Billionaire's Love Lessons

"Why, Adrienne? Why do you care so much?," he wryly asked. Kitang-kita ko ang disgusto sa mukha niya.

Parang may biglang bumara sa lalamunan ko. Hinihintay kong isumbat nya sa akin ang lahat pero wala akong narinig. Just a sigh.

"Please, sige na," my voice cracked.

He stood, "get out, Ms. Blais."

"Parang awa mo na," pakiusap ko.

Tinalikuran nya ako at hinarap ang malaking bintanang nakatanaw sa buong syudad.

"Why, Adrienne?," ramdam ko ang sakit sa boses nya, "Putangina, why did you do this to him, why did you do it to us and now you thought I'll be the same? You left without any notice. Pitong taon kang nawala. Ni hindi ka nagparamdam tapos babalik ka. Bumalik ka kung kailan naayos na namin ang buhay namin, kung kailan nasanay na ang anak mo na wala ka. Sana hindi ka na lang bumalik. Imagine Adrienne, 7 years! You never realized how those 7 years changed everything! You never saw how he cries before at night craving for your touch, how he uttered the word 'mama' countless of times and yet you never came. Hindi mo nakita kung paanong sa bawat birthday nya, ikaw ang hinihiling niyang makita. You never witnessed any of those dahil wala kang kwenta and yet you had the courage to ask Adrienne," bakas sa galaw nya ang galit kahit hindi sya nakaharap sa akin.

Hinarap nya akong muli. Tinitigan nya ako mula ulo hanggang paa with those angry eyes. Hindi ko na napigilang mapahikbi. "Now, how do you expect me to be the same after all those, Adrienne?," he asked calmly.

I cried. Hard.

Someone knocked. And I heard the faint little voice only my dreams had ever known, "Papa."

I wanted to run away. Hindi ko alam kung kaya ko pang harapin ang anak ko. Alessandro looked away and I took small steps to reach him, Aiden.

"Hi," yumuko ako para makapantay ko sya. Alam kong sa puntong iyon hindi na titigil sa pag-agos ang luha ko. Aiden smiled at me.

"Who is she, Papa?," Aiden asked gently. Alessandro looked at him with pain written in his eyes. I looked away, crying.