Don't Let Him Know ( Completed )

Chapter 13

THE days turned into weeks until it turned into month after the last time I saw him. Hindi na naulit pa ang pagkikita namin dahil wala naman nang rason pa para magkaroon kami ng interaksyon sa isa't isa.

So it was quiet yet a hellish month for me. Hellish because of the load of work I have to do isama pa ang ilang programs sa school ni Gideon na kailangan kong puntahan. Although I have a tight schedule, I still prioritized my son.

Ayokong maramdaman niya na nawawalan na ako ng oras sa kanya. He's my only son, my only treasure. Bahala na kung pagalitan ako ni Dad dahil sa ilang meetings na hindi ko napupuntahan, huwag ko lang makalimutan ang anak ko.

Tiningnan ko ang aking kabuuan sa salamin na nasa aking harap. My hands caress the soft material my dress was made off. I have a party to attend tonight. It was a big party which means big personalities and big time investors are coming kaya kailangan kong pumunta.

Alessia will come too together with Markus kaya may makakausap din ako roon.

I was assessing my appearance nang isang katok ang nagpaalis ng tingin ko mula sa salamin. Kasunod no'n ay ang pagpasok ni Mom. I already knew this was going to be serious base on the look of her face.

"How long are you going to hide it, Ryleigh?" istrikto niyang tanong.

Hindi ko na kailangan pang tanungin kung ano ang tinutukoy niya, because I knew for sure. It was about Reagan. Nag-iwas ako ng tingin.

"You can't hide this forever from the world, Ryleigh! You can't hide this forever from your father!" mariing bulalas ni Mom.

"Mom, please understand me," I pleaded hopelessly.

There's nothing I can do aside from pleading with my Mom because I still have no idea how to fix this problem. Alam ko namang hindi siya papayag kapag sinabi ko na wala akong balak sabihin ang totoo kaninuman. Kaya dapat handa na ako sakalin mang sabihin na niya nang tuluyan kay Dad ang tungkol kay Gideon.

"Understand you, Ryleigh?" hindi makapaniwalang tanong ni Mom. "I've been understanding your reasons for almost four years already! I've given you enough time, enough advice and enough courage!"

Hindi na ako nakapagsalita pa. I don't know what to say anymore. What reasons to use anymore, because truthfully, I'm already running out of reasons to hide the truth from everyone.

"Ryleigh, you can't hide your son forever! You can't hide the truth that Gideon is Reagan's son!"

"Mom!" gulat kong suway dahil bahagyang lumakas ang boses niya. I'm afraid that Gideon might hear her.

Mariing pumikit si Mom at sunod-sunod na humugot ng malalim na paghinga, like she's calming herself down. Nang tuluyang kumalma ay muli siyang tumingin sa akin.

"I don't know why you hate Phillip's grandson, but please, Ryleigh. Isipin mo ang anak mo. Don't include him in your anger towards his father because the time will come when Gideon will ask about his father," mahinahon ngunit kababakasan ng authoridad niyang saad.

Napayuko na lang ako dahil hindi ko alam kung ano ang sasabihin. Ang bigat ng dibdib ko. Mom is right. I can't forever keep this, and I can't also include Gideon in my hatred towards Reagan.

"I will give you one week to figure this out, Ryleigh, or I'll tell him myself. Your father is already suspecting. Huwag mo nang hintayin pang malaman niya sa iba bago ka magkaroon ng lakas ng loob magsabi ng totoo."

That's what all Mom said before she left my room. Nanghihina akong napaupo sa aking kama. Dad will surely get mad and disappointed at me kapag nalaman niya ang totoo. But it was not him I'm most afraid of.

It was Reagan, and what he would do once he found out the truth that I hid his son away from him.

MABIGAT ang dibdib ko nang makarating ako sa venue ng party. I tried to talk to Mom again pero hindi na niya ako pinansin pa. She pretended not hearing what I was saying at nakikipaglaro lang kay Gideon.

One week. . .

How can I tell Dad the truth in less than seven days? Would I be able to stop Dad from telling Reagan the truth? Knowing him. . . He likes Reagan very much. Kung hindi ko lang kamukha si Dad, iisipin kong si Reagan talaga ang anak niya, eh.

Marahas akong napabuga ng hangin at muling uminom sa hawak kong wine glass. Simula ng dumating ako rito, hindi na ako umalis pa sa aking puwesto. Nandito dapat ako para makahanap pa ng maraming potential investors, but here I am. Getting wasted.

"That will be suicide. . ." bulong ko sa sarili.

Once I tell Dad about Gideon and who was the father, there will be no way of stopping the marriage arrangement. I kept on thinking of ways how I can avoid the marriage kahit na malaman nila ang totoo, but I can't think of any which is frustrating me right now.

Mayroon isa pang paraan sana. It was the Reagan and Vivian's engagement. He said they'll announce soon pero hanggang ngayon wala pa rin, and I doubt sa linggong 'to sila mag-a-announce.

Nahilot ko ang sentido nang makaramdam ng pagkirot. "I haven't seen him for a month, yet he still gives me problem. . ."

"Ryleigh?"

Napatingin ako sa pinanggalingan ng boses na iyon. Mukha ni Alessia ang unang bumungad sa akin. Ang nagtataka niyang mukha ay umaliwalas pagkakita sa akin.

"It's you! Anong ginagawa mo rito? Nandoon ang table namin!" Tinuro niya ang table na sinasabi.

Bumaling ang tingin ko roon. There's no one in there. Mukhang nagkanya-kanyang gala na ang mga kasama niya sa upuan.

"The wine's taste so good. Nakalimutan ko nang umalis," walang kuwentang sagot ko.

She doesn't seems to mind though. Yumakap pa nga siya sa aking braso at hinila ako papunta sa sinasabi niyang table.

Saka ko lang na-realize na ang sakit na pala ng mga paa at tuhod ko dahil sa matagal na pagtayo nang makaupo ako. Saglit kong ipinikit ang mga mata nang makaramdam ako ng hilo. Damn! Napasobra yata ako ng inom.

"Are you okay? Ryleigh?" dinig kong tanong ni Alessia.

I nodded as an answer. Tinawag ko ang waiter na may dalang tubig. Mabilis kong nilagok ang tubig sa baso nang ilapag niya iyon sa table.

Habol ko ang hininga matapos kong ilapag ang baso. Ngunit ang paghinga ko'y biglang tumigil sa dalawang taong nahagip ng mga mata ko.

Nagtagis ang mga ngipin ko dahil sa biglang pag-usbong ng inis sa dibdib. Hindi kalayuan sa kinauupuan ko ay nakatayo si Vivian kasama ang lalaking kinamumuhian ko.

Here I am, getting stress on how to resolve the problem yet here he is, casually flirting! I know it's irrational of me to get mad at him, but I'm still mad at him! The nerve of this guy to smile and have a good time with her so called f*****g fiance!

When I couldn't take the sight in front of me, marahas akong tumayo. Surprising Alessia.

"W-What's wrong?" naguguluhan niyang tanong.

"Naiihi ako. Kailangan kong umihi bago pa ako may mabato ng bote," mapait kong sagot.

Hindi na nagawang makapag-react ni Alessia dahil nagmartsa na ako paalis. As much as I want to punch him, naiihi talaga ako. Iihi lang pagkatapos ay babalikan ko siya!

Thankfully, malapit lang ang comfort room dito. I washed my hands after doing what I need to do. Humugot muna ako ng malalim na paghinga. I regret coming here. Kung alam ko lang na wala akong ibang gagawin dito kundi tumunganga, hindi na sana ako tumuloy pa.

I was fixing a part of my gown that's why I didn't notice the man standing in my way. Napatigil lang ako nang marinig ang kanyang boses.

"Ry. . .leigh?"

Mabilis na umangat ang tingin ko dahil sa pamilyar na boses na iyon. I froze in my spot when I came face to face to the man I had once loved. His surprise and curious brown eyes stared back at me.

Tristan. . .

Bumuka ang mga labi ko ngunit walang salitang lumabas mula sa akin. What am I going to say? We didn't end good. Nothing I say will save me from the embarrassment of the past.

"Ni-Nice to meet you. . . But I'm sorry. I-I need to go," mabilis kong saad.

Hindi ko na hinintay pa ang kanyang sasabihin at lumakad na paalis. Ngunit hindi pa ako nakakalampas ay nahawakan niya na ang braso ko.

"Ryleigh. . ."

Hindi ako nagsalita. Humigpit lang ang pagkakayukom ng aking mga palad.

"Kumusta ka na?" mahina niyang tanong.

Tanong na hindi ko alam kung paano ko sasagutin. Nanatili akong tahimik nang lumakad siya papunta sa aking harap. I didn't dare look up to meet his eyes.

"Ryleigh?" mahinahon niyang untag.

Pasimple kong hinila ang aking braso. Thankfully, he let go of my arm when I pulled it away.

"Good. I have to go-"

"Can we talk?"

Doon ako napaangat ng tingin sa kanya. Katulad ng kanyang boses, seryoso rin ang kanyang mga mata na nakatingin sa akin. Mabilis din naman akong nag-iwas ng tingin.

"I. . . I-I don't know. . ."

That was the stupidest answer I have mustered but I literally don't know how I will talk with him. Pagkatapos ng nangyari noon, I can't just pretend okay and talk casually with him.

"You didn't marry him. . ."

Kumabog ang aking dibdib.

"Why?"

Hindi ako nakasagot. Mahina naman siyang napabuntonghininga nang walang marinig mula sa akin.

"I don't hold anything against you, Ryleigh. It was my fault. If only I didn't—"

Wala na akong naintindihan sa sunod niyang sinabi nang nang magtagpo ang mga mata ko at ng lalaking nakatayo sa likod ni Tristan.

Mabilis na kumabog ang aking dibdib dahil sa talim at lamig ng kulay abong mga mata ni Reagan. Wala sa sariling napaatras ako nang humakbang siya palapit sa amin.

"Come here, Ryleigh."

Napalunok ako sa malalim at mapanganib na boses ni Reagan. Ang mga mata ay nasa akin pa rin. It was like challenging me. Telling me not to disobey him. Kaya nang hindi ako kumilos ay mas lalong nanalim ang kanyang mga mata.

"Don't make me repeat myself."