His Obsession

Chapter 14

Agad kong kinuha ang remote at pinatay ang Tv nang mapansin ko ang paglabas ni Zacheo sa kwarto.

He's done bathing at may kaunting tubig parin na tumatagaktak sa pulido niyang buhok.

He's only wearing black cycling and paired a fitted purple v-neck shirt that hugs his body perfectly.

Naamoy ko pa ang pabango niya nang tabihan niya ako sa sofa at kinuha ang parfait na kinakain ko.

"Why are you pale? Buntis ka na ba?"

Nabulunan ako sa sinabi niya. Agad akong tumakbo patungong kusina at binuksan ang fridge. Kumuha ako ng tubig at mabilis na ininom yun'.

I heaved a sigh.

Bakit ba napaka straight forward niyang magsalita?

He can just ask me why am I pale. Dinagdagan pa talaga nang ganun sa dulo.

Pagkabalik ko sa kusina ay nanonoud na siya ng balita. Good thing the news wasn't that Sabrina earlier. The same channel and news but the headlines wasn't about her anymore.

"Muntik na'kong mamatay ron," i exaggerated.

He scoffed without looking at me. I knew what he was thinking.

I rolled my eyes and glances my eyes in the Tv. It's boring!

Why is he watching news about politics? Tatakbo ba siya sa senado?

"Babalik na tayo sa bahay bukas," out of nowhere he said, still his attention is on the news he was watching.

"Saan yun?" I started asking him sarcastically which made him faced me.

"Malamang sa Morato." At binalik agad ang tingin sa harap niya.

He's pertaining to the island he bought to isolate me. Oh! The memories there were stressedful. May paiyak iyak pa ako roon kasi ang sabi ko hindi ako magkakagusto sa kanya.

I mean, hindi ko naman talaga siya gusto. We just made a deal na kapag natapos kami sa island hoping namin na'to we'll separate ways. And I guess, matatapos narin.

What a good grief. And it sounds refreshing.

"How about sa isa pa nating bahay sa City?"

Sinulyapan niya ako. "What do you mean?"

"De Villa's mansion? The one with a huge garden. A huge living room and kitchen. And where my room was located, sa guest room."

"Yeah right, Anastasia was just sleeping in the guest room while Cinderella is away."

I glared at him intently. I think my blood is boiling when I heard those lines from him.

"So you think me of Anastasia the whole time?" Manginis-nginis kong tanong sa kanya, irritation hits me.

Hello? Hindi ba dapat ako si Cinderella? Ako nga ang inaalipusta ni Donya Bella, his stepmother. I never received any proper treatment from her.

She makes me feel I'm an outcast. A bacteria that should be wiped out away before contaminating them.

"It suits you naman!"

"You find me kontrabida huh?"

I didn't heard him react after that. But all I can see was his lips smirking. Really?

He never failed to insult me even more. What a waste of time talking to him.

At dahil sa inis ko sa kanya, pumanhik nalang ako sa kwarto ko at nahiga nalang. I was staring at the ceiling when I remember the news I've seen earlier.

Im really confused. I want to ask him about it but when he started to insult me, I backout.

I was preoccupied of that thought that I couldn't help myself closing my eyes and sleep. I woke up when it's already past 8.

Pupungas-pungas akong bumangon at lumabas ng kwarto just to be surprised by Zacheo with a woman sitted beside her on the couch.

They stopped talking when they saw me. Halos bumilog naman ang mga mata ko nang mapagtantong ang babaeng kasama niya ay laman ng balita kani-kanina lang.

She was wearing a red summer dress and a pair of red flower crown which suits her well.

"W-who are you?" I asked, innocently.

I already saw her sa cellphone ni Zacheo. But I didn't know her. Sa balita naman kanina ay Sabrina Monterde ang pangalan niya which is hindi rin naman pwede kasi ang kilala kong Sabrina Monterde ay nasa mansion ng mga De Villa. Plus, kamukha iyon ni Vivien.

But this one? I'm not so sure. His sister or cousin na kapangalan ni Sabrina na asawa niya? What a fate.

"I bet you should be the one answering that question of yours?"

Pinasadahan niya ako ng tingin mula ulo hanggang paa. Her gaze screams belittling me. Or was I just mistook what she means?

My forehead knotted. "Ano?"

Maingat siyang tumayo. Napansin ko pa ang pagpigil ni Zacheo sa kanya ngunit nginitian niya lang ang lalaki bago ako lapitan. Still wearing her smile.

"So, ikaw pala ang first love niya?"

"What are you saying?"

She smiled sweetly. "I'm his wife...," inilahad niya ang kamay sa'kin para makipagkilala.

"Sabrina Monterde and you?" She continued without taking off her smile to me.

My forehead knotted from what she said. If she was Sabrina Monterde, then who's that girl Zacheo introduced to us lately?

Zacheo said it was her wife. Did he just play a trick on us?

"Ano to Zeo?!" My gazed landed on him. His face was a total mess.

Halos hindi niya ako mabalingan dahil sa ganap na nangyayari sa amin ngayon. Was it just me who didn't know anything about what's happening?

"Let's eat dinner before we talk about it," he motioned his self into the kitchen but I stopped him from bragging his arm and angled him to face me.

"Can you just explained to me right now? What's happening?"

"I'm hungry!"

Sabrina scoffed. "Come on Zach. Explain it to her. Let her know what's the truth. Stop playing dumb!" The irritation in her voice was showing.

He faced us, without any reaction in his face.

"What do you want to hear? That you're the real Sabrina and that girl I introduced to them was Vivien?"

Oh my God! My energy was consumed by his words. Halos matumba ako sa kinatatayuan ko sa rebelasyon niya sa'min.

"Wait...," i stopped them.

"So all this months, you've been with Vivien?"

"I just helped her!"

"You helped her but in that foolish ideas of yours! I can't believe it Zacheo! You fooled us!"

I gasped as I enter our room. I left them there.

I was still shaking. He helped her? By kidnapping me and let Lucas cared for Vivien?

Kung ganoon, ginawa niya lahat ng 'to para magkabalikan sina Lucas at Vivien. He just uses his excuse that he loves me but the truth was he kidnapped me to gave Lucas and Vivien a time to spend time together.

I wiped my tears when it started to fell.

Alam rin ba ni Vivien ang nangyayari at nagpapanggap lang na wala siyang alam para makasama niya si Lucas?

All this time, they'd planned this to sue me?

How cruel!

Hanggang sa pag-alis namin pabalik sa Morato ay iyon ang laman ng isip ko. Sumakay uli kami ng motor boat paalis sa Sole island hanggang sa Vienvida-Cy. Nag-stay lang kami ng ilang minuto dun' para kumain pagkatapos ay bumyahe na uli kami sakay ng yate ni Kio pauwi sa Morato.

"Give me your hands...," he motioned his hands to guide me pababa sa sinakyan naming yate.

I was about to give my hand to him when I felt Sabrina's hand holding his.

Hilaw akong ngumisi dahil sa nangyari. Akala ko pa naman he was looking for my hands but I was just assuming.

Bakit naman ako mag-e-expect. Malamang asawa niya ang tutulungan niya at hindi ako.

Sinubukan ko nalang bumaba nang hindi nanghihingi ng tulong sa kanya. Tuloy lang sila sa paglalakad patalikod sa'kin. They didn't even bother to faced me nang muntikan na akong matisod dahil naka-apak ako ng bato at natinik ako.

I shrugged my shoulder at binitbit nalang ang packbag ko para masundan na sila.

"I heard best friend mo si Hailey..,"

Sinulyapan ko siya habang kumakain. We are eating in the kitchen silently bago niya naisipang kausapin ako.

"Yeah noon." Tipid kong sagot.

"You're really fond of stealing someone huh?"

I slightly closed my eyes. I was irritated by her existence. Alam ko ang ibig niyang sabihin. I steal Lucas from Vivien and now she thinks I steal her man.

"Wala akong inagaw."

"Playing innocent?"

I sighed at hindi nalang siya pinansin. Si Zacheo naman ay walang imik rin lang na kumakain.

Hanggang kailan ba siya tahimik? Hanggang sa magsabunutan na kami rito ng asawa niya?

"I am the wife here. Zacheo and I planned to fixed our relationships for the better."

Padabog kong binitawan ang kubyertos sa magkabilang kamay ko.

What was she trying to imply?

May pakialam ba ako kung magiging okay na sila? If they'll be together again and lived happily?

"Ano naman..," bitternes was audible in my voice.

I heard her chuckled. She assumed like if I cared. The truth was, wala naman talaga akong pakialam. Ang importante ay makauwi na ako para makita ko na ang kapatid ko. That's what I cared for now. Not them.

"I'm just reminding you baka kasi makalimutan mo kung ano talaga ang papel mo sa buhay niya."

"Kahit ikaw pa ang first love...ako parin ang asawa."

Tuluyan na akong tumayo at iniwan silang dalawa sa kusina.

Hindi nalang talaga ako nilubayan at kailangan pang ipamukha sa'kin na kabit lang ako.

First Love? What was that? We just knew each other lately. Hindi naman ganon katagal yun'.

Bakit hindi nalang si Zacheo ang pagsabihan niya na lubayan na ako. Pakana itong lahat ng babaero niyang asawa. I was just dragged here forcedly at hindi ko ginusto ang lahat ng 'to.

Maghapon akong nakahilata sa kama ko at hindi narin nagpakita sa kanila sa labas. I'm still frustrated to her lalong lalo na kay Zacheo.

Ni hindi niya man lang ako maipagtanggol sa asawa niya. For petes sake, he's been silent for the whole time.

Napatigil lang ako sa pag-iisip nang pumasok si Sabrina sa kwarto namin ni Zacheo at nakangiti lang na tila wala siyang sinabi sakin kaninang pang-iinsulto.

Malumanay akong bumangon at hinarap siya. We're staring each other for a minute before she opened her lips to talk to me.

"I'm going to sleep na. Napagod ako sa byahe kanina..," she uttered.

I raised my brows. "So?" The hell I care.

She smirked. "Hindi ka lang pala tanga. Asyumera ka pa!"

Due to my irritation, I stood up to level our faces. Kung ahas lang ako baka kanina ko pa siya tinuklaw.

"Ano ba'ng problema mo? Selos na selos ka na ba dahil sa ginawa ni Zacheo sa'yo?!" I burst out.

Gosh! Nananahimik lang ako dito eh. Tapos susungit sungitan niya uli ako at iinsultuhin.

"Kung gusto mong matulog. Edi matulog ka! Kailangan mo pa talaga akong bulabugin rito?!" Dagdag ko.

She scoffed. Hindi natinag sa sinabi ko. She even rolled her eyes. Hindi rin ako nagpatinag at inirapan rin siya.

She crossed her hands leveling his boobs.

"This is Zacheo's property! So I have the rights to sue you dahil ako ang asawa!"

"Hindi mo pala talaga gets?"

"Get out of this room kasi inaantok na ako b***h!"

Umalingawngaw ang boses niya sa loob ng kwarto dahilan para mas lalo akong mairita.

So that's what she means. Bakit pa kasi hindi niya ako diniretso. Matino naman akong kausap. She doesn't have to insult me like what she did earlier.

I rolled my eyes bago ko siya daanan para makalabas na ng kwarto. But before I could pass her, she placed her foot in my way so that I fell into the floor.

Manginis-nginis akong tumayo. Only to find out she's already laughing.

"Hindi mo ba nakita ang paa ko?" She asked, still laughing.

I fight the urge not to be intimidate by her pero talagang sinusubukan niya ang pasensya ko. She grabbed my hair and pulled it dahilan upang maluha ako sa sakit nun'

"Pwede ba tumigil ka na?!" I shouted.

"Bakit? Ni hindi mo nga tinigilan ang asawa ko. Nakitira ka pa sa kanya rito! How gold digger you are!"

I closed my fist and gritted my teeth.

"Hindi ako nakitira sa kanya. He—"

"Liar!"

Before I could finish talking, her hands already landed on my left cheek. Napasapo ako sa pisngi ko. Pakiramdam ko ay namula iyon dahil sa lakas ng pagkakasampal niya sakin.

Dahil sa inis ko ay nilapitan ko siya at itinulak dahilan upang mabunggo ang bewang niya sa cabinet.

"What's happening here? S-sab anong nangyari sayo?"

Inalo niya ang babae bago ako titigan ng masama. He couldn't believe what he saw. Mabilis ang paghinga ko dahil sa tinding galit na naramdaman. Kulang pa iyan sa mga insulto at pananakit na natanggap ko sa kanya kanina.

"She's hurting me..," halos mandiri ako sa paraan nang pagsusumbong niya kay Zacheo.

Zacheo faced me. "What did you do to her Charlotte? Are you that mad because she's here with us?"

Umawang ang bibig ko at peke ko siyang nginitian.

Ang bitter ko naman kung ganon. Bakit naman ako magagalit na nagkasama na sila ngayon. I don't even care.

Tuluyan niya nang itinayo si Sabrina at inilalayan paupo sa kama. He even go near me atsaka namewang nang makalapit siya sa'kin.

"What's your problem woman?"

"My problem? Bakit hindi mo tanungin iyang asawa mo kung ano ang problema?"

I leveled my face to him. Hindi ako natatakot sa paraan ng pagsasalita niya. I know his angry dahil sa ginawa ko but can't he balanced the situation? Hindi naman ako gagawa ng bagay na ikagagalit niya kung hindi ako inunahan ng magaling niyang asawa.

"That's what I hated about you! Your attitude!"

Hindi ako makapagsalita at inis ko silang tinitigan. What's the point of asking him kung alam ko naman kung saan siya papanig.

"Magsama kayo!" I couldn't get a hold of myself kaya ay iniwan ko nalang sila sa loob.

"Charlotte where are you going!?"

I didn't bother to faced them bagkus ay diretso lang ako naglakad palabas ng bahay.