(Delilah Series # 2) "Is it true that you were your own stepfather's mistress?" Alam ko na kailangan kong depensahan ang sarili ko. I look at the few people who are seated inside the trial court. Sa mga mata nila ay nakikita kong hinuhusgahan na nila ang buo kong pagkatao. Dumapo ang tingin ko kay Lolo na nakaupo sa tabi ni Attorney Pelaez. Pumikit siya nang mariin. "N-No... No... That is not true... " namamaos kong paninindigan. Halos maubusan na ng lakas. I could not feel the witness chair where I'm sitting on anymore. Pumikit ako nang mariin at kasabay nito ay ang paglandas ng maiinit na mga luha. "Please... Hindi t-totoo 'yan... Please s-stop," pagmamakaawang hikbi ko. Yumuko ako dahil hindi na kaya pang tanggapin ang mga mapanghusgang tingin ng mga nasa harapan. Lalong-lalo na ng abogadong siyang tila ba nagpaparatang. "Do you have anymore questions, Mr. Attorney?" mahinahong tanong ng judge. "None, Your Honor," biglang namaos ang boses niya. "No more questions for this cross examination." Nag-angat ako ng mukha. Tiningnan ko ang hitsura ng lalaki na minsan ko ng minahal nang lubusan. I looked at the face of my mother's criminal defense attorney. The very face of Attorney Lake Jacobe Mendez.

(Delilah Series # 3) "You were my father's mistress. How else do you want me to treat you?" Halos matumba ako sa bigat na dumagan sa puso ko dahil sa sinabi niya. Tell him! Tell him the truth. Tell him why you had to do it! Sigaw ng utak ko ngunit hindi naman kayang panindigan ng bibig ko. Tulad na lang ng nakaraan ay wala akong ibang nagawa. I looked at him with pleading eyes. Hoping for him to understand. Begging him to search for the truth himself. "Tell me, Clau or shall I say tell me, Doctor Abigail Claudine Manalo," binabalot ng pait ang bawat pagbigkas niya sa buo kong pangalan. "Did you think of my father while you slept with me? Did you wish it was him beside you while you were in bed with me?" Bumalatay ang sakit at pang-aakusa sa kanyang mga mata. "Did you . . . even love me?" "Ang . . . Ang tagal na no'n, Theo," tanging nasabi ko sa mahinang boses. Napasinghap ako at napatakip sa bibig nang suntukin niya ang pader. Malutong ang sunud-sunod na pagmura niya. Nagtagis ang kanyang bagang. Tiningnan ko ang kamay niya at nahindik sa nakitang dugo na dumaloy mula rito. Sumabay dito ang pagbuhos ng mga luha ko. "T-Theo. . ." Tinitigan niya ang kanyang nagdurugong kamao. Ni isang beses ay hindi niya ako sinulyapan. It was like I wasn't even there. Just him, his anger, and his pain. He turned around and walked away. I wanted so bad to tell him the truth. Pero paano ko gagawin iyon? Paano ko sasabihin sa kanya ang katotohanan kung lalo lang itong ikawawasak ng buhay niya?

PUBLISHED UNDER LIB Note: If you're not into flawed characters who make wrong decisions, don't read this. Save yourself from stress. Started: 11/20/2020 Ended: 01/29/2021 How far would you go for someone? How many hailstorms and dark clouds would you endure? How many falling stars would you wait for to make a single wish come true? For Reese Deborah Madrid, the sky was the limit. She was used to having whatever she wanted. Clothes? Shoes? Jewelry? Name it. She could get it without putting in so much effort. So, when she hoped for another shot of love with her ex-boyfriend, she was ready to sacrifice everything to win him back. Even if that meant she had to look stupid and desperate. Even that meant she had to suffer through the pain of watching him be disgusted by her. Even if that meant she had to deal with his harsh words and apathy. She did everything in her power to go back into his arms. She stood up to the rain that soaked her and the sun that burned her skin. She waited from daybreak to nightfall, hoping that he would eventually fall back in love with her. She thought she was getting there. She felt like she'd made it. But then, in the world where she could be anything, she lost everything in the name of her love for him. Because much like the sky, Harvin Rouge Foster was only meant to be loved from afar.

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Train Wolkzbin eluded marriage for eight years. Hindi siya magpapakasal kahit pa mamatay lahat ng kaibigan niya. Kahit pa magunaw ang mundo, hinding-hindi siya magpapatali sa isang babae. He was enjoying his bachelorhood. Pero mukhang magkaiba ang isip nila nila ni Krisz Romero. Walong taon na ang nakalipas pero pinipilit pa rin nito na magpakasal sila, to the point na kaya nitong ibigay ang katawan nito sa kanya para lang magpakasal siya rito. Train knew that he was in trouble when he felt the beast between his legs awakened at the sight of Krisz nakedness. Pero matigas siya at hindi basta-basta papayag na maapektuhan ng pagnanasa niya sa dalaga ang desisyon niya. But, when his father suffered a heart attack, he had no choice but to succumb to his father's wish. And that was to marry Krisz Romero. Bilang mabuting anak, pumayag siya sa hiling ng ama. Pinakasalan niya si Krisz at habang lumilipas ang mga araw na mag-asawa sila, tinatanong niya ang sarili, nagpakasal ba talaga siya kay Krisz dahil 'yon ang kagustuhan ng ama niya o dahil 'yon sa kagustuhan niyang maangkin ang dalaga gabi-gabi at legal na maging pag-aari niya? CECELIB | C.C. WARNING: MATURE CONTENT | P-18 COMPLETED