ginawa kong pagsira sa inyo ni Aaron. I was in love with his ex Aliya, and when they broke up, I couldn't take seeing her in pain because of him. Isinumpa ko si Aaron Monteverde and promised myself that one day I would get even."
Napayuko siyang muli. Napatingin ako sa malayo habang pinupunasan ang luhang naglandas sa mga pisngi ko. "The opportunity presented itself in Bicol. I grabbed it."
"Demon." I hissed.
"What I did was wrong. Naisip ko na kung hindi ako magiging masaya, dapat kayo rin. I was bitter and angry. Pero believe me, I regretted it so much."
Napakuyom ako ng kamao ko. Here I was talking to someone who ruined my past relationship with my ex when I was already getting married.
Napadako 'yong tingin ni Aerold sa kamay ko. Nag-iba 'yong ekspresyon niya nang makita ang engagement ring.
"Ikakasal na kayo ni Aaron? C-congratulations," mahinang sambit niya na para bang nilalamon siya ng hiya dahil sa nagawa niya.
"Hindi kay Aaron ako ikakasal."
"Oh," mahinang sambit niya. Namayani ang mahabang katahimikan bago siya nagsalita ulit. "I met Aaron again. Four years ago at Central Park. He punched the lights out of me. Hindi ako lumaban kasi I deserved it. I deserved every punch and I welcomed it all. Nakita ko 'yong galit sa mga mata niya. And do you know what else I saw? I saw pain in his eyes. The pain was so great that I had to resist the urge to avert my gaze."
Nanuyo 'yong lalamunan ko habang nakikinig sa kanya. I couldn't find the proper words to say so I just listened.
" Kitang-kita ko sa mga mata niya kung ga'no kasakit sa kanya 'yong ginawa ko. Kitang-kita 'yong naipong galit. His eyes were intense. At do'n ko naintindihan na nasasaktan ka lang nang sobra 'pag sobrang mahal mo rin 'yong tao. And the amount of pain I saw on his eyes were immeasurable."
Nanghina ang tuhod ko. Feeling ko babagsak ako anytime. Napakalakas ng tibok ng puso ko na para bang sasabog na ito.
"You deserved each other then, and you deserve each other now because looking at the pain in your eyes right now? I can see just how immeasurable your love for him is too."
—
"Mommy, I think something's wrong with Daddy," sabi ni Xiana habang kumakain kami.
Nagtatakang binalingan ko siya ng tingin.
"Why is that, baby?"
She munched her bacon before answering. "He's acting weird yesterday. He plays with us but he seems to have a world of his own. He always looks outside the window, and his stares are distant," mahabang pahayag niya.
"He is silent too. He doesn't talk much," dagdag ni Xander. I looked away. After we ate, the kids proceeded to watch television with Drei inside his room while I stayed downstairs with Manang.
The doorbell rang and I stood up.
"Ako na," I volunteered to check because I was anxious to look at Drei. I know that he knows that I know Aaron's talking about me.
Nagmamadali akong pumunta sa gate at binuksan ito. There was a black van parked in front. My eyebrows furrowed. Who could this be?
Lumapit ako sa van upang katukin kung sino mang nasa loob, when the door suddenly slid open and two men wearing all black outfits appeared in my vision.
I clutched my chest in horror. I was about to run back inside when they clutched my arms and put a hankerchief on my nose. I was so scared that my heart was wildly thumping.
I thrashed but they have a tight grip. Tears were incessantly falling in my eyes right now. I could smell something in the hankerchief and it's making me dizzy.
They put me inside the van and we sped away from the house. My head is lolling from extreme dizziness and I'm slowly drifting away from consciousness.
