Programmed Wife

Chapter 22

"Musta kayo ng jowa mong hilaw?" Roca asked in a very sarcastic tone. Kasalukuyan silang kumakain sa may cafe ng matalik na kaibigang si Leyla. The two have been unwinding at the cafe or at some restaurant every afternoon after their working hours. They needed this after a very long and stressful day.

Roca was always fond of partying and going out. Pero bago ang lahat ng ito kay Leyla. Poor Roca had to convince her every now and then just to drink inside a cafe for at least ten minutes. It took her almost two weeks! Luckily the sweet and innocent Leyla took her father's advice to go out more and to be more open into doing normal fun stuff.

She's always been the super on the dot, goody two shoes. Wala siyang ibang alam na puntahan kung hindi sa trabaho o sa bahay niya. Ganoon lang talaga siya ka- boring. Mas gusto pa niya ang magluto ng kung ano man at ipatikim ito sa mga tao na malalapit sa kan'ya.

Kung hindi kay Roca, si Rui naman ang target niya. Lalo pa at hindi pa umaalis si Rui sa opisina, doon lang talaga siya natutulog magmula noong may baliw na babaeng nanloob sa bahay niya. He was traumatized by that. It brought up too much memories that are disgustingly so hard to wipe out.

"Jowa na hilaw naman ngayon?" sagot niya sa tanong ng babae. "Kailan mo ba titigilan ang kaiisip na may relasyon kami ni Sir Rui? Kung meroon man, siguro ang malinaw, magkaibigan? Mukhang pwede na ganoong level ang ngayon."

"Ano ba? Sobrang tindi ng chemistry niyo teh! Parang daig pa si Einstein!"

"Chemistry? Shouldn't it be Antoine Lavoisier?"

"Ha?" Roca asked, scratching her head. "Sinong Antoine? Jowa mo na legit?"

"Antoine Lavoisier? The father of modern chemistry?"

"Tukneneg ka gagi, 'wag kang masyadong matalino! Anong father of modern sh*t ka d'yan! Dapat sariling tatay lang 'yong kinikilala natin, 'wag 'yong gan'yan na may kung anu-ano pa Diyos ko! Tumataas 'yong presyon ko!"

"If you don't know it, just say so. Ang dami mo pang sinasabi para makalusot ka," biro ni Leyla.

"Heh, iniiba mo lang ang usapan. Kumusta na nga? Hindi pa ba kayo aamin ni Sir?"

Leyla shook her head fast.

"Baka naman the next thing I know, buntis ka na!"

"Pregnancy can only take place if-"

"Okay! Okay! Bleep! Bleep! May mga bagay na hindi na natin kailangan i-explain Leyla! Ano ba 'yan, hindi ko kinakaya!"

"Oh, hahaha!" the two laughed it off. "Nasanay ako na mag-correct palagi sa mga kapatid ko pasensya na, nagagawa ko pa rin paminsan 'yong ganon na biglaang pag-explain lalo na sa mga facts. I just got so used to it." she reasoned out.

"Sanay ka na- teka, hindi ba nakakapagod 'yon? Paano kung hindi mo naman din alam kung ano ang tama na sagot or kung ano ang tamang explanation?"

"I have to know everything, I need to have the reason to anything. Kailangan alam ko ang lahat ng puwedeng kasagutan, kailangan naiintindihan ko para maipasa ko sa iba. Ganoon ako pinalaki ng Papa ko."

"Nalayo na naman tayo sa usapan natin kanina! Nabalik tayo sa usapang tatay!" napailing nalang si Roca bago malokong nagliwanag ang mga mata. "Speaking of Daddy, hindi ka pa ba pinaparinggan ni Mr. Rui?"

"Talking about him again, I see. Hindi na ba talaga kayo titigil para lang maagaw sa akin ang boyfriend ko?"

Parang kabuti nalang kung sumulpot si Shiela. Hindi niya talaga maatim na dumaan sa harapan nitong cafe at magpatuloy sa pag-uwi noong makita niya ang dalawang kinaiinisan. Parang kumulo ang dugo niya kahit na wala naman talagang ginagawa ang mga ito laban sa kan'ya.

"Shiela, hindi ka pa ba nagsasawa? Ilang beses ka na ba sumulpot, nang away at nanalo? Nangyari na ba 'yon sa'yo?" Roca asked calmly, but all it did was to trigger her even more. Making her almost burn in anger while pulling the seat beside Leyla.

Walang emosyon siyang pinanood ng dalaga. Leyla has always been so unbothered by her. She just raises her guard when she can tell that Shiela is being a threat to Rui, but towards herself? Leyla couldn't care less.

"What do you need Shiela? I'm sorry to break it to you but you are not invited at our table, so if you could please just spill it and leave," Leyla stated, with boredom in her voice. Halata na talagang wala naman siyang pakialam sa kahit anong kuda nitong Shiela na ito.

"Stop flirting with my boyfriend!" sigaw sa kan'ya ng babae. Bago pa mahablot ni Shiela ang inumin sa lamesa ay inunahan na siya ni Leyla. She held her cup with her left hand, keeping it far away from Shiela.

"The audacity," she remarked. "So now you want to use the drink that I bought to pour onto me? Aren't you a bit too cheap?" pang-aasar pa ni Leyla.

Hindi nakasagot ang babae na sobrang sama na ng tingin sa kan'ya.

"Shiela once and for all, stop the freaking act. I get it you are a compulsive liar. But please, alam namin ang totoo. 'Wag na kami ang pilitin mo na maniwala. Marami pa naman sigurong iba d'yan na maniniwala pa rin sa kalokohan mo," wika ni Leyla sa kan'ya.

Buong lakas na hinampas ni Shiela ang lamesa gamit ang kan'yang kamay sabay lapag ng cellphone nito.

"Look at these photos!" she screamed, presenting a couple of pictures with her and a very tall guy hanging out together.

"We've been dating for years! 'Wag mo kaming sirain Leyla, mahiya ka naman sa balat mo!"

"Dzai sino 'yan?" Roca asked while examining the photos presented to them. "Bakit puro nakatalikot okaya walang mukha sa picture, ano 'yan guess that pokemon?"

"Rui has been the private type of guy. Hindi niya gusto na kumalat ang balita. Concerned din kasi siya sa safety ko, lalo na ngayon at lalo siyang nakikilala. Dumadami na naman ang mga nababaliw sa kan'ya, mga walang pinag-aralan na kayang gawin ang lahat mapalapit lang sa kan'ya!"

Shiela grinned as she watched Leyla take a look at the photos. She's being too quiet, making Shiela feel the victory that she's been longing to snatch away.

"You do know that Mr. Rui is 6'2" tall right?" Leyla asked out of the blue. Roca and Shiela silently waited for her next words. "In this photo, the man standing right next to you is about 6'5. Plus he is too skinny, his jaw even looking from the small glimpse by the side profile, they're not showing up at all. Paano mo kami balak kumbinsihin na si Mr. Rui 'to?"

Shiela was stunned. Normally her words and these photos are beyond enough to make people believe her crazy made up world. But this is the first time that someone really dissected the facts to make her crumble.

"No-no, hindi ko lang suot 'yong heels ko kaya medyo matangkad siyang tignan d'yan-"

"Well unfortunately, you chose to take a picture beside a door. Mr. Rui is tall, but he's not this tall, plus the clothes... Mr. Rui has never worn anything like this. A simple mint green shirt with a huge word saying "Strongboi" written on it? Are you on drugs?"

"It's... this is what he wears at home! When he's chilling with me-"

"At home, with you?" Leyla cackled. Roca joined in and started laughing hysterically at Shiela's excuses.

"Girl, mahiya ka nga sa sinasabi mo." Roca struggled to say because of her nonstop laughs, "Hindi ka talaga titigil no? Hindi mo nga alam kung ano ang lahat ng nalalaman namin. Lalo ka tuloy nagmumukhang tanga!"

"Ako pa talaga? Roca, kilala mo ako! Mas nauna mo pa akong nakilala kaysa d'yan sa maharot na Leyla na 'yan! Alam mo naman 'di ba? Sa simula pa lang, matagal na akong nililigawan ni Rui. Hindi niya ako pinapabayaan, kahit na anong paninira ang ginawa sa akin ni Leyla!"

"Woah what? Kailan kita siniraan?" Leyla asked.

"Shiela, matagal na nga kitang kilala. Kaya nga sigurado ako na nakabuo ka na naman ng magandang fan fiction d'yan sa utak mo. Ni minsan nga hindi ko pa nakita na lumapit sa'yo si Mr. Andrews eh! Sige nga, kahit kailan ba hinawakan ka na niya?"

Shiela couldn't say a word. Tama naman sila, kahit kailan hindi naman talaga siya nilapitan ni Rui. Wala pa rin siyang nakita na ibang babae na malapit dito. Pero kailan lang, kitang-kita niya kung paano niya ituring si Leyla.

She watched him reach out to his hands to grab the files she's holding, he doesn't even step back when she's being a bit too close to him. Nakita na rin niya na literal na hawak ng lalaki ang kamay ng sekretarya. Pero kahit na ganoon, hindi pa rin siya papayag na matalo, hindi siya papayag na mapahiya. Kahit saan man siya abutin, kailangan niyang panindigan ang sinimulang kasinungalingan. And the only way she knows, is to make Rui fall for her instead.

"When we're alone, he's very sweet to me," Shiela said with conviction. "He's very private so he doesn't show much in the office!"

"Kung ako ang tatanungin mga teh, halatang-halata na si Leyla ang bet ni Sir," instead of a teasing tone, Roca sounded very sincere. "Alam mo ba, ang dami ko nang na- witness, hindi ako magtataka kung biglaan nalang na boom! Ikakasal pala kayong dalawa ni bossing!"

"Ano ba, wala nga kaming relasyon ni Mr. Rui," mabilis na sagot ni Leyla.

Shiela was left with no choice but to continue her act, "See! Leyla, kahit si Roca napapansin na niya, sinisira mo kami ni Rui. May plano kami sa future namin, ayaw ko naman talaga na ipahiya ka or ganito na parang inaaway kita, pero please... as a woman you should understand me."

"You really don't understand huh?" Leyla looked like she had enough. "We can end all this nonsense right now."

Leyla took out her own phone to dial the most contacted number on it, the two other girls watched as she placed it on the table to show that she's calling Rui.

"Mr. Rui," Roca said and gasped. She even pressed the loud speaker button to hear the loud ringing as she turned to look at Shiela who's visually breaking into sweat. "Magdasal ka na 'wag sumagot teh!"

"Hello?" the signature deep and raspy voice answered the phone call. Shiela was about to end the call but Leyla stopped her hand in an instant and forced it down to rest on her own lap.

"Mr. Rui, do you have a girlfriend?" direkta nitong tanong.

Rui was silent, a little too surprised with the sudden question, "What?" he asked.

"Sir, may nagpapakilala kasi sa akin na girlfriend niyo raw po-"

"Who the hell? I'm single."

Roca immediately stood up to start twerking while sticking her tongue out to piss off Shiela even more.

"Okay po Sir, noted."

"Where are you? Why are you not home yet?"

The three women stopped at once. Roca was shocked to hear her boss sound that sweet and concerned, plus he sounded so used to talking to Leyla this way. Shiela looked horrified to hear the conversation while glaring at Leyla. The secretary bit her lower lip. She's used to talking to him casually at this point, they often joke around too. But she did not expect him to ask about that while he's on speaker.

Her hand was about to snatch the phone and end the call but Roca immediately held on to her so tightly.

"Sir! Uh- meeting tomorrow at ten-"

"What will you cook tomorrow?"

"Sir!"

Shiela gasped so hard that she almost threw up.

"Why are you screaming? Are you okay?"

Hindi pa rin makawala si Leyla sa pagkakayakap ng kaibigan, "Yes, yes Sir I'm okay. Sir puwede po ba na pakibaba na 'yong tawag, hindi ko po kasi mapatay for some reason."

"Is your phone broken? I have a spare one at home, kunin mo mamaya-"

"Sir patayin niyo na po please!"