Blazing Mirror

BM8

I tiptoed while walking when I heard Sage's voice. Ngayon ko lang ulit siya nakita simula nang pumunta kami sa orphanage ni Astrid. Nasa backyard sila at ng ama ni Astrid. Looks like they're talking some serious matter.

Ang aga naman yata ni Sage? It's just 8 o'clock in the morning. I want to eavesdrop, but I don't have much time left. I'm chasing Daven's schedule dahil ngayon ang check-out niya sa hotel na pansamantalang tinutuluyan niya.

I offered him to stay much longer on that hotel and I'll pay all the expenses. But guess what? He declined. He needs my help! Well, that's Daven and his pride. Tsk.

Hindi pa man ako makalabas sa frontdoor nang kalabitin ako ng isang maid. Kaagad siyang napayuko nang makitang nairita ako sa ginawa niya.

"What?" mahina ngunit madiin kong tanong.

"K-kailangan niyo pong kumain ng agahan, kundi… ako po 'yong mapagagalitan ni Sir at Manang," nagkaunda-utal niyang wika habang nakayuko pa rin.

Astrid is 28 years old, for pete sake's, but his father and their mayordoma are acting like Astrid is just an infant! Ganito ba talaga sila ka-istrikto? They treasured Astrid that much, huh?

"I'll have my breakfast outside. 'Yan ang isagot mo kapag nagtanong." Tumikhim ko at pumunta na sa garahe kung saan nandoon ang sasakyan ni Astrid.

Kaagad ko itong pinaharurot papunta sa hotel. I need to win his trust again! Bukod kay Daven ay wala na akong ibang taong pinagkakatiwalaan at pagkakatiwalaan pa. My only problem is… I should persuade him in this instant. I don't have much time left. I only have three days left and this is the fourth day since I've been chasing him.

"What?" hindi makapaniwalang tanong ko sa babae sa frontdesk nang sabihin niya sa aking kaninang bukang-liwayway pa nag check-out si Daven.

Fuck! I thought 10 am ang check-out niya! I should have known better. Sinadya niyang umalis sa hotel na ito nang maaga para hindi ko siya maabutan!

Daven is a pain in the ass. I don't know when his heart will be softened to me again!

I immediately called the detective's number to track down Daven's location. Pity you, Dav, because you know how persistent I am when I want something.

"He’s still in the same hotel and he's on the rooftop right now." Then he hangs up.

Rooftop? Anong ginagawa niya roon? I glared at the receptionist. Is she lying to me? Whatever! Kaagad akong sumakay sa elevator nang bumukas ito.

When I arrived at the rooftop, there are so many people out there. Swimming, eating their breakfast, and taking pictures using the breathtaking view as their background. Mula dito, kita mo ang boung Laguna.

I roamed my eyes around, trying to find Daven. Ano pa ba kasing ginagawa niya rito? Nag-check-out na siya diba? My eyes rolled when I saw almost all people right here are foreign.

Paatras na sana ako nang makabunggo ako ng tao. Para akong nabuhayan nang marinig ang pamilyar na boses. Sinalubong ko siyang ng napakalapad na ngiti nang humarap ako sa kanya.

His brows immediately furrowed.

"Alexa—Ms. Claveria, what are you doing here?" matigas niyang tanong.

I rolled my eyes before I wrapped my arms around his arms. Trying to tame him using my charms. Hindi ko alam kung tatalab pa ba iyon sa kanya.

"Please forgive me, Dav!"

Nagpalinga-linga siya bago niya ako hinila papunta sa isang malaking vase. He massaged the bridge of his nose, frustrated. Alam na alam ko kung ano ang ibig sabihin ng mga galaw niya.

"Umalis ka na rito! My client and your company is a rival. I don't want to lose this big client of mine just because of you! How many times have I told you, Ms. Claveria, that you and I don’t know each—"

"We know each other!" paasik kong wika sa mga salita niyang paulit-ulit.

We don't know each other. Nakakaumay ang mga salitang 'yan.

"No, we're not! I don't know you—"

"What is happening here?"

Our jaws were both clenched when we heard that voice. Kaagad kaming nag-iwas ng tingin nang magsalubog ang mga mata namin. Alam kong kilala na niya ang fianceé ni Astrid.

Nang walang sumagot sa tanong ni Sage ay siya na mismo ang pumagitna sa ‘min ni Daven. Nakita ko kung paano namungay ang mga mata niya nang makita ang mukha ni Daven. It looks like he's trying to analyze Daven's face.

"Mr. Besabella, can you please keep your fiancé close to you? She's trying to annoy me every day," walang hiyang wika ni Daven na animo'y binubuking ako kay Sage.

I glared at what he did. Sinulyapan niya muna ako bago niya kami tinalikuran.

"Chinky asshole," I mumbled.

Sinundan ko siya ng tingin bago humarap kay Sage na mukhang may iniisip.

"Ano ba kasing ginagawa mo rito?!" I asked him in a thin voice.

He smirks. "Don't tell me, you spent your one-week vacation on this?" There's an irritation in his voice.

Napasapo ako sa aking noo. "Look wala kang pakealam kung anong gawin ko sa buhay. Sinusundan mo ba ako?"

His brows are still furrowed. "Your father commanded me to do this because you were acting suspicious lately!"

I stilled. f**k! f**k! I was too occupied on Daven kaya hindi ko na namamalayan ang mga ginagawa ko!

He mocked me when he sees my reaction. "Looks like I caught you off guard, huh?"

I took a one-step and slightly crumbled his hair. "Sage, wala kang pakealam sa mga gagawin ko." Kung may isang bagay man akong gusto sa kanya, 'yon ay ang kanyang buhok. He looks so good in a curtain hair. "I didn't even give a damn you falling in love with someone else." I pushed him using my index finger. Kita ko kung paano umigting ang panga niya roon. "Umuwi ka na dahil may gagawin pa akong importante."

Then I flipped my hair before turning my back. I know that he wouldn't listen to me. Kaya hindi na ako nagtaka nang marinig ko ang mga yapak niya.

"Who's that guy? He looks familiar to me..." He whispered the last sentence but I can still hear it.

"Ask him, malay mo sagutin ka niya," pasuplada kong sagot na siyang ikinatahimik niya.

I noticed this on myself. Whenever I'm with him, my mood always changes from time to time.

HALOS kalahating oras na ang nagdaan at hindi pa rin natatapos ang meeting ni Daven. Tatlong table ang pagitan ng layo namin. My hands were now on my cheeks, bored waiting on when they will be finished. Habang si Sage naman ay nakatitig pa rin kay Daven, para na ngang malulusaw si Daven sa mabibigat niyang titig.

Daven didn't notice us because we're wearing sunglasses or sadyang focused lang talaga siya sa kausap niya. Daven is a passionate type of person. Kung tinanggap lang sana niya ang alok ko, though hindi pa niya alam kung bakit kinukulit ko siya, I'll persuade Astrid's father to invest in his small business. Daven's business is car shipping. Well, I know how obsessed he is when it comes to cars.

Pagod kong nilingon si Sage, still staring at Daven. I waved my hands right in his face.

"Baka matunaw!" pagbibiro ko.

"I think I saw him in Korea when I'm in middle school," he stated still looking at Daven.

"Nag-aral ka pala sa Korea?"

Mabilis akong napaayos sa pag-upo nang makitang lumitaw ang pagkalito sa mukha niya. Here you go again, Alexandra!

Kumunot ang noo niya. "You know about it, Astrid."

"Uhm..." My lips pursed, think Alexandra! I smirked when someone popped up in my thought. "I forgot, and blame yourself for giving me heartache," panunuya ko sa kanya.

Of course, he didn't buy it. Kaya ako na lang mismo ang nag-iwas ng tingin. It’s so hot in here! Pinaypayan ko ang aking sarili gamit ang mga kamay ko nang makita ang bata, struggling to get her toy from the pool at kapag pilit pa niyang abutin 'yon tiyak akong malulunod siya.

I run fastly as I could just to save her. Ngunit bago pa man ako makaabot sa kanya ay nasira ang takong ng suot kong heels. Madulas ang sahig dahilan para mahulog ako sa pool and my head hit on stairs of the swimming pool.

"Alexandra!"

"Astrid!"

Before my eyes closed, I saw two silhouettes of a man swimming in my direction, habang ang aking katawan ay hinihila na pababa.

"I WON’T go home until she wakes up!"

"This wouldn't happen if you just paid your debt!"

Pagbabangayan nina Sage at Daven ang siyang narinig ko nang dahan-dahang bumukas ang mga talukap ko. Daven was the first who noticed me kaya kaagad siyang dumalo sa akin.

"Are you okay? Tell me where it hurts?" His face is full of worries.

"I'm okay," mahinang sagot ko, and to my surprise, there's a bandage rolling on my head.

"I'll call the doctor!" pahayag ni Sage. Worry is visible on his face too.

Ilang minuto ang lumipas bago dumating ang doctor kasama si Sage. Nakatingin lang sa 'kin ang dalawa habang sinusuri ako ng mga doctor at nurse.

"I didn't expect you'll wake up after three days. I expected it to be two days. Mabuti na lamang at minor injury lang ang nangyari sa iyo. Please, Ms. Claveria, stop thinking too much because it will affect the parts of your brain that were slightly moved because of the accident," the Doctor said before he bids goodbye.

Tatlong araw akong tulog? Damn, what about my plan?

Nalaman ko kay Sage na kung bakit silang dalawa ang nadatnan ko ay dahil nasa bahay ang ama ni Astrid. Umuwi muna ito saglit dahil hindi ito nakapagpahinga simula nang sinugod ako rito. Hindi na rin umuwi si Daven simula nang mangyari ang aksidente. Syempre, wala naman siyang ibang uuwian pa.

Astrid's father thinks that Daven is indebted to me kaya ko siya kinikita. And I guess Astrid's father buys that. I guess I'll benefit from this accident.

"Sage, can you please leave us?" pakiusap ko kay Sage nang kaming tatlo na lamang ang naiwan.

He's hesitating but he still nodded. Before he leaves the room he glared deadly at Daven. Kaagad ni-lock ni Daven ang pinto at pinaulanan ako ng sermon.

"What did I told you?! Stop bugging me! Tingnan mo tuloy ang nangyari, Alexandra!"

I don't know but it feels good to be called Alexandra again.

I mocked at his litany. "It's because you don't want to talk to me! You know how persistent I am, Dav!"

He sighed deeply, stating that he lost. "You make me worried too much! Ano ba kase ang gusto mong sabihin? Talk."

Kahit nahihirapan ay pilit akong bumangon. He immediately guided me to sit down in the bed, I tapped the space beside me, wanting him to sit beside me so that we could talk sincerely. Nang makaupo siya ay kaagad kong kinuha ang mga kamay niya.

"Help me to get revenge—"

Napahiyaw ako sa gulat nang bigla siyang tumayo at napasapo sa noo. "Na-aksidente ka na at lahat lahat, pero 'yan pa rin ang iniisip mo?!"

"You know this plan, Daven, before all of this happened!" Bahagyang tumaas ang boses ko. I'm annoyed at what he said!

"I can't help you—"

"Why?!"

"Anong bakit, Alexandra?! Your mind is just closed with the thought…" He was pacing back and forth, in my front. Ngunit napatigil nang makita ang pamumuo ng mga luha ko sa aking mga mata.

Hindi ko alam pero naiiyak ako sa mga sinasabi niya. I thought he'll always be on my side forever. Hinawakan niya ang magkabilang balikat ko ngunit binaklas ko ito.

"Sabihin mo lang kung ayaw mo akong tulungan, Daven. With or without your help, I still want to have my revenge—"

"Revenge is just a shallow thing—"

"How can my revenge be shallow when I know how my heart is full of hatred right now, Daven? Maraming nasira dahil dito! My biological mother's life! My foster mother's life and especially my life! Nasira nang dahil sa aksidenteng 'yon. If you were in my shoes right now, alam kong 'yan ang gagawin mo!" Napaupo siya sa sahig habang nakatingin sa mga mata kong puno ng apoy at galit. "After 11 years, nakita ko na ang taong sumagasa sa ina ko—she killed my mother, to be exact. Do you know what angered me the most? She didn't pay for what she did, Dav! Hindi siya nakulong! Hindi nabigyan ng hustisya ang pagkamatay ng ina ko! She was living her life as if nothing happened, as if she didn't kill someone!" Lahat ata ng inipon kong galit at sama ng loob ay napalabas ko. "I've devoted my whole life to this and you want me to back out? Never!"

"Alexa…"

"I even put my face in this line! So tell me how shallow my revenge is?!" I'm mad at what he said about my revenge but my voice can tell that I'm tired. "At sasayangin ko lang because for you, my revenge is shallow? Ngayon pa na I have everything that I need? Power, money, and connections!"

Nakayuko lamang siya, ashamed on what he said.

"So now get out in this room. I won't nag you anymore. Expecting that you'll be on my side after you'll hear my story, is my mistake. At tama ka, let's pretend that—"

"No, Alexandra!" Napatayo siya at masuyo akong niyakap.

Bumuhos lahat ng luha ko sa ginawa niya. I heard his little sob too. "I'm sorry If I resented you." He mumbled a thousand words saying he is sorry for taking his back on me.

Alam ko kung ano ang dahilan kung bakit ako umiiyak ngayon. Galit at poot. Hindi dahil kay Daven kundi para kay Avilianna Castillo.

"Let's have the revenge that you badly wanted. I won't leave you anymore," linya ni Daven na siyang nagpahinto sa ‘kin sa pag-iyak.

The war is really starting.

"I will forever choose revenge, Daven. I will heal in hell."