Wicked Obsession

KABANATA 7

"YOU WILL RUIN yourself with that plan!" Sita sa'kin ni Shaina.

I looked at her with annoyance. "I am not doing anything!"

I am not even starting yet. I am thinking of precautions. Iniisip ko pa ang mga gagawin... At pananakot ni Shaina sa'kin.

"May balak ka pa ring gawin, Cara? Baka ikaw ang umiyak sa gagawin mong 'yan! That man is Silver in everyone's eyes! And you will be a relationship wrecker in public! ALTA will sooner or later—"

"Why are you even so negative about this? Bakit? Ipagsisigawan niya ba na kabit ako? No! Sebastian will do something for me, of course! Alam mong kahit kailan, hindi ako papatulan ni Silver!" I explained to her. "Kaya sigurado akong pag pinatulan ni Sebastian ang pang-aakit ko—siya na iyon! And I am not a relationship wrecker kasi hindi naman iyon ang boyfriend ni Lara! I am just correcting things!" Desperadong explanasyon ko.

Mariing pumikit ang kaibigan ko sa harapan.

She walk towards my table. Padabog nitong ibinaba ang kamay at tinignan ako ng masama.

Umasim ang mukha ni Shaina. She still disapproves it even when my applausible reasons!

Akala ko ay hindi na siya magsasalita, pero umalma pa rin ito.

"Totoo, may point ka. Tama! Pero kahit saang anggulo mo tignan, Cara, ikaw ang magiging mali dito once you take a wrong move!" She is really worried about me!

I am not even worried about myself! Ang iniisip ko lang ay maghiganti. Kung hindi pa niya sinabi ang tungkol sa ALTA ay malamang...

Okay. I will think of a very brilliant plan. Iyong hindi maapektuhan ang ALTA.

"I will think of alternative, Shaina. Thanks for reminding!" I chuckled on her.

"Your impossible!" She said. "Paano kung si Silver nga ang lalaking iyon?! Oo, he is not! Pero paano nga kung ikaw ang mali dito!? Ibig sabihin, you ruined a relationship? You are wrong? Cara naman!"

"Hindi nga—"

"But what if, Cara!? We cannot even distinguish who is who! You even kissed Sebastian before and insist that he is Silver! Pero ngayon, ano? You are insisting that he is Sebastian!"

"It was a mistake, Shaina! Alam mo namang wala akong ideya kung ano na ang itsura ni Sebastian! Malay ko bang he turns out to look like his twin brother so much?"

Tila sumakit ang ulo ni Shaina sa pinagsasasabi ko. Tinalikuran ako ng babae at inilingan.

"I warned you, Cara! You are impossible! Tito can kill you if this turn out worse!" Shaina is really angry! I didn't expect her to turn out this way!

Umalis ang babae sa opisina, pero ang sinabi nito ay tumatak sakin.

My father can really kill me, if this turns out worse.

So I need a very brilliant plan for this. Pero paano?

I sighed. Dang it. Why did I even own ALTA?

Napailing ako sa naisip. Kung ano-ano ang pumapasok sakin. Pati ang ALTA ay inaayawan ko pa dahil sakanya!

I DID NOTHING but to search online. I stumbled upon an article about Lara.

Tama. Lara... Should know. Siguro kung ipapaalam ko sakanya na hindi si Silver ang nasa harapan... Maybe she would notice it?

Mahirap, pero I need Sebastian to be single in public's eyes.

So the first move is to meet Lara.

"HELLO? WHO is this?" Lara asked over the phone. Hindi na ako nagpaligoy-ligoy pa, and proceed to the immediate plan.

"This is Cara Altamirano," I said. "Do you mind having a meeting with me in person?"

"What for?" She asked. "Do we have a business?"

Tumaas ang kilay ko sa tanong niya. I didn't expect her to talk like that. Bahagya akong napailing.

"It's about your boyfriend, Silver." Binigyang diin ko ang salitang boyfriend.

Hindi nga nagtagal at pumayag si Lara. I just texted her a private place dahil nga isa siyang kilalang tao, and we need to take some cautions.

Lara is beautiful in person. Maamo ang mukha nito at maliit ang katawan. She looks like a doll.

"Good evening," I greeted as she enters.

"Hello... Good evening," she greeted back and seat. "What do you want to talk about my boyfriend?" Agarang tanong niya.

Mabuti naman, dahil ayoko rin na magtagal dito para makipag-chit chat lang.

"Well, Silver isn't your boyfriend." Simpleng saad ko dito.

Kumunot ang noo nito. Natigilan siya at nanahimik. She looked at me like she is weighing her thoughts.

"At kanino siyang boyfriend? Sayo?" She asked me.

Wow. I really didn't expect that! Hindi ko alam ang isasagot doon—kaya nagsalita ulit siya.

"I know you like my boyfriend," aniya. "But please, ka-trabaho ka lang niya. He is professional. At baka pag nairita ako, pwede ko siyang utusan na ihiwalay ang business niyo."

Ang anghang ng salita niya. Looks can really deceive. Hindi pa nga ako tapos magsalita ay inuunahan na niya ako. She should even thank me because I am saving her ass from the worst!

"I am not even talking yet, why would you think that way? Kinu-kwento ba ako ng boyfriend mo sayo?" Hindi ko sinasadyang itanong iyon. Damn... wala akong balak makipag-away!

But my pretty mouth cannot help it!

Lara glared at me. "Mang-aagaw ka ba?"

"Your dating is not Silver. He is Sebastian," I finally told my agenda before things gets pretty ugly.

Kumunot ang noo nito. "Are you ruining things?"

Tumayo na ako. Ayokong makipag-away sakanya.

"I hope you will notice some difference," I said.

I FINALLY took a step forward with my brilliant plan. Ang kasunod? Hindi ko alam.

Should I wait for them to break up?

Hindi ba't masyadong matagal iyon?

Ininom ko ang alak sa counter. Should I really wait for that? Parang masyado namang matagal iyon pag nagkataon!

It's been two days since my warning to Lara. Is she even figuring out who is which? Sana naman ay mag-isip siya!

My father and I still have a silent fight between us. Hindi ko mapigilang iinom ang galit sa labas, and I am even rejecting a lot of boys because of it!

Bakit kailangan sa'kin ang sisi kung ako ang biktima?

I cannot... get it. Yes, I am a b!tch! Pero dahil ba sa ugali ko kaya ginagawan ako ng masama?

Kasalanan ko ba talaga kasi ganito ako?

Na pag nabastos ako—kasalanan ko because of what I wear and my reputation?

This is really something that circling into my mind. Is it really all my fault?

"What are you doing here?" Tanong ng isang boses.

Nilingon ko ito—it was Mariano. A regular in a bar, and a friend from high school.

"What? Are you blind?" Tanong ko dito. "Umiinom ako!"

"Mag-isa?" He chuckled.

Seriously, if I don't feel bad today, I will flirt with him with all my heart! But no! Ang sinabi niya ay parang insulto sa pandinig ko ngayon.

"Bakit? Hindi ba pwedeng mag-isa ako? Don't I deserve to be this way because I am a w***e and being alone isn't just me?"

Natulala si Mariano sa sinabi ko. He is speechless and surprised for my burst.

"Ano naman kung mag-isa ako? Bawal?! Masama?! Pwede din akong maging tahimik at mag-isa!" Sigaw ko dito.

"Hush there! I'm sorry!" Tila naalarma ito. "I didn't mean to offend you this way! It's just... very unusual—sorry for offending you!" Sunod-sunod na paumanhin nito.

I am raging mad. Hindi ko siya pinansin at uminom na lang. I heard him saying sorry a countless times, pero hindi ko siya binigyang pansin kaya siya ay umalis na lang.

KINABUKASAN ay kailangan kong pumunta sa farm. I just need an exposure over the farm. To check the quality and such.

At pag sinabi kong farm, sa mga Galliano iyon.

"So, ano? Kumusta ang plano?" Tanong sakin ni Shaina habang inaayos ko ang gamit.

Ni hindi nga umusad kaya nakakairita. I am expecting Sebastian will be mad at me kasi sinira ko ang plano niya...

Pero wala!

"I don't know. Wala akong pakialam," I hissed. "Nasa baba na ba ang sundo ko?"

"Yes. It's Sebastian."

Nanlaki ang mata ko sa narinig. Did I heard that right!? Sebastian Galliano!?

"What?"

"Bakit parang gulat ka? I thought your plan is working—"

Hindi ko na siya pinatapos at basta na lang dinampot ang aking bag. Nandito siya? Bakit?

Tsaka, paanong naging siya ang sundo ko? Ang tagal ko ngang hindi siya nakita!

Noong makita ko ang isang jeep sa labas ng looby ay alam kong sakanya na iyon.

Inayos ko ang tindig at lumabas na ng kumpanya. Dire-diretso akong nagpunta doon at saka naman lumabas si Sebastian.

"You're here," aniya.

Napairap ako. What a bland greeting.

"Ano, hiwalay na ba kayo ni Lara?" Tanong ko dito at binuksan ang pintuan ng sasakyan niya para pumasok.

Natigilan siya sa labas—but he immediately jog towards the driver seat and get inside.

"Hiwalay ni Lara?" Takang tanong niya. "Did you do something on her?"

"I told her that you are Sebastian. Pero mukhang hindi siya naniwala sakin, huh?" Ani pa niya.

Hindi ito nagsalita at basta na lang nagkibit balikat. Wow.

"Natutuwa ka ba na may nauuto? Does it satisfy you so much?"

"I said, I am not Sebastian."

"Oh please!"

"Ni hindi ko nga alam... What are your basis for acting this way—"

"Itigil mo nga ang sasakyan!" I hissed in annoyance.

"What?"

"Itabi mo!" Ipapakita ko sakanya ang matinding dahilan!

He immediately obeyed. See! He obeys me! Silver does not do this to me!

"Bakit ka nandito?" I asked him.

"I need to go in farm too. I heard sasama ka—"

"Kaya sumama ka?"

Hindi ito nakasagot agad.

Pero maya-maya ay umiling siya. "No—"

Bago pa siya makatanggi ay hinila ko ang necktie niya at tsaka siniil ng halik.

This is the strong evidence!

I am expecting him to push me away. Pero tulala lang ito sa halik naming dalawa, and there I saw his soft eyes... Unti-unti na itong pumipikit–at noong naramdaman kong idiniin na niya ang ulo sakin ay itinulak ko siya.

"See," I pointed out. "Silver... will never kiss me back because he have a girlfriend! Pero ikaw?"

Ni wala manlang itong reaksyon. Mataman lang itong nakatingin sakin.

"Sebastian, harap-harapan ba talaga? Hindi ka ba magbabago? Bakit ka nanloloko—"

He sighed. "I am not Sebastian." Then there, he started the car.

Damn it! "Bakit ayaw mo na lang umamin!?"

"Because what you are trying to say is impossible."

"And why do you want the kiss?"

"I was shocked. Hindi ko gusto iyon." He rejected. "Isa pa, wag mo halikan si Sebastian. He will be mad."

I was confused.

Humigpit ang hawak ni Sebastian sa manobela at nagsalubong ang kanyang kilay.

"Paano kung si Sebastian nga ang nasa harap mo, Cara? Can you even handle him?" Tanony niya. "Aren't you scared of him anymore? Hindi ka ba natatakot sa pwede niyang gawin sayo? He is crazy over you even the time have passed away... At kahit anong gamot—hindi mababago ang nararamdaman—"

"Nararamdaman?! More on, he is fvcking selfish!" Sigaw ko dito.

"Stop shouting!" Sita niya. "I can here you loud and clear! Pero kung Sebastian ang nasa harap mo at hinalikan mo pa—baka kanina ka pa nakahiga sa back seat!"

I... was shocked with his confession. I was confused at naniwala saglit na baka siya nga si Silver and he is just being nice to me. Na baka ako nga ang mali.

Me and Sebastian in the back seat.. Oh my gosh.

"So sit fvcking still and don't do anything wrong! Don't even try kissing me again, because you won't like it. Isa pa, Cara!"

"B-Bakit!? Anong gagawin mo?!" Tinapangan ko ang sarili.

"Just... shut the fvck up! I am not Sebastian! I am fvcking Silver for pete sake!"

"But what about that kiss—"

"Lalaki lang ako! You are a beauty—"

"See?! You are Sebastian! Akala mo ay matatapos lang 'to sa halik? Hangga't hindi ka umaamin at umaalis dito, hindi kita tatantanan!"

Imbes magalit ay nagulat ako sa reaksyon nito.

He chuckled.

"Go ahead Cara. Wag mo akong tantanan. I love that."