CHAPTER 4
1122 Words
PAGKAUWI ni Isabelle sa sumunod na araw, pagpasok niya pa lamang sa living room, ramdam na niya na may mali.
Her entire family was there.
Her father sat on the single couch with an unusually serious expression.
Nakaupo naman ang kaniyang ina at kapatid sa mahabang sofa. Sabrina was scrolling through her phone with an irritating smile on her face.
Isabelle stopped near the doorway.
Hindi siya nagsalita at tiningnan lamang niya ang mga ito.
Her father placed his glass down on the coffee table. “Sit.”
Hindi agad nakapagsalita si Isabelle. She was stunned that his father actually told her to sit. Ever since she could remember, her family never invited her to sit with them.
She was not welcome to sit with them, even at the dining table.
“We have good news.” Nakangiting sabi ng ina ni Isabelle.
Agad namang nagsuspetsa si Isabelle dahil sa ipinapakita ng kaniyang ina.
Good news was rarely good news when it came from her family.
“Ano pong balita?” tanong ni Isabelle sa mababang boses.
Her father leaned back on the couch. “We’ve decided to move your wedding forward.”
Napakurap si Isabelle. “My wedding?”
“Your wedding with James.”
Her stomach dropped. “James?”
Tumango ang kaniyang ina. “Engaged ka na sa kaniya nang isang taon. It’s time to make it official.”
Napatitig na lamang si Isabelle sa mga ito. Hindi niya alam kung ano ba ang dapat niyang maramdaman sa mga oras na ‘yon.
Yes, a year ago, she was engaged to James Ramos, but that’s it. Hanggang engaged lang. No wedding date set and everything.
And she just met James Ramos thrice, and all of it was at a family gathering.
Isabelle looked at Sabrina, and she saw the hickey between her shoulder and her neck. Sadyang tinatakpan ito ni Sabrina pero nakita niya pa rin ito.
Last night, she bet all her savings that Sabrina met James.
Alam niyang may itinatago ang dalawa. Nahuli na niya ang mga ito dati, pero hindi na niya sinabi. It doesn’t concern her anyway. She doesn’t love James. At ganun din naman ito sa kaniya.
“Your wedding will be next month.”
Next month?
Ramdam ni Isabelle ang paninikip ng kaniyang dibdib. Tumingin siya kay Sabrina at nakita niya ang ngiti nito. Not the kind of smile someone gives when they are happy for another person. It was the smile of someone who already knew exactly how this would end.
She knew why her sister was smiling.
Ang alam ni Sabrina ay hindi niya alam ang relasyon nito kay James.
Men were always be men. Isabelle thought.
“But I don’t want to marry him,” Isabelle said.
Tumahimik ang buong living room.
Her father’s expression hardened. “Yu don’t want to marry James?”
“No.” Umiling si Isabelle.
“Why?”
Isabelle lowered her eyes. She didn’t know how to explain it.
James had never openly hurt her. He was always polite in public, always charming, always perfectly dressed… na para bang hindi ito makabasag ng pinggan.
Though she had just met him three times in a year, she had seen another side of him. A side no one else seemed to notice—a cunning man who hides beneath a sweet smile.
“James is a good man,” her mother said.
“He had money, connections, and a respectable family,” her father added.
Hindi mapigilan ni Isabelle ang pagtataka. “If he’s a good man, then why don’t you marry Sabrina to him?”
After all, they have been intimate… many times.
“Ate, huwag mo akong idamay diyan. I don’t like arranged marriage.”
You don’t like arranged marriage, but you have been intimate with your future brother-in-law.
Napailing na lamang si Isabelle.
“Don’t be selfish, Isabelle. We’re doing this for your own good,” sabi ng kaniyang ina. “Sabrina is still young. Isa pa, ikaw ang nakatatanda, kaya ikaw ang dapat na unang ikasal.”
Nagbaba ng tingin si Isabelle.
Again, she was being asked to sacrifice herself for everyone else.
Every responsibility was fall for her, and every luxury fell to her sister.
“The Ramos family will help us expand the company. His father has already agreed to several business arrangements.”
Ngayon, naintindihan na ni Isabelle. She wasn’t her parent’s daughter. She was just an agreement. A signature. A bridge between two families—a bargaining chip.
Wala nang masabi pa si Isabelle.
“Ate, ayaw mo ba no’n? Kapag ikinasal ka na, hindi mo na kailangang magtrabaho. You’ll be dressed and fed well. You will have a lot of money and jewelry.”
Yes, money is important. But her dignity was more important.
Pero wala siyang magawa.
Umalis na ang kaniyang mga magulang at naiwan si Sabrina.
She placed her phone on the table and looked at Isabelle. “You should be happy.”
“Bakit naman?”
“Because you’re finally going to be useful.” Ngumiti si Sabrina. “Imagine being married to James. You’ll have everything.”
Tumayo si Isabelle. “Sabrina, bakit kaya hindi na lang ikaw?”
“Ate, ano bang sinasabi mo?”
Isabelle pointed to the hickey on Sabrina’s neck. “You’ve been intimate with James many times. You should think of your dignity as a woman.”
Mabilis na itinaas ni Sabrina ang collar ng damit nito. “Ate, don’t accuse me. Wala akong ginawa.”
Ngumiti si Isabelle. “Sabrina, I know I am timid, but I am not foolish,” she said and turned towards the stairs.
In her situation right now, she wanted to cry, but she refused. She had cried enough.
Pagpasok ni Isabelle sa kaniyang kwarto, pabagsak siyang nahiga sa kaniyang kama pagkababa pa lamang ng kaniyang bag.
She closed her eyes, and even when she didn’t want to cry, her tears fell.
Why is it so hard to achieve the things she wants?
She didn’t want to marry the person she didn’t love, but her parents arranged a marriage for her.
This place, she couldn’t even call it her home.
She had no home.
Tahimik na umiyak si Isabelle.
Sa pamamagitan kasi ng pag-iyak niya, ramdam niya na gumagaan ang kaniyang pakiramdam.
Mula pa noong bata pa siya, ganito na ang trato sa kaniya ng kaniyang mga magulang.
Her parents didn’t like her. And her sister was the apple of their eye.
Why give birth to me if you can’t treat me as your daughter?
“I’m tired…” Isabelle whispered.
And she muttered the thing; even she didn’t think she could say it, but she did.
“How does death feel?”
- Writer
- chap_listContents
- likeADD