Chapter 15

The Truth

The showbiz industry indeed can be dirty... o ganoon talaga. Dahil unti-unti ay naisiwalat din nila ang katotohanan tungkol sa amin ni Valerie...

The only people who knew about our deal are me and Valerie, and then Brayden and Bently. Pero nang lumabas na galing sa isang rental girlfriend agency si Valerie noon, nalaman din na nirentahan ko siya. Of course people from their agency knew that I was her client. Probably her boss or someone who knew and introduced Valerie to my cousins. They probably sold the information about us to the media.

But before all these happened, nag-celebrate pa kami ni Valerie ng first wedding anniversary namin. Isang taon na rin pala simula noong kinasal kami. Pagkatapos lumabas noong pictures namin sa Batangas, Valerie explained it in her interviews that she's married to me and we have the three boys...

And the issue died down a little for while...

"Happy anniversary." sinabi ko pagkabaling ko kay Valerie.

Bumaling din siya sa akin. In her hand was the same wineglass I was holding. We preferred to have a dinner date in a restaurant overlooking the city. Sa malapad na balcony ng restaurant kami nagpa-reserved ni Valerie at kami lang din ang tao roon. I actually made the place exclusive for us.

Tumingin sa akin si Valerie. Nakatayo kami nang magkatabi sa tabi ng balcony railings. Our beautiful background was the lights coming from the city lower than where we were right now. And her eyes were so much gentler as she looked at me this time. Malumanay din ang mga mata kong tumingin sa kaniya. Habang may ngiti sa mga labi ko.

And I don't know if it's because of the wine, and I and Valerie got a little drunk with it... Pero nagkatinginan kami pagkatapos ay unti-unti nang lumapit ang mga mukha namin sa isa't isa...

Valerie's lips and mine touched... And then our kiss became more passionate... and it deepened.

"Let's go somewhere else..." She whispered when we parted for a while to breathe.

"Where?" I asked her softly habang nasa kaniya at nasa mga labi niya lang ang tingin at nawawala na ako sa sarili...

Valerie gripped on my clothes... I was wearing a suit, and she's in her lovely red evening dress...

And then the next thing that happened I just found myself with Valerie inside a hotel suite...

I was too excited I couldn't think straight... It felt like an oasis in the desert... And when was the last time again? I have been celibate for the longest time now...

So having Valerie in my arms now was like heaven... It was like I was in heaven... The feeling... The soft and gentle feel of her smooth skin... Our breaths... Our body heat... Everything was just...so good... Too good...

"Valerie..." I almost moaned her name.

Pagkapasok pa lang ng suite, pagkapasok ng pinto at pagkasara nito ay naghahalikan na kami ni Valerie. Our hungry kisses completely conquered us... Her hands then moved to help me remove my suit jacket and then next to unbuttoning my dress shirt... Her hands were gentle and a bit shaky as she tried to undress me but she also moved with urgency...

Tinulungan ko na rin siya sa paghuhubad ng dress niya. I untied her dress from the back. She was wearing a backless dress na nakatali lang sa leeg niya. And then it just smoothly fell to the floor...

Bumaba ang halik ko sa leeg ni Valerie. She smells so damn good. Like a perfect dessert. Sweet and edible... "Hmm." I moaned a little as I suckled a bit on the skin of her neck. I swear I've never been this kinda loud when I'm with a girl before. Ngayon lang sa kay Valerie. Sa kaniya lang. I just can't help it...

Soft moans also escaped Valerie's lips as I kissed and touched her... And it was music to my ears...

"Gus..."

Oh damn. Really music to my damn ears. Lalo pa akong pinag-iinitan sa mahihinang daing niya at tawag pa sa pangalan ko minsan...

Until I carried her up in my arms and brought her gently to the bed...

Napakapit pa siya sa braso ko habang hiniga ko na siya sa kama. At sandali pa muna kaming nagkatinginan. We looked at each other's eyes like we were already talking by just looking. And then I lowered my head to her again and kissed her lips. And then I claimed her mouth like I owned her... Every bit of her...

Marahan ko siyang hinahalikan sa bawat parte ng katawan niya... I kissed every part of her skin... From her head to her toes... Na para bang sinasamba ko siya...

I didn't expect that this would happen now... Valerie and I didn't talk about it... But we both wanted it...

And I realized that Valerie was new to this. I mean sinabi na niya sa akin noong honeymoon dapat namin. Pero hindi pa rin ako makapaniwala...

And tonight I can have her... But, do I deserve it? Do I deserve her. Pero bago ko pa man tuluyan pang maisip iyon ay tuluyan na rin akong nawala sa amin ni Valerie...

She kissed my lips again. She initiated it. And trying to be more and more passionate... Kanina ay pinigilan pa niya ako at sinasarado ang legs niya when I tried to part it gently so that I could let myself swim in the heavens between her legs... Nag-angat lang ako ng tingin sa kaniya at ngumiti. I gave her a reassuring smile before I drowned myself in heaven...

I didn't stop until Valerie's legs were shaking and she convulsed because I just made her climax... "Haven't you done this before?" I asked her pagkatapos ko lang pinasadahan ng mga daliri ko ang labi kong basa galing sa kaniya...

And Valerie was watching me. Sa akin lang siya nakatingin. "What..."

"Haven't you touched yourself before... you know what I mean..." I whispered as I was again aiming to kiss her heavenly lips...

"A-Ano? Hindi ko... Bakit ko gagawin..."

I almost couldn't believe that Valerie seemed to be a little confused about what I was saying... She's this innocent. And I tainted her innocence now... I am really still Augustus Lozano... Tsk. Tsk.

Hinalikan ko na lang si Valerie. Nang buong puso. Yes I can say that because I'm really savoring well this moment that I have with her now... Ah. I love this so much.

Her lips... The feel of her skin... I love everything about you, Valerie Lavrov... Lozano...

"Gus..." She called me in her very womanly voice.

"Yes... I know..." I whispered in her ear and I kissed her there before I put myself in place over her gorgeous and heavenly body...

Nakita ko pa lang ang hubad na katawan ni Valerie kanina, sobrang tinigasan pa ako lalo that I felt like my manhood would break... just kidding. Kahit na parang ganoon nga. What she's making me feel was way, way more different... So much different that I couldn't explain it... Basta.

"Ah..." Valerie whined like she's in pain with our first real contact...

"Shush... It's all right... Just try to relax... I believe the pain would subside soon... And you'll be all right... You'll like it..." I whispered to her like a devil...

And of course I did my very best to make her all right... As gently as I could. I know that I can please a woman well. Kahit pa siguro medyo nangangalawang na rin ako, and it's been really like a long time since I last involved myself with some action. Since I married Valerie, actually. Kaya naman binigay ko na ang lahat ko ngayon at bigay todo ang performance ko to make sure that my wife will be very well sated. And she won't regret giving herself to me for the first time...

And that she ended up tired but happy with that little smile on her lips as her eyes were already closed after we just made love...

"Bakit hindi po kayo umuwi kagabi?" Ashi curiously asked. Nakakunot pa ang noo niya sa akin.

Kinabukasan na kasi kami nakauwi ni Valerie after we just celebrated our first year anniversary as married couple... Wow... I feel like I'm still on cloud nine...

Tumingin ako kay Valerie at nagkatinginan kami. Her cheeks blushed and she looked away. I just smiled a happy smile.

And then I tried to explain it to the kids. "Mommy and Daddy were celebrating their wedding anniversary, right?"

Tumango naman ang mga bata. "Yes, and?" si Ashi pa rin na nakahalukipkip na habang hinihintay ang sagot ko.

I think I realized that pinakahirap siguro magpalaki ng middle child... Ang daming tanong... Well, curiosity in kids is a good sign, right? Am I correct, or nah. Maybe I'm wrong...

"And... Well," Tumingin ako kay Valerie para magpatulong sana pero umiwas lang siya kaya ako na talaga ang nagpaliwanag sa mga bata. "Uh, well, Mommy and Daddy went to a kind of a far restaurant... from here, from our house. So, uh, gabi na rin 'di ba kagabi? And I got tired of driving na. And Mommy felt pity for Dad to drive home pa. So we just decided to just sleep there... and, uh, spent the night there... You know... Kaya ngayong morning na kami nakauwi ni Mommy..." I tried to smile to my kids. I can be bad at this, huh...

Valerie was laughing a little nang kaming dalawa na lang ang naiwan at nasa yayas na muna nila ang mga bata. Bahagyang kumunot ang noo ko sa kaniya pero nakangiti rin. "What?" I was a bit confused though her small chuckle was pretty and cute. Ah, I'm beginning to get more crazy over my wife now.

Bumaling siya sa akin na may magandang ngiti. Umiling siya bahagya. "You can be bad at explaining to your kids, Gus." She chuckled again. Mahina lang ang tawa niya that it's so cute.

Ngumiti pa ako. "You didn't help me. It was hard explaining, you know. Especially with Ashi. You saw his face? Parang hindi siya naniniwala sa sinabi ko."

Valerie chuckled a little more. And I laughed with her. Such joyful moments with my love...

Kuya Austin and Ate Beverly will get wed finally after a year of me being married to Valerie. I think they're still following a tradition or the likes. At kinuha nila si Shin as their ring bearer. And my boy was all smiles as he carried the job. And guests at the wedding find him too adorable. I just smiled as I watched my son with a proud face. To be honest I've become very proud of my sons. They're doing good at school and with our life overall. At s'yempre pinaka importante na sa akin ngayon na lumalaki silang healthy and strong, and happy. Iyon lang naman ang gusto ko para sa kanila.

I definitely learned to be like a father to Achi, Ashi, and Shin. My three boys taught me how a real Dad can probably feel towards his children... Naghahalo palagi ang saya ko at pag-aalala para sa kanila. And I only wish for them to grow happy and strong...

Valerie was taking pictures of Shin as he passed by us and walking down the aisle as the ring bearer. Tumingin pa siya sa amin at gwapong ngumiti kay Valerie na kinukunan siya ng pictures. All smiles din naman si Valerie sa anak niya.

They always said that Shin looks a lot like me...

I don't know if it's true, na parang magiging kamukha mo na raw ang bata even if he's just adopted... Kapag ikaw daw ang nagpapalaki... o lumalaki sa 'yo ang isang bata. Parang ganoon. I don't really know about that.

But my happy family life felt so short-lived after the truth was out...

Maybe I expected this... I mean, did they always say that truth will be revealed eventually? That lies doesn't last long... Lalabas at lalabas pa rin talaga ang katotohanan. At mabubuking ang kasinungalingan.

I went home one lonely night...

Nakapatay ang mga ilaw sa bahay. Wala nang mga maiingay at makukulit na bata ang sumalubong sa akin. Hindi ko na rin nakita ang magandang ngiti ni Valerie...

No one welcomes me home anymore...

It's depressingly sad...

Why does this have to happen? I was already trying to correct my wrongs. I was working on it. And working hard. But why does this have to happen now...

Nasanay na ako na nand'yan lang palagi ang mga bata... At si Valerie...

"Sa amin na muna ng Daddy mo ang mga bata, Augustus. You can't keep on using them for your own selfish reasons... Tsk." Ito ang sinabi sa akin ni Mommy nang kunin nila sa akin sina Achi, Ashi at Shin.

And I remember how the boys cried. They didn't want to go. They wanted to stay here... in our home... with me and Valerie...

Pero nalaman na nina Mommy na galing lang sa ampunan sina Ashi... And they even confronted Valerie about it... about everything.

Wala na. It's gone...

And now that I already got so used to having my family by my side... And I think that I cannot live without them anymore.

I will probably lose it. I already lost my family, anyway. Kaya bakit pa ako magpapatuloy...

I can't continue living without Valerie and our three boys.