Stacey’s POV

I did not expect Uncle Vicente there but I hope he’ll never tell my parents about me crying. I decided to visit Prince at home wala naman ito sa Hospital at sa UGS so baka na sa kanila lamang ito.

I went inside as the maids let me in. Palage kasi ako rito noon at ngayon lang ulit ako nakadalaw.

“Si Chandler po?” tanong ko sa isang katulong nila.

“Mamayang 5 palang iyun Ma’am, 4:45 palang ngayon” tumango na lamang ako rito.

For sure wala pa sina Aunt and Uncle dahil na sa trabaho pa ang mga iyun so I decided to wait at them.

Hmm dito na rin kaya ako magdinner?

I texted Mom at nagOo naman ito agad. She likes Chandler so much that she wants me to tag at him everywhere. As if gagawin ko iyun I have pride too.

I spent half of the hour browsing in my social media accounts but nothing is new in there. Iyung mga kaibigan ko ay ayun malalandi pa rin. Some guys were asking me out ni hindi ko nga sila kilala.

“Sir Chandler is already here Ma’am Stacey” ika ng maid na tinganugan ko kanina.

I stood up and welcome him.

“Chan” nakangiting wika ko sa kanya but I thought he’ll welcome me with warm embrace or kiss at my forehead ngunit galit ang nasa mga mata nito. Galit na minsan ay hindi ko nakita sa kanya.

Thinking he has only bad day but when he looked at me intently I knew that his mad at me.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” my heart is beating so fast  isn’t good I might have an attack.

“Breath Stacey, breath” he said in serious tone so instead of breathing calmly I become more nervous. He never talked to me like this before his always sweet not this kind of treatment his giving to me now. Did Maureen and him talked?

“Did I do something wrong Chandler?”

“Maybe you should ask yourself that?” may pangungutya sa boses nito kaya napalunok ako.

I knew it, he knows.

Bumuntong hininga ako at hinarap ito ng pagmamakaawa.

“Look Chandler, I don’t think you have the right to treat me like this. I should be the one who’s angry and not you”

I thought he’ll expression will change better but his glaring at me as if I’m some kind of statue.

“And why would you be angry?” may pang-aasar sa tinig nito kaya di ko mapigilang magalit sa kaloob-looban.

“Do you really need to question that? It’s you who don’t keep promises. You think I don’t deserve something from you? Hindi mo man lang sinabi na kayo ni Maureen and why? Why would you do that when in fact it’s me you promise to be with? Na ako lang, ako lang ang pwede mong mahalin tell me Chandler did you have a change of heart?”

But instead of seeing sympathy or agreement in his eyes tumawa lamang ito na para bang isa akong katawa-tawa sa harap nito.

“My feelings never change Stace and I don’t have plan to nor would I let it to. Si Maureen lang Stace siya lang, siya lang nakita ko before until now so please stop talking as if I have an obligation to you.”

My heart is creeping apart. What is he talking about?

“You assured me Chan, you assured me that it’s me na ako lang. We have a fake wedding when we are a kid yet you promised me. Was that meant anything to you?”

Pinanghawakan ko iyun. I never have a boyfriend because I don’t want to be with anyone if it’s not Chandler. Ako ang nauna kaya alam kung nasa akin pa rin siya but seeing him like this made me think if I still have him.

“What am I to you, a practice, a joke, past time?”

Natawa ito kaya hindi ko mapigilang mahiya sa sarili ko. Why is he doing this to me?

“Hindi ko alam ang pinagsasabi mo Stace. Tell me is that the only thing that makes you want to be with a person? Dahil sa pangako noong bata pa. Think again Stace you are stupid to believe in that kind of stupid act. Sa tingin mo dahil lang magkasama tayong lumaki magugustuhan na kita because I’m not and I don’t have a plan to even if I could.”

H-he never like me so was that all an act?

It’s Maureen’s fault. Nagkakaganito si Chandler dahil sa kanya. She changed him into a person he is not.

“I’m not blind and senseless I know what I feel and yes that stupid act is the only thing I’m holding on. Pero kahit naman masisisi mo ba ako when I don’t know that your actions doesn’t compliment with your feelings. Kaya kahit sabihin mo pa sa akin na hindi mo ako gusto hindi ako maniniwala roon dahil iba ang sinasabi ng kilos mo. Hindi na ikaw ito Chandler hindi na ikaw iyung batang nangako sa akin, hindi na ikaw yung batang hindi-hindi ako maiwan, hindi na ikaw iyung batang lage nagpapatahan sa akin hindi na ikaw iyun!”

I was okay being the one he ignored when we started to grow dahil gusto kung hanapin niya ako. I'm contended being the one who chased him dahil alam kung hindi ako mapapagod.

“At hindi-hinding ako magiging ganun dahil sa simula palang hindi ako iyun!”

What?

“A-ano ibig mong s-sabihin?”

This time ay naiiyak na ito. His eyes were teary as if he doesn’t want to open this thing to me. May dapat ba akong malaman?

“Tell me Chandler a-anong ibig mong s-sabihin?” paguulit ko rito. I can feel my eyes are starting to burn and as I looked at him he shrugged his head over and over then a tear drop from his eye.

“Prince Duke Geller. My mirror-image twin, is the one who married you when were just a kid”

What?

I can’t help but to laugh with his excuse ngunit naramdaman kung may tumulong luha sa mata ko. Ganun ba talaga siya ka ayaw sa akin at kailangan niya pa ng ganuong kalukuhan para matapos lang ito?

He walked slowly to me and hold both my shoulders. He looked at me with such pity in his eyes. Parang kanina lang gusto kung kaawaan niya ako para makita nito ang halaga ko pero ngayon mismong ako naawa na rin sa sarili.

What kind of person I am? May nagawa ba akong mali kaya ginaganito ako? Do I not deserve to be loved by a person I love? 

Does he really need to say gibberish in order to get rid of me?

“Listen Stace” he said ngunit umiling lang ako sa kanya at tumawa.

“If you really don’t like me just tell me at aalis ako but I won’t stop here. Drop your nonsense Chan, don’t try to eat me with your shits!” aakmang aalis na ako ng hinawakan niya ako sa braso.

“I won’t stop until you heard the story. Listen Stace I want to go back to Maureen" may pagmamakaawa ang boses nito sa huli. Bakit siya pa?

Pagkasabi niya nun ay biglang gumuho ang pinanghahawakan ko.  It hurts, ang sakit –sakit na marinig iyun sa kanya na para bang ang kaharap nito ay walang nararamdaman sa kanya. It’s easy to him to say those words why can’t I say that I won’t let him end this. That I’ll do everything just to let us back the way it was before.

“No one knew him because we hide it, my parents hide him from everyone. We’re called mirror-image twins. About twenty percent of identical twins the ones where the egg splits late, they think-develop as opposites. Our faces aren’t exactly the same unless you look at one as a reflection. It doesn’t mean much for me. Duke, on the other hand, will run a problem if he needs an organ transplant. All of his insides are reversed, so it’s very complicated to replace certain things unless they find an organ from another reversed twin who also just happens to be a genetic match. But then it happens, Duke needs a liver transplant and it was too late for us to find someone. And yes Stacey, it wasn’t me who promise you to be with. I’m not the one who likes you  it was my brother who wanted to see you so much in his last breath.”

For a moment I can’t think of anything. For a moment I want to run in this place and hide so no one could ever see me stumble and cries.

He picked something in his pocket, a photo. Binigay nito iyun sa akin and he is telling the truth. He has a twin. My Duke. It was you after all.

Imagined all this years I did not know you when all you want is to see me. Imagined you waiting to be recognize while I’m chasing your brother. I’m sorry Duke.

Bakit ako pa? Bakit siya pa? Why does it have to be us?

I looked at Chandler who's now wiping his tears while looking at the photo. Why did I not recognized them before? Why did they hide it from me? Bakit sa lahat ng tao siya pa?

A/N
VOTE, and COMMENT
Thank you for reading.

Last 4 Chapter it is! Keep supporting everyone. Thank you.

Hope you enjoyed the Chapter.