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Trigger Warning: This content contains descriptions of physical abuse that may be disturbing or upsetting to some readers. Please proceed with caution.

CHAPTER 5

I let out a deep breath after taking the contraceptive pill. After that, I splashed my face with cold water from the faucet and closed the mirror that served as the door to the medicine cabinet in our bathroom.

Hindi rin ako nagtagal doon at naligo na rin bago asikasuhin si Thalestris. When I got down to the living room, I just let her play there. Nagsimula na akong mag bilang ng pera na gagastusin namin ngayong buwan at sa susunod na buwan.

"Hi, baby. Are you hungry?" nakangiti kong tanong ng puntahan ko ito.

Sumilay ang nakakahawa nitong ngiti at tumayo para lapitan ako. She was now holding onto my knee. I gently stroked her hair, which was tied into pigtails with cute little hair clips. Bagay na bagay iyon sa sout niyang pink na sando at itim na cotton short.

"Mama. Mamam," mahina nitong wika.

"Okay, baby. Mommy will make your food, okay?" I replied to her sweetly as I lowered myself to match her height.

Humagikhik siya at hinalikan ang pisngi ko. I stood up again and went to the kitchen to prepare her food. I took her cereal and yogurt for the baby. After placing her food on the table, I picked her up and sat her in her high chair.

"Here you go, baby. Eat well," nakangiti kong sambit at binigay na sa kanya ang pagkain.

I just watched her eat and sat on the empty chair beside her high chair. My gaze dropped to my phone when it suddenly rang. Nang mabasa ko kung sino ang caller doon ay sinagot ko agad ang tawag.

"Hello, Davis?" bungad ko ng masagot ang tawag.

"Cheska, you should be dressed by the time I get back. I don't like waiting, do you understand?"

"Okay—"

Hindi ko natapos ang sinabi ko ng patayin niya ang tawag. Huminga ako ng malalim at nilapag 'yon sa lamesa. I waited for Thalestris to finish her food before I started cleaning the house. It took me a few hours since I wasn't just tidying up the living room—I also cleaned the kitchen and dining area.

While busy cleaning, I glanced at the living room and saw Thalestris sleeping soundly on the side where her sleeping mat was laid out, still holding a Barbie doll. Napailing na lang ako at mahinang natawa dahil ang cute niya.

"Sleep well," malambing kong wika nang malapitan ko ito.

Hinalikan ko ang kanyang noo at binuhat para ilipat sa crib nito. After that, I went back to cleaning. I tied up the plastic bag filled with trash and took it outside since someone would collect it later. I reached for my lower back as I felt a sudden ache. Hindi ko inaasahan na makikita ko si Louie rito.

May bahay siya rito sa subdivision na 'to?

I saw him walking on the sidewalk, holding a box in his right hand. He was wearing a red T-shirt and white shorts, paired with Nike slides. Even though his outfit was simple, it suited him perfectly.

Hindi ko alam pero biglang gumalaw ang paa ko at nilapitan siya. Natigilan siya ng makita ako.

"Hello, Louie—" bati ko pero hindi rin natapos dahil nagsalita agad siya.

"Hi. Just call me Hylo, Cheska," sambit nito.

I felt a sharp pain in my chest because of that. He no longer wanted me to call him Louie. It hurt, and I didn't even know why.

"Sorry. Ano pa lang ginagawa mo rito? May bahay kana rito?" tanong ko.

He remained staring blankly at my face as his forehead slowly creased. I looked at him in confusion, my brows furrowing as well. Bakit ang tagal niyang nakatingin sa mukha ko?

"Hylo?" kunot noo kong tanong sa kanya. "Are you okay?"

Naiilang ako. Alam kong marumi ako kasi nag-linis ako pero sa tingin ko naman ay malinis naman ang mukha ko at walang dumi—shit!I turned my face away and walked past him. My chest tightened with nervousness—I knew he had seen the bruise on my face since I hadn't covered it with concealer.

"A-ano. . . Nice to meet you, Hylo. Baka hinahanap na ako ng anak ko, bye!" natataranta kong wika.

I was about to walk away when he suddenly grabbed my hand. His grip was tight, sending a wave of fear through me. I turned to look at him, my heart pounding, and quickly pulled his hand away from my wrist. Nag-simulang manubig ang mata ko at kung ano ano na naman ang pumapasok sa aking utak. Ang pananakit ni Davis at marami pang iba.

Napansin niya na nagiging balisa ko kaya tinanggal niya 'yon.

"I'm sorry. Wala akong bahay rito pero may binibisita lang ako," sagot nito sa tanong ko kanina.

Girlfriend niya?

Napaatras ako at tinalikuran siya. "Sige. Ingat papunta roon. Sorry," wika ko at nagmamadaling pumasok sa bahay.

"Cheska!"

I quickly shut the gate and ran inside. I leaned against the door after I locked it, and my breath was shaking. Tears started falling as I covered my mouth with my hand. I should be happy—he has a girlfriend now. He's happy for me too... But why does it hurt so much?

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

"You're beautiful tonight, hon," mahinang wika ni Davis ng makapasok ito sa loob ng kuwarto.

Davis took Thalestris to their house first while I was getting ready. My hair was in a messy bun, with a few loose strands curled at the sides of my face. I watched a YouTube makeup tutorial for an evening party look, and I think I nailed it—it suited me perfectly. I paired it with a bold red matte lipstick.

I finally put on my long gown, which hugged my figure perfectly. My high heels were clear, and I paired them with silver earrings. Tumayo ako at kinuha ang silver clutch bag para may paglalagyan ako sa aking cellphone.

Lumapit sa akin si Davis at hinawakan ang aking beywang. Tinignan ko ang sarili ko sa salamin sa huling pagkakataon.

"You look dazzling," papuri nito at hinawakan ang baba ko.

Pinaharap niya ang mukha ko sa kanya at siniil ng halik. I didn't respond to it, but when his grip on my waist tightened so much that it almost dug into my skin, that's when I returned his kiss—even though I didn't want to.

He was the first to pull away, then he held my hand as we left the room, walked to the garage, and got into the car. Naging tahimik lang ang byahe namin at walang nag-salita. Ako ang unang bumaba ng makarating kami sa hotel kung saan gaganapin ang charity ball. There were many people coming in, loudly flaunting their wealth through the jewelry they wore.

I hooked my arm around Davis's as we entered the venue and even closed my eyes for a moment because of the decorative lights that were a bit hurting on my eyes. Nang tuluyang makapasok sa loob ay humiwalay lang ako ng makita ko ang mga magulang ko na naguusap sa table nila.

"Mom, Dad," tawag ko sa kanila.

Awtomatikong silang napasulyap sa akin. Nakita ko ang pagsilay ng ngiti sa kanilang labi at nilapitan ako.

"Anak," sabay nilang wika.

Nanginit ang dulo ng aking mata at nararamdaman ko ang pagbabadyang tumulo ng aking luha, pero nilabanan ko na huwag umiyak sa kanilang harapan. I accepted the warm hug they gave me, and we stayed in that position until I was the one who pulled away.

"We miss you," malambing wika ni Daddy.

"Me too," tugon ko. "Namiss ko rin po kayong dalawa."

Naupo na kami sa upuan at nag-usap sa ibang bagay. Alam ko namang kasama ni Davis ang mga magulang niya na puro business ang lumalabas sa bibig nito.

"You look thin. Kumakain ka ba ng maayos? You were a bit chubby the last time you came home, but now you've gotten way too thin," nag-aalalang wika ni Mommy.

Tipid ko lang silang ningitian. "Kumakain naman po ako roon. I've just been busy and have a lot of things to do, that's why I lost weight."

Humaba pa ang usapan namin sa ibang bagay hanggang sa mapadpad sa negosyo nila. Nakinig na lang din naman ako sa mga sinasabi nila at paminsan minsan ay nililibot ang paningin sa buong hall. The design was beautiful and elegant, with soft music playing in the background, which was somewhat calming.

"I'm sorry, anak. I know we forced you to marry Davis, and we're really sorry for that," biglang sambit ni Mommy at hinawakan ang kamay ko.

Bumaba ang tingin ko roon at binigyan siya ng matamis na ngiti.

"Okay lang po. Ang mahalaga maayos na yung takbo ng kumpanya natin. That's all I can do as your daughter. Don't worry, Davis and I are fine," tugon ko.

Nagkatinginan sila ni Mom at Dad. It felt like they wanted to say something to me but couldn't. I lifted my gaze and felt someone touch my shoulder. It was Davis, along with his parents. Bumaba ang tingin sa akin ng Mama ni Davis at iniwas lang din ang tingin sa akin.

"Good evening, balae. How are you? In fairness, it looks like you've gained some weight, and your skin looks really good too. Did you get a derm treatment before coming here? Am I right?" nakangiting wika ng Mama ni Davis na may bahid ng panlalait.

"Okay lang, balae. Hindi rin ako nagpaderma ngayon. Naka schedule na ang appointment ko diyan next week. My schedule has been a bit busy, that's why I couldn't get a derm treatment for the charity ball," mahinang natawa si Mommy.

Nang makitang nilingon ako ni Mommy ay ningitian ko siya at ganoon din ito. Nilahad niya ang aking kamay at tinanggap ko naman iyon at tumabi sa kanya.

"My skin is still healthy, so I only visit my dermatologist occasionally. It's in our genes to have skin like this," pagbibiro nito at nilingon ako. "Tignan mo ang anak ko, ang ganda niya hindi ba?" pagpuri niya sa akin.

Hindi nakatakas sa akin ang pag-irap ng Mama ni Davis at naupo sa upuan nito. Napabuntong hininga na lang ako at naupo sa tabi ni Davis ng maupo na sila sa kaniya kaniyang upuan.

Nagsimula na ang event at nanatili akong nakaupo sa aking kinuupuan habang nakikinig sa nagsasalita. We talked about other things until it was time to eat. Then, they asked us how married life has been.

It was Davis who answered about that, probably because he was afraid I might spill something about him in front of our family. Kahit anong singit ko ay lagi niya akong sinasapawan at paminsan minsan ay pinipisil ang aking hita na akala mo ay binabantaan ako.

Nag-paalam lang ako ng mag-babanyo lang at hindi na hinintay ang sagot ni Davis. Lakad takbo ang ginawa ko hanggang sa makapunta sa banyo. After it was done, I washed my hands and went out. I let out a soft gasp when someone pulled me and led me to the darker part of the path I was walking.

"Sino ka—"

"Cheska, it's me," malalim ang boses nito at kilala ko na kung sino 'yon.

"Lou—Hylo? What are you doing here?" nanlalaki kong matang tanong sa kanya.

I felt the hairs on my body stand up when I felt his hand on my waist as he pulled me closer to his body when someone passed by.

"I operate the CCTV cameras here and other systems. I just saw you as you were going into the bathroom," sagot niya habang nakatingin sa akin. I felt like I was melting from the way he stared at me. His narrow eyes were seriously looking at me.

"Hylo..." 'yan na lang ang lumabas sa aking bibig dahil parang na-pipe ako sa harapan niya.

"I just want to say that you look gorgeous tonight," he whispered. Natigilan pa siya saglit at napakamot sa kanyang ulo. "Hindi lang pala ngayon. Araw araw kang maganda, Cheska."

Hindi ko na napigilan na ngumiti dahil sa sinabit nito. Alam kong nangangamatis na rin ang aking pisngi, grabe ang pagka tuwa ng puso ko.

"Thank you," nahihiya kong tugon at tinignan siya. "You too, Hylo. You look very attractive right now."

He was wearing a black three-piece suit, and I noticed he had an earpiece on his right ear. His hair was brushed up, and his narrow eyes stayed locked on me.

"Mr. Yiazon?"

Sabay kaming napalingon ng makitang may hindi katandaan na lumapit sa kanya. Naka formal attire rin ito at nakangiting nilapitan si Hylo. nag kamayan silang dalawa at binati si Hylo.

"It's good to see you here at my charity ball. I thought only your staff would be handling this. You're really hands-on with your business."

Mahinang natawa si Hylo. "I think that's better, sir. I also need to check the CCTV system, that's why I'm here as well. By the way, congrats nga pala sa charity ball."

"Thank you, Mr. Yiazon," may inabot siya kay Hylo na isang white champagne na kinuha niya sa isang waiter na nagiikot habang may bitbit na alak sa isang tray at binigay kay Hylo. "A toast to the success of our business! May Yiazon SecureTech continue to thrive and succeed."

Hylo accepted the toast, and they clinked their glasses together. Yiazon SecureTech? Hindi ko alam na may sarili business pala ito tungkol sa mga securities system ang akala ko ay employee lang siya—

"Cheska?"

My ears perked up when I heard Davis's voice. I held Hylo's hand and gently removed it from my waist. For the last time, I looked at him and gave a small smile, while his narrow eyes seemed to silently tell me not to leave just yet. Pero wala siyang magagawa kaya kahit na ayaw kong umalis ay isang tango na lang ang aking binigay at tinalikuran ito.

"Where have you been? You took so long in the bathroom," iritado nitong tanong.

Napalunok ako at tinignan siya. "May tinapon lang ako—"

He grabbed my hand and pulled me into the empty bathroom. I panicked because of that. There weren't many people left since most of them were already at their tables.

"Davis, teka lang baka hinahanap tayo nila Mommy—"

I turned my face to the left when I felt his palm on my cheek—he slapped me. I briefly closed my eyes, and it felt like I lost my hearing for a few seconds before I dared to glance at him.

Matalim ang titig nito sa akin at nagtaas baba ang kanyang dibdib dahil sa galit. My eyes widened as tears slowly started to form, while my heart raced wildly from the fear.

Nanginginig ang aking balikat na inangat ko ang aking kamay at pinadapo rin ang aking palad sa kanyang mukha. His eyes also widened in surprise because of what I did. It seemed like he didn't expect me to do that to him.

"What's your problem now that you're hurting me, Davis?" galit kong wika sa kanya kahit na lumuluha.

He cupped my chin and tightly grabbed my hair. I immediately let out a sound of pain, and my whole system started to panic. Mabilis ang aking pag hinga at hindi ko na napigilan ang aking luha, tumulo na 'yon pababa sa aking pisngi.

"You really are a shameless person, aren't you? Do you think I don't know? Maybe you've forgotten that there's a CCTV outside the house. You're such a flirt! Did you meet with Hylo again? Can't you resist that itch of yours?" galit niyang sigaw sa akin at dumagundong ang kanyang boses sa buong banyo.

Sigaw ko pabalik sa kanya kahit na lumuluha at iniinda ang sakit sa aking anit. "What are you talking about? Hindi ako nakipagkita sa kanya, Davis!"

Humigpit ang hawak niya sa aking buhok at basta na lang tinulak, kaya napasalampak ako sa tiles habang lumuluha pa rin. I wiped my tears, stood up slowly, and fixed my hair, hoping to head to the door to leave. But he grabbed my arm, pulling me to face him.

"Ano ba bitawan mo ako!" umiiyak kong sigaw sa kanya pero hinila niya ako pabalik sa puwesto ko kaniana.

"Kasalanan ko pa ba iyon, Cheska? I'm the one working for our family, and you can't even do something as simple as staying at home!" singhal niya pabalik sa akin.

Dahil sa sinabi nito uminit din ang aking ulo kahit na natatakot para sa aking sarili. "You don't leave us any money for your daughter, then you're going to say you're the one working for both of us!?" galit kong sigaw sa kanya.

His eyes glared at me even more. I knew I had answered him wrong because it seemed to fuel his anger even more. Deep inside, I felt like I had no choice but to accept whatever he was about to do to me because of what I said. Lumapat na naman ang palad niya sa kanan kong pisngi at umalingawngaw 'yon sa buong banyo.

"Stop!" sigaw ko sa kanya.

Nagsimula akong manlaban pero mas malakas siya sa akin. I was sobbing so hard that I could hardly breathe. Even though my vision was blurry, I could clearly see that he was red with anger.

"Is that all you're complaining about with me?!" singhal nito sa akin. "Is that all, huh?!"

I saw him take money from his wallet and approach me. He tore my gown and shoved the money inside it. Crying, I hugged myself because my chest was exposed in front of him. Pagkatapos ay muling sinapo ang aking panga at nilapit ang mukha sa akin.

"Try testing my patience, Cheska. And that might not be the only thing you'll get from me," nanggigil niyang bulong, nararamdaman ako ang panginginig ng kanyang kamay dahil sa galit.

SHANGPU