ANG SUPER TIGANG KONG BOSS [THAT MANYAKIS CEO SERIES 2] SPG 🔞

CHAPTER 12

Tahimik sa loob ng kotse. Wala ni isang salita mula sa amin ni Draemon. Tanging tunog lang ng malamig na aircon at mahinang pwersa ng gulong sa kalsada ang naririnig. I was clutching my clutch bag too tight, as if holding it would keep me from falling apart again.

I glanced at him—hands on the steering wheel, eyes on the road. Calm. Steady. Pero ramdam ko ang tension sa pagitan naming dalawa. Hindi galit. Hindi din judgment. Just... weight. Like something unspoken was sitting between us.

Hindi ko na kayang tiisin.

“Sorry,” I whispered.

Hindi siya agad sumagot. Pero bumagal ang takbo niya.

“For what?” tanong niya, still not looking at me.

“For… everything,” I said, voice cracking. “For putting you in that situation. For dragging you into this drama. For letting myself hope. For being selfish.”

He sighed, still gentle. “You’re not selfish, Pinky.”

“Pero I messed up,” tuloy ko. “I flirted with someone na may fiancée. I allowed myself to feel something kahit alam kong mali. I broke a woman’s trust. I—”

“Stop,” he said, quietly but firmly. “Stop punishing yourself.”

Lumingon siya saglit sa’kin, his eyes softening. “You were honest. You followed your heart. That doesn’t make you a villain. That just makes you… human.”

Napapikit ako. “Pero parang ako ang sumira sa lahat.”

Draemon didn’t reply for a while. Tinapik niya lang ng marahan ang signal, then turned left sa mas tahimik na kalsada. “You didn’t ruin anything, Pinky. You just woke something up that was already broken.”

Tahimik ulit.

His words made me think.

Baka nga totoo. Maybe hindi ako ang dahilan. Maybe si Ismael at Callie ay matagal nang may lamat. Maybe ako lang ang naging salamin sa problemang matagal nang tinatakpan.

But that didn’t make it hurt less.

Huminga ako ng malalim, at pilit kong pinakalma ang sarili ko. “You deserve someone better than this mess, Draemon.”

“I’m not asking for someone perfect,” sagot niya. “I just want someone real.”

That made me look at him. “And you think I’m real?”

“I know you are,” he answered. “You wear your heart like armor. But I see you, Pinky. I see how hard you try to stay strong kahit wasak na wasak ka na. I see how much you care, even when it hurts.”

My throat tightened.

Bakit ganon?

Bakit sa bawat salitang binibitawan niya, parang unti-unting gumuguho ang guilt ko?

“Draemon…”

“You don’t have to say anything,” he cut in gently. “Hindi kita pinupush. I just want to be here. If you’ll let me.”

Hindi ko alam kung bakit pero gusto kong umiyak ulit. Hindi dahil sa sakit, pero dahil sa ginhawa. Sa kauna-unahang pagkakataon ngayong gabi, I didn’t feel like I had to pretend.

Pagliko niya sa kalye papunta sa house ko, I let out a shaky breath. “I really thought he was the one.”

“Maybe he was,” Draemon said. “But maybe he’s not the one meant to stay.”

Huminto kami sa harap ng building ko. Hindi siya bumaba agad. Hindi rin ako.

Tahimik lang kami ulit.

Pero this time, hindi mabigat ang katahimikan. Hindi awkward. It was like... space. A moment to breathe.

“You sure you’re okay to go up alone?” tanong niya.

I nodded. “Yeah.”

But I didn’t move.

I looked at him, really looked.

His jaw was tense, pero hindi galit. His eyes were tired, but warm. And somehow, even after all this, I felt safe.

“Thank you,” bulong ko. “For tonight. For everything.”

“Always,” he replied.

Bumaba na ako ng kotse, pero bago ko tuluyang isara ang pinto, tumingin ako sa kanya one last time.

And I meant it when I said, “You’re a good man, Draemon.”

Ngumiti siya, maliit lang, pero totoo.

“I’ll see you soon, Pinky.”

At doon ko lang na-realize… maybe he was right. Maybe Ismael was not the one meant to stay.

Tahimik sa opisina kinabukasan. Mas tahimik kaysa sa dati. Parang kahit ang aircon nahihiya mag-ingay. Ako rin. I tried to keep my head down, busying myself sa mga reports, schedule, at kung ano pa mang kalokohang dapat kong tapusin bilang secretary ni Mr. Ismael Rivera.

Pero kahit gaano ko man gustong mag-focus, hindi ko maiwasang hindi maramdaman ang bigat ng paligid. Lalo na 'pag nararamdaman kong nakatingin siya sa akin mula sa loob ng glass wall ng opisina niya. Hindi ko siya matingnan. Hindi ko kaya.

Ilang beses na siyang lumabas ng opisina niya, kunwari may tinatanong. Pero alam kong hindi lang 'yon. Gusto niya akong kausapin. Gusto niyang humingi ng tawad. Pero ako? Hindi pa ako ready.

Hindi ko alam kung dahil ba sa guilt, o dahil may nagising sa akin na mas malalim.

Last night was a mess.

That dance… those slow steps, his arm on my waist, the way his fingers slightly pressed my back—sobrang nakakakilig. I didn’t expect it. And I shouldn’t have let myself fall into it. Pero andun na eh. Andun na ‘yung moment na parang lahat ng gusto ko kay Sir Ismael, unti-unting nagiging totoong totoo.

Pero dumating si Callie. At ‘yon ang bumalikwas ng lahat.

Ang sampal. Ang sigawan. Ang mga matang galit na galit. Para akong binuhusan ng malamig na tubig. Bumalik ang katotohanan: Fiancé niya si Callie. Ako? Secretary lang.

Ngayon, kahit magkasama kami ni Mr. Rivera sa iisang opisina, may guhit na sa pagitan naming dalawa. Isa siyang CEO. Isa akong babaeng nabulabog ng sariling panata.

“Pinky, okay ka lang?” tanong ni Draemon habang dumaan sa desk ko. Suot niya ang navy blue suit na lagi niyang dala—mamahalin, tailored, at parang laging galing sa fashion magazine. Pero kahit gaano siya ka-formal, ‘yung mga mata niya, laging mainit ang titig sa akin. Parang ako lang ang tinitingnan niya sa buong floor.

Ngumiti ako, pilit. “Oo naman, m

Mr. Investor.”

Tumigil siya sa harap ko, may hawak na kape. “Di ko alam kung investor pa ‘ko o bodyguard mo.”

Natawa ako ng kaunti, kahit di ko gusto. “Bakit, iniisip mong palitan career mo?”

“Depende. Kung ikaw ang boss, oo.”

Napapikit ako saglit. Lately, si Draemon ang palaging nando’n. When I felt confused, he was quiet. When I was lost, he offered directions. When I was slapped in front of a hundred people, he was the one who drove me home—walang tanong, walang hirit, walang kahit anong panghusga.

Pero kahit na andun siya, kahit sobrang bait at halatang may gusto siya sa’kin… may parte sa’kin na nakakapit pa rin kay Mr. Rivera. And that’s what’s killing me.

Lumingon ako sa office. Mr. Rivera was at his desk, pero halatang restless. His pen tapping, his eyes flicking to the door. Hindi niya ako tinitingnan, pero ramdam ko na gusto niya akong kausapin.

At hindi ko alam kung ano ang mas nakakasakit—‘yung hindi niya ako kinakausap, o ‘yung alam kong gusto niyang gawin ‘yon pero hindi niya kaya.

Nilingon ko si Draemon, at sinubukang ngumiti ulit. “May kailangan ba tayo pag-usapan tungkol sa project?”

“Oo. May proposal ako na baka gusto mong i-review. Branded content, webinars, exclusive perks para sa mga loyal readers. I want you to be part of it.”

Napakurap ako. “Ako?”

Tumango siya. “Ikaw ang mukha ng team. You know the publication better than anyone. Trust ko ‘yong instinct mo.”

Natahimik ako.

He trusts me.

Ismael hides me.

Draemon lifts me.

Ismael complicates me.

Napahawak ako sa dibdib ko. Ang gulo. Ang bigat. Pero kailangan kong pumili. Kailangan kong huminga.

“Sige,” sabi ko, mahina. “Let’s set a meeting. Bukas… of course I'll tell Mr. Ismael about this. I really want to have this branded content with the Nike brand…” hirit pa niya.

“Of course,” he said with a smile. “At kung may kailangan ka... kahit hindi work-related, you can call me.”

Tumango ako. Then he walked away.

Naiwan akong naguguluhan. Gusto kong umiyak. Gusto kong magsisigaw. Pero wala akong lakas. So I sat there, still, hoping that one day... I wouldn’t feel torn between a man who couldn’t fight for me and another who’s willing to.

At sa dulo ng araw, habang papalabas ako ng office, dumaan ako sa harap ng opisina ni Mr. Rivera. Nagkataong lumabas siya ng pintuan, at nagtagpo ang mga mata namin. Saglit lang. Pero sapat na para maipasa ang lahat ng gustong sabihin.

“Pinky,” he said, softly. “Can we talk?”

Ngumiti ako, pero ramdam kong walang buhay ‘yon. “Sorry, Sir. Maybe some other time.”

And I walked away.

Ang totoo? Gusto kong bumalik. Gusto kong sabihin sa kanyang mahal ko siya. Pero hindi sapat ang gusto. Kailangan ko rin ng respeto. At kung hindi niya ako kayang ipaglaban, I’d rather walk away… kahit masakit.