When He Left Me (When Series #1)

Chapter 1

Third Person's P.O.V

(2020)

It’s been almost three weeks mula nang makatanggap si Allysandra ng email mula sa isang kumpanya na in-applyan niya na tanggap na siya. Sa loob ng tatlong linggo, napag-kasya niya ang pera na galing pa sa side line niya at mga scholarships na in-applyan niya noong college.

In a young age, she started to live independently, kasi wala siyang choice. Gusto niyang mag-aral, kaya kinailangan niyang mag-sumikap. Wala nang tutulong sa kaniya. Walang Tita Celeste, walang Haven. Siya lang mag-isa.

Kung hindi pa inuring ang demanda sa kaniya ng parents ni Haven, baka sa bilangguan nalang siya pupulutin.

“Miss Fernandez, tapos na ba ‘yung mga documents na kailangan for the approval?” Agad na kinalkal ni Ally ang mga papers na tapos na niya days before pa ng deadline.

She’s trying to impress her boss for she’s only new to her job and she can’t afford to lose it. She graduated this year so technically, she’s a freshy who’s already working in order to provide for herself. Again, wala siyang choice.

Hindi madali bago niya nakuha ang trabahong ito, dahil nga wala pa siyang experience at isang malaking publishing company as an editor agad ng mga magazines, books and even newpaper ang pinasukan niya, kaya she’s doing her best to make a good impression and to maintain it.

The morning was barely starting at wala pang gaanong tao sa office nila and even sa buong building. Hindi dahil late ang mga workers, but dahil sobrang aga lang talaga ni Allysandra.

Dahil nga maaga siya, she didn’t even bother to eat her breakfast. Not because she forgot to, but because she intended not to, dahil nagtitipid siya at naisip niyang magbrunch nalang.

Isa pa, breakfast is time consuming. Kapag naman minadali niya, magkakaroon lang siya ng indigestion. So her only option is to skip it.

Ayaw na ayaw niyang humihingi ng tulong simula noon pa man, lalo na ngayon.

She just hates being a burden to anyone.

She’s still blaming herself every day sa nangyari kay Haven. She cannot just forget how he smiled that day that breaks her heart every day and being independent and responsible is the least she can do to punish herself in a way that makes her a better person.

While working on a novel she’s currently editing, bigla niyang naramdamang kumulo ang tiyan niya kaya naman tinignan niya ito at parang tangang sinimangutan ang tiyan niya.

“Hoy, bituka. I already fed you kagabi, kaya wala kayong karapatang magreklamo today, okay? Manahimik kayo riyan.” Pangangaral niya sa inosenteng mga bituka niya habang patuloy lang siya sa pagbabasa ng novel.

“Hoy, Sis! Kapag ‘yang mga bituka mo nagsalita pabalik, hay naku! Manginig ka riyan sa takot. Kilabutan ka!”

“Gaga ‘to… As if naman magsasalita ang mga bituka. Anong sasabihin?”

“Aba, malay mo!” hinampas naman siya nito kaya agad niya itong tinignan ng masama.

“Shoo!” She rolled her eyeballs at Stefan--- sa umaga, Stefanie sa gabi. In short, her gay companion here sa work niya.

She doesn’t really socialize, unless needed. She just talks with her co-workers, for them not to think she’s weird, though she doesn’t care, pero she doesn’t want to ruin her image on her work place where her life evolves.

Matapos ang ilang oras, it was finally her lunch break so she fixed her papers before getting up and getting her phone together with her bag atsaka lumabas ng office para maghanap kung saan siya kakain.

“Hay… gastos na naman.” She sighed.

She chose to eat on a fast food chain, than to eat in an expensive restaurant na i-ta-tae rin naman niya after.

She decided to order a breakfast meal together with a combo meal. Isahan niyang kinain ‘yon at agad na pinunasan ang labi niyang nalagyan pa ng sauce ng ala king na kinain niya. Naramdaman niya ang pagka-busog.

Natural. Sino ba naman ang hindi mabubusog sa ka-terbang kinain niya.

Mabilis lang siyang kumain at hindi na nag-abalang pumunta pa sa CR para mag-ayos. Doon na rin siya nag-retouch ng make up at lipstick niya. While doing her eyebrows, it was too unexpected to saw her Tita Celeste entering the fast food chain where she had her lunch.

She was holding a little boy’s hand na sa hula nito ay ang anak niya. Ang laki na niya! Nagtubig ang mga mata ni Allysandra sa thought na her Tita finally has a child na sobrang hinihiling niya dati pa. It’s been five years and still, ang ganda--- lalong gumanda ang Tita niya.

Gustung gusto niyang tumakbo upang yakapin ang Tita niya ang tell her the things she’s been longing to say, pero hindi niya kaya. Nahihiya siya rito. She can’t tell her why she left her house without saying a word.

So she decided to just pretend that this day didn’t happen. Pero her plans weren’t always favored. She sould have known better. Dahil nang mabunggo siya nang isang lalaki habang palabas siya ng kainan na ‘yon. Nang i-angat niya ang tingin niya, it was none other than… her Tito Martin.

He looks expensive and by saying expensive, he now wears signature brands. Well, maybe he finally won the lottery or ‘di kaya, nanalo ito sa sabong o pustahan. Doon siya mahilig, eh. Imposible namang mag-trabaho ang Tito Martin niya, e napaka-tamad at palamunin niya sa Tita Celeste niya mula noon, na sigurado siyang hanggang ngayon.

But she can’t just care much about that now.

“Ang magaling mo palang pamangkin ‘to.” He said, loud enough to get almost of everyone’s attention focus to Ally.

Akmang aalis na ito at hindi nalang papansinin ang ginawa nito when her Tito Martin grabbed her arms that she quickly brushed off na parang may virus ito na ayaw niyang madapuan ang katawan niya.

“Allysandra!” hindi siya lumingon sa Tita niya, “You’re really an ungrateful child!” hindi niya matanggap ang sinabi ng Tita niya, dahil hindi niya alam ang pinagsa-sabi at sinumbong ng Tito Martin niya ngna umalis ito sa bahay nila, kaya napaharap siya sa Tita niya.

“Tita, I know this isn’t the right time for me to just leave, pero I don’t think this is the time for me to tell you everything I wanted to tell you all these years as well.” Ally was about to walk straight back to her office when her Tita’s words stopped her.

“Insulting my husband like that is like stabbing me in the back. I did everything to take care of you, because you’re my Arturo’s daughter… but you’ve proved me wrong na there’s still a little bit of goodness in you. You’re just like your selfish Mom.” A tear fell from her eye, but she didn’t allow the second one to fall.

Ally didn’t talk back. She just walked away from them as far as she could. She doesn’t need to back herself up, because she just realized that her Tita won’t believe anything from her.

She’s convinced that she’s an ungrateful child, like her Mom.

What Mom did even do to make them hate her like this? Does loving someone a sin? I didn’t know being someone’s wife makes you a horrible person…

Her thoughts were clouded as she was walking back on her office. When she arrived on her table, she slapped herself five times to wake herself up in the reality. She quickly opened her back to look for her wallet and opened it, dahil nandoon ang sobre na bigay sa kaniya ni Haven.

She hugged it tight as if it was Haven. He’s gone, but never forgotten.

Stefan gave her a hot tea for a peace offering for teasing her earlier in the morning, so it helped her to calm her nerves, kaya naman she proceeded on working.

In the middle of her editing a novel she’s currently working on, her Chief asked her to read a the documents inside the folder na may medical related ang title, so she rolled her eyes for a second, but tried her best not to show it to her EIC.

“The writer wants to talk directly talk with the book’s editor and I’ve chosen you to do it.”

“Puwede po palang mag-request ng gano’n, Ma’am?” tanong nito, dahil usually, hindi naman pwedeng mag-demand na kausapin ang editor.

“Well, not really. We just treat him as our VIP.” Hindi naman sumagot si Ally at tinitigan lang ang folder, “This is an important job and I know you’ll do it nicely.” Napa-kibit balikat naman si Ally, wondering why she was chosen to be the editor of such an important book.

“Thank you for the opportunity, Ma’am. You won’t regret trusting me.” She sincerely said, dahil hindi niya na naisip pang magtanong pa further. Masaya lang siya, dahil siya ang napili out of all the editors na pwede niyang piliin.

She’s thankful and desperate.

She suddenly starts to feel ill just by thinking na magta-trabaho siya na may hospital na involved, but she, too can’t say no. Hindi siya pwedeng tumanggi sa ganitong task, since she’s then again, trying to impress her higher ups.

Allysandra was a graduate of Bachelor of Arts in Journalism. She took that up, not because she really dreamed of becoming a journalist, but because she didn’t have a choice. BA Journalism was the only course na mayroong slot for scholarship that’s why she grabbed it like a hungry tiger and that makes her an editor today.

Her work hours ended and it felt longer than usual. It was cold and she was outside deciding wether she’d take the bus home or magbo-book nalang ng grab , dahil hindi option ang taxi, kasi walang gaanong dumaraan.

She just doesn’t like to ride buses for a reason. Kaya kahit mahal, gina-grab na niya lang. Magbu-bus lang siya kapag wala na talaga siyang choice at sobrang hindi na kaya ng budget niya.

Habang nasa labas ng building ng pinagta-trabahuan niya, may lasing pa na lumapit sa kaniya na agad niya namang nilayuan.

“Miss, ang ganda mo naman.” Kaagad namang binilisan ni Ally ang paglakas palayo sa lasing.

“Saan ka pupunta, Miss?” amoy na amoy ni Ally ang alak sa lalaki. Mukha itong walang magandang gagawin sa lipunan, kaya hindi alam ni Ally kung paano siya makakatakas.

When a car stopped in front of her, she quickly went inside and told the driver her address; just to be sure it was her grab driver. Umalis na rin ang lasing at hindi na siya sinundan pa.

“Manong, ano pa pong hinihintay niyo?” she irritably asked nang mapansin niyang hindi umaandar ang sasakyan.

Nang silipin niya ang driver sa inis, she was mesmerized. Mesmerized is an understatement, dahil nakita niya ang gandang p*********i ng grab driver niya. Ally isn’t the type na kaagad na maga-gwapuhan sa isang lalaki, but this one is an exemption. The driver was too dashing.

He looked shocked nang Makita niya si Ally, pero she just looked at him straight in his eyes waiting for him to drive her to her location.

“Manong? May balak ka pa bang umalis?”

“I don’t think I look like manong to anyone, Miss. And I’m not your driver so get off of this car right now. The girl I’m fetching might kill me---” akmang lalabas na siya ng kotse after saying sorry, when the guy stopped her.

“Wait.”

“What?”

“Stay.” Nakita niya naman ang babae na nasa labas ng sasakyan na naka-suot ng fitted tube dress at high heels, wearing her heavy make up na para bang pupunta ito sa party or something. Buti nalang at heavily tinted ang kotse, kaya naman hindi sila nito makikita.

“Huh?”

“She’s the one na susunduin ko sana---”

“Good for you, then---”

“And I don’t want to date her, so please, pretend like you know me and be with me lang hanggang umalis siya…” tinitigan niya lang ito, “Help me. Yes?”

“I don’t think I’m getting your point…”

“Look, she’s here and she’s crazily obsessed with me. I don’t like her, but I can’t just tell her that.” Allysandra was convinced that the girl is crazy, because she’s fuming mad right now for not opening the car door for her.

“Alam mo, huwag mo na akong idamay sa mga kaguluhan mo sa buhay, kasi solved na solved na’ko sa mga problema ko---”

“I’ll pay you.” Bigla namang nabuhayan ng dugo si Ally sa sinabi ng poging lalaki, pero hindi niya ‘yon ipinahalata, “10,000 pesos just for staying here and pretending na you know me.”

“Anong tingin mo sa akin? Mukhang pera?”

“I’ll make it double. Please.” Sa sinabi niyang ‘yon nagsulputan ang mga kailangang bayaran ni Allysanra sa utak niya, dahilan para huminga siya nang malalim bago harapin ang lalaki.

“Okay. As long as safe akong maka-u-uwi, fine.”

“Good. Now, open the door.”

Ally was about to open the door, get 20,000 pesos just by pretending that she knows the guy, because she doesn’t want to involve herself in the situation, when he grabbed the back of her head and kissed her after she unlocked the door--- a perfect timing para makita sila ng mukhang higad na babaeng nasa labas.

“Lucas! And you, w***e, come here!” the girl shouted and grabbed Ally’s hair na mistulang isang masamang d**o sa isang hardin.