NO CHOICE /r18

MEMORIES

"Girl, are you ok?" Ogie asked Mylene. "You looked suddenly ewan after nung engagement ceremony. Di ka naman nalasing kasi champagne lang naman ininum mo." Ogie added.

"I'm fine dear, no worries. Sumakit lang bigla ang ulo ko." she answered.

"You two should have stayed and enjoyed the rest of the night there. Or better yet, balik kauya kayo dun. I just want to take a rest. Di pa yata naka adjust sa time zone dito sa Pinas ang katawan ko."

"Are you sure ok lang dito, frenny? I honestly want to go back there again." tanong naman ni Ann.

"Of course naman. Hello, ano ba? Sige na, you guys should go back there. I'm perfectly fine here." Mylene said as she urged her friends na bumalik sa party. 

Pagkaalis nila, she went straight to her room to prepare for bed.

When she already laid on her bed, she could help but think about her life now.

Truth is, she wasn't really ok... emotionally.

All the while, she thought that the pain she experienced in love ay maghihilom pag bibigyan nya ng healing time ang kanyang puso.

Oo nga, wala na ang sakit na naramdaman nya sa pagloko sa kanya ng kanyang ex boyfriend pero ibang klasing feeling ang pumalit.

Ang pagkaroon ng insecurity sa pagkatao nya bilang isang babae, ang pagka- trauma nya sa love at matinding distrust sa mga lalaki.

Sa tingin nya, lahat ng lalaki ay players...cheaters,

yung iba, mas worse than that.

Cheaters na nga, users pa.

Men are born to be polygamous in nature, alam nya yun. Pero ang first hand na masaksihan ang pagiging polygamous ng lalaki ay nagbigay ng matinding epekto sa kanya at ang masakit dun was, she developed insecurities at pagkawala ng confidence sa p********e nya.

She was so sure of herself before. Maganda sya, mayaman, edukada, matalino and may mabuting puso.

She is also kind and humble. Na kahit lahat pwede na nyang ipagmalaki at ipagmayabang, di nya ginagawa yun. 

Ganyan talaga siguro if you were born and grew up sa pamilyang totoong may wealth and breeding. Di mo na kelangan mag mayabang at ipaalam sa mundo na mayaman ka kasi yan na ang nakasayan mo simula't sapol. Namulat mo na ang mata mo na mayaman ka at di na kelangan pag aralan ang maging mayaman kasi natural na yan sayo.

Iba naman ang yaman na inherited,

at iba din ang yaman na acquired lang.

Kadalasan sa mga taong may inherited wealth, simple lang sila. Di nagpapakita at nagmamayabang pero makikita ang napaka obvious na good breeding at security na yun sa kanilang pagkatao. Kadalasan din, simple ito kung nakikitungo sa ibang tao kahit sumisigaw na ang mamahaling suot o gamit nila, di pa rin yun big deal sa kanila.

Iba rin ang dating ng mga taong may acquired wealth. Karamihan ay ambisyoso, maaangas at over sa confidence. Sila din yung kadalasang maiingay, at di nagpapatalo. In other words, mga mayayabang! Marahil di naman lahat, pero kadalasan ganun.

When she broke up with her ex-boyfriend, it made her question herself and her capabilities as a woman.

 People say that she is an ideal woman for any man and she has everything that she can have nang walang kahirap hirap.

Pero bakit niloko pa rin sya at pinagpalit sa iba? 

She felt like Juancho just used her para sa sariling ambition. She believed that he didn't really loved her from the start.

Kasi kung totoong mahal ka ng isang tao, di ka lolokohin.

Di maghahanap ng iba kasi ang pagmamahal mo ay sapat na.  Ikaw lang ay sapat na.

Another thing, betrayal also made her mistrusting. The loss of trust leads to mistrust. Probably the biggest reason why the loss of trust is so painful is that once trust is gone, like a foreign army invading a once peaceful nation, the laws of mistrust take over, where love becomes fear, desire becomes rejection, affection becomes hostility and confidence becomes insecurity.

Mabuti nalang at di nya sinuko ang sarili sa taong yun kahit ilang beses nang sinubukan ni Juancho na kunin sya but she never gave in. Hindi pa sya handa.

Nawasak man ni Juancho ang puso nya, buo pa rin ang dignidad nya.

Ngayon, may isa pa syang mahalagang bagay na dapat harapin sa pagbalik nya. Yun ay harapin ang family nya.

-flashback-

"Mylene, is it true? Are you and Juancho dating?" her dad asked. Inupo sya ng kanyang magulang kasama ang older brother nyang si Michael nung malaman nila sa press ang relasyon ng dalawa. Nagkalat sa media at internet ang mga stolen pictures nila ni Juancho.

Her dad is a composed person pero may authority pag nagsasalita. Bihira itong magalit, pero pag nagalit wagas. Di sumisigaw pero tagos ang pananalita. She loves her dad at malaki ang respeto nya sa ama nya. Her dad is a good judge of character kaya kahit na may pagka firm at strict ito sa mga tao nila, malaki pa rin ang respeto ng libo-libong empleyado nila sa kompanya.

Her mom, on the other hand, is a sweet loving mom. May breeding din.

She was closer to her mom than her dad, pero she knew na mahal sya ng dad nya. Isang example ang mom nya ng huwarang ina. Sunod sunuran sa asawa.

Her parents marriage had been fixed from the start. Bata palang ang mga parents nya, alam na nila na sila ang ipapakasal. Both sides came from old rich family and normal na gawain ng mga mayayaman noon ang ipag arrange ang mga kasal ng mga anak sa pamilyang pinagkakasunduan para sa ikabubuti ng yaman nila. Swerte nga lang kasi eventually, nagka in love-an at nagustuhan ng parents nila ang isat isa bago palang sila ikinasal.

Her older brother is a typical rich kid. Palibhasa, heir din ng kanilang business, kaya medjo may pagka maangas din ito at napaka protective. Close silang magkapatid dahil 2yrs lang naman ang agwat nila sa isat isa. Walang bahid ng pagka inggit kasi from the start, alam ni Michael na sya ang papalit sa dad nila sa oras na magre retire ito. At si Mylene naman, alam nya na sya din ang papalit at hahawak ng negosyo ng mom nya. They have secured future na kahit sa mga apo ng apo nila, di na maghihirap. May pagka over protective at conservative itong si Michael, one reason kung bakit naging simpleng babae si Mylene. Ayaw nya tong ngsusuot ng mga sexing damit, ayaw nyang nagkakalat sa mga bars at very sensible sa mga gustong manliligaw sa bunsong kapatid.

Halos magwala si Michael nang marinig nya ang tanong ng dad nya kay Mylene.

"What the hell?? Gago yun ah! Humanda sya !" galit na sambit nito.

"Sit down Michael. Let me do the talking here! " wika ng ama.

"Yes dad, I'm sorry." sagot naman ni Michael.

Mylene's tears were starting to fall. She was scared but she had to tell them the truth. Mahal nya si Juancho at ipaglalaban nya ito.

"Dad, Mom, Kuya... Yes po. Boyfriend ko na po si Juancho. We've been together for more than a year na." mangiyak-iyak na sabi ni Mylene.

"You know the consequences here, don't you? I can strip you of your inheritance unless you stop your craziness over that guy." kalmadong sabi ng dad nya pero nakakatakot pa rin ang tono ng pananalita nito.

She nodded her head and her mom sat beside her to comfort her and she was glad she did.  Kasi naramdaman nya ang suporta ng ina.

"I love him dad, and I'm willing to give up all of these for him."

"What the hell, My! Do you know what you are saying? You're so stupid!" pagtuturo ni Michael sa kanya na galit na galit.

"I said you shut up Michael!" at tumuon ulit ang attention ng dad nya sa kanya at huminga ng malalim, na halatang pigil na pigil nito ang galit at pagkadismaya. " Ok, hindi kita pipigilan sa decision mo dahil may tiwala ako sa yo at mahal ka namin. Hahayaan kita sa kahibangan mo ngayon. But let me get this straight young lady and let us get into a deal. Sa oras na hindi mag work yang pinaglalabanan mong pagmamahal na yan, you will be left with no choice but to obey me. Only this one chance and no more. You know what I mean. Do I make myself clear here? "

"What??? Are you serious dad??? Are you allowing her to be with that guy? You know him. That Juancho is an ambitious leech!!!!" sigaw ni Michael. "You can't allow it, dad."

With their father's brows drawn together, he said; "Are you questioning my judgment, Michael? Baka nakalimutan mo, I'm the father here. Now, compose yourself and focus on your work." 

Di na napiligil ni Michael, tumigin sya kay Mylene na parang pinararamdam ang disappointment nito at nag walk out.

She sighed. "Mom, Dad... Thank you. Thank you for understanding and trusting me. I promise I will prove to you that I made the right choice." Mylene said as she cried and hugged her mom.

"Don't thank me yet, young lady. Your battle has just started. Prove me wrong, because if not, then you know what will happen..You will obey me." wika ng dad nya bago sila tinalikuran at umalis ito.

Alam nya nasaktan nya ang dad at kuya nya sa kanyang decision pero she felt it was worth it. Mahal nya si Juancho at mahal sya rin nito. Di makaka guts si Juancho na ligawan sya kung di ito sincere sa kanya.

But was it really worth it?

-end of flashback-

It wasn't and she will be going to pay the price of disappointing her family, and for making that wrong choice.

Now that she is back, she has to face those consequences.