Irresistibly Yours, Enemy Mine

Chapter 13

The past few weeks had been nothing short of magical.

Stine never imagined Alaric Ybañez could be this soft, this thoughtful, this—devoted.

He sent flowers to her office. Cooked for her at his penthouse. Drove her to work kahit may sarili siyang sasakyan. Called her “baby” like it was the most sacred word in his vocabulary. And every time she looked at him, she saw it—genuine effort.

Even Theo, Ram, and Jace had finally warmed up to him.

“Okay siya, ah,” sabi ni Ram habang nagkakape sila sa isang café. “Di ko akalaing mapapansin ko pa ‘tong araw na ‘to.”

“Bantay-sarado kayo dati,” natatawang tugon ni Stine.

“Eh kasi playboy yun, Tin!” si Jace. “Pero now? You look happy. Kaya boto na rin kami. Pero hintayin mong sumemplang ‘yan, kami pa rin susugod.”

She rolled her eyes but smiled. Deep inside, she knew what they meant. Alaric had changed—at least for her.

Meanwhile…

Alaric was in the Navarro house for a Sunday lunch.

“Anak,” Doña Clarisse said as she served dessert, “Stine’s glowing. We haven’t seen her like this in years.”

Don Ramon nodded. “Masaya kami na ikaw ang kasama niya ngayon. Iba ‘yung epekto mo sa anak namin.”

“Honestly po,” Alaric replied with a soft smile, “ako rin… di ko alam na ganito pala magmahal kapag totoo na.”

Everyone smiled—his parents, her parents. It was a rare moment of peace. A rare moment where everything felt right.

Two days later...

Nasa isang solo client meeting si Stine sa isang hotel lounge nang may lumapit sa kanyang isang pamilyar pero hindi inaasahang mukha.

“Hi. You must be Stine,” the woman said with a poised smile, in her expensive beige dress and soft curls na parang freshly done pa sa salon.

“Uh… yes?” Stine looked up, confused.

“I’m Camille,” the woman said, extending her hand.

Camille.

The name clicked instantly.

One of Alaric’s more “notorious” exes. A model. A known socialite. At ang babaeng rumored na halos ikinasira noon ng friendship nina Alaric at Eli dahil pinormahan daw pareho.

“Ano'ng kailangan mo?” tanong ni Stine, instantly guarded.

“Relax. I come in peace,” she smiled, sitting down uninvited. “Just thought we should talk… woman to woman.”

Stine’s chest tightened. “I don’t think there’s anything we need to talk about.”

“Oh, but there is,” Camille said, crossing her legs casually. “You see, I’ve been where you are. On the receiving end of Alaric’s charm. It’s intoxicating, no?”

Stine clenched her jaw.

Camille leaned in, tone smooth. “But don’t mistake consistency for sincerity. He treated me the same way—breakfast in bed, kisses under the stars, private getaways. Sound familiar?”

Stine said nothing.

Camille smiled even wider. “You know, that villa in Tagaytay? I was the first girl he took there. Then the second. And the fourth. He’s a creature of habit. Romantic, yes—but recycled.”

“Stop.” Stine’s voice was quiet, but sharp.

Camille tilted her head. “You deserve to know the truth. Hindi ko ito sinasabi para saktan ka. I just don’t want you to fall deeper into something that isn’t real.”

Stine swallowed hard. “Why now?”

“Because I used to be you. And I know exactly how it ends.”

Tumayo si Camille, iniwan ang calling card sa mesa. “When the illusion fades, remember—he always moves on.”

And just like that, she walked away, leaving Stine staring at her untouched coffee, heart pounding with doubt and anger.

Later that week, Alaric invited her to stay the night.

It was a quiet evening—wine, a movie, and cuddles sa couch. Everything seemed perfect, like always. Pero hindi pa rin maalis sa dibdib ni Stine ang bigat mula sa sinabi ni Camille.

“Bakit hindi mo tinanong?” bulong ng konsensya niya habang pinagmamasdan si Alaric na natutulog sa tabi niya.

She couldn’t.

Hindi pa.

So instead, she got up from bed and roamed around the condo. Familiar na sa kanya ang place, pero may isang pinto na laging naka-lock—the one near his office.

Tonight, it was unlocked.

Napaatras siya ng kaunti, hesitant. But curiosity got the better of her. Dahan-dahan niyang binuksan ang pinto.

The light flicked on.

And her breath caught.

It was a small room—clean, quiet, airconditioned. Hindi creepy. But what made her heart drop was what filled the shelves:

Perfume bottles. Silk scarves. Framed photos. Letters. Expensive heels. Branded bags.

All neatly arranged. Each item clearly belonging to a different woman. May mga polaroids na may mga pangalan—Carla. Mica. Gwen. Camille.

At the center of one wall, may corkboard pa with notes and movie tickets… each one pinned and labeled with a date.

Like a collector.

Like trophies.

Her knees weakened. Para siyang sinampal ng katotohanan. Camille wasn’t lying.

This wasn’t just about Stine. This was a pattern.

Suddenly, everything felt fake—the sweet gestures, the softness, the promises. She covered her mouth to stop the sob from escaping.

“Baby?” a voice called out behind her.

She froze.

Alaric was awake.

“Baby?”

Alaric’s voice came from behind the door, groggy but alert. She didn’t turn around right away—nakatingin pa rin siya sa shelf filled with perfume bottles and pictures of women who came before her.

“Bakit… may ganito kang kwarto?” she asked quietly.

Alaric stepped inside, confused. “Wait, you opened this room?”

“Open na siya, Alaric,” she said, turning to face him. Her eyes—glass-like, wounded. “At hindi ko alam na kailangan kong humingi ng paalam para makita ang… museum ng mga babaeng minahal mo.”

“Baby—”

She raised a hand. “Don’t. Don’t even try.”

He closed his eyes, running a hand through his hair. “It’s not what you think.”

“Really?” Her voice cracked. “Then enlighten me. Kasi from where I’m standing, it looks like a damn collection. Para kang nag-curate ng memory ng bawat babae sa buhay mo.”

Alaric stepped forward, panic creeping into his tone. “I didn’t keep those to hurt you. I kept them to remind myself.”

“Remind yourself of what? How many you’ve had? Or how good you are at making girls fall in love with you before you throw them away?”

“No!” Alaric barked. “It’s not like that!”

“Then tell me what it’s like!” she shouted. “Tell me why you still have Camille’s photos. Tell me why I just got a visit from her days ago, telling me na hindi ako special—dahil lahat kami, dumaan dito!”

He paused. She saw the guilt flash in his eyes.

“That room…” he said, more quietly now, “was a mistake I never had the guts to erase. I don’t go in there anymore. I forgot it was even unlocked.”

“So I’m just the next girl you’ll forget? The next one na isasama mo sa Tagaytay para paikutin sa recycled na fantasy mo?” Her voice trembled. “Was anything real, Alaric?”

“Everything with you is real,” he said, stepping closer, eyes pleading. “Yes, I was that guy. I was a mess, Stine. But I changed—because of you.”

“You don’t change habits that deep overnight,” she whispered. “You just hide them better.”

The silence between them was loud. Deafening.

Stine’s eyes filled with tears again, but she didn’t let them fall this time. She looked at him one last time—desperate, broken, confused.

“Alaric… I gave you my heart.”

“And I swear—”

“I’m scared,” she admitted, voice low. “Not just of your past… but of how much I want to believe you.”

He reached for her hand, but she stepped back.

“Don’t!” she snapped, spinning around, her eyes filled with a fury he’d never seen before.

Her fists clenched. Her chest rose and fell in quick, shallow breaths.

“Baby—”

“s**t ka, Alaric!” she screamed.

And then, without warning, sinugod niya ito at paulit-ulit siyang sinuntok sa dibdib nito. Not with real strength to hurt, but with everything inside her that felt betrayed.

“Liar!”

“Sinungaling ka!”

“Akala ko ba totoo ‘to? Akala ko ba ako lang?”

Each word came with a fist to his chest, her hands trembling with rage and heartbreak. Alaric didn’t stop her. He just stood there, letting her hit him, his jaw clenched, his eyes glassy.

“Bakit?! Bakit mo ‘ko pinaniwala na iba ‘ko sa kanila?!” she cried, voice cracking. “Bakit mo ‘ko pinaramdam na ako lang, kung sa totoo lang—trophy lang ako sa koleksyon mo?!”

“Stine…” he said softly, breath catching.

“Huwag mo ‘kong tawagin diyan!” she screamed, pounding his chest one last time before her arms dropped. Her knees almost buckled, pero sinalo siya ni Alaric agad.

She pushed him weakly. “Don’t touch me.”

Pero hindi niya talaga tinulak.

He stood there, letting her collapse against him, her body wracked with sobs. And for once, Alaric Ybañez had nothing to say—only the sound of Stine’s cries echoing in a room filled with proof of the man he used to be.

Stine, please…” Alaric’s voice cracked as he watched her struggle to hold herself together. “Just listen—hayaan mong ipaliwanag ko.”

She was pacing now, arms crossed, eyes glassy with restrained tears. “Wala na akong kailangang pakinggan, Alaric. Nagsalita na si Camille. Nagsalita na ‘yung kwarto mong puno ng multo. Tapos na.”

“No!” He stepped forward, desperate. “Hindi mo ‘ko pwedeng husgahan base sa nakaraan ko. I kept that room not because I’m still living in it—pero para ‘di ko na balikan ang taong ‘yon.”

“Bullshit!” she snapped. “Kung ayaw mong balikan, edi sana sinunog mo na lahat ng alaala nila! Sana tinapon mo na lahat ng gamit nila!”

He ran his hand through his hair in frustration. “I didn’t know it was still affecting me. Hindi ko inakala na maaapektuhan ka ng ganito—”

“Exactly!” she yelled, pointing at him. “You didn’t think! Kasi sanay kang lahat ng babae, kaya mong paikutin! Akala mo ba hindi ko naririnig ang mga bulong sa paligid? That I’m just another pretty girl who fell into your arms? Na this was just routine for you?”

“Stine…” his voice softened.

“No, Alaric!” she snapped, stepping back when he reached for her. “Mahal mo raw ako? Sa dami ng minahal mo noon, anong pinagkaiba ko sa kanila, ha?!”

He looked straight into her eyes. “Ikaw lang ang minahal ko na ganito.”

“Hindi ko maramdaman!” she shouted, chest heaving. “Because all I see are pieces of the girls before me. Parang echo lang ako ng lahat ng ex mo. Recycled gestures, pare-parehong lugar—pati Tagaytay!”

“Stine—”

“I need space,” she said suddenly, voice tight. “I need to think. Kasi kung ngayon pa lang, ganito na ka-painful… paano pa sa mga susunod?”

He looked at her in disbelief. “So what, lalayo ka na lang? Just like that?”

“Bago pa ako malunod sa sakit,” she whispered.

Alaric’s fists clenched at his sides. “Hindi ako lalaban sa multo ko para lang iwanan mo rin ako sa huli.”

“Well, maybe you should’ve thought about that before keeping a goddamn memorial of your exes!” she fired back.

Tahimik.

Pareho silang naghahabol ng hininga, mata sa mata. Stine’s eyes shimmered with unshed tears. Alaric’s with pain and pride.