Ruining Mr. Clarke

Kabanata 6

"It was an accident! Hindi ko naman sinasadya na masabuyan ka ng kape," depensa ni Andrea sa kaniyang sarili.

Andrea's forehead wrinkled in every word. Iyon naman ang totoo. Hindi naman talaga niya sinasadya ang nangyari.

She wasn't the one to blame, nor Julian Clarke Veneracion for it was merely an accident they both not wanted to happen. Pero nangyari na at hindi nila mababalik ang oras para baguhin ang tagpong iyon.

If he decides to sue her, Andrea thought it was too shallow of him to do that. Unless if it caused him severe damage.

Kahit wala siyang pera, handa niyang sagutin ang babayaran nito sa hospital. Although he can afford it, she just doesn't want to be indebted.

Pero mukha naman na mawalang nangyari. Or to make sure, she has to see his lap where the hot liquid landed to know if something bad happens to his skin.

Kung maayos naman ito, wala siyang papanagutan.

"Wala pa naman akong sinasabi but you sounded so defensive," he smirked at her. "Considered the two us quits, then. You poured out a hot coffee on me, and being there last night, think of it as your payment."

Mabilis siyang lumingon dito. "That's not fair," aniya. "What happened last night would haunt me forever. Hindi naman iyon simpleng bagay ang nangyari kagabi. It was a life and death situation and you're too shallow."

The blood of his... She will remember it even in her sleep.

Tumaas ang kilay nito sa kaniya. "So, it wasn't really free? Do you want something in return for calling an ambulance when I told you not to?"

"I wasn't the one who called the ambulance!" she shouted in deep annoyance. "It was your cousin, Chase."

"Don't put your fingers to her," anito at nagtatakang sinalubong ang kaniyang mga mata. "And you know her, huh... Did you investigate my family background? Was last night wasn't a coincidence?"

Hindi makapaniwalng tiningnan niya ang naturang lalaki. He has the audacity to doubt her! Accused her that it was all planned!

Umiiling-iling siya't napangisi sa hindi inaasahang pangyayari.

She can't believe how this man mind's work! Siguro sa lahat ng tumulong dito ay inisipan nito ng masama.

Sa lahat ng nakasalamuha niya, ito talaga ang antipatiko na nakikita pa lang niya ay kumukulo na ang kaniyang dugo sa inis.

Inalis niya ang tingin dito.

"Grabe, wow..." She applauded thrice. "I never thought that you're that shallow, Mr. Clarke. Hearing those words from you, I now regret helping you last night. Sana pala ay hiniyaan kita sa kalsada kagabi and let you bleed to death!"

"But you helped me..."

"That's what people in my shoe will do, Mr. Clarke. Pero kung alam ko lang na ganito ka-arogante at masama, I should have left."

"Your conscience won't let you," mayabang pa rin ang datingan nito.

"I don't care," she gritted her teeth and glared at him through the mirror. "Get out of my car. Masyado nang masama ang hangin dito sa loob."

She heard him sighed. Hindi niya ito pinansin at pilit pinakalma ang sarili.

Andrea can't take what he just told her! Kahit hindi niya ito kailangan, or kahit pa hindi nito pinsan ng kaibigan, tutulungan at tutulungan niya!

She doesn't want to see someone died right in front of her eyes, so she helped him for her own peace of mind.

Pero hindi niya inisip na ikakasama niya pala ito.

How can this man think that she just helped because Andrea needed something from him? With or without something in return, she will gladly lend her hands to help those who are in need!

Nagkataon lang na si Julian Clarke Veneracion ang nangangailangan kagabi. The man she needs to defame for her promotion.

Besides, she won't go through if Andrea can't find something that would ruin his image. Hahalungkatin niya kahit ang maliit nitong detalye na makakatulong sa kaniya.

"Get out of my car, Mr. Clarke," usal niya sa mababang bosses.

Silence filled the whole car. Hindi niya alam ang mararamdaman.

"Can I borrow your phone?"

"I said get out of my f ucking car!" This time, she burst out.

Naiinis na tumingin siya rito na tila napako sa kinauupuan.

"You requested to drop you off somewhere, right? And I'm leaving you here on the sidewalk. Kaya lumabas ka na at nababanas ako sa presensiya mo!" she added with a hint of annoyance in her voice.

Silence...

It felt like it has been ages since she shouted in annoyance. Pakiramdam niya sa sigaw niyang 'yon ay kasama na lahat ng hinanakit niya sa buhay.

At sa lahat pa ng dahilan ng kinaiinisan niya, si Julian Clarke Veneracion pa.

The universe must be playing with her.

Mula buto't hanggang laman ang inis niya sa lalaking ito at kung noon, hindi niya alam kung bakit, sa pagkakataon na ito ay may ideya na siya kung bakit nga ba kumukulo ang dugo niya sa binata.

"Damn... Why are you so..."

Hindi nito tinuloy ang sasabihin at akma na sanang lalabas ng kotse nang muli siyang magsalita na ikinatigil nito.

"F uck you, Julian Clarke Veneracion." She even raised her middle finger to him to add spice to her brittle cursed.

When he finally got out of her car, Andrea quickly drove off, leaving him on the sidewalk wearing his hoodie jacket, and his hospital pants.

Pinakiramdaman niya ang sarili at malalim na bumuntong hininga nang makalayo.

Now, she needs to plan how to get close to him again. Inaway niya ito, sinayang ang pagkakataon pero wala siyang nakapang pagsisisi roon.

She doesn't want people to mistake her kindness, and she was really mad at him for what he thought about her.

Sagad ang inis niya rito at nang mamura niya ito, tila yata natuwa ang kaniyang kalooban.

She just cursed the man every girl wanted. The man everyone looked up to, the man who gets into her nerves.

Ngumisi siya habang nagmamaneho.

Now she can finally give Chase a reasonable answer on why she hated her cousin and above all, she has an idea that the man everyone desires was too shallow.

Hindi niya inasahan na sa kabila ng maganda nitong imahe ay nakatago ang magaspang nitong katangian.

MALALIM NA bumuntong hininga si Andrea habang nakikinig sa sunod-sunod na salita ng kaibigan. She just got home and received a text message from Chase, and now they were arguing over the phone.

Sumasakit ang kaniyang ulo sa katigasan nito.

"Ayoko, Chase. Hindi mo ako mapapapayag sa plano mo. Ayoko. Ayoko," mariin ang kaniyang boses nang magsalita.

Paulit-ulit na niyang tinatanggihan ang paanyaya ng kaibigan na samahan siya sa isang beach resort para dumalo sa kasal ng kinamumuhian niyang tao.

She was walking back and fort in her minimalist living room, massaging her temple as she listens to her again.

"C'mon, Andrea Bennette. She was still our friend, and I know you have received an invitation, too. Kaya pumunta tayo to show our support, and for you. Just forget what happened in the past."

"Do you hear yourself, Chase?" Naiirita niyang sambit. "At wala akong natanggap na imbetasyon, so I guess it's a no. Kung mayroon man, hindi pa rin ako dadalo."

She doesn't even have an idea that she was getting married.

Isa pa, matagal na niyang pinutol ang konesksiyon nilang dalawa. She left her hometown to get rid of those people whom she considered toxic for they caused her pain.

Pero 'eto na naman... Pilit siyang hinihila pabalik sa nakaraan.

"Kasama si Rachel," Chase said on the other line. "Ikakasal na siya, Andrea. At least give yourself a closure you both weren't able to have. Huwag mong ipagkait sa sarili mo 'yon."

"Chase..." Muli siyang humugot nang malalim na hininga. "I've moved on—"

"Then, prove it! Sumama ka sa 'min. If you already got over it, then there's nothing that would hold you back from coming, right?"

Mariin siyang pumikit.

The Veneracions' were getting in her nerves. Pati ang kaniyang kaibigan ay sinusubukan siya. Hindi na siya magtataka... She's the cousin of Julian Clarke Veneracion, the arrogant man.

Malalim siyang nag-isip.

Her ex-best friend is getting married tomorrow, and the last time she saw her ended up chaotic. Matindi ang sakit na dinulot nito sa kaniya dahil lang sa nagmahal sila ng isang lalaki. But it was Andrea who had him first, they were in a relationship when the woman who claimed to be there for her through ups and downs, betrayed her by sleeping with him.

Alam iyon ni Chase at Rachel. Naintindihan niya rin ang nais nitong mangyari.

They never got the closure they both deserved and now that her ex-best friend, Charlotte, is getting married, she agreed that maybe, it was the right time to put an end to what happened in the past.

Totoo naman na nakalaya na siya sa sakit na naranasan niya sa nakaraan. The thing she can't get over yet until now was the pain Charlotte caused to her.

It was painful to lose a friend. Hindi niya mapaliwanag ang sakit nang mawalan siya ng kaibigan.

"Okay, send me the details."

Pinatay niya ang tawag at mabilis lumabas ng bahay para halughugin ang laman ng mail box. At nang makita niya iyon, agad niyang binasa ang nakasulat.

Charlotte & Patrick are tying the knot.

Below the name was the address. Yet her mind was put in deep confusion.

Patrick? So, they didn't work out... She thought.

Tiningnan niya ang mensahe na natanggap mula kay Chase. Muli siyang humugot nang malalim na hininga at mabilis na nag-impake. The wedding will be held in Batangas at sunset. Kahit na ayaw niya, pumayag na lang siya na umalis ngayong gabi.

But when everything was settled, Chase called.

"I'm so sorry, Andrea. Something came up lang and I need to finish it before midnight. Kailangan ko agad ipasa or everything will be put at risk."

"Then, what do you want me to do?" Tumakas ang inis sa boses niya na sinamahan pa niya ng pag-irap.

"Mauna ka na lang? Rachel and her fiance will go there tonight, too. Ikaw lang maiiwan. But I already sent someone to fetch you. By land na lang kayo pupunta. Is it okay?"

She heaved a deep sigh, trying to refrain herself from bursting out in deep annoyance.

Maayos na ang lahat. Naghihintay na lang ng signal kung kailan siya aalis pero si Chase... She can't count how many times she cursed her inside her head. Hindi niya matukoy ang dalang pang-aasar na mayroon ang mag-pinsan na Veneracion.

She can't... Nababanas siya at dahil handa na naman ang lahat, wala na siyang magawa kung hindi ay pumayag.

But that was a big mistake she has ever done in the whole duration of waiting for that someone.

Mabilis niyang tinawagan si Chase nang makita ang pamilyar na sasakyan.

She was outside her home, sitting across it on the bench with her luggage. Napuno na naman ng irita ang kaniyang puso. Hindi niya makakalimutan ang sasakyan na humarang sa kaniya at may ideya na siya kung sino ang nasa loob into.

She tried calling her again but her phone was out of reach. Hanggang sa tumigil ang kotse sa harapan niya.

It took a second before the man inside rolled down the window on the passenger seat.

“Chase requested to pick you up,” bungad nito sa kaniya na sumilip pa roon.

“I didn’t,” she replied with a knotted forehead. “Just leave, mister. I’ll just tell her I can’t make it tonight.”

Kinuha niya ang bagahe at akma na sana siyang aalis nang bigla itong lumabas sa sasakyan.

He put his arms on the roof of his car and showed her his smug smile plastered in his sexy lips.

“C’mon, misis... Stop resisting. Just get inside the car. Huwag mo na palakihin ang maliit na bagay na ‘to.”

Sinamaan niya ito ng tingin. “You’re such a prick.”

He chuckled and walked near her. Umatras siya nang pilit nitong kinuha ang bagahe mula sa kaniya.

“Kahit ngayon o bukas ka aalis, ako pa rin ang makakasama mo sa byahe, so stop fidgeting and just give up.”

She hid her lower lip due to irritation.