Love Was Never Part of the Plan

Chapter 8

Viktoria’s POV

Since the announcement of our marriage ay marami na nag papaschedule ng interviews and such.

Isa lang kinuha namin na interview kung saan ito yung pinaka malaki na rin na publishing media. Isahan na lang din.

I wore my wine red dress for the interview and he’s now wearing his tux at natuwa pa ako nang i-match niya ang kulay ng suot ko sa necktie niya.

“Pogi,” Asar ko nang nagf-final touches na siya sa suot niya. Sinungitan naman niya ako kaya natawa ako.

Pumunta na rin kami sa studio kung saan kami i-interview niyan.

“Hello! Mr. & Mrs. Viergo!” Bati sa amin at pinaupo na kami sa sofa. Kinabahan naman ako nang makita kung gaano karami ang mga camera.

Napansin ata ni Elijah yon kaya hinawakan niya bigla ang kamay ko at marahang hinimas ito.

“Ano script natin?” Bulong ko kay Elijah.

Natawa siya roon.

“Gagi, seryoso ako.” Agap ko at mas natawa siya. “Pano yon? Kunwari tinanong tayo paano tayo nagmeet baka mag kaiba tayo ng sagot?!” Natataranta na ako.

“Relax, baby.” Ngisi niya. “Hawakan mo lang ang kamay ko the whole interview. Kapag hinigpitan ko bigla kamay mo, ako ang sasagot non. Okay?”

“Okay,” I answered at his assurance. “Ayusin mo sagot mo, ah?” Gigil ko bigla dahil mapang asar din ‘to, eh.

Nagsimula naman na yung introduction sa program at nang ipakilala na kami ay kinabahan na ako.

“Hello, Mr. And Mrs. Viergo! Thank you for coming to our show.”

Tumango naman kaming dalawa roon.

“This interview is like a get-to-know you both as couple dahil lahat ay nabigla sa news! No dating pictures for the past years yet you both got married. I’m going to ask some questions that are from the netizens and feel free to answer how you like them.”

“Gladly,” Sagot na ni Elijah.

“Is this a marriage because of love or just a marriage for convenience?”

Hinigpitan bigla ni Elijah kamay ko kaya tinikom ko muna bibig ko.

“Love is something that you will build and comes naturally along the way. You all know that my family have this tradition of having arranged marriages so, yes, it is definitely an arranged marriage.” Sagot ni Elijah. “And I want you all to also remember that the Viergos’ never had a failed arranged marriage.” Ngumisi siya at nakatingin lang ako sakaniya.

Tumango naman ang interviewer. “It has been a month since your marriage, how was the whole month between you two since you kept it private?” Tanong niya.

After 3 seconds nang hindi hinigpitan ni Elijah ang kamay ko ay binalak ko na ako na muna sumagot. “I think this is a private matter that is why we kept it private.” Pag-iingat kong sagot at nakita kong tumingin sa akin si Elijah. “We wanted alone time, to find our harmony, to know how will we both work, wherein we worked it out on it actually, it was just… a whole month just for the both of us.” Dagdag ko at halos makiliti ako nang idikit ni Elijah ang bibig niya sa tenga ko.

“Nice answer.” Bulong niya na kung napangisi ako.

“That’s so sweet…” Parang nainggit pa ang interviewer. “Next question that we have is for Mrs. Viergo.”

Kinabahan naman ako roon.

“You have been open about your past relationship, Mrs. Viergo…” Kabanggit na kabanggit niya ay napahigpit ang hawak ko sa kamay ni Elijah dahil sa kaba. “It was shown that you’ve been together for almost 14 years or maybe 14 years. Was it easy for you to let all that go just because of marriage in contract?”

Hinigpitan bigla ni Elijah ang kamay ko kaya agapan ako sumagot bago pa siya makapag salita. “We broke up a year before the engagement and marriage happened. It was just not meant to be.” Sagot ko. “Though, the past doesn’t really matter now that I’m married and my husband here knows everything, too. I think we should stop about the past and what matters for me is from now on and forward only.” Ngumiti ako.

“Even with the past, it is the reason of who we are as a person now.” Bigla nagsalita si Elijah. “The past built us to where we are now and still we both met. The engagement should’ve happen 12 years ago but she has her “no’s”” Ngumisi siya sa akin kaya ngumuso tuloy ako. “Every year. Since we were 18. But the 11 no’s are not that important to me because all I needed was one “yes” and she did give that one “yes”. That one “yes” that I promise to cherish from this moment forward.”

Nakatingin lang ako kay Elijah dahil hindi ko na-expect ang sagot niya na ‘yon.

He looked at me with awe and he just smiled.