Leave Your Lover

Prologue

He had a late lunch that afternoon. Nawalan ng pakialam si Connor sa mundo ng dahil sa gutom. He had to eat fast because there's so much to do on his list. Nangunguna doon ang thesis, he has a deadline to meet.

Nagkagulo sa kabilang side ng Cafeteria. Napailing na lang siya ng marinig ang sigawan ng dalawang babae. Apparently, these ladies are fighting over a man.

"Who do you think you are?" He heard a woman scream. The voice sound so fimiliar. "I am a Young! No one would ever shake the ground I am standing! You're just a dirt, Carson. Know your place or I'll be the one to put you on it!" He almost jump on his seat when he realized it was his sister.

Hinawi niya ang kumpol ng mga tao para lang makita si Pia ng sinampal ng kasagupa nito. Her sister didn't bulge. She hit the woman harder. Nagpang abot na ang dalawa. Most of the students took a video of it while the boys are chearing for their bet. Bakit hindi? Nakatikwas na ang palda ng dalawang babae, kita na ang hindi dapat makita.

"Pia!" Saway niya sa kapatid. He took her away from the girl. Kung galit si Pia, mas galit siya sa babae. Anong karapatan nitong saktan ang kapatid niya?

Inayos niya ang palda nitong nakalilis na. Nawala na rin ang mga butones sa suot nitong blouse kaya litaw na litaw ang pula nitong bra. Hinubad niya ang suot na coat at ibinalot iyon sa kapatid.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Kastigo niya sa kapatid. "Bakit dito ka nakikipag-away? Have you lost your manners? Anong sasabihin ni Nanay?"

"She's flirting with my boyfriend!" Pia screamed out of frustration. Biglang nagbago ang galit na mukha nito. He could see tears that was about to fall from her eyes and it rage his anger towards the girl. Hindi pwedeng masaktan si Pia ng kahit na sino. Walang pwedeng umagrabyado sa kapatid niya.

He pull the girl up on her feet and drag her away from the crowd.

"Ano ba! Nasasaktan ako!" Sigaw nito habang pinipilit na makawala sa kanya. He hit her face and push her on the ground.

"Talagang sasaktan kita!" Gigil na sigaw niya. He could see fear in the woman's eyes and it satisfied him. That's for Pia's heartbreak and he would do everything to keep this woman out of Pia's way. Humagulhol ang babae.

"Akin si Adan! Si Pia ang mang aagaw pero bakit ako ang nagmumukang masama?" Iyak ito ng iyak habang hawak hawak ang pisngi na sinampal niya.

What the woman said shocked him but he didn't bulge. Pia is a Young, she would get anything what she wants, kahit pa may matapakan at hahawiin niya lahat ng hahadlang doon. He would get rid of anything that comes to Pia's way.

"I don't care what she did." Naupo siya sa harap nito at matiim itong pinakatitigan. He wants to send her a clear message, never to mess up with Pia. "She wants Adan, she gets it. Kapag nakita kong nasasaktan ulit ang kapatid ko dahil sa paglapit lapit mo kay Adan, humanda ka sa akin. You don't know what I'm capable of so stay away from us."

It's been a week since that commotion and so far, Pia is happy. She looks radiant and he couldn't ask for more.

He doesn't like Adan. There's something off about him but as long as Pia is happy, they're good.

"How was my bunso?" Si Nay Kamil iyon. Her mom looked radiant in her summer yellow dress. Sinalubong niya ito ng mahigpit na yakap at halik sa pisngi. "Gutom ka na ba? Magluluto ako ng miryenda." Inakbayan siya nito at iginiya sa kusina. He could only smile. His mom is the most wonderful girl in his eyes and forever will be.

Pinanuod niya itong magsuot ng apron at maghanda ng baking ingredients. His brothers used to tell him that he's the favorite one. Akala lang ng lahat si Pia, dahil nag iisa itong babae, pero siya daw talaga ang paborito.

Iyon nga lang kahit gaano siya kapaborito ng ina, ganoon naman ang di nila pagkakaintindihan ng ama. Well, it's somehow his fault. He choose Jusmaine over his own mother and he will never forgive himself for breaking her mom's heart.

Bata pa kasi siya noon. Nabulagan sa pag-ibig. Her mom never liked Jusmaine so as his whole family but he choose to fight for her. Nag away sila ng tatay niya noon ng piliin niyang sundan si Jusmaine sa New York.

She left him for her dreams. Sinubukan niyang magcompromise at makihati ng atensyon sa pangarap ni Jusmaine but she loved her dreams and career more than him. It was then when he found out that she's sleeping with the owner of the agency so she could book a spot in the fashion week.

He was madly inlove with her that he accepted what she did. Kahit gaano kasakit, kahit anong gawin ni Jusmaine basta magkasama sila, okay lang iyon sa kanya. But in the end, she left her. He was left heart broken.

Wala siyang nagawa noon. He looked for a job because his savings was running low. Wala siyang mukhang maihaharap sa mga magulang niya kaya pinili niyang magpursige sa ibang bansa. Few months after working as a barista at starbucks, Pia came to took him home. Kasama nito si Nay Kamil. Nag iyakan na lang sila doon.

He thought everything was fine, but his father never looked at him the way he does before. Hindi niya na makita ang admiration sa mukha ng ama. Pawang blangko palagi ang titig nito at malamig sa kanya. He guess it's the price he have to pay for breaking her mother's heart so he lived with it. Masakit iyon since he's very close to his father. Pero kasalanan niya iyon at naiintindihan niya.

His mom served him chocolate chip cookies and a warm glass of milk, his favorite combo. Then she kissed her goodbye because she have to get ready for their date night. Napailing na lang siya. His father may be ruthless on the basketball court and the conference room but he's so gentle when it comes to his mom. He always please her, and that makes his heart flutter. Gusto niyang ganoon din ang lalaking matatagpuan ni Pia.

Speaking of her little sister, she came rushing to him and hug him real tight. Yumugyog ang balikat nito. She was crying for fuck's sake.

"What happened?" He was suddenly alarmed. Pia looked helpless.

"That Carson girl kuya!" She said in between sobs. "She kissed Adan in front of me and Adan kissed back! Ang sakit sakit, kuya."

"Adan is cheating on you?" His anger rose up. Hindi lang kay Adan kung hindi kay Carson. He can't accept the fact that they kissed, if it was for Pia's heartbreak or for something else, he just don't know.

"Sinabi ko na sa'yong ayaw ko sa gagong iyon! Kailan ka ba makikinig sakin Cassiopeya Beatrice?" Galit na galit siya. No one messed up with Pia and gets away with it.

"Kuya, don't hurt him, please." All his anger melted when his sister hugged him tight. She was crying vehemently and all he wanted to do was to ease the pain. Pia got it bad, she's in love, the way he does with Jusmaine and he knew that kind of love was destructive, but he's her brother and he couldn't take away her happiness.

So he knew better. He will get rid everything that keeps Pia from being happy and he'll start with Carson Andrade.