His First Rule
1729 Words
I stared at Andrew's back as he carried the two suitcases upstairs.
Hindi ko alam kung matatawa ba ako o maiinis.
Three years! Tatlong taon kaming kasal pero ngayon lang kami magkakasama sa iisang bahay.
And somehow, I had a feeling na hindi magiging madali ang lahat.
Pagdating namin sa second floor, dumiretso si Andrew sa master bedroom.
Napahinto ako.
“Andrew.” Hindi siya lumingon.
“What?”
“Bakit diyan?”
He turned around and looked at me as if my question was ridiculous.
“This is our room.”
Napakunot-noo ako.
“I have already told you. May sarili kang room.”
“Yes, I know.”
“Then doon ka.”
He stared at me for a few seconds.
“You really want me to sleep in another room?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because that's how we've been doing things for three years.”
“And I'm changing that.”
Napabuntong-hininga ako.
Of course! Andrew had always been like this.
When he decided, everyone else followed.
I walked toward my side of the room and placed the bags I was carrying on the floor.
“Fine. You can stay here. But don't touch my things.”
“I'm not interested in your things.”
“Good.”
“And don't expect me to adjust everything around you.” I looked at him.
“Hindi naman kita pinipilit.”
He opened his suitcase and started arranging his clothes.
I watched him for a moment.
I had imagined this day before.
Not because I wanted it. But because I knew eventually, something like this would happen.
I just didn't expect it to feel this uncomfortable.
I turned around.
“I'll prepare dinner.”
“Wait.”
I stopped. “What?”
He looked at me. “Your work.”
My heart immediately sank. “Ano naman?”
“Resign.”
I blinked. “What!?”
“Resign from modeling.”
I thought I heard him wrong. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me.”
I slowly turned toward him. “Why?”
“I don't want my wife working like that.”
I stared at him. “Like what?”
“Modeling. Photoshoots. Being around people all day.”
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. “Andrew, that's my job.”
“You won't need it anymore.”
“I know I don't need your money!”
His expression hardened. “Don't make this difficult.”
I crossed my arms. “You're asking me to give up my career.”
“Yes.”
“Just like that?”
“Yes.”
I laughed, but there was no humor in it.
“Of course. Madali lang para sa'yo.”
“What does that mean?”
“Para sa'yo, everything is easy. You can pay for anything. You can buy anything. You can solve anything with money.”
He stared at me. “And?”
“But I can't.”
My voice became quieter. “I need my job.”
“You don't.”
“I do.”
“You have a husband who can provide for you.”
I shook my head. “No.”
His eyebrows furrowed.
“No?”
“I don't want to depend on you.”
“You're already my wife.”
“Wife doesn't mean I have to lose everything that I worked for.”
He walked closer.
“You're making this bigger than it needs to be.”
“Because it's big for me!”
Napataas ang boses ko. Hindi ko na napigilan.
“You don't understand, Andrew.”
“Then explain.”
I froze. How could I explain?
How could I tell him that every project I accepted had a purpose?
That every payment I received was already divided in my mind.
Some for my savings.
Some for my dreams.
And most importantly... Some for Lola.
I couldn't tell him.
Not yet.
My father had made sure Andrew knew almost nothing about my life.
And I wasn't ready to change that.
“I need this job,” I repeated.
“For what?”
I looked away. “For myself.”
He gave a humorless laugh.
“That's not a good enough reason.”
“It is for me.”
He stared at me. “You're my wife. You don't need to work.”
“I said, I don't want your money!”
The room fell silent.
I immediately regretted shouting.
Andrew's expression became darker. “You're being stubborn.”
“Maybe.”
“You think this is about money?”
I didn't answer.
“Fine.”
He walked past me. “Then tell me what it's about.”
I looked at him.
I wanted to tell him.
I wanted to scream that I wasn't working because I wanted fame.
I wasn't working because I enjoyed being photographed.
I was working because someone was waiting for me.
Someone who had raised me.
Someone who had loved me when no one else did.
Someone whose life depended on medication that I couldn't afford to stop paying for.
But I couldn't tell him.
So I only whispered, “Please.”
He stopped.
“Please what?”
“Don't take this away from me.”
For a few seconds, he didn't say anything.
Then he turned around.
“You're afraid.”
I immediately shook my head.
“No.”
“Yes, you are.”
“I'm not.”
“Then why are you begging?”
I clenched my hands.
Because I was afraid. Not of losing my career. I was afraid of losing Lola.
“Because I need it.”
My voice cracked. “I need my work, Andrew.”
He stared at me.
Then his voice became colder. “If you refuse, I can pay whatever penalty your agency asks for.”
My eyes widened. “No.”
“I told you. Money isn't a problem,” he said.
“But it is for me!”
“Why?”
“Because I worked hard for this!”
“You can find another job.”
“No!” I shook my head.
“This is not something you can just replace.”
He looked at me with disbelief. “You're choosing a job over your husband?”
I laughed bitterly. "You're asking me to choose between my own life and your rules.”
His jaw tightened. “Don't twist my words.”
“Then don't make me choose.” Silence.
I wiped the tears that had started forming in my eyes.
I hated this.
I hated that I was letting him see me like this.
I didn't want him to know how desperate I was.
Especially not him.
Finally, he spoke. “Fine.”
I looked up. “Fine?”
“You can keep your job.”
Relief immediately washed over me. “Thank you.”
“But there will be conditions.”
My relief disappeared. “What conditions?”
“You tell me where you are.”
I frowned. “That's it?”
“And don't come home late without telling me.” I nodded slowly.
“Okay.”
“And when I tell you to come home, you come home.”
I hesitated. “I'll try.”
“No.”
He stepped closer. “You will.”
I swallowed. “Fine!”
He looked at me for another second.
Then he said something that made my heart stop.
“And while we're living together, you will act like my wife.” I frowned.
“I am your wife.”
“Then act like one.”
“What exactly does that mean?”
“You'll cook."
I stared at him. “Andrew—”
“You'll keep the house organized.”
“I already do.”
“And we'll sleep in the same room.”
I immediately shook my head. “No.”
His eyebrows lifted. “No?”
“I agree with everything else, but not that.”
“You don't get to choose which part of the marriage you want.”
“Watch me.”
His eyes narrowed. “Don't challenge me.”
“Then don't force me.”
For several seconds, neither of us moved.
Then he stepped back.
“Fine.”
I was surprised.“Fine?”
“We'll figure it out.”
I nodded. “Okay.”
I thought that was the end of our argument.
But before he walked away, he suddenly said, “One more thing.”
“What?”
“Your father called.”
My stomach tightened. “About what?”
“He wants us to have dinner with the family tomorrow.”
I stared at him. “Tomorrow?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I don't know.”
He picked up his phone.“Ask your father.”
I sighed. “I don't know anything about it.”
He looked at me. “That's your problem.”
Then he walked away.
I remained standing in the middle of the room.
I looked at my phone.
There was a message from the hospital.
My hands started trembling.
I opened it.
Patient's medication needs to be renewed within the week.
I closed my eyes. “Lola...”
That was why I couldn't resign.
That was why I couldn't stop working.
And that was why Andrew could never know the truth.
Because if he found out about Lola...
I didn't know what he would do.
And I wasn't willing to risk the only family I had left.
************
That night, I lay on the far edge of the bed.
Andrew was on the other side.
There was a huge space between us.
Neither of us spoke.
I stared at the ceiling.
I could hear his breathing.
Three years. For three years, I had slept alone.
Now, suddenly, the man who had barely acknowledged me was sleeping a few feet away.
I turned to my side.
Maybe tomorrow would be better.
Maybe this arrangement wouldn't be as bad as I thought.
But deep inside, I knew better.
Because Andrew had already made his first rule.
And I had already broken it in my heart.
I wasn't going to give up my life just because he was my husband.
I had survived three years without him.
And I wasn't about to let him decide how the rest of my life would be.
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