(WARNING: This part contains strong and potentially offensive language, highly explicit and excessive sexual activity that may be offensive or disturbing, and is not suitable for young readers and sensitive individuals. You have been warned.)

SHE SHOULDN'T felt that way. He hurt her the first time they had sex, and he was close to killing her. Magenta should feel disgusted with his touch, she should be scared because she knew what he was capable of doing. But instead, her body was reacting to his touch as if it had found its master.

A soft moan escaped her lips when he nibbled her earlobe, sending voltage through her nerves. His one big hand was caressing and squeezing her round ass, which added to the sensation, making her sex wetter in anticipation.

Her length on her back, his hands on her body, and his lips on her skin, he was awakening the lust she thought she never had.

She bit her lip hard when his fingers grazed the skin on her thighs. It sent shivers through her spine.

"M-Mal..." she moaned his name when his hand went under the skirt she was wearing. He nudged her feet apart using his knees then his hand went inside her underwear.

The next thing she knew, his fingers were already inside her. "Oh!" He was going inside and out of her at a slow pace. She wanted more, her body screamed more of it. She moved her body desperately, meeting the thrust of his fingers to her core. "Ah..." she groaned in a mixture of ecstasy and pain when he bit the skin on her shoulder.

She lifted her butt a little and moved with his hands. Her mouth parted open when his movement became faster, and his fingers were thrusting deep inside her. It must be the alcohol in her system that caused her to act like a wanton.

Magenta could hear his heavy and rough breathing while he kept on tasting her neck and back. He would leave a bite from time to time. She could barely feel the pain every time his teeth sunk into her flesh.

A groan of disapproval escaped her mouth when he suddenly withdrew his fingers inside her flesh. Muli niyang ibinagsak ang katawan sa ibabaw ng kama habang naghahabol ng hininga. Nararamdaman niya ang pagpintig ng kanyang kaselanan dahil sa natamong pagpapaligaya ng mga daliri nito, kasabay niyon ay nagsusumigaw ang kanyang katawan ng higit pa.

Tila narinig nito ang tahimik niyang pakiusap at paghahangad dahil itinaas nito ang kanyang palda at marahas na inalis ang kanyang pang-ibabang pangloob. She didn't mind the roughness though. Her body was shivering with anticipation.

Nang maramdaman ang pag-alis ng bigat sa kanyang katawan ay idinilat niya ang nakapikit na mga mata. Madidismaya na sana siya kung hindi lang nahagip ng kanyang nanlalabong paningin si Malcolm na walang pang-ibabang saplot. Nahigit niya ang kanyang hininga nang makita ang bagay na iyon na naghuhumindig. Kaya pala siya nawalan ng malay.

His sex was huge and strange. Perhaps because it was her first time seeing a man's genital. She gulped the lump in her throat as she watched him pull something inside the bedside drawer. She realized what it was when he opened it using his teeth and put the rubber around his shaft.

He walked towards her and then went on top of her. Two big hands held her waist and then raised the lower part of her body, she was almost kneeling on the bed.

"M-Mal..." she felt worried all of a sudden when she felt the tip of his shaft on her entrance.

"Don't you dare faint on me again, Jen! Or I will wring your pretty neck," he whispered in her ear before he plunged deep inside her.

Naisubsob ni Magenta ang mukha sa kama nang sumalakay ang sakit sa kanyang katawan dahil sa biglaan nitong pagpasok. She bit the sheets and her hands tightened their grip when he started pushing in and pulling out of her roughly. Just like the first time, there's no gentleness in his movements.

It wasn't as painful as the first time. She endured it this time until she felt no pain at all.

"Ahh..." a rough moan from Malcolm, whose mouth parted in pleasure while he kept doing his deeds.

Mula sa pagkakasubsob sa kama ay itinagilid ni Magenta ang mukha at bahagya itong sinulyapan. Nakagat niya ang labi nang magsalubong ang kanilang mga mata. His eyes spat fire not because of hatred or anger but of lust and pleasure.

Magenta closed her eyes when the sensation she felt a while ago started to fill her again. "Oh, Mal..." she whimpered when he slapped her butt cheek.

She did not realize when it happened, she just saw herself moving with his body. Meeting his every thrust. She kept moving her hips until she felt the desire on her belly building. Something inside her wanted to explode, wanting to be freed.

The sound of their breathing, the moans, groans, and the thumping of their body filled the whole room. "Ahh... Hmm... F-Faster, please..." she begged. She could feel that she was almost at the summit. And she desperately, longingly wanted to reach that.

"Jen..." he groaned carnally, and his grip on her waist tightened that his fingers were almost digging into her soft skin.

Magenta let out a series of moans. Binilisan niyang lalo ang mga galaw hanggang sa maramdaman na niya ang bagay na iyon na kumawala mula sa kanyang katawan. She shuddered in pleasure as she orgasm, hard. Her breathing stopped literally and her eyes dilated and a long moan came out from her.

Suddenly, her limbs lost their strength as she felt weak. She was still trembling, but he kept on pushing inside her. Hinayaan niya na lang ito habang naghahabol ng hininga. It was her first orgasm in her twenty-four years of existence, and if there was one thing she could describe the feeling, it was ecstatic.

I'm sorry, Rebecca. I failed to heed your advice. Marupok, that she was.

"GABI NA, hindi ka pa ba uuwi?"

Mula sa pagkakatitig sa ina ay nag-angat ng ulo si Magenta at tiningnan ang private nurse na sinusuri ang IV line.

"Magigising naman si Mama, 'di ba?" tanong niya na may pakiusap ang tono.

Bumuntung-hininga si Sally—ang private nurse at tinapunan ng tingin ang dalagang nakaupo sa gilid ng kama kapagkuwan ay dumako ang kanyang mga mata sa kanyang pasyente. "Hindi ako doktor, pero sa mga nahawakan kong kaso bilang nurse, maliit lang ang tiyansiya ng mga kagaya niya ang nagigising." Muli siyang napatingin sa dalaga upang tingnan ang reaksiyon nito. Nang makita ang malungkot nitong mukha ay napabuntung-hininga siya. "There's still a miracle, Ms. Lopez."

"Hindi lahat nabibigyan no'n, Nurse Sally." Though Magenta believed that her mother deserved that miracle they were talking about, she cannot help but doubt it. Bawat araw na lumipas ay lalong nadadagdagan ang kaba sa kanyang dibib, lalo na't mag-isa niyang pinagdadaanan ang sakit at hirap dahil sa nangyari sa kanyang ina.

The doctor declared that she was in a coma. There's no definite answer if she'll wake up or not. They also said that it was a matter of time before they announced her as brain dead. She doesn't want to accept that. Hindi puwedeng mangyari iyon, paano ang mga isinakripisyo niya? Hindi puwedeng mapunta sa wala ang lahat ng iyon.

Masakit sa dibdib na nakikita ang Mama niya na nakahiga roon. She looked peaceful in her sleep but Magenta wasn't comfortable with it. She was not ready for the fact that any moment she might leave her. Kung mangyari man iyon ay gusto niyang sumama. What's there to live if she was alone?

Isang buntung-hininga ang kanyang pinakawalan, dumukwang at hinalikan ang noo ng kanyang inang si Carol bago tumayo. Ibinilin niya ito kay Nurse Sally bago siya lumabas ng private room nito.

Paglabas ni Magenta ng ospital ay akmang papara siya ng taxi upang may masakyan pauwi sa bahay ni Malcolm nang tumunog ang cellphone na nasa loob ng kanyang bag. Agad niya iyong inilabas at muling napabuntung-hininga nang makita kung sino ang tumatawag.

Kaninang paggising niya ay malaki ang kanyang ipinagpasalamat dahil hindi niya ito nagisnan sa kuwarto at sa ibabaw ng kama. Wala na rin ito sa bahay at nakaalis na patungo sa trabaho. Magtatanghali na rin siyang nagising kaya wala na rin si Rebecca sa bahay, nakatanggap na lang siya ng text mula rito na bumibisita ito sa mga kakilala sa bansa. She was more than relieved. She doesn't have the guts to face Malcolm after everything that happened to them last night. Siguro wala lang iyon dito, isang ordinaryong bagay lang, ngunit para sa kanya ay hindi iyon ordinaryo.

She knew that it was just a job, a very unusual job, but she couldn't separate her personal feelings for now. Magenta knew that sooner or later, she needed to reign her emotions if she didn't want to end up having regrets and brokenhearted.

Tinanggap niya ang tawag at inilagay sa tainga ang aparato. Nakagat niya ang labi nang marinig ang malamig na boses ng nasa kabilang linya at tinatanong kung nasaan siya. Malamig ang tonong ginamit ni Malcolm ngunit sa tingin niya'y galit ito dahil. When it comes to him, she doesn't know what to think. She can't read him most of the times.

"Nandito pa ako sa labas ng ospital."

"Don't move wherever you are, I'll fetch you. Rebecca was already at home." Iyon lang at pinatay nito ang tawag.

She smiled wryly while staring at the device. Yeah, they need to do it for the show. She doesn't know why they have to do that. She was going with the flow and acting according to the script. No one was telling her why Malcolm Klinton Peters needed a pretend wife. She didn't even have the right to ask.

Nanatili siyang nakatayo roon hanggang sa makita niya ang kulay pulang sasakyang papalapit sa kanyang direksiyon. Mariin niyang ikinuyom ang kamao at binuksan ang pinto nang tuluyang tumigil ang sasakyan sa kanyang harapan. Hindi pa man niya naikakabit ang seat belt ay muli iyong umandar.

Napairap siya sa driver at umayos ng upo. Hindi naman ito nagsasalita kaya nanatili rin siyang tahimik habang nakatingin sa labas ng sasakyan. Hanggang sa makarating sila sa bahay nito ay wala silang imikan.

"Oh, there you are! Have you been on a date?" salubong sa kanila ni Rebecca na pababa ng hagdan. May kislap ng panunudyo ang mga mata nito maging ang ngiti sa mga labi.

Awtomatikong rumehistro ang isang ngiti sa mga labi ni Magenta. Naramdaman niyang may humawak sa kanyang kamay at ang pagtabi ng taong iyon sa kanya.

"Have you had dinner, Rebecca?" Malcolm asked.

"I am full. I just need some water. I'm sure you had dinner together."

"Yes."

"No." Magkapanabay nilang sagot ni Malcolm kaya nag-angat siya ng tingin dito. Nandoon na naman ang pagbabanta sa mga mata nito. Ibinalik niya ang paningin kay Rebecca na nakakunot ang noo at nagpalipat-lipat ng tingin sa kanilang dalawa. "Hindi ako nakakain dahil wala akong gana," pambawi niya sa magkasalungat nilang sinagot kanina.

"Are you okay, dear? You're not sick?" Lumapit si Rebecca sa dalaga at sinalat ang noo nito. "Malcolm, inaalagaan mo ba ng maayos ang asawa mo? Look at her, she's pale and she looks so tired. No sex tonight, dear, you go to sleep, okay? Come, let's get you something to eat. And you, Mal, behave." Pinandilatan nito ang pamangkin na tila nambabanta. Kapagkuwan ay hinawakan sa braso ang dalaga at hinila patungo sa loob ng kusina.

Pinaupo si Magenta ni Rebecca at ito ang naghanda ng pagkain para sa kanya. Malcolm did not follow them into the kitchen, so she assumed that he must've gone upstairs, to her relief.

Pagkatapos niyang kumain ay dumiretso siya sa loob ng silid nilang mag-asawa. Hindi niya agad nakita si Malcolm sa loob kaya sumulyap siya sa direksiyon ng teresa at mula sa salaming dingding ay nakita niya itong naroon, nakatanaw sa labas habang hawak ang isang bote ng beer.

Tumuloy siya sa loob ng banyo, naglinis ng katawan, pagkatapos ay nagbihis ng komportableng pares ng pajama na siyang ipinapangtulog niya. Maraming biniling negligee at iba pang nightdress si Rebecca para sa kanya ngunit sa kanyang tingin ay hindi naman niya magagamit iyon. Her husband did not demand for it.

Humiga siya sa kama at sinubukang makakuha ng tulog ngunit hindi niya magawa. Kahit na pagod ay naroon pa rin ang tensiyon at kaba sa kanyang dibdib. Will they going to do it again? That's what was in her mind.

Nang marinig ang pagbukas ng pinto ay ipinikit niya ang mga mata at nagtulog-tulugan. Pinakaramdaman niya ang mga galaw nito hanggang sa maramdaman niya ang paglundo ng kabilang bahagi ng malaking kama. He was laying on the bed beside her!

Nanatili siyang nakatalikod dito at nagkunwaring natutulog. Lumipas ang ilang sandali ay nanatili siyang gising, naririnig niya ang pantay na paghinga ng katabi kaya sigurado siyang tulog na ito.

Dahan-dahan siyang bumaling dito at lihim na nahigit ang hininga nang matitigan ang natutulog nitong mukha. Wala sa loob na tumaas ang kanyang kamay ngunit bago pa iyon lumapit sa balat ni Malcolm ay agad niyang binawi.

Tumihaya siya ng higa at tumingin sa kisame. Anong ginagawa mo, Magenta? Hanggang sa makatulog ay hindi siya makahanap ng kasagutan.