The next day, para akong lumulutang. Wala ako sa wisyo, parang bawat galaw ko mechanical lang. I woke up without him beside me, and that unsettled me more than I expected. Nicholas was always there when I opened my eyes… either working on his laptop or just quietly staring at me with that unreadable expression. But now, the sheets were cold.
Lumabas ako ng kwarto at agad na napansin ang katahimikan ng buong bahay. Tahimik pero mabigat, para bang may tinatago. Then I saw him. Nakatayo siya sa harap ng malaking picture frame naming dalawa, his back facing me. His posture was stiff, tense, at ramdam ko ang bigat ng iniisip niya.
“Check the CCTV footage again. My wife is scared and I’ll do anything for her safety.”
I froze. My breath hitched. The words cut straight to my chest. Hindi iyon s
