Chapter 10: Husband & Wife

"Desirae!"

"Oh! Hi, Albert! Where have you been? Oh! Wait, why? What happened?" Nagulat ako nang yakapin niya ako.

Niyakap ko din siya siyempre

Niyakap ko din siya siyempre. May pinagsamahan na rin kami kahit papaano kasi siya yung nandiyan lagi other than Adina kapag wala akong magawa o kapag bored ako. Medyo naweirdohan lang ako nang hinalikan niya ako sa ulo saka sa noo.

"Desirae, Albert andiyan pala kayo, tara magbreakfast na tayo."

May sasabihin pa ata si Albert pero nginitian ko siya't iniwan saka sumunod kina Adina at Aiden.

"Hi, Adina! Good morning, Aiden."

"Nga pala, magpapafireworks ako mamaya, manuod ka ha." - Aiden

"Oo naman. Ilang beses mo na yang pinapaalala. Last month pa ata."

"Para sayo naman kasi talaga yun, before ka ma-engage. Kapag kinasal ka na, di na kita makakasama."

"Di naman. Gusto mo tatakasan ko asawa ko para sayo eh hahaha."

"Hoy di magandang biro yan." - Adina

"Oo nga, naka-move on na nga ako sayo eh tapos ganyan ka."

"Kapag kinasal na tayo di ako papayag na makalapit pa sayo si Aiden."

What happened last night was like a dream. Ang saya ng gabi namin ni Amir together. It is undeniable na mahal na niya ako. At ganun na rin ako siguro sa kanya. I don't know, bat parang di pa rin ako sure.

(Sa dami ba naman kasi ng lalaki sa buhay mo, di ka malito.)

Basta! I need to follow my heart in this. Whenever I'm with Amir, I'm certain that there are butterflies in my stomach. I'm certain of the kilig, eh. May impact kahit presence niya lang. Lalo na pag tinitigan niya ako't ngitian. And what happened last time should be my response. I just don't know how we proceed. Pero sabi naman niya, he'll take care of it.

A bit of last night:

"Wait. I uh...I have to be honest with you. I'm new to this."

"Don't worry."

"I'm scared. It might hurt."

"I'll be gentle. I won't hurt you, I promise."

"I trust you."

"Do you really wanna do this?"

I'm genuinely scared that it might hurt. I'm not a virgin anymore, technically, but the first time I had sex was terrible. It managed to hurt my vagina as it was so tight and the stupid boy only managed to enter his small penis five times. (I don't actually remember the exact number, maybe 3?) ... He was about to go away, but I held his hand. He immediately took action and proceeded to kiss me. He then pinned me down on his bed.

He held onto my hands and made me raise them upwards, making my whole body vulnerable

He held onto my hands and made me raise them upwards, making my whole body vulnerable.

I felt the immediate pleasure of being ravaged by his lips as he went through my neck and breasts

I felt the immediate pleasure of being ravaged by his lips as he went through my neck and breasts. He went down on me and grabbed my breasts, then my thighs—which made me instantly gasp, moan, and hold onto his head, grabbing his hair... He whispers to my left ear how much he loves me, kisses my ears, and proceeds to own my lips again. To be honest, it hurt when he entered me, but as he went on, I felt the need to scream how happy I was. At first I wanted it to stop, but later on, I wanted it to last forever.

"Albert, what are you talking about?" - Adina

"Yeah brother, is there something I don't know about? I'm confused. I thought Desirae was already engaged to Amir. They already have rings! See. Which is placed on her right ring finger. Weird."

"Amir, good thing you're here already. Let's go! Have some breakfast." - Adina

"She's not supposed to be with you last night. Where did you take her? What did you do?"

"Albert? Why are you acting weird? You're scaring me."

"Sorry if I'm like this right now, Desirae. You have to know the truth." Sabi ni Albert habang hawak niya ako sa balikat. Tila ba galit siya kay Amir.

"What are you on about, Albert? Desirae and I are already engaged. See?" Sagot ni Amir saka niya pinakita ang singsing na sinuot ko sa kaniya.

"I don't care about those damn rings! I don't know why I agreed in the beginning na hayaan ka with Amir. It is not my responsibility na he failed his first marriage!"

"First marriage?"

"Ikinasal na siya. Nag-divorce lang sila ng asawa niya. We're supposed to be married sooner or later. Pero may kasunduan."

"Anong kasunduan?"

"There's a pact made between your family and ours. Yun ay ikasal ka sa isa sa amin."

"You know damn well na di naka-specify kung sino ang dapat ikasal kay Desirae, baby brother."

"Huwag mokong mababy baby brother, Amir! The pact stated na kailangan iprioritize ang panganay. Nung napili ang pamilya ni Desirae at siya, may asawa ka na noon which means kami dapat ang ikakasal. Pero anong nangyari? You ruined your marriage!"

"You don't know anything about my marriage. How dare you say that?"

"Oh huwag naman kayo mag-away!"

"Amir is a cheater and a liar! I'm a witness to that!"

"How come I didn't know all of this? Kasalanan ko to. Sana kasi nag-research muna ako or nakichismis."

"Wala kang kasalanan, they concealed the truth. He even lied about the letter! I can't believe Dad is making me suffer again like this. I once had a bride on my own as well, but she died before our wedding. Naka move on na ako sa kaniya pero she's still in my heart and memory. At ngayon di na ako papayag na agawin na naman sa akin kung ano ang akin!"

"Albert."

"What do you mean? About the letter?"

"Desirae, come with me." - Amir

"Albert, answer me. Tell me the truth!"

"Right. I'm the one who wrote it."

I was shocked. Umagang-umaga, andami kong nalaman. Di ko kinaya. Nagwalk-out ako. Kay Adina ako sumama at nagpaalam kay Don Adelio na kung pwede eh umuwi muna ako sa pamilya ko. Buti pumayag siya. Binigyan niya ako ng isang buwan. Pagbalik ko sana maayos na ang magulong mundo ng Faery Palace. Umasa akong magkakaroon ako ng happy ending or happy everafter. Pero ba't ganun? Obligado pa rin ako bumalik, maengage at ikasal. Pero kanino? Yung sing-sing na binigay sa akin ni Amir tinapon ko sa lawa sa ilalim ng tulay. I made sure na nakita niya. Di ko alam kung hinanap niya yun at kung suot suot niya pa rin yung kaniya.

Ano kaya ang mga susunod na mangyayari?

***