"MISS NAVARRO!" Tawag kay Liontine ng kanyang head. Ngunit, walang reaksyon ang dalaga at nakatingin lamang sa kawalan. "Miss Navarro! Are you with me?"

Sa ikalawang pagtawag nito ay napamulagat si Liontine at napatingin sa kanyang head. Nangunot ang kanyang noo ganoon din ang kanyang

superior. Napatingin siya sa kanyang paligid. Liontine let out a small gasp and looked at her superior again.

"My goodness, Miss Navarro! You are still at work! Mamaya ka na muna tumunganga!" Muli ay napasinghap si

Liontine.

Tandang-tanda niya noon na pagkatapos niyang mawalan ng trabaho ay nilamon siya ng sakit niya dahil na rin sa depresiyon at sakit sa loob.

'W-What the hell is happening?!Namatay ako! Alam na alam kong namatay ako habang comatose!' Sigaw niya sa kanyang isipan habang dinig na dinig pa din ang pangaral ng kanyang head sa kanya. Tila naubusan naman ito ng pasensiya at napatampal na lamang ng noo.

"What the hell is happening to you, Miss Navarro? Are you sick? You are out of yourself! Marami kang pagkakamali

ngayong araw!" Paninigaw sa kanya nito ngunit walang maintindihan si Liontine sa sitwasyon.

She was still stuck in the thought that she died. Liontine bit her lower lip because she was confused about what was happening.

"I think you need to go home, Miss Navarro. You should take a leave today. Mauubusan lang ako ng laway sa taong wala naman sa sarili!" Inis na sabi pa ng kaharap ni Liontine.

"I-I am sorry, Ma'am Resustacion," nasabi niya lamang at mabilis na tumayo sa kinauupuan upang lumabas sa opisina ng mas nakakataas sa kanya.

Naiwan naman ito sa loob na napailing-iling na lamang. Still confused, Liontine went outside and quickly went to the nearest restroom. She was panting heavily because she knew what happened to her. Agad siyang pumasok sa loob ng cubicle at

naupo sa bowl ng comfort room. She breathed in and out. Liontine is confused as hell!

"Anong nangyayari? Namatay na ako!" Aniya sa sarili. Napakagat siya sa labi.

"Oh, goodness!" She muttered and quickly looked at her phone, but, to her surprise, it was exactly ten years ago!

Nanlaki ang kanyang mga mata. She died when she was thirty years old, and it was her sickness' complications!

Nanginginig si Liontine. Anong himala ang nangyayari sa kanya?! Binuksan niya ang cellphone at tinignan-tignan ang loob nito kaya alam niyang totoo ang nangyayari sa kanya at hindi biro

lamang. "But how did it happen?" Tanong niya sa sarili.

"This is impossible!" Bulalas niya pa nang mahina.

She heard the people around her cursing and wishing for her death. She knows that she died. Paulit-ulit niyang sasabihin iyon dahil iyon ang totoo. Namatay siya at nabuhay muli. Imposible iyon at himala lang kung mangyayari iyon.

Hindi napansin ni Liontine na namumutla siya at pinagpapawisan. Malalaki ang butil ng pawis niya. Hindi niya mawari kung totoo o panaginip lamang ito, ngunit habang tumatagal ay pakiramdam niya hindi ito biro o panaginip lamang. Ilang beses pa niya na sinampal-sampal at kinurot ang sarili. Iisa lamang ang reaksyon niya.

"I regressed ten years ago," the realization hit her like a slap. Indeed, this is a phenomenon that she is aware of. Liontine knows what will happen to her in the following years.

"Is this a blessing in disguise?" Bulong niya ulit sa sarili.

"I-I can change my fate. I can change what will happen to me in the near future!" Wika niya sa sarili na may halong excitement.

If that's the fate that wanted her to do it, she will do it! "Oh' God! If this is your will. Thank you very much! Thank you so much!" Paulit-ulit niyang usal habang nakatingin sa langit. Naiiyak siya. Marahil ay naawa sa kanya ang kapalaran.

Kung totoo man ang lahat ng ito, ay nais niyang gawin ang lahat upang maging masaya. Nais niyang maging makasarili sa pagkakataong ito upang maging maayos ang buhay niya.

All her life had been a mess because of the things the people around her did. Liontine wiped her tears and sweat. Inayos niya ang sarili. Tandang-tanda niya ang araw na ito kung saan nag-umpisa ang sunud-sunod na kamalasan sa buhay niya.

Hindi na niya hahayaang mangyari ito ulit. Lumabas siya ng cubicle at humarap sa salamin sa loob ng comfort room. Tumingin siya rito. Indeed, this is her face ten years ago. This is the face and body of those people around her

loathed. Her face and presence are suffocating to others, but she has a brain. Brain that she was supposed to use but was useless before. She will use it now, and she will be unstoppable.

Inayos niya ang sarili at naghilamos. Ang tubig na dumampi sa mukha niya ang nagpapatunay na talagang bumalik siya sa nakaraan.

"You will be selfish this time, Liontine! Your name says it all! You are a lion, and your destiny is to conquer!" Pangungumbinsi niya sa sarili.

Mabuti nalang at dala-dala niya sa bulsa niya ang lipstick niya na kulay bloody red kasama ang press powder niya. Sabihin man ng iba na hindi bagay sa kanya. Pakialam ba nila?

"I'm good, I'm beautiful, fierce, and mindful. Their words match their faces-both plain and spiteful." She stated while looking into the mirror seriously while applying lipstick to her lips and pressed powder to her face. This gives her confidence somehow, but, on the other hand, she's starting to not care about anyone. She should be. It will start now.

'Huwag ka nang maniwala sa mga matatamis na salita ng iba, Liontine! Maging bingi ka sa kanilang lahat!' Aniya sa sarili.

Itatak niya sa isipan niya ang mga nangyari sa kanya noon na hindi dapat mangyari ngayon. May tiyansa na siya, bibitiwan niya pa ba? "No, never! I will live my life this time! I won't die

young!" Liontine uttered to herself.

Tinignan niya ang sarili sa salamin ulit. Maswerte siya at walang pumasok na ibang tao sa loob ng comfort room. Alam niyang pinagtatawanan siya ng iba sa labas at sinadya nilang huwag pumasok sa loob nito.

"They wish!" Liontine muttered and went back outside.

She changed her expression to nonchalant and stoic. Liontine heard murmurs and gasps, but she didn't glance at them and went back inside her superior's office.

The editor-in-chief is still inside when she knocks. Hindi na siya nagulat kung bakit nasa loob din si Laurencia Granados. This was also a scene from the past where she was mocked and

just let them be.

"Yes, Miss Navarro? I was in the middle of a discussion with Miss Granados. You can go if you are sick," wika ng Ginang sa kanya.

Umiling si Liontine. Hindi niya palalagpasin ang pagkakataong ito. She directly looked at Mrs. Claire Resustacion, which shocked the latter because she couldn't do it before.

"Nope, Ma'am. I was composing myself before going back here. About the article, I am the one who wrote it," she told the EIC. Nangunot naman ang noo nito.

"What are you saying, Miss Navarro? Miss Granados said she is the one who wrote it," naguguluhang sagot nito.

"I have proof, Ma'am. Miss Granados here has been plagiarizing my works and passing them off with her name,"

seryoso niyang eksplinasyon. Tinignan siya ng masama ni Laurencia, ngunit naroon ang kaba sa mukha nito na siyang ikinangiti niya ng lihim.

"That's a grave accusation, Liontine! How could I do it?! You know I have been working well!" Sigaw ni Laurencia sa kanya. This is just the first move of being selfish.

Inunahan nila siya ngayon at tatapusin niya nang walang awa. 'Really, I should have done this before. Hindi na ako

magpapaliguy-ligoy pa. Ito agad ang una kong gagawin matapos makabalik sa nakaraan. If this is really real, so be it,' Liontine thought.

Hindi siya sumagot habang nakatingin sa kanya ang mga ito. Ngunit, ibinigay niya sa EIC ang tablet niya na dinaanan niya sa kanyang lamesa kanina. Bilang isang junior executive writer, may mga writing apps na pagmamay-ari ng kompanya upang iwasan ang mga plagiarism.

"You can read all the articles that I have written so far here, Ma'am. You know we can't edit the dates of our works. I

have been silent for the past years since I don't want any issues, but I reached my limit," Liontine stated, her eyes glaring at Laurencia. Nagulat naman ito sa klase ng tingin na ipinukol niya.

The tension was palpable as their editor-in-chief's face paled while scrolling through her works. Pakunot na pakunot ang noo nito, pagkatapos ay sinamaan nito ng tingin si Laurencia.

"What the hell, Miss Granados?! Are you nuts? I thought, you are a competent writer! You are just plagiarizing Miss Navarro's works! My goodness! Paano ko haharapin ang board of directors nito?!" Singhal nito kay Laurencia.

Napatayo naman si Laurencia sa kinauupuan nito at nahintakutan.

"Oh' God! I am sorry, Miss Navarro. I didn't expect this. Please, don't let this be big. Matatanggal ako sa trabaho," baling nito sa kanya ngunit hindi nagpatinag si Liontine.

Tumalikod siya pero nag-iwan siya ng mga salitang mas lalong ikinaputla ng dalawa. She even flips her hair confidently.

"I am sorry, Ma'am, but as of now I am resigning from this position. You only value your position and won't face this issue. I'd rather find another job in another company with problem-free employees."

A/N: Mabagal po ang update ko dito. If gusto niyo po mabasa nang buo agad ang kuwentong ito ay maari ninyo itong mabasa sa SeleBox at FriendlyReads. :)