"Don't waste your life for
someone who can't see your worth."

ABALA si RJ sa pag-aayos ng groceries namin. Sobrang dami niyang pinamili as in, na para bang pang one month supply.

Nakaupo lang ako dito sa living room habang chine-check ang mahabang resibo. Si RJ ang nagbayad ng lahat. I told him na ako na since supplies naman ang mga 'yon dito sa unit ko pero katwiran niya, makikitira na nga raw siya so iyon na ang ambag niya.

Tumunog ang phone ko. I checked the message.

From: Fucker
I'm outside.

Nanlaki ang mga mata ko. Nasa labas niya? As in ngayon? Punyeta, ano bang trip niya?

"RJ." Tawag ko.

"Yes babe."

I tilted my head. He is looking at me but then, his eyes widened when he realized what he said.

"Damn, sorry. I mean, Cass."

Hindi ko na iyon pinansin. Ayokong gawing big deal iyon. Endearment kasi namin iyon noong kami pa.

"Nasa labas si Palermo. I am just saying in case but I can handle it."

He nodded at me. "Sure, just call me if you meed back up."

Napangiti ako at napailing na lamang. I stood up saka pumunta sa pinto para buksan iyon.

Tumambad si Aries. He is standing outside my door.

"Let's talk."

"We already talk. Wala na tayong pag-uusapan pa."

"Then tell me you lied."

"Lied about what?"

"That you're living together. Your ex."

"Why do you care?" I asked.

"Just answer me and tell me it was all a lie."

I took a deep breath. "Sa tingin mo bakit ako magsisinungaling sa 'yo? As if I care? This is my life so I can do whatever I want."

"You lied."

Punyeta, nangggigigil ako.

"Bakit naman ako magsisinungaling sa 'yo?"

His straight face makes me want to punch him right now. Kung bakit kasi kailangan pa niyang pumunta rito?

"Let me in." Aniya.

Humarang ako sa pinto. "You are not allowed to come inside."

"And why?"

Wow, talagang nagtanong pa siya kung bakit?

"We already talked. Isa pa, kung ano mang relasyon ang meron tayo, being a boss and an assistant, tapos na iyon. You have your fiance. Alam ba niya na pumunta ka rito?"

"Just let me in." Matigas na sabi niya.

"Hindi ka papasok. Walang dahilan. Tapos."

"Just fucking let me inside, Cassidy."

Huminga ako ng malalim. "RJ!" Sigaw ko.

"Yup."

Mabilis na sumulpot si RJ sa likod ko. I don't want to use him pero ito lang naman ang gusto niyang makita e. Kung totoong magkasama kami rito sa unit ko.

"I am cooking our dinner, what's the problem?" He asked.

Kitang kita ko ang pag-igting ng panga ni Aries. He is raging mad right now. I know. Halos kabisado ko na ang facial expression niya.

Umiling ako. "Wala, wala. Go back to kitchen. Sorry for disturbing you. Inaayos mo pa nga pala ang groceries natin."

"That's fine. Alright. Anyway, I know how much you love adobo pero may time na gusto mong maanghang but sometimes kapag may topak ka, ayaw mo ng maanghang. Anong gust mo ngayon?"

I smiled at him. "Spicy."

"Great choice. I'll be back to kichen."

Tumango lang ako sa kaniya saka muling tumingin kay Aries. I swear, he looked really mad right now.

"Okay na ba 'yong gusto mong malaman if I lied earlier that we're living together?" I asked.

"Why..." his voice is cold.

I chuckled. "Why? Why are you asking me that, Aries? As if you have the right to know what's up to my life? I am no longer your assistant. Walang reason for us to talk right now. Walang reason para kwestyunin mo ako. Walang reason so you better head back home to your fiance bago pa 'yon magwala."

"Is it because I fired you?"

Hindi pa siya tapos. "Aries, para sabihin ko sa 'yo, hindi lang sa 'yo umiikot ang mundo. Hindi lahat ng desisyon ko at nangyayari sa buhay ko ngayon ay dahil sa 'yo. Sino ka ba? You are not that important. Seriously, leave. You're disturbing us." Taas noo kong sabi.

"Cassidy."

"And I told you, gusto na kitang burahin sa memory ko. The name Aries Chastin Palermo, that face, your whole existence. I want to forget that."

"Leave." He said.

"Huh?"

"Let him live here. But I want you to leave this unit right now. Be with me."

Sumasakit ang ulo ko. "Seriously? Are you on drugs? Tigilan mo ako, Aries. Please lang. The moment you fired me is the end between us."

Ang hirap mag-explain sa kaniya. Paulit ulit nalang. Bakit ba ang kulit kulit niya?

Nagulat ako nang bigla siyang lumuhod sa harap ko. I never expected that. Hindi naman kami ex lovers para um-akto siya ng ganito.

"I'm begging you, Cassidy. Don't fucking live with him. Come with me."

I grins. "So you're saying na hindi ako pwedeng tumira sa iisang bubong kasama si RJ pero sa'yo pwede? Let me tell you this, Aries. May pinagsamahan kami ni RJ. Minahal ko siya and he's important to me. Komportable akong kasama niya because he was my ex. Mas gugustuhin ko pang makasama siya kesa sa 'yo. You are nothing but my ex boss, Aries."

"I am fucking begging, Cassidy."

"Kung wala ka nang sasabihin, then, papasok na ako sa loob. Go home, Aries and don't ever come here again dahil baka mapilitan akong lumipat ng bahay." I said.

Kung akala niya, madadala niya ako sa pagluhod niya then he's wrong. Kahit pa lumuhod siya d'yan kung hindi ko alam ang totoong rason sa mga ina-akto niya then wala akong rason para i-consider ang ginagawa niya.

"Anyway, be good to your fiance. Be loyal to her. Sa halip na ako ang ginugulo mo, siya ang guluhin mo. Palaban pa naman ang fiance mo. Pero mas palaban ako kaya pagsabihan mo na rin na huwag niya akong guguluhin at aakusahan na inaagaw kita sa kaniya."

Pagkasabi niyon ay isinara ko na ang pinto. Hindi ko na siya tiningnan pa. Wala akong pakialam kung lumuhod siya hanggang mamaya. Ginusto niya 'yon kaya bahala siya sa buhay niya.

♤

MAGKAHARAP kami ngayon ni RJ. I am ready to know everything. Kung noong una ay parang 'di ko kinaya ang sinabi niya, ngayon ay inihanda ko na ang sarili ko. I need to accept everything that he's about to tell.

"Let's start with the fact that I am Cassidy Figueroa."

He sighed. "Yeah, again, you are not Cassidy Gerson but Cassidy Figueroa. Like what I said, you are the onlt heiress of FF Jewelry. You are the unica ija of Mr. Figueroa."

"So first, how did you know about this? Alam mo na ba 'to before noong naging tayo?"

He nodded at me. "I worked under Mr. Figueroa. I am one of his trusted agent."

"What? Agent."

Again, he nodded. "Mr. Figueroa is not just a businessman. He owns diamond, jewelries... a lot. It's not just FF Jewelry. Bilang nagta-trabaho sa FF Jewelry, ang alam mo lang ay nag-uungkat kayo ng mga bato sa ibang bansa. You think you are searching for a particylar stone then, ordering it, that's all. But no, every stone came from Mr. Figueroa's collection."

Para akong nahilo sa sinabi niya. "Collection?"

"Mr. Figueroa owned a bunch of stone, Cass. There's this protected warehouse kung saan naroon iyong mga iba't ibang klase ng stone, jewelries, lahat. And we, as an agent, that's where we are staying. We are the one who takes care of that warehouse."

"Then is it illegal? Kasi bakit kailangang ipalabas na ino-order namin iyong mga order ng clients na stones? Kung pag-aari naman niya and he has tons of collection then why?"

"Cass, it's not easy to be Mr. Figueroa, actually. You can't tell the world that you fucking own a lot of diamonds and stone."

"Pero paano nagkaroon ng ganoon karami si Uncle?"

"Trade, invest, he is good at trading. Isa pa, he's a billionaire. In his age now, noong mga kabataan niya, his parents also do trading of stones, jewelries and even diamonds. And you know, that time hindi pa ganoon kalaki ang value ng mga iyon dahil mas uso sa trading iyong bitak bitak na bato unlike today na hinuhulma na siya for jewelries. Dahil do'n, mas lumaki ang value ngayon. It's also a factor that Mr. Figueroa is great when it comes to business. You know na hindi basta basta ang mga client ng FF Jewelries. Mga bigating tao."

Okay I get it. "So in short, he's a fucking billionaire. Marami siyang pag-aari and we don't really have a supplier of stone but it came from his own. Yes, that's it. Then bakit nanganib ang buhay ko to the point that he kicked me out as his daughter? Pina ampon niya ako. Why."

"There are people who are greedy for the wealth that thay don't even own. His relatives. Kamag anak lang naman niya ang nakakaalam that his parents are into stones and diamonds. Alam nilang si Mr. Figueroa lang ang magmamana no'n because he's an only son."

"Ano ngang reason para ipa-ampon ako? Dahil ba pwedeng ma-kidnap for ransom ako? Is that it? Hindi ba niya ako kayang protektahan kaya ipinagkatiwala nalang niya ako sa ibang tao?"

"Mr. Gerson is the only person he trusted, Cassidy. Hindi siya namatay dahil lamang sa simpleng car accident together with Mrs. Gerson. There's a foul play. It is caused by the people who wanted to take everything from Mr. Figueroa."

Para akong nasaktan na malaman na namatay ang mga kinilala kong magulang dahil sa kasamaan nila. Seriously, dahil sa wealth na pag-aari naman ni Uncle?

"Cassidy, when I say you're a living password, you are literally a fucking password."

Napalunok ako. "What does it mean."

"The secret warehouse, the walking big vault containing all the diamonds, you are the only person who can open that in case Mr. Figueroa died."

I tilted my head. Hindi ko akalaing napakarami kong malalaman like this is too much information.

"How?"

"Your eyes, Cass. That's the fucking password. The biometric of your eyes is the only key to open that secret warehouse and the vault. No one knows kung anong gamit ni Mr. Figueroa to open them. Maybe his biometric too or a number password? We never know dahil bukod sa 'yo, siya lang ang nakakabukas ng lahat ng iyon."

"What the hell?"

"That's why I am clinging on you, to protect you. Walang idea ang mga 'yon about your eyes as the password but soon, they will find out for sure. They are just after you to threathened Mr. Figueroa."

"Paanong naging... I mean paano nakuha ang biometric ng mga mata ko?"

"Sa pagkakatanda ko, when you turned nine, Mr. Gerson brought you to Mr. Figueroa to set your eyes as biometric identification using iris recognition."

Iris recognition...

Sa buong buhay ko wala akong kaalam-alam na napakahalaga pala ng mga mata ko.

"Mr. Figueroa knows that it is possible for him to be killed that's why he made sure that you will have an access to all of his properties. Do you know that his mansion, his properties, everything will be under your name in case something bad happens to him? He wrote a will to transfer everything in your name. He has his trusted lawyer. Don't worry, there's also a copy of his will inside his vault in case magka-problema sa lawyer. Everything are set, Cass. Handa si Mr. Figueroa sa mga pwedeng mangyari."

Parang hindi ko kinakaya ang nga nalalaman ko. The fact that I am a Figueroa. This is insane.

Ano 'to, teleserye?

"But how about you, RJ? You know everything. Alam mo rin na password ang mga mata ko. What if you do something bad? It's not that I am judging you. Alam mo na kung mangailangan ka and all."

He looked calm.

"I signed a disclosure agreement. Na kung gagawa ako ng kalokohan,my family will be the collateral. My family will not be just in danger, Cass. Their life is on the line and I can't bear that. Isa pa, I am not greedy for wealth. Hindi ko kayang sirain ang tiwala ni Mr. Figueroa. He helped a lot. Ang dami niyang naitulong sa pamilya ko."

"But you are telling me everything."

"Because it's you, Cass. And I know there's no freaking way to make you let me stay with you."

"Iyon ba ang reason kaya ka nakikipagbalikan last time?"

Tumango siya. "Honestly yes. But that doesn't meab that my feelings are fake. Mahal kita, Cass. Noong naging tayo, despite the fact that I know your true identity, hindi 'yon ang dahilan para ligawan ka. I fell in love with you and that's it."

"And Uncle knows about us?"

He nodded again. "The real reason of the break up is that he found out that you're my girlfriend. Isa pa, we needed to go abroad that time, to spain to protect his diamonds. May warehouse siya sa spain with a fucking big vault full of diamonds. Noong bumalik ako dito, that was the time na iniuwi na namin dito sa Pilipinas ang diamonds niya."

Hindi ko ma-imagine kung gaano kayaman si Uncle. Hindi pa rin nagsi-sink-in sa akin na tatay ko siya at anak niya ako.

Huminga ako ng malalim. "And my real father, Mr. Figueroa... ayaw niyang malaman ko?"

"Yeah. He don't want to take the risk, I think? That's why I am asking you to pretend that you don't know anything."

Kaya pala kinupkop niya ako at sinagot lahat ng pangangailangan ko. I don't know pero wala akong makapanh kahit anong galit sa kaniya. Bakit wala akong hinanakit? Siguro dahil nagampanan niya ang responsibilidad niya kahit ang alam ko lang ay kaibigan siya ng kinilala kong magulang?

Naguguluhan ako but I am overwhelmed for the things that I found out. I don't feel anything o dahil hindi pa rin talaga nagsi-sink-in ang lahat sa akin?

Para bang sa dami ng nalaman ko e parang pakiramdam ko hindi ito totoong nangyayari.

Isa lang ang naintindihan ko. Some of Mr. Figueroa's relatives are eager to get everything from him. They can even kill him for the sake of his wealth. And Mr. Figueroa is ready for that. Matagal na akong nagawan ng iris recognition for me to have access to everything even he died.

That's too much information.

"I think... I need a break from this, RJ. Beer?" I said.

"I know this will be too much to you, Cass. Yes, beer."

And there, he stood up to get beer for us. Napatulala nalang ako sa kung saan. Hindi ko alam kung anong una kong iisipin.