The Barrier Between Us

CHAPTER 3 — The CEO Returns

HINDI prepared si Zari makita ulit si Ali. Hindi emotionally. Hindi mentally. At lalong hindi professionally. Pero unfortunately for her, wala yatang balak ang universe na bigyan siya ng adjustment period.

“Miss Garcia, pakidala nitong revised files sa executive office.”

Napatingin siya sa senior manager nilang si Mr. Santos na kasalukuyang nagmamadaling magsuot ng coat habang may kausap sa phone.

“Ngayon po?” tanong niya.

“Yes, now.” Hindi man lang ito tumingin sa kanya. “The CEO wants hard copies before the 10 AM strategy review.”

Nanlamig agad ang kamay niya sa hawak na folders. The CEO.

Hindi pa rin siya sanay marinig iyon kasunod ng pangalan ni Ali. Parang magkaibang tao kasi.

Ali noon— simpleng college student na laging late sa class pero matalino.

Ali ngayon— CEO ng RGC. Malamig. Makapangyarihan. At imposibleng abutin.

“Sir…” mahinang singit ni Lyss mula sa kabilang desk. “Hindi po ba pwedeng intern na lang?”

“Busy ang interns.”

“Eh emotionally unstable po si Zari.”

“Lyss,” warning ni Zari.

“What? Concerned friend lang.”

Mr. Santos finally looked at them, confused. “Anong emotionally unstable?”

“Wala po,” mabilis na sabi ni Zari sabay talim ng tingin kay Lyss.

Napakamot na lang sa ulo si Mr. Santos bago muling bumalik sa tawag. “Just bring the files upstairs, Miss Garcia.”

No choice. Again. Pagkaalis ng manager nila, agad napalingon si Lyss kay Zari.

“Do you want me to go with you?”

Napailing siya kahit gusto niyang sabihin oo. “Kaya ko.”

“Sure?”

“No.”

Natawa si Lyss nang mahina. “At least honest.”

Huminga nang malalim si Zari habang inaayos ang folders sa braso niya. For some reason, mas mabigat ang mga hakbang niya ngayon kumpara kahapon. Kasi kagabi, shock pa lang. Ngayon? Reality na.

Ali wasn’t just someone from her past anymore. He was now part of her present. At mukhang hindi siya mawawala anytime soon.

TAHIMIK ang executive floor.

Too quiet. Parang kahit hangin mayaman ang amoy.

Mabagal siyang naglakad sa hallway habang mas lalong humihigpit ang hawak niya sa folders. Glass walls. Soft gray interiors. Muted lights. Everything looked expensive. Controlled. Perfect. Parang bagay kay Ali. Napapikit siya saglit.

No.

Hindi niya dapat iniisip iyon.

Nang makarating siya sa harap ng executive office, bahagya siyang natigilan. Malaking matte black doors. Minimalist silver letters.

A. L. Rodriguez

Chief Executive Officer

Parang may pumisil sa dibdib niya.

A.L. Rodriguez.

Dati sinusulat niya lang iyon sa corner ng notebooks niya noong college. Ngayon nasa pinto na ng opisina ng isa sa pinakamakapangyarihang tao sa kumpanya.

Life was cruel like that sometimes.

Marahan siyang kumatok. “Come in.”

Nanlamig agad ang likod niya. That voice. Mababa. Controlled. Familiar enough to hurt.

Dahan-dahan niyang binuksan ang pinto. At agad siyang sinalubong ng malawak na office. Floor-to-ceiling windows. Dark wood shelves. Modern interiors. City skyline behind the desk. At sa gitna ng lahat ng iyon— si Ali.

Nakatayo ito malapit sa window habang may kausap sa phone. Nakasuot ng black long sleeves na bahagyang nakatiklop ang manggas, exposing the expensive watch on his wrist.

He looked unreal. Too polished. Too composed. Too far from the boy she used to know.

Napalunok siya.

Ali glanced at her briefly before returning to his call. “Move the Singapore meeting to Friday,” malamig nitong sabi sa kausap. “And tell Legal I want the acquisition draft revised before lunch.”

Simple lang ang tono nito pero ramdam agad ang authority. Hindi siya sumagot agad. Tahimik lang siyang tumayo malapit sa pinto habang hinihintay matapos ang tawag. At habang tumatagal… mas lalo niyang nare-realize. This was no longer the Ali from college. This man could destroy companies with one decision.

Eventually, ibinaba ni Ali ang phone. Silence filled the office. At biglang parang lumiit ang buong kwarto.

“Files?” tanong nito. Professional. Neutral. Parang strangers lang sila.

Dahan-dahan siyang lumapit sa desk nito at inilapag ang folders. “Revised projections po.”

Ali nodded once. Then he opened the folder immediately. Walang small talk. Walang unnecessary gestures. Very CEO. Tahimik siyang nakatayo habang binabasa nito ang papers. At bawat segundo roon ay pakiramdam niya mas lalo siyang hindi makahinga.

“Slide 14 was revised,” sabi niya para mabasag ang katahimikan.

“I noticed.” Tahimik ulit. God.

Mas madali pa yatang kausapin ang galit na client kaysa kay Ali ngayon. “Miss Garcia.”

Napatingin siya agad.

Ali didn’t look up from the papers. “You always over-explain when you’re nervous.”

Natigilan siya. Her chest tightened instantly. Because that wasn’t CEO Ali speaking.

That was him. The old him. Ang lalaking nakakabasa ng ugali niya noon kahit hindi siya magsalita.

“I’m not nervous,” mahinang sagot niya.

Finally, nag-angat ng tingin si Ali. At parang biglang bumigat ang hangin sa paligid.

“Really?”

She looked away first. Mistake. Kasi bahagya siyang napangiti nito.

Not warm. Not happy. Almost bitter.

“You still can’t look at me for too long.”

“Sir—”

“You can call me Ali.”

Mabilis siyang napatingin dito. “Hindi appropriate.”

“Appropriate?” ulit nito, halos amused. “That’s new.”

Napahigpit ang hawak niya sa folder. “People change.”

Something flickered in Ali’s expression. Pain?

“Yeah,” mahina nitong sabi. “I noticed.”

Tahimik ulit.

At sa bawat katahimikan nila, parang mas maraming gustong sabihin kaysa kayang ilabas. Napabuntong-hininga si Zari.

“I should go.”

Bago pa siya makatalikod— “Why didn’t you finish college?”

Nanigas siya. Slowly, she turned back around.

Ali was watching her carefully now. No longer cold. No longer detached. Just… searching.

“Excuse me?”

“You disappeared before graduation.” Mababa ang boses nito. “No explanation. No goodbye. Then suddenly you’re here working corporate for four years.”

Parang bumalik ang lahat sa kanya nang sabay-sabay. The funeral. The blood. Oliver collapsing on the floor. Her shaking hands. Lyss crying outside her locked bedroom.

“No one knew what happened to you,” dagdag ni Ali.

Halos hindi na siya makahinga sa bawat katagang sinasabi nito. Ayaw niya ng topic na ito. Ayaw niya ng nakaraan. Ayaw niyang maalala.

“Personal matter,” maikli niyang sagot.

Ali stared at her for a long moment. Then quietly— “Was it because of Oliver?”

Her stomach dropped. Pakiramdam niya ay nawalan siya ng balanse kahit nakatayo lang siya.

“How do you even—”

“He disappeared too.”

Natigilan siya. “What?”

Ali leaned back slightly against the desk.

“The Montenegro family said he needed treatment abroad.” His eyes stayed on hers. “After you vanished.”

Nanlamig ang buong katawan ni Zari. Treatment.

So iyon ang sinabi nila. Not the truth. Never the truth.

“Why are you asking me this?” mahinang tanong niya.

Ali’s jaw tightened. “Because none of it made sense.”

Her chest hurt. God. If only he knew. If only he knew how many times she wanted to explain. How many times she almost reached out. How many nights she cried because she missed him.

But fear always won. Fear of the truth. Fear of herself. Fear of what would happen if he learned everything.

“You shouldn’t ask questions you don’t want answers to,” mahina niyang sabi.

Ali’s expression darkened slightly. “And you shouldn’t disappear without one.”

Tumama iyon diretso sa puso niya. Because he had every right to be angry. Every right to hate her. Every right to look at her like this.

Tahimik niyang pinilit huminga nang maayos. “I really need to go.”

This time, hindi siya pinigilan ni Ali. Pero bago siya tuluyang makalabas— “I was going to leave the engagement.”

Napahinto siya. Parang tumigil ang oras. Slowly, she turned around.

Ali was no longer looking at her.

Nakatitig ito sa city skyline sa likod ng glass windows.

“Sabrina knew,” mababa nitong sabi. “Oliver probably did too.”

Hindi siya makagalaw. “I was going to tell you after graduation.”

Her eyes burned instantly. No.

No no no.

Please don’t say this now. Not after everything. Not after years. Not after she spent so long convincing herself she did the right thing.

“You don’t mean that,” mahina niyang sabi.

Ali finally looked at her again. At sa unang pagkakataon mula nang bumalik ito sa buhay niya— nakita niya ulit ang dating Ali.

The boy who looked at her like she mattered more than anything.

“I loved you, Zari.” Her breath caught.

No anger. No bitterness. Just truth. Pure and devastating truth.

“I think a part of me still does.”

Parang may humawak sa puso niya at unti-unting piniga iyon. Hindi niya namalayang may luhang tumulo na pala. Mabilis siyang umiwas ng tingin.

This was dangerous. Too dangerous. Because after everything…

after all the guilt…

after all the pain…

a part of her still loved him too.

And that was the worst part.

“Don’t do this,” mahina niyang bulong.

Ali’s gaze softened slightly. “Do what?”

“Make me remember things I tried so hard to bury.”

Tahimik siyang pinagmasdan ni Ali. Then softly— “You think I forgot?”

That broke her. Hindi physically. Hindi visibly.

Pero may kung anong tuluyang nadurog sa loob niya. Kasi habang siya pilit kinakalimutan ang nakaraan… si Ali pala buong taon ding naiwan doon.

Hindi na siya sumagot. Hindi na niya kaya. Tahimik siyang lumabas ng opisina. Pero pagkalabas pa lang niya sa hallway, saka siya tuluyang napahinto. Napahawak siya sa dibdib niya habang pilit humihinga nang maayos.

Her hands were shaking. God.

Bakit ngayon?

Bakit kung kailan pa siya nagsisimulang makaahon saka bumabalik ang lahat?

At mas lalong masakit ang isang realization.

If Ali truly loved her back then…

then everything Oliver told her…

everything she sacrificed… might have been for nothing.

At iyon yata ang pinakamahirap tanggapin sa lahat.

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