Chapter 2: Curiosity Kills The Cat

I locked myself in my room. Until I heard a knock on the door. Narinig ko lang galing sa labas ang boses din ni Tita Rachel na mukhang nakikiusap na hayaan na lang muna ako...

I did not open my door. Kahit pa alam ko na baka magalit lang sa akin si lola.

Hanggang sa makauwi na si Ate Rosie at nakaalis na rin sina lola at ang mga bisita. At si ate lang ang kinausap ko.

"What happened, Vien?" si ate na pumasok sa kwarto ko at kinausap ako.

She sighed a bit. "I was told that lola was angry because you disrespected the guests..."

I looked at her. "That guy was a jerk. He... He harassed me!" Nanginginig ako. I felt anger and disgust towards him!

And Ate Rosie tried to calm me down. "What really happened? Tell me."

And then I started telling my older sister what that horrible guy did to me...

"I'll talk to Mom and Dad about this. You rest for the night. Huwag mo na munang masyadong isipin ito." She advised me.

Unti-unti naman akong tumango kay ate at nagpahinga na rin muna nang gabing 'yon...

The next day ay pinagsabihan pa rin ako ni Papa ng tungkol sa nangyari kagabi. Hindi na lang din ako sumagot. Because I doubt if he'd listen to me. I'm sure sinabi na rin sa kanila ni Ate Rosie ang sinabi ko.

But I cannot really expect from my father...

Sumabay uli ako sa kotse ni Ate Rosie. But I didn't feel like coming to the university today...

"Are you okay? Don't mind, Dad. He's just really like that... He's just as stupid as that guy from last night, right?" Bahagyang ngumisi sa akin si Ate Rosie pagkabaling niya sa 'kin sandali galing sa pagmamaneho.

Napailing naman ako sa kaniya. She's still talking about our father...

And then she sighed. "Kaya mo pa bang pumasok sa university ngayon? Or you should've just stayed home today..." She looked like she was thinking while driving.

Pero umiling naman ako. Parang wala nga akong ganang pumasok ngayon sa university pero ayaw ko na rin umuwi sa bahay...

Sinulyapan muli ako ni ate. "Saan mo gustong pumunta? I'm actually busy..." Napailing din siya.

"Gusto mo ba tumambay ka na lang muna sa office ko? I won't be there since I'd attend meetings and visit the site. But you can stay there in my office. Nandoon naman ang isang secretary ko. You can always ask her for things you want. You can order food. May TV rin ako roon. You can watch while just lazing around there until this day's over. How does that sound?" Ngumiti siya sa akin nang sumulyap muli.

Unti-unti naman akong napangiti at tumango kay Ate Rosie.

So I went with her at the office. I also asked her about dad. But she said that hindi naman daw napupunta talaga si Papa sa office niya at kung may kailangan lang.

"Okay. So I'll leave you here now. Maris is here and just tell her your requests, okay?"

I nodded at my sister and smiled. "Yes. Thank you, ate."

She smiled at me, too. "I'll try if I could get back earlier later so that we can still go and eat out. So you'd feel more better from what happened, 'kay?"

Tumango lang muli ako. Pagkatapos umalis na rin agad si ate dahil malilate na sa meeting niya.

I've always been a little sister to her. I still feel lucky because I have a nice older sister. Even though we're only half siblings. At mabait din sa akin si Tita Rachel.

Kaya naman nasa office lang ako ni Ate Rosie maghapon. I also talked to Claire over the phone and told her na absent nga muna ako ngayon. And I have to reassure her na okay lang ako because she's worried about me.

But I guess I also got bored inside my sister's big office. Kahit busy lang naman ako sa phone ko. And Maris also brought in some food and snacks for me.

Kaya naman lumabas din ako ng office ni ate. At pagkalabas ko ay wala pa roon si Maris. Maybe the secretary left for a while...

Baka may inutos si ate sa secretary niya.

I decided to go to the ladies' room first. May malapit lang din naman doon. And I think I forgot na may bathroom din naman sa loob ng office ni ate. But I even went to the public washroom mostly for the company's employees on that floor.

Tahimik sa mga hallways at wala ngang tao roon hanggang sa malapit na ako sa washroom. And then I overheard two people talking to each other...

"Pero, Sir, sabihin mo lang sa 'kin kung ano pa ang pwede kong gawin para magpatuloy pa rin tayo..." I can hear Maris' voice saying this.

I didn't want to eavesdrop to other people's conversations, but I think I just got curious, too...

Narinig ko na rin kasi na mukhang mahina nang umiiyak si Maris doon...

What's happening?

Maris is a young and beautiful secretary/assistant of my sister. At mukha rin naman siyang mabait.

Kaya sino kaya itong nagpapaiyak sa kaniya ngayon...

Sumilip pa ako. They're on the way to the washroom so I cannot pass...

Nakita ko na rin ang mukha ng kausap ni Maris. He wasn't that very familiar to me. But he's handsome...

Nakinig pa ako sa pinag-uusapan nila.

"We're done. I already said it. I don't like to repeat myself twice." The man said to Maris.

Agad akong nagtago at sobrang lumakas ang pintig ng puso ko sa kaba nang makita kong bumaling siya sa banda ko at muntik na akong mahuli na nakikinig sa usapan nila!

I heard Maris cried louder. I can obviously hear her crying now. Gusto kong sumilip muli pero natakot na ako na baka mahuli. Until I heard Maris' heels on the floor and she was already running my way so I hid more as not to be seen. Nakita ko si Maris na dumaan sa harapan ko habang umiiyak...

"What are you doing?"

Literal na pinanindigan ako ng balahibo at nanlamig sa kinatatayuan ko. I focused my attention to Maris that I forgot he was still there...

And I think that my curiosity already got me...

Unti-unti akong bumaling sa kaniya. And I saw his serious and kind of scary face, despite being still really handsome...

"Who are you?" he asked me.

"Huh?"

Lalong kumunot ang noo niya sa akin.

"Uh..." Nakaramdam na naman ako ng kaba at nataranta na. "I was... just..." And then I remember the washroom! "Right! I'm just actually passing by and was about to go to the washroom..." I said and then I almost just ran away from him.

He was scary! I felt like a little cat being caught taking some food on the table...

Hindi na ako nagpaalam nang maayos at basta na lang akong umalis at naglaho roon sa harapan niya. I locked myself inside the ladies' washroom. I heaved a sigh as I was already inside. Nakakakaba iyon...

Nagtagal ako roon sa loob. At nang lumabas na ako nang paunti-unti ay wala naman na siya roon. I thanked God. He was really kind of scary. And his face was so serious...

Dumating na rin si ate at niyaya akong umalis na kami. At habang nasa sasakyan naman kami ay nag-r-rant si ate tungkol kay Maris...

"I don't know what Maris was thinking! The devil was pissed!" she said while driving her car. And I was on the shotgun seat.

Bumaling ako kay ate. "Devil?" napatanong ako.

"Harrison Abella!" She almost gritted her teeth.

"Who?"

Sinulyapan ako ni ate. "Our business partner."

Pagkatapos ay nagpatuloy pa siya sa sinasabi niya. "He didn't like that I made him come to my office when I wasn't there. But I already told Maris na sa site na lang kami magkikita! Hindi ko alam kung bakit hinayaan niya na pumunta pa sa office ko ang lalaki na 'yon!"

Oh. I think I already know who my sister was talking about. Was it the man from earlier? Siya lang naman ang nakita kong pumunta roon sa floor ng office ni ate...

So his name's Mister Harrison Abella... Hmm...

And how can I tell my sister that maybe her secretary intentionally made the business partner come there because she wanted to see him?

Alam kaya ni ate ang tungkol sa kanilang dalawa?

Pero mukhang wala naman siyang alam...

"Is he married?" I suddenly asked my sister.

"Who?" napasulyap muli siya sa 'kin.

"Mister... Harrison Abella." I said.

Binagalan ni ate ang pagmamaneho niya, and she looked at me a bit longer before her eyes went back on the road. "Did you meet him earlier? Nagpunta siya sa office ko..."

I nodded my head slowly. "He's your business partner?"

"He's Dad's business partner or the company's partner to be specific. Dad made a deal with him at mas malaki rin ang kompanya niya kaysa sa atin. Tsk. Minsan hindi talaga nag-iisip nang maayos si Daddy. If I'm not here baka bumagsak na lang talaga nang tuluyan ang business sa kamay niya. Si Lolo naman talaga ang nag-m-manage dati until he passed away. Even when he was already old he still had to work because he couldn't rely the business on his only son's hands...

"Ngayon ako naman ang nandito at inaayos ang mga mali nang nagawa ni daddy para sa business, tsk. That old man, his mind doesn't really grow older. Sumusunod lang pa rin kay lola at sa mga ate niya kahit wala naman talaga silang alam sa negosyo. It was only lolo who handled the family business well." ani ate.

"Why, ate?"

"What?"

"Do you think he's not a good business partner? Mister Harrison Abella..." I said.

Bahagyang umiling si ate. "No. It's not that. He's actually a really good businessman. I just worry that our business might just end up under his bigger and has more connections company."

And then I learned from my sister that his company is actually a known real estate business and which also deal with big construction projects of mostly large and tall or tower-like buildings. Ang iba sa mga pagmamay-ari ng company nila o gawa nila ay nakita ko na rin dahil mga kilalang infrastructure din hindi lang dito sa bansa kundi pati na rin abroad. He's also an Architect-Engineer himself according to my sister. And also an esteemed businessman. How could he do all that? He must be a real genius.

And my family's business is also real estate that our grandfather worked hard for. Kaya lang nang mawala na si lolo ay halos bumagsak na rin pala ang negosyo sa kamay ni Papa and it's just Ate Rosie now who's still trying to save it. Kaya sobrang busy ni ate palagi at halos araw-araw na. Kahit linggo ay nagtatrabaho pa rin siya. She works 7 days a week. And that's why she also feared na baka nga maging under or halos ibigay na lang din ni Papa ang kompanya namin kay Mister Harrison Abella dahil may mga utang na rin si Papa at ang kompanya sa kaniya.

I just can't help but wonder now kung ano pa kaya ang tama rin sana na nagawa ni Papa?

Just think of it. Aside from being a womanizer, at least before. At sana nga totoong tumigil na siya ngayon at matanda na rin siya.

"And about your question earlier, no. He's not yet married. Actually, kung papayag lang siya na pakasalan ako ay ipapakasal na rin ako sa kaniya ni Daddy para lang masalba pa rin ang pamilya natin. But he doesn't want it. At ayaw ko rin, tsk. But if I have to..." Ate Rosie sighed exasperatedly.

Dumating na rin kami ni ate sa restaurant at kumain na muna ng dinner bago umuwi sa bahay.

And while we're already eating she asked me, "Why were you asking about him, anyway? If he's married or not?"

Hindi agad ako nakasagot sa tanong ni ate. I suddenly felt shy. Pinunasan ko na lang muna ng table napkin ang bibig ko bago nagsalita. "Uh... I was just curious..." I said.

Nagkatinginan kami ni ate at tumigil na rin siya sa pagkain. Pagkatapos ay umiling siya. "Oh no... You've met him earlier at the office? Did you talk to him? Or he talked to you?"

Marahan akong umiling kay ate at hindi ko alam kung paano ko sasabihin sa kapatid ko na nahuli lang naman ako nito kanina na nakikinig sa kanila ng secretary niya...

Ate sighed. "Did you already developed a crush on that man on your first meeting?

"Oh my, God... I know, and I understand... He's gorgeous according to all the women he's met... But, no." umiling si ate.

While my eyes widened a fraction at my sister. Iiling pa sana ako, but she already dramatically sighed again. "You can't, my sweet little sister Vienna..." umiling-iling siya habanag nakatingin sa akin.

"That man... he's no good for an innocent girl like you. He'll only corrupt you. And he's not the serious type with his relationships. All this time he only had some lovers or flings..." Ate Rosie said about him.

Bahagya muli nanlaki ang mga mata ko habang nakikinig ako sa nakatatandang kapatid.

And then I realized that my sister might be actually aware that her own secretary was also probably one of Harrison Abella's women... Tsk.

Bakit ba ang hilig hilig mambabae ng mga lalaki? Galing pa sa tatay ko mismo...

Siguro hindi na ako maniniwala pa sa kahit na sinong lalaki kung sasabihin nila sa akin at ipapangako pa na magiging tapat siya sa akin at ako lang ang mamahalin niya. Napangiwi ako sa naisip.

It's the reason why some women like me and my sister can become bitter about love...

Kasi kahit si Ate Rosie ay parang gusto na lang din na tumandang dalaga.

Author's note: Hi! Read till Chapter 4 of this story now in Patreon or Facebook VIP Group, to join VIP just kindly message me directly on my Facebook account Rej Martinez or Rej Martinez's Stories Facebook page. Membership is 150/month and access to all exclusive stories na po 'yan. Wala nang ibang babayaran para makabasa at good for 1 month na po 'yan na membership sa VIP Group. Thank you so much!