WHAT'S MINE IS MINE
1010 Words
CHAPTER 23
ALESSANDRA POV
Pagkauwi namin sa mansion, hindi pa man ako nakakapasok nang tuluyan sa loob, ibinagsak ko na agad ang clutch ko sa marmol na sahig the sound echoed pero mas malakas ang sigaw sa loob ko.
“Arghhhh!” hindi ko napigilang mapasigaw habang hinahawi ang buhok ko. “Daddy, make a move!”
Hindi ko na kayang magpigil dalawang taon, two freaking years, two years since I walked away from Ferox.
At ngayon, ako ang naghahabol pumasok si Daddy na parang walang nangyari. Calm. Composed. Calculating. Parang hindi siya kakagaling lang sa tensyonadong usapan sa mansion ng mga Lombardi.
“Control yourself, Alessandra,” malamig niyang sabi habang inaalis ang coat niya.
“Control myself?!” sigaw ko. “Dad, they lost him! Wala silang lead! He could be anywhere!”
Hindi ko alam kung alin ang mas masakit ang ideyang hindi nila alam kung nasaan si Ferox, o ang posibilidad na kasama niya ang ibang babae.
Humigpit ang dibdib ko sa isip pa lang I hate this feeling, I hate that I’m not the one in control.
“Daddy,” lumapit ako sa kanya, halos hawakan ang braso niya, “I want that wedding. This time, I won’t let him go.” This time dahil dalawang taon na ang nakalipas, ako ang umalis.
And that’s the twist no one knows, Two years ago, when Ferox chose music over the engagement announcement our families were preparing.
I walked away, I told him he was embarrassing, I told him he was selfish, I told him I deserved someone better.
Pero ang totoo? Nasaktan ako because he chose a stage over me. And I couldn’t stand not being chosen ngayon, ako ang hindi pinili. At hindi ko matanggap pumasok si Mommy sa sala si Maita Valez. Elegant, dignified, pero ang mga mata niya ay hindi bulag sa katotohanan.
“Ano na naman ‘to?” tanong niya nang makita akong umiiyak.
“He left,” sagot ko agad, kahit technically hindi pa confirmed.
“He’s missing,” malamig na sabi ni Daddy umupo si Mommy sa couch at tumingin sa akin nang diretso.
“Alessandra,” mahinahon pero matalim ang boses niya, “why are you chasing someone who clearly doesn’t want to be found?” Parang may sumampal sa akin.
“He does want me!” sigaw ko. “He’s just confused!”
“Confused?” she repeated softly. “Or free?” Napaatras ako ng isang hakbang.
“He loved me,” bulong ko.
“Then why did you leave him?” diretsong tanong niya tahimik ako biglang bumigat ang hangin.
“Answer me,” dagdag niya.
“I left because he humiliated me!” sigaw ko. “He chose music! In front of everyone! He said he didn’t want a life arranged by our parents!”
“And you told him you didn’t want a man without ambition,” Mommy said coldly.
Napatigil ako. Dahil ang totoo ay sinabi ko 'yun noon..
“Alessandra,” she continued, “you broke his pride.”
“He broke mine first!” Biglang tumayo si Mommy.
“Wag mong habulin ang taong ayaw sa’yo,” sabi niya, mas malakas na ngayon ang boses. “Ikaw ang unang nang-iwan. You don’t get to play the victim now.” Nanlaki ang mata ko.
“So kasalanan ko?!” sigaw ko.
“Yes!” she answered without hesitation. “You walked away because your ego was hurt. Hindi dahil wala kang mahal kundi dahil hindi ka ang pinili.” Parang may kutsilyong tumama sa puso ko.
“That’s not true!” nanginginig kong sagot pero sa loob ko. Alam kong may parte roon na tama siya biglang sumingit si Daddy.
“Enough, Maita.”Tahimik kaming dalawa ni Mommy.
“Why can’t you support our daughter?” malamig niyang tanong Mommy looked at him in disbelief.
“Support her? By forcing a man to marry her?”
“It’s not forcing. It’s fulfilling a contract.”
“This is not a merger, Dominic!” sigaw ni Mommy. “This is marriage!”
“And marriage has always been political in families like ours!” Tahimik ako sa gitna nila.
Parang isang batang hindi alam kung saan lulugar. Pero hindi ako bata, i know what I want.
“I love him,” bulong ko, Mommy looked at me, softer now.
“No,” she said gently. “You love winning.” That hurt more than anything.
Hindi ba pwedeng pareho?, Hindi ba pwedeng mahal ko siya at ayokong matalo?
“I can’t lose him,” sabi ko, umiiyak na. “If he marries someone else… I’ll die.”
“That’s obsession,” Mommy whispered Daddy’s jaw tightened.
“He belongs in this family,” he said firmly. “And he will marry you.” I looked at him, Hope flickered.
“You promise?” His eyes were dark.
“I don’t lose.” Sa sandaling iyon, may kakaibang saya akong naramdaman.
Pero may kakaibang takot din dahil kilala ko ang Daddy ko. When he says he doesn’t lose people get destroyed Mommy shook her head.
“One day, Alessandra, you’ll realize na ang pagmamahal ay hindi pinipilit.”
I wiped my tears.
“I don’t care,” sagot ko. “I just want him back.” Pero habang sinasabi ko iyon may isang alaala ang bumalik sa isip ko.
Two years ago the night I left him, He wasn’t begging, He wasn’t chasing, He just looked at me and said.
“If you walk away now, don’t come back unless you’re ready to accept who I am.” I thought he would crawl back.
He didn’t at ngayon, hindi nila alam kung nasaan siya. What if…, What if he really moved on?
What if he found someone who loves his music? The thought made my chest tighten, Hindi…, Hindi pwede.
“He’s mine,” bulong ko sa sarili ko pero sa unang pagkakataon.
May maliit na boses sa loob ko ang nagtanong,? Or maybe… you never truly had him.
********to be continued******
- Writer
