"Kumusta ang tiyan mo?" tanong ni mom, nang makaupo siya sa couch.

"Okay naman po ako, medyo nararamdaman ko na siya. Gumagrabe na rin po ang morning sickness ko, pero inaalalayan naman ako ni Jhon Rey kaya nakakaya ko naman po," kwento ko sa kaniya. 

Ininom niya ang binigay kong pomegranate juice, bago nagsalita. "I'm so excited na malaman na ang gender ng apo ko, para mabilhan ko na siya ng mga damit at laruan. Alam mo ba, maging ang dad mo ay hindi na rin makapaghintay na makita ang apo niya."

Iyon ang nagpangiti sa akin. "Parang nagbabago na si dad," komento ko.

"Ha? Ganoon pa rin naman siya," nakangiting banggit ni mom. Napailing na lang ako. Sabagay, mas kilala niya si dad kaysa sa akin.

"Sa 'yo ko po yata namana ang mahabang pasensya at sobrang pagtitiis, mom."

Kumunot ang noo niya. "Bakit?"

Umiling ako. "I can see how you really love Dad," sagot ko.

Tumango naman siya. "I do, I do love your dad." Sandaling katahimikan ang pumalibot sa aming dalawa. Tiningnan ni mom ang buong kapaligiran. "This one is given by Jhon Rey's parents, right?"

I nodded. "Opo, mom."

She flashed a warm and content smile. "It's so pretty. Natutuwa akong gusto ka rin ng ina ni Jhon Rey."

"Hindi ko nga po ine-expect."

"Why?"

Then I remembered that Mom didn't know anything about Jhon Rey's past. With everything we went through. She only knew that Jhon Rey was the father of my child at the time, and I forbade her to tell Dad about it. Ang laki pala ng kasalanan ko kay mom sa paglilihim ng lahat ng mga masasakit na nangyari sa akin. Ayoko kasing marami pa siyang isipin. All I wanted for her was to be happy and not worry about what was happening to her daughter. I don't want to give her a reason not to sleep at night. I don't want her to hate Jhon Rey. Sapat na ang mga nakikita niyang pananakit sa akin ni dad noon. I don't want to see her be miserable and hate herself.

At ang isa pa, okay na kami ni Jhon Rey ngayon. Maayos na ang pagsasama namin. Hinihintay na lang namin ang pagdating ng aming supling, at magiging isa na kaming ganap na pamilya.

"Dahil magkaaway po ang pamilya natin at pamilya nila. Hindi ko po ine-expect na gagaan din po ang loob sa akin ng mom ni Jhon Rey," pagdadahilan ko.

Mom smiled. "Well, you have a point, but I was happy when I saw you two. Now I won't be the only one to take care of you. There are two of us."

"Opo, dalawa na kayong pagtatanungan ko kung paano maging isang mabuting ina. I still don't know how to take care of my future child, mom, and I get scared sometimes when I think about it," I admitted as I sipped my juice.

"Kapag nahawakan mo na ang baby mo, magiging natural na lang sa 'yo ang lahat."

"Once you get to hold your baby, everything will come naturally to you," she simply said, making all my worries fade. "Sweetie, didn't you say you were going to give something to me for me to give it to your dad? What is that?"

Naalala ko ang kanina ko pa hinahanap. "Yun nga po, Mom, eh. Hindi ko siya mahanap. Baka po naiwan ko sa kwarto ko sa bahay natin. It's a letter."

"A letter? To your dad? I once visited your room to clean it with the help of our maids, but I didn't find a letter. Did you double-check finding it here?"

Umiling ako. "Hold on, Mom, I'll try to look for it again. It's our final project for one of our subjects, so I really need to find that letter."

"Alright, I'll be right here."

Bumalik ako sa kwarto para muling halungkatin ang bag ko, at ang mga posibleng pagtagpuan ng letter na sinulat ko noon pero wala talaga. Hindi ko mahanap.

I was in the middle of returning things to their places when I heard a glass break. I immediately went to the kitchen to see Mom looking at the broken glass on the floor.

"Mom, are you okay?" I was about to approach her when she exclaimed, "What's the meaning of this, Sheen May? What are these?"

Nagulat ako nang makitang nasa lapag ang mga pictures ni Jhon Rey at Quency na kanina ay tinapon ko sa basurahan.

"Does your husband have another woman? Who is that woman? Why are they together?" She yelled out of shock and panic.

"M-mom, let me explain."

Lumapit ako sa kaniya. Maging ako ay nanginig sa kaba at takot. Nakita ko ang pagkabahala sa kaniyang mukha. She looks like she never expected this.

"It was long ago, Mom. Please calm down." I tried to stop her, pero hindi siya nakinig. Kitang-kita ko sa kaniyang mukha ang galit at pagpoot sa asawa ko. She shook her head. "I'll make sure your father will know about this."

"Please, no! No, mom!"

Napaluhod ako.
Doon ko lang napansin na sa mga basag na baso pala ako napaluhod. Hindi iyon napansin ni mom, pero tiniis ko na lang 'yong kirot. Ang mahalaga ay makumbinsi ko siya na huwag sabihin ang nalaman niya kay dad.

"We're okay now, mom. Nangako siyang hindi niya na babalikan ang babaeng 'yan. So please, huwag niyo na pong sabihin kay dad," pagsusumamo ko.

"No, Sheen May, this is something your dad needs to know. Kahit kailan, hindi ito nagawa ng ama mo sa akin, kaya hindi ako makakapayag na gawin ng kahit na sinong lalaki ito sa 'yo. You deserve a man na ikaw lang ang babae. I am definitely disappointed with your husband. Nagtiwala pa naman ako sa kaniya!" matigas na litanya ni mom.

Ngayon ko lang siyang nakitang galit. Palagi lang siyang umiiyak noon at hindi lumalaban para sa akin pero ngayon, walang luhang lumabas sa mga mata niya kundi galit, galit ang nakikita ko. Galit ng isang ina.

Umalis siya. Doon ako nabahala. Agad kong tinawagan si Jhon Rey para sabihin sa kaniya ang nangyari. Although I was scared na baka magalit din siya sa akin tungkol sa mga pictures na iyon. I need his help now.

"How about you? Are you okay?" tanong niya.

"Y-yes." Pinagmasdan ko ang mga tuhod ko na ngayo'y dumudugo dahil nabaunan ng mga bubog. Why am I so reckless?

"Alright. I'll be there as fast as I can. Wait for me."

I sobbed between our calls. I am really scared of what might happen. Now that my mother knows about us, it will be brought to my dad's attention. I could barely think of what my dad would do when he finally found out. What will happen to Jhon Rey, then?

"I'll take the responsibility, Sheen May. Everything will be alright, so don't you worry. Breathe. Breathe for me. Breathe for our baby. I'll be there quickly."

Those were his last words before ending the call.

Ang lakas ng kabog ng dibdib ko.
I don't know how we'll get out of this situation, but Jhon Rey and I need to talk about it first. I took our first aid kit before I tried to clean up the mess I made myself. I was wincing as I cleaned the wounds on my knees.

I was surprised when someone suddenly rang the doorbell.

"Ang bilis naman ni Jhon Rey," komento ko, pero sandali akong nahiwagaan. Bakit naman magdo-doorbell si Jhon Rey sa bahay namin?

Iika-ika akong pumunta sa gate, bago ko binuksan ang pinto. I was surprised to see the woman I never expected to be in front of me. It was Quency, ex-girlfriend of Jhon Rey.

She looks so stunning, pero mukhang lasing siya. Agad niya akong sinagi bago dumeretso sa pagpasok sa loob. Hindi ko siya agad napigilan dahil sa hapdi ng nga tuhod ko.

"Where is Jhon Rey?!" she shouted.

"He's not here," I answered calmly.

"I don't believe you. Saan mo siya tinago?" Hinarap niya ako nang tuluyan na rin akong makapasok sa loob ng bahay. Her teeth are clenching in annoyance and frustration.

"Bakit ka ba nandito?" tanong ko na nagpangisi sa kaniya.

"Wow, ang brave." She walked closer to me as she touched my chin and lifted it. I can see her hazel eyes and pretty face much more. "Bakit? Ano bang mga sinabi at ipinangako sa 'yo ni Jhon Rey kaya lumakas na ang loob mo?"

I swallowed hard and quickly found that I was unable to talk.
Una dahil hindi ko alam kung anong agenda niya bakit siya narito.
Pangalawa, kung umarte siya sa amin ay parang siya ang may mas karapatan kaysa sa akin.

She laughed a bit harder, more in an evil way. Her laughs sound like an insult to me. "For your information, Jhon Rey was here again to persuade you and fool you again because her mom cut off his financial privileges, so he came back to you just to get your trust again and then break it eventually when he gets what he wanted."

I was stunned.

Those words are like thorns and swords, and all the sharp objects in this world struck my heart.

"But he'll leave you again soon dahil ipinangako niya sa aking pakakasalan niya ako, matapos lang itong mga problema niya sa 'yo. Therefore, if I were you, you shouldn't get your hopes up too high, Sheen May. He is going to break you once more very soon."

Pinilit ko patatagin ang loob ko kahit na nadudurog ako sa mga sinasabi niya.

"He told me he loved me," I mumbled to myself.

"And you believe it? Napatunayan niya na ba sa 'yong mahal ka niya? Tama nga siya, mabilis kang paikutin.You were easy to manipulate. He even made you believe in your marriage."

Kumunot ang noo ko, at ang paghinga ko'y bumibigat. "A-anong ibig mong sabihin?"

Tumawa siya. "I guess, hindi mo pa talaga alam. You're so naive, Sheen May."

My head was hurting and I felt so dizzy, but I tried to stand up for myself once more. I shouldn't be this weak. "What are you trying to say?"

"Your marriage is fake, Sheen May. All of the documents he prepared for your wedding were fake. He planned it all because he didn't want to be tied to you. Because all this time, he wanted to marry me."

Namuo ang mga luha sa mata ko, yet not a single tear is coming out of them. Punong-puno ng pagkadismaya ang puso ko. Lalo na nang makita ko ang envelope na hawak ni Quency.