The Barrier Between Us

CHAPTER 4 — The Proposal

HINDI naging maayos ang buong linggo ni Zari matapos ang pag-uusap nila ni Ali sa executive office. Actually, “hindi maayos” was an understatement. Pakiramdam niya para siyang naglalakad sa manipis na salamin na anumang oras puwedeng mabasag sa ilalim ng paa niya.

At ang mas nakakainis?

Si Ali parang walang effort na ginagawa para pahirapan siya. Natural lang yata talaga ang epekto nito sa kanya. Kasi kahit simpleng email lang na may pangalan nitong naka-signature—

A.L. Rodriguez— sumisikip agad dibdib niya.

“Girl.”

Napakurap siya nang may biglang maghagis ng ballpen sa desk niya. Nasa office floor sila at kasalukuyang nakatingin sa kanya si Lyss na parang pagod nang panoorin siyang lutang buong araw.

“You’ve been staring at the same spreadsheet for ten minutes.”

Napatingin si Zari sa monitor niya. “…Oh.”

“Exactly. Oh.” Sumandal si Lyss sa cubicle wall niya.

“Anong nangyayari sa inyo ng CEO mong emotionally constipated?”

“Walang nangyayari.”

“Zari.”

“Seriously.”

Napataas ng kilay si Lyss. “Then bakit mukha kang sasabak sa gyera everytime maririnig mo ang footsteps niya?”

Hindi agad siya nakasagot. Kasi totoo naman. Ever since that conversation— I loved you, Zari. —parang hindi na siya mapakali. Hindi dahil gusto niya itong marinig. Kundi dahil matagal na niyang pinilit kalimutan na minsan, may possibility na mahal siya nito.

And now? Now she couldn’t stop wondering.

What if Oliver lied about everything? What if she destroyed her own happiness for nothing?

No.

Ayaw niya ng ganitong thoughts. Dangerous. Painful. Pointless.

“Hoy.”

Napatingin siya ulit kay Lyss.

“Breathe,” sabi nito habang pinapakalma siya gamit ang kamay. “Mukha kang hihimatayin.”

“I’m fine.”

“That’s your biggest lie.”

Bago pa siya makasagot, biglang lumabas si Mr. Santos mula sa office niya. “Miss Garcia.”

Tumayo agad si Zari. “Yes, sir?”

“The CEO wants to see you.”

Nanlamig agad batok niya. “Now?”

“Yes.”

Parang gusto niyang magpanggap na may sakit. Or mawalan ng malay. Or tumalon palabas ng building.

Anything but that.

Sa gilid, dramatic na napapikit si Lyss. “Lord, siya na naman.”

“Lyss,” warning ni Zari.

“What? Concerned citizen lang.”

Huminga nang malalim si Zari bago tumayo. Pero bago siya makaalis, hinila siya ni Lyss pababa nang bahagya.

“Kapag umiyak ka,” bulong nito, “sabihin mo. Sasapakin ko ang CEO mo.”

Napatawa siya nang mahina despite everything. “Violence agad?”

“Yes.”

At least consistent.

MAS tahimik ngayon ang executive floor kaysa usual. O baka siya lang talaga ang kinakabahan.

Habang naglalakad siya papunta sa office ni Ali, hindi niya maiwasang maalala lahat ng sinabi nito last time.

I was going to leave the engagement.

I loved you, Zari.

Her chest tightened again. God. Hindi fair. Hindi fair na saka niya lang nalaman iyon kung kailan sobrang gulo na ng lahat.

Nang makarating siya sa office, bahagya siyang huminto bago kumatok.

“Come in.” Mababa pa rin. Calm. Dangerously familiar.

Pagpasok niya, agad niyang napansin na mas relaxed ang ayos ni Ali ngayon. Wala itong blazer na suot at bahagyang nakabukas ang top buttons ng long sleeves nito habang may binabasa sa tablet.

Pero kahit ganoon… sobrang intimidating pa rin.

“Sir,” maingat niyang bati.

Nag-angat ito ng tingin. At gaya palagi, parang biglang lumiliit ang buong mundo niya sa isang tingin lang nito.

“Sit.”

Tahimik siyang umupo sa tapat nito. Ali placed the tablet down. Then for several seconds— he simply looked at her. Hindi na yata talaga mawawala ang habit nitong titigan siya na parang may hinahanap.

“What’s the meeting about?” tanong niya para mabasag ang katahimikan.

Ali leaned back slightly. “I have a proposal.”

Her stomach dropped instantly. Proposal. Bad word. Very bad word.

At halatang napansin ni Ali ang reaction niya dahil bahagyang gumalaw ang sulok ng labi nito.

“You look nervous.”

“I’m trying to survive.”

“Fair.”

Tahimik ulit. Then finally— “I want you to marry me.”

Parang nawalan ng tunog ang buong office. Napatitig lang si Zari kay Ali habang unti-unting nag-register sa utak niya ang narinig.

“…What?”

Calm lang siyang tinitigan ni Ali. “I said—”

“I heard you!”

Napasinghap siya habang mabilis na tumayo. “This isn’t funny.”

“I’m not joking.”

“Ali—”

“Sit down.”

Masyadong mababa ang boses nito. Masyadong authoritative. At nakakainis na kahit pagkatapos ng lahat, may epekto pa rin iyon sa kanya.

Slowly, naupo ulit siya. Pero this time, sobrang bilis na ng t***k ng puso niya.

“You’ve lost your mind.”

“Probably.”

“At least aware ka.”

Ali almost smiled. Almost. Pero mabilis din iyong nawala.

“I need a wife.”

Napakurap siya. “Wow. Romantic.”

“I need someone I trust.”

That hit differently. Because trust implied history. Trust implied meaning. At ayaw niya nang bigyan ng meaning ang kahit ano between them.

“Why me?” tanong niya agad.

Ali stared at her quietly. Then— “Because it was always supposed to be you.”

Her breath caught painfully. No.

No no no.

He couldn’t keep saying things like that. Not when she was barely holding herself together.

“Ali—”

“This isn’t just personal,” kalmadong putol nito. “It’s business.”

Of course it is. Corporate people always ruin emotions with business. Ali stood and walked toward the window.

“The board wants stability after the divorce.”

Nanlamig siya. Divorce. Right. Sabrina. Hindi niya alam bakit may kakaibang sakit pa rin sa dibdib niya tuwing naaalala iyon.

“Kailangan nila ng public image,” patuloy ni Ali. “A wife helps.”

“And you thought of me?”

“I thought of someone I can tolerate long-term.”

Napamaang siya. “Excuse me?”

Bahagyang umangat ang sulok ng labi nito. “There’s the reaction I missed.”

“Bwisit ka.”

That almost made him laugh. Almost.

Pero mabilis ding bumalik ang seriousness sa mukha nito. “You’ll also benefit.”

Napakunot-noo siya. “How?”

“You’ll receive company shares under your name.”

Natigilan siya. “What?”

Ali turned toward her fully now.

“The board requires me to settle ownership distribution before next fiscal year. Having a legal spouse simplifies the process.”

Hindi agad siya nakasagot. Because this was insane. Absolutely insane.

“Why would you give me shares?”

“Because I want to.”

“That’s not a real answer.”

“It’s the only one you’re getting for now.”

Napahawak siya sa noo niya. God.

Ano ba ‘to?

“Ali, this is crazy.”

“Maybe.”

“You can marry literally anyone else.”

“I don’t want anyone else.”

Her chest tightened again. Napaka-unfair nito magsalita. Parang bawat sentence carefully designed para sirain emotional stability niya.

“And what?” mahinang tanong niya. “Magpapanggap tayong masaya?”

Ali’s gaze never left hers. “We won’t need to pretend everything.”

Silence. Heavy. Dangerous silence. Mabilis siyang tumayo ulit. “No.”

Ali didn’t move. “No?” kalmado nitong ulit.

“This is a terrible idea.”

“Objectively or emotionally?”

“Both!”

“For you maybe.”

Napatawa siya nang walang humor. “You think marriage is easy?”

“No.”

“You think we can just ignore the past?”

“No.”

“Then bakit mo ginagawa ‘to?”

This time, Ali answered immediately. “Because losing you once was enough.”

Tumama iyon diretso sa kanya. Masyadong diretso. Masyadong totoo. At pinaka-ayaw niya sa lahat? Naniniwala siya rito. Kaya mabilis siyang umiwas ng tingin.

“Ali…”

His voice softened slightly. “I’m not asking for love.”

Good. Because she didn’t know if she could survive loving him again.

“I’m asking for partnership.”

Napapikit siya saglit.

Partnership.

Business marriage.

Simple dapat.

Practical.

Pero imposible maging simple kapag si Ali ang involved.

“Why now?” mahinang tanong niya.

Tahimik siyang tinitigan ni Ali. Then finally—

“Because now I can finally choose for myself.”

Her throat tightened painfully.

Dahil gets niya agad ang ibig nitong sabihin.

No more engagement.

No more family pressure.

No more Sabrina.

No more pretending.

At somehow…

despite everything…

he still chose her.

God.

That scared her more than anything.

“Hindi mo alam sinasabi mo,” mahina niyang sabi.

Ali slowly walked toward her. At bawat hakbang nito parang mas lalong nawawala hangin sa paligid. When he stopped in front of her, she had to tilt her head slightly just to look at him.

Too close. Way too close.

“You know what I remember most?” tanong nito nang mahina.

Hindi siya sumagot. Ali’s eyes stayed locked on hers.

“You always looked at me like I was worth choosing.”

Her eyes burned instantly.

“And then one day,” mahina nitong dagdag, “you stopped.”

She looked away immediately. Because she couldn’t handle the pain in his voice.

Hindi niya alam paano sasabihin na hindi naman talaga siya tumigil.

Na kahit noong lumalayo siya…

kahit noong sinasaktan niya ito…

mahal niya pa rin ito.

And maybe that was the cruelest part.

“I can’t do this,” bulong niya.

Ali was quiet for a moment. Then— “I’ll give you time.”

Napatingin siya rito. “What?”

“Think about it.”

“Ali—”

“You need money.”

Natigilan siya. Not because insulting iyon. But because it's true.

“I looked into your records,” diretsong sabi nito. “You support hospital bills.”

Nanlamig siya. Her aunt. The woman who took her in after her father died.

“She raised you,” sabi ni Ali, mas mahina ngayon.

“How do you know that?”

“I know more about you than you think.”

Her chest hurt again. God.

How long had he been watching from a distance?

“How much are the shares?” tanong niya bago niya napigilan sarili.

Ali noticed. Of course he noticed. At doon niya naramdaman ang hiya sa sarili niya.

Because for one horrible second… she considered it.

Ali’s voice remained calm. “Enough to secure your future.”

Future.

What a dangerous word. Kasi matagal na siyang walang future na iniisip. Survival lang.

Pero ngayon biglang may possibility. And she hated herself for wavering.

“I hate you,” mahina niyang sabi.

For the first time— Ali genuinely smiled. Soft. Painfully familiar.

“No, you don’t.”

And that terrified her most of all.

· · • • • ✤ • • • · ·· · • • • ✤ • • • · ·· · • • • ✤ • • • · ·· · • • • ✤ • • • · ·· · • • • ✤ • • • · ·· · • • • ✤ • • • · ·· · • • • ✤ • • • · ·· · • • • ✤ • • •