CHAPTER 1
2166 Words
CHAPTER ONE
After Five Years...
"LADY DEATRICE, please come back here!" Sumisigaw na saad ng mga kalalakihang tauhan ng kaniyang papa.
"No!" Sigaw ni Deatrice sa mga ito.
"Please lady Deatrice, stop running, Master Lee will kill us this time." They begged.
Kaya napahinto siya sa pagtakbo sa mga ito, she can't let that someone will die because of her, she can't take that, especially the guilt. She knows her father very well, he will do killing them because he said it.
"The lady Deatrice? Where's the lady Deatrice? Did you get her?" Pagkuway biglang tanong ng bagong dating.
It looks like it was their Butler "I'm here Shin." Saad niya.
Butler Shin stilled when he saw her "It was very surprising lady Deatrice, looks like they catch you."
She tsked "Shut up Shin, they didn't catch me, I offered myself to stop running, that's why."
"Or maybe you don't want to saw Master Lee killing them because of you?" Butler Shin asked her.
Deatrice smiled "that's why too."
You know me very well Butler Shin.
Napanguso siya at binigay ang heels kay Butler Shin, tinanggal niya kasi yun ng tumakbo siya. "Wear it to me." Utos niya dito. Ito kasi palagi ang inuutusan niyang magsuot ng heels sa kaniya.
Napailing-iling naman si Butler Shin bago isinuot sa kaniyang paa ang heels "here you go my lady." Pagkatapos masuot sa paa niya ang heels ay nauna na siyang naglakad papabalik sa mala palasyo nilang tahanan.
"Let's back in my room Shin, before papa knew that I try to escape, again." Saad niya habang naglalakad at habang ang sampo niyang bantay ay nasa likod niya at si Butler Shin naman ay katabi niya.
Ng makapasok sa loob ng kwarto niya ay agad siyang nahiga sa napaka-laki niyang kama, kahit lima katao siguro kasya sa kama niya. Pinakatitigan niya ang mga bulaklak na naka-diseniyo sa kisame niya, pangarap niyang maka-punta sa isang flower farm at tapos dun niya makikilala ang lalaking mamahalin niya, how she dream that thing.
She sighed "Shin?" Tawag niya kay Butler Shin.
Butler Shin walks towards her "Yes lady Deatrice?"
"Did you saw or did you went in a flower farm already?" She asked.
Butler Shin thinks in a while "Hmm? Yes lady Deatrice."
She sighed "Are you happy in your life Shin?" Tanong niya.
Bagay na nagpakunot nuo dito "Why are you asking lady Deatrice?" Butler Shin asked. "I'm just curious though." She said.
Butler Shin looked at her "Well, I'm happy in my life lady Deatrice, to serve you and Master Lee is making me happy."
"You still happy though we are making you tired?" She asked.
"My tired is fading because I saw that I'm helping you and Master Lee, though I'm just your servant." He said.
She looked at Butler Shin "Really?"
"Yes my lady, asides, helping is making me or us so happy." Saad nito at yumukod ng kaunti sa kaniya.
She look at Butler Shin "Why you're still honest to papa though sometimes his threatening you?" She asked again.
"Because I owe my life to Master Lee, even my life is not enough to pay all Master Lee do for us. And other reason is you know already." Maramdaming saad nito.
It makes her smile, naalala niya pa kung paano ang mga ito tinulungan ng papa niya, and that time he realize that her father has a good heart too.
She smiled "I'm hungry Shin."
"What do you want to eat lady Deatrice?" Butler Shin asked her.
She think "Hmm? I want to eat some chocolate cake Shin."
"But lady Deatrice, you're allergic in chocolate." Butler Shin said.
She bit her lower lip, she forget about thing. Buti pa si Butler Shin palaging naalala kapag naghahanap siya ng pagkain na may chocolate "You know me very well Shin, by the way get me strawberry cake." She said while smiling.
Butler Shin smiled "your strawberry cake is on the way lady Deatrice."
Lumabas na si Butler Shin sa kwarto niya, para kunan siya ng strawberry cake, hindi din naman ito nagtagal at bumalik din kasama ang papa niya.
"Papa." Saad niya, lumapit siya sa kaniyang ama para bigyan ito ng yakap.
Taimtim itong nakatingin sa kaniya "They said you plan to escape again Deatrice." Bungad na saad nito.
She stilled "who told you papa?" She still asked her father, kahit alam niyang kung sino ang nagsumbong rito.
She thought that her father will never knew it but she's wrong, her father knew it already, Tsk.
"Tell me Deatrice, how many times that I told you don't—-"
"Yeah, I know it already papa, but look at me now, I'm here, safe, alive and no bruises, so don't you worry papa, I will never plan to escape again." She said.
Her father sighed "do you promise?"
"Yes papa." She said and smiled, her father embraced her and she embraced her father back too.
"You know how much I love you Deatrice, I know you know that, so please don't do things that will makes you hurt, papa can't it. I lose your mama already, so I don't want to lose you too, so please don't be hard headed, okay?" Saad at tanong nito sa kaniya.
She nodded, kahit labag sa kalooban niya. Alam niya kung ano ang pinaghuhugutan ng kaniyang ama kaya ganito na lang ito ka-over protective sa kaniya. Because of that accident three years ago, her father will never want her out of the mansion anymore.
"I know papa, I know, I'm sorry." She said.
Before her father let her go, hinaplos ng ama niya ang pisngi niya. Hindi nakaligtas sa paningin niya ang pagiging malungkot ng mata nito, she feels that her father is keeping something to her.
"By the way, I have to go Deatrice, wear elegant tonight, we have visitors." Saad ng kaniyang ama.
"Take care of my daughter Shin, call me if she tried to escape again." Dagdag pa ng ama niya bago ito lumabas ng kwarto niya.
Naupo siya sa gilid ng kama niya at masamang tingin ang pinukol kay Butler Shin. Butler Shin stilled "why lady Deatrice?"
"I know that you're the one who told papa that I escape Shin." Saad niya kay Butler Shin.
Napakamot naman ito sa batok niya "sorry lady Deatrice." Napayuko ito, and Deatrice just sighed, alam niyang nag-alala lang ito sa kaniya kaya tinawagan nito ang papa niya.
She sighed again "give me my cake Shin."
Agad na binigay ni Butler Shin sa kaniya ang cake na pinakuha niya dito. At kinain niya yun.
"Do you know who's the visitors of papa tonight Shin?" Pagkuway tanong niya kay Butler Shin.
"Master Lee said that they are your papa's friends in business." Saad nito.
She sighed "for sure, they will just talk about business again."
Palagi kasi tungkol sa negosyo ang topic ng mga ito tuwing naghahapunan sila kasama ang mga business partners nang papa niya o kaya naman kaibigan nito sa negosyo.
"By the way how's my restaurants?" Pagkuway tanong niya dito na ang tinutukoy na negosyo ay ang restaurants niyang nakatayo sa iba't-ibang bansa.
Butler Shin think "Its working well lady Deatrice."
"How about my boutiques?" She asked again.
"Same as your restaurants lady Deatrice." Saad nito.
She smiled, she missed her business, buti na lang mapagkaka-tiwalaan ang mga empleyado niya.
"You're already rich lady Deatrice." Biglang saad ni Butler Shin.
Napakunot naman ang nuo niya rito "Huh?"
"I mean, you don't have to build restaurants or boutiques young lady, you're already rich, you're Lee's Heiress, a Billionaire's Heiress, so why you still build business for your own?" Tanong at saad nito.
She looked at Butler Shin "My business is not just for my own Shin, some of the money I earned in my business was send in my charity for children who's been abandoned, and my business are helping me to help them."
Hindi alam ni Deatrice kung bakit siya napangiti ng maalala ang mga bata sa charity niya five years ago, bumisita siya sa Pilipinas dahil gusto niyang makita ang mga bata na inaalagan ng charity niya, and it makes her so happy seeing their smiles at her.
Shin is right.
Helping others is making us happy.
"AM I BEAUTIFUL Shin?" Tanong ni Deatrice dito. Umikot siya ng kaunti para makita nito ang kabuuan niya.
Butler Shin smiled "you're always beautiful lady Deatrice."
She's wearing red long sleeves off shoulder dress, hindi ito lumalampas sa tuhod niya at saka pinarisan niya yun ng itim na heels, mas lalo tuloy makikita ang makinis at maputi niyang balat, naka-tali ang buhok niya ng bund and that's making her gorgeous.
"Thank you Shin." Pasalamat niya dito. At pagkuway humarap sa salamin, hindi niya alam pero parang bigla siyang nakaramdam ng kaba habang tinitingnan ang sarili sa salamin.
She sighed "Shin?"
"Yes, lady Deatrice?" Butler Shin asked her.
"I'm nervous." Kagat labing saad niya, she always do that kapag kinakabahan siya.
Butler Shin chuckled "why my lady?"
She sighed again "I don't know, I just feel it."
"Come on lady Deatrice, don't be, they are also human being." Pagkakalma nito sa kaniya.
She took a deep breath again, ngayon lang ito nangyari sa kaniya. Hindi siya kinakabahan dati kapag may bisita sila, but this time, not. Iniisip niya tuloy kung ano ang pag-uusapan ng mga ito mamaya. Nasa kalagitnaan siya ng pag-iisip ng biglang may tumawag sa cellphone niya, kaagad niya itong sinagot ng makita kung sino ang tumawag.
"Hello, Margherita?" Saad niya nang masagot ang tawag ng pinsan.
The other line chuckled "Hello my dear cousin, by the way I want to congratulate you." Saad nito.
Agad naman na napakunot-nuo siya sa sinabi ng pinsan, bakit siya kino-congratulate nito? Siguro may nasagap na naman itong maling impormasiyon tungkol sa kaniya. Napailing na lang siya.
Her one eye brow raised "and why are you congratulating me?"
She heard her chuckled again "because you're getting married, congrats couz."
Natigilan naman si Deatrice sa sinabi nito "W-who t-told you that?" Naguguluhang tanong niya dito.
Imposible yun, paanong ikakasal siya ni wala nga siyang nobyo, ehh! Tapos ngayon, ikakasal siya?
"Uncle told Mamma about that thing, so again congratulations couz---" Hindi na niya narinig ang iba pang sasabihin nito nang mabitawan niya ang cellphone niya.
Nanghihina siya dahil sa sinabi nito, ikakasal na siya? Ang papa niya, yun ba ang dahilan kung bakit may bisita sila ngayon? Yun ba? Kaya ba ganun na lang ang lungkot sa mata nito dahil dun?
"H-how?" Nanghihinang usal niya at walang lakas na bigla siyang napa-upo sa sahig "N-no." Naguguluhan na siya.
Hindi niya alam kung ano ang dapat niyang gawin, maniniwala ba siya sa pinsan? O, tatanungin niya ba ang papa niya tungkol dito?
"Lady Deatrice." Bulalas na saad ni Butler Shin at dali-dali siyang inakay paupo sa kama niya.
Umiling-iling siya "N-no, papa will never said t-that k-kind of joke." Naguguluhan siyang napahilamos sa sariling mukha, hindi, hindi siya pwedeng ikasal, ayaw pa niya.
Butler Shin looked at her worriedly "Are you okay lady Deatrice?"
Umiling siya dito "no, I'm not Shin, I'm not okay."
"Tell me, do you know that papa plan me to marry someone?" She asked.
Naguguluhan namang tumingin sa kaniya si Butler Shin bago umiling "No lady Deatrice, I didn't heard that Master Lee plan you to marry someone." Saad nito. Maging ito ay naguguluhan din ng sinagot siya.
"And besides, Master Lee will never let you marry someone that you don't love lady Deatrice, I know that. All he wants for you is to be happy someday with the love of your life, so he will never do a thing that will makes you hurt someday if he's the one will choose for you to marry." Dagdag pa nito.
Butler Shin is right, hindi siya pakikilaman ng papa niya tungkol sa usaping kasal, maybe Margherita is just lying to her—no! Kilala niya ang pinsan, alam niyang madaldal ito pero hindi ito marunong mag-sinungaling.
Ano na ngayon ang iisipin niya? Gulong-gulo na ang isip niya, mas mabuting tanungin niya ang papa tungkol sa bagay na yun, baka nagkamali lang ng rinig ang pinsan niya.
"I don't know what I will going to think Shin." Saad niya.
"Just relax your mind lady Deatrice, don't think to much." Saad nito.
Sinunod niya ang sinabi nito pero mas lalo lang siyang naguluhan, mahirap, lalo na't usaping kasal ang pinag-uusapan. Nasa kalagitnaan siya ng pagka-kalma ng isip niya ng tumunog ang telepono sa kwarto niya at sinagot yun ni Butler Shin "Yes, I'll told the lady Deatrice to prepare before going down stairs." Rinig niyang saad nito sa kabilang linya bago nito binaba.
Butler Shin looked at him "you have to prepare yourself before going down lady Deatrice." Saad nit nang makaharap sa kaniya.
Kinabahan siyang bigla, relax Deatrice, their topic is not the marriage that your cousin's talking about. She sighed "let's go to the dining area Shin." Saad niya dito.
I won't let you this time papa.
Itutuloy...
- Writer
