One Night Stand With My Husband

"Tangina naman! Ang lalaking inaakala kong fiance ng iba, ay asawa ko?! I have a f*****g one-night stand with my own husband?!" Sumasakit ang ulo ko sa lahat ng nalaman ko. Pakiramdam ko ay kung gagawa ako ng kahit isang maling galaw mula sa aking kinaroroonan, mahuhulog ako sa bingit ng kamatayan. "I'm asking you again, Jordan... Is it true?!" I couldn’t stop myself from shouting. Naalala ko, mayroon kaming perpektong kasal. Mahal ko siya, at mahal niya ako, parang pagmamahal ni Eros kay Psyche. Kaya hindi ko maintindihan kung paano niya ako niloko at ipinagpalit sa aking pinsan na inakala kong kapatid ko! Lahat ba ng ito ay isang kasinungalingan? I thought I knew him. Akala ko ang aming relasyon ay hindi matitinag. Pero ngayon, parang lahat ng pinaniniwalaan ko ay gumuho. How could he throw it all away so easily? "Yes! Happy now?!" The man I’ve loved my whole life shouted back in my face. "Yes, I am your husband, and I cheated on you with your cousin!" Agad na pumatak ang aking mga luha. I stared at Jordan, searching his eyes for any sign that he was lying, that this was all some cruel joke. Ngunit wala akong nakita—walang bakas ng pagsisisi. I shook my head slowly. "Why…" Biglang sumingit si Nicole, ang boses niya malamig at walang pakialam. "Niloko ka niya dahil hindi ka makapagbigay ng tagapagmana, isn’t is simple to comprehend, Amanda?" I turned to her, disbelief etched across my face. "W-What?” Nanatiling tahimik si Jordan, ang tingin niya ay nakatuon sa sahig na parang hindi niya kayang tingnan ako. "He only married you for that," Nicole continued, her words slicing through me like a knife. "He needed someone to give him a child, to carry on his name, and when you couldn't… well, Amanda seemed like the better option." Parang umiikot ang mundo ko, at halos hindi ako makahinga. My mind was racing, trying to comprehend what I had just heard. So, that was it? Lahat ng oras na inilaan ko, ang pagmamahal ko, ang aming kasal—wala palang halaga? All because I couldn’t give him a child? As I stood there, frozen, trying to make sense of Nicole’s cruel words, I sensed someone watching us from the second floor. My eyes landed on Jordan’s parents, standing at the top of the staircase, their gazes piercing through me. Hindi sila nagulat o nagalit. No, it was something else—like they had been in on it all along. Like they were silently condemning me for something I didn’t even know I had failed to give them. My heart pounded in my chest, and I felt the walls closing in. Lahat ba sila ay kasama sa plano? Did they all know? Bago ako makapagsalita, ang malamig na boses ni Nicole ay muling sumira sa katahimikan. "And by the way," she said, a twisted smirk on her lips, "I’m pregnant." Nawalan ako ng hininga. My head snapped toward her, disbelief and horror twisting my insides. Pregnant? With his child? The very thing Jordan wanted from me—something I couldn’t give him, and she... she was carrying it. Malabo ang aking paningin sa mga luha, ang mga binti ko ay parang gustong sumuko. It felt like the final blow, the one that shattered every last piece of me. Hawak ko ang aking tiyan, ang mga mata ko ay mahigpit na nakapikit habang ang lahat ng mga realizasyon ay bumuhos sa akin. Tama si Nana Liza sa lahat. Binigyan niya ako ng babala, hindi ba? Binigyan ako ng babala tungkol kay Jordan, kung paano siya may relasyon sa aking pinsan sa likod ng aking likuran. I dismissed it, thought she was just being overly protective. Pero hindi… sina Jordan at Nicole—naglalaro sila laban sa akin. Gusto nilang mawala ako, para magkaroon sila ng kanilang perpektong mundo nang walang ako na nakaharang sa kanilang daraanan. Then there was my best friend, who once hinted that the Spencer family was only using me, para sa kung ano ang kaya kong gawin—para sa mga pakinabang na dinadala ko sa kanila. I didn’t believe her then, either. But now, standing here, everything made sense. I was nothing more than a tool, a means to an end. Lahat ng ito—ang aking kasal, ang aking pagmamahal, ang aking katapatan—lahat ay kasinungalingan. Jordan handed me the divorce papers, the weight of them pulling my already heavy heart further down. My hands trembled as I took them, my eyes scanning the bold letters at the top, confirming what I already knew. This was the end. Bago ko maipasign, tinanong ko ang tanong na matagal nang bumabagabag sa akin, ang tanong na hindi ko sigurado kung gusto ko ang sagot. "Mahal mo ba talaga siya, Jordan? Mahal mo ba si Nicole?" Ang katahimikan pagkatapos ay napakabigat. Hindi siya sumagot agad. Nakikita ko ang pakikipaglaban sa kanyang mga mata, ang labanan na nagaganap sa kanyang mukha. He couldn’t say it. He didn’t know, or maybe he didn’t want to hurt me any more than he already had. Ngunit bago siya makapagsalita, bago niya maibigay ang katotohanan na masisira pa ang natitirang bahagi ko, tumango ako, pinutol siya. "Huwag," bulong ko, dahan-dahang tumayo. "Wala nang halaga…" I took the pen with shaking fingers, each stroke of my signature feeling like I was carving the final piece of my broken heart out. Nang ibalik ko ang mga papeles sa kanya, for a brief moment, I thought I saw the Jordan I once knew, the man I loved. Ngunit tinanggihan ko iyon. I had to. Whatever guilt or remorse he felt was too little, too late. Hindi nito maibabalik ang pinsala, ang mga kasinungalingan, ang pagtataksil. Pagkatapos kong lagdaan ang mga papeles, tumingin ako kay Nicole, na nakatayo roon na may ningning ng tagumpay sa kanyang mga mata. Kitang-kita ang kanyang kasiyahan, at ito ay isang mapait na paalala ng lahat ng nawala ko. Nagpahinga ako ng malalim, "I wish you all nothing but happiness and peace of mind," sabi ko, ang boses ko ay matatag kahit na ang pagkalito sa loob ko. This was the last thing I wanted to say to her, a sincere wish even if it felt like the cruelest irony. I walked away, leaving behind the remnants of a life that had once been full of love and trust, now shattered beyond repair. – “Sydney and Silvia, stop it.” Pareho silang napahinto sa paglalaro ng mga kagamitan ko nang marinig nilang seryoso na ang boses ko. “I'm sorry, Mymy,” parehong wika nilang dalawa at nakayuko na. I tried to hold back my smile when I saw how Silvia murmured something to her twin, Sydney. In front of me is my treasure—Sydney and Silvia. My twins who are four years old. Si Silvia, ang batang sobrang seryoso at mature, while Sydney is the boy who always goofs around and tries to make his sister laugh. Magkaibang-magkaiba sila, pero they balance each other out perfectly. I knelt down in front of them, making sure to look at their little faces. "What have I told you about playing with mommy’s things?" I asked gently, ayaw ko naman silang pagalitan nang masyado. Silvia immediately responded, her serious little face scrunching up as she recalled. "You said we should only play with our toys, not your important things." I nodded, "Exactly. These things aren’t toys, okay? They can break or hurt you." Sydney, with his usual playful grin, piped up, "But I was just trying to make Silvia laugh! She’s too serious!" He gave his twin a teasing nudge, making Silvia frown. Napangiti ako kahit papaano. Kahit laging nang-aasar si Sydney, he always finds a way to make Silvia feel better. "Okay, okay," I said, giving them both a quick hug. "Pero next time, let’s stick to your toys, alright?" "Yes, Mymy!" sabay nilang sagot, showing me their best angelic smiles. As they ran off to their play corner, I watched them with a soft smile. Kahit minsan magulo at nakakapagod ang mag-alaga ng kambal, sila ang mundo ko, ang kaligayahan ko. Ang sarap maging ina nila. They fill every day with laughter, love, and just the right amount of mischief to keep life exciting. Biglang bumukas ang pinto ng opisina at pumasok si Sylvester. Agad namang napatakbo ang kambal sa kanya. "Daddy!" sabay na tawag nina Sydney at Silvia, malalaking ngiti ang nakapinta sa kanilang mga mukha. Napangiti si Sylvester habang yumuko upang salubungin ang dalawa. "Hey, you two! How's my favorite twins?" tanong niya, sabay yakap sa kanilang pareho. Silvia, as usual, spoke first, "We were just helping Mymy with her work!" "Really? You’ve been helping her, huh?" Sylvester chuckled, ruffling Sydney's hair. "Or were you playing with things you're not supposed to touch again?" Sydney scratched his head sheepishly. "Maybe a little…" I watched them interact. everything, Sylvester had been a great father figure to the twins. He’s not their biological dad, but he’s been there since day one, loving them like they were his own. Lumapit ako sa kanila, "They're always up to something," I said, laughing lightly as I joined the embrace. Sylvester smiled at me, his eyes filled with affection. "Well, as long as they don’t cause too much trouble." He looked down at the twins. "Ready to go home?" "Yes, Daddy!" sabay sagot ng kambal habang sabik na sabik silang humawak sa kamay ni Sylvester. Ngunit bago pa sila makalabas ng opisina, biglang narinig namin ang balita mula sa naka-on nang TV sa gilid ng aking desk. Agad kaming napahinto. "At sa fashion news ngayon, Amanda Winthrop’s company has just received outstanding reviews for its latest collection! It seems that the brand continues to dominate the industry," sabi ng news anchor, nakangiti habang ipinapakita ang mga latest designs ng aking kompanya sa screen. "Amazing!" bulalas ni Sydney habang tinitigan ang TV. "Mymy, you’re the best!" Si Silvia naman, sumang-ayon, "Yeah, Mommy! You're so cool!" Proud na proud silang pareho habang pinupuri ako. Napangiti ako at napatingin kay Sylvester, ngunit bigla kong narinig ang susunod na sinabi ng news anchor, dahilan para mapako ako sa aking kinatatayuan. "At dahil dito, marami ang nagtataka kung patuloy bang mapapantayan o malalampasan ng Spencer Family ang tagumpay ni Amanda Winthrop. As we know, these two have been rivals in the industry for quite some time now!” Agad na naging curious ang kambal. "Mommy, who's Jordan Spencer?" tanong ni Silvia, ang noo'y nakakunot. "Yeah, Mommy, is he your enemy?" dugtong naman ni Sydney, na mas excited pa kaysa sa kapatid. Bigla akong kinabahan, ngunit bago pa ako makasagot, mabilis na kinuha ni Sylvester ang remote at pinatay ang TV. "Okay, that’s enough TV for today," sabi niya, pilit na ngumiti habang sinasalubong ang tanong ng mga bata. "Aww, but Daddy!" protesta ni Sydney, ngunit hindi na siya nakipagpilitan nang makita niyang seryoso si Sylvester. Huminga ako nang malalim, pinipilit ang sarili na hindi magpakita ng anumang emosyon sa harap ng kambal. I wasn’t ready to explain that part of my past yet—especially not to my kids. "Let’s head home, okay?" sabi ko, pilit na ngumiti upang ilihis ang usapan. Sumunod naman ang kambal, ngunit alam kong marami pa silang gustong itanong. Sylvester, on the other hand, gave me a reassuring look as we walked out of the office together pero hindi lumagpas sa aking paningin kung paano umigting ang kanyang panga.