"Akala ko may meeting ka sa org n'yo?" 

I gave Yanna a small smile when she took her seat in front of me. I asked her to eat lunch together in Katipunan. My treat of course. We were at Regis. Medyo natagalan siya since nag-LRT pa siguro siya. Ang layo pa naman ng Morayta rito. 

"They postponed it." I shrugged. "Are you okay? You look... How should I say this?" 

She raised a brow before laughing, holding her right cheek with a light bruise on it. She looked unbothered, but I felt so worried. Where did that come from? 

"May nakaaway lang ako," she answered, smiling. "Hindi naman big deal. Hayaan mo na." 

"Are you getting bullied?" My brows furrowed, hoping that the answer would be no. 

She looked at me for a second before she pursed her lips and shrugged. Hindi niya man lang tinanggi. I bit my lower lip and offered my hand above the table for her to hold it. Napatingin siya sa paligid bago binalik ang tingin sa 'kin. 

"Mukha tayong magjowa." She laughed before holding my hand. 

"Why? Why were you on a fight? Sino'ng umaway sa 'yo?" sunod-sunod na tanong ko sa kanya. 

"Some guy." Sumimangot siya, mukhang naiinis kapag naaalala. "I said no and it happened. Hayaan mo na. Mapilit lang 'yong gagong 'yon. Akala ata lahat pinapatulan ko. Namimili rin ako 'no! Choosy ako! Ang baho at pangit niya kaya." 

"'Yon lang?" Nakakunot pa rin ang noo ko. 

"Tsaka may dalawa akong blockmates na nakaaway ko rin. Malandi raw ako." Nagkibit-balikat siya, mukhang walang pakialam. "Eh, totoo naman! Hinayaan ko na lang!" 

"You should not allow those people to treat you like that. Being sexually expressive and active does not make you any less of a woman," I reminded her. "List down their names. Let's report them to-" 

"Hayaan mo na," she cut me off. "Ayoko na ng gulo. Magsasawa rin mga 'yan." 

"Hi, Sam!" Someone I know from my other org waved her hand. Ngumiti ako at tumayo para bigyan siya ng yakap. "What's up? I heard about your engagement with Clyden. Don't ask me why I know. Gosh, my boyfriend was at his party a few months ago." 

"Oh, uhm-" I looked away, feeling a little awkward. "Yeah, I guess." 

"You would make a great couple! Though I heard that guy is difficult to deal with. Anyway, I need to go to class pa. I'll see you around!" She waved her hand again before leaving. 

"Engagement?" Yanna raised a brow when I went back to my seat. She scoffed, feeling a little betrayed. "Anong engagement?" 

"It's nothing," I lied. "I'll get our food na." 

"Ako na kukuha." Padabog niyang kinuha ang number at naglakad paalis, galit sa 'kin. 

I inhaled a large amount of air before exhaling slowly, calming myself. I fixed my hair and leaned back on my seat while waiting for her. Marami akong kakilala kaya hindi mawala ang ngiti sa mukha ko para kumaway. It was tiring. Maybe I shouldn't have joined seven organizations, huh? 

"Oh." Nilapag ni Yanna ang plato sa harapan ko bago umupo sa tapat ko. I gave her an apologetic smile but she just rolled her eyes. "Kumain ka na nga muna." 

"Hey, I didn't tell you because I didn't want to add up to your problems. See? You have another problem with your dumb bullies, so I-" 

"Lahat sinasabi ko sa 'yo, ah," she fired back, not looking at me. 

"Okay, I'm sorry." I bit my lower lip. "I already told you years ago about my engagement to a random guy. Well, a few months ago, I met him at his graduation party. He graduated from UP Manila. Now he's studying at UP Med. We don't talk much and last na kita namin 'yong nag-punta siya sa bahay para ibalik bracelet ko. That's it." 

"Pogi?" unang tanong niya. 

"Well, pwede na." I didn't know how to answer that one. 

"May picture ka? Patingin!" She sounded excited now. 

"No! I don't even know his socials. Kahit number niya, hindi ko alam. The only thing I have from him is this thing." I showed her my necklace. Nakasabit doon ang singsing. I didn't want to wear it, but I didn't want to lose it either. 

"Uy, mukhang mahal 'yan, ah! Diamond 'yan, ah!" She looked closely. "Sangla natin, mars." 

"Wait, I think I have a picture from the party." Naalala ko na lang bigla. 

Nilabas ko ang phone ko at nag-scroll sa messages namin ni Mommy. She sent me some exclusive photos from the party, 'yong may mukha ko lang. Of course, may photographer sila sa party na 'yon. I scrolled and scrolled until I saw a picture of Clyden and me talking to our dads. I was smiling, but Clyden was just pursing his lips, nodding to his dad. 

"Here." I showed Yanna the picture. "He's... Well, attractive a bit." 

"A bit?!" Kinuha ni Yanna ang phone ko. "Hala, gaga ka, ang gwapo! Ako na lang a-attend ng kasal kung ayaw mo! Pwede akong magpanggap na ikaw! Hala, gago, jackpot!" 

"Jackpot, huh? Well, sorry to say, he has a bad personality." I rolled my eyes. 

"Ay, wala talagang perpektong ginawa ang Diyos, 'no?" She laughed before giving me back my phone. "Pagdasal mo na lang na magaling siya sa kama kahit papaano para naman hindi sayang ang honeymo-"

"No way! I'm not marrying that guy!" I looked disgusted. "We have a plan, don't worry. That wedding will be cancelled." 

"Sayang naman. Mukha pa naman siyang mas mature sa 'yo. Baka pwede mo siyang matawag na daddy." She laughed to tease me. 

"Yanna, I'm trying to eat." I pointed at my food, disgusted now. 

"Ugh, yes, daddy." She faked a moan before laughing at my reaction. 

"He's not even that hot," I whispered, looking at the picture. "I bet you one thousand pesos, he has no experience. He told me that he doesn't date." 

"Pusta ko walang experience pero nanonood kaya marunong-" 

"Okay, that's it. This conversation's over. Kumain muna tayo," I cut her off. 

My second year in Ateneo wasn't that bad, actually. More workload lang, but I could manage it. Like what Clyden and I agreed on, I was allowed to date other people, so I did. I even downloaded dating applications for it. There was this thought inside me that it might be the last time I could even date other people. 

"Oh my gosh, who's that?" I asked Rylee, my block mate. 

"Who?" She stopped walking to see who I was looking at. Galing kaming Starbucks so we passed by the football field. "I can't see. Who ulit, Sam?" 

"That guy. The one wiping his sweat." I pointed at the tall and fit guy, wiping his sweat using the hem of his shirt, revealing his abdomen. He looked so tired and sweaty. 

"Oh, that's Adonis from the School of Management. I know him because he used to flirt with my sister." Rylee laughed. "But we're gucci. He's nice naman." Gucci meant 'goods.' 

"Really? Okay, crush ko na siya. A little bit lang." I shrugged before we continued walking. 

In my third year, we met again, but he rejected me. Can you believe that? He just rejected me in front of so many people. I mean, he was not obliged to return my feelings, but he could have rejected me in private, not in front of so many people while I was drunk. No hard feelings, though. Nagkasundo rin kami after that. 

"We're goods naman, right?" I asked him when I saw him in Gonz. Nakapila kami for shake. 

"Uy, Sam!" He gave me a smile. "Oo, goods tayo, bro. Don't worry." 

"I'm going to new Rizal lib," Kalix told him. "Hey, Sam," he greeted me when he saw me.

"What's up, Kalix," I greeted him back. 

He just gave me a small smile before leaving with his things. Kinuha na ni Adonis ang protein shake niya bago nagpaalam sa 'kin at umupo sa table nila. He was with Leo and Amethyst pero tumayo na rin sila kaagad. Maybe they will follow Kalix to the library. 

For the next months, I became busy with my studies. Nabawasan na ang mga dine-date ko pero hindi nabawasan ang pag-party ko. It was the only way I could feel free. I liked school days more than vacation days since I could stay in my condo alone. 

"Can I see your grades, Samantha?" Dad asked while we were eating dinner. 

I brought my phone out and silently slid it over the table until it reached him. He looked at my grades with his brows furrowed. I knew I did well. My grades were no less than B+. 

"Why are they so low? Comm ka na nga." Padabog na binalik ni Daddy ang phone ko. 

"A is the highest, Dad," I tried to explain. "These are considered high already. I'm included in the Dean's list." 

"Why do you have a B plus? That's not very high. You should aim for straight As. You're taking Comm, for heaven's sake. Don't act like it's so hard," he continued. "Anyone can become a Dean's lister." 

Comm was still hard. All programs were hard. I wanted to tell him that, but all I could say was an apology for not doing better. I could never stand up for myself in this household. I always wanted to avoid arguments. Alam ko namang hindi sila magpapatalo. They were always right about everything. They should be. 

"I'm sorry, Dad," I whispered, looking down at my plate. "I'll... do better next time." 

"Honey, you're Samantha Vera. You should not just do 'better.' You should be the best." Mom joined the conversation. 

I looked at Naomi and caught her staring at me. I gave her a sweet smile, but she looked away. She probably felt awkward with the conversation. She was watching me get scolded. Nakakahiya. I just kept that smile to myself. 

I stopped eating when I saw two armed men in the living room. Tumayo kaagad si Daddy at winelcome sila. They started talking about business. I bit my lower lip and tried to continue eating, but I felt sick just by looking around me. 

"I lost my appetite. I'm sorry," I said before wiping my mouth with the table napkin. 

I went to my room and lay down on the bed, staring at the ceiling for a long time. I opened my phone and saw some news about my dad and his friends. Viral ang video ni Daddy ngayon na sinisigawan 'yong mga nagpo-protest against him. I massaged my head and sighed heavily. 

That night, I received bad news about Kierra. I got my things and drove as fast as I could. I had never felt so mad at someone before. I remained calm on the outside, watching my friends cry on the floor. 

"She'll be okay," I whispered to Luna. "Kierra is a strong girl. She will be okay." 

That was just wishful thinking of mine. I could never forgive anyone who had the audacity to lay hands on my friend. What was going on inside her boyfriend's head? I wished I could know. I really wished I could. 

All I could feel was pain. Everyone around me was feeling pain, so I had to be strong for them. Weeks later, Luna broke up with her boyfriend and Yanna... Yanna got pregnant. I was so lost. I didn't know what to do anymore. 

"Sam, ang sakit sakit.." Yanna started crying on my shoulder. 

"I will be with you, Yanna. We will get through this, okay? We will," I assured her repeatedly. "I will provide for everything. I can provide for everything." 

"Uuwi na 'kong Nueva Ecija." She cried more. "Huwag mong sasabihin kina Luna, ha? Huwag mong sasabihin kahit kanino, kahit kay Hiro, kahit kanino... Gusto ko na lang makaalis dito." 

"Of course. I promise." 

I had to be strong. I had to be strong for my friends. I was the only one who could provide help... the only one who could give them strength. I started keeping all my problems to myself, afraid that I would bother anyone. Sevi was the only friend I could talk to. He was not suffering from anything aside from getting brokenhearted by Luna. 

[Umiiyak ka ba?] he asked, concerned. 

"No," I denied, but my voice broke. "No, I'm not... I'm not crying.." 

[Sige, Sam. Hindi ka umiiyak, Sam. Oo na lang, Sam.] He was sarcastic. [Bakit? Ano'ng problema? Sino'ng umaway sa 'yo? Pagtulungan namin ni Arkin kaso busy 'yon kaya ako na lang muna!] 

I wanted to say something about Yanna, but I promised not to tell anyone that she was planning to drop out and go home to Nueva Ecija. Good thing Sevi did not ask anymore. He just listened to me while I cried. 

[Okay ka na?] he asked after the long silence. 

"Everything is going to be okay, right?" I asked with a hopeful voice. "I need to hear it from someone." 

[Oo, Sam. Magiging okay din ang lahat. Kung ano man ang pinagdadaanan mo ngayon, hindi ko sasabihing okay lang 'yan dahil hindi okay sa ngayon. Pwede kang maging mahina, pare. Hindi sa lahat ng oras kailangan matatag ka pero dapat babangon ka rin, ha? Lalaban ulit! Ganoon lang! Bale, sa basketball, rebound kapag hindi na-shoot sa first try!] 

"May pa-comparison ka pa." I laughed. 

[Luh, pinag-isipan ko pa 'yon, 'no.] reklamo niya. 

"Yeah, right." 

I had no time to feel down. I started searching for some healthy tips for pregnant women so that I could help my best friend. I wanted to remind her every single day lalo na't makakalimutin si Yanna. I was actually kind of excited for the baby. I would treat that child with so much love and care. 

"Sam, we're already planning the date for your marriage." 

I was staring at the plate for so long. Sa sobrang tagal kong nakatulala, hindi ko na narinig ang sinabi ni Daddy. He had to call my nickname twice to get my attention. 

"Maui!" he shouted. "Are you even listening?!" 

"I'm sorry, Dad. I was just thinking about... a lot of things." I gave him a small smile. "Come again?" 

"We already have a date for your wedding. Right after Clyden's graduation. He's already in his third year this August. I think the both of you need to start seeing each other more often now. Let's say... You could start living together?" 

"What?" I blinked once. Twice. Thrice. Did I hear that right? 

Live together? What? Where?! Sino'ng mag-aadjust sa amin? Our schools were both so far away from each other!

"Dad, I think we don't need to-"

"We'll talk about that tomorrow. The Ramirez family is going to have dinner with us tomorrow. Be prepared for it," Dad cut me off. 

That was another stressful night for me. I went up to my room and noticed that the drawer of my vanity table had been opened. My brows furrowed as I checked my makeup collection. Two palettes were missing. 

"Uhm, Naomi." I knocked on her door.

She opened the door and glared at me, obviously annoyed by my presence. I gave her a sweet smile before talking. 

"I don't mean this in any way, but by any chance, did you borrow my palette?" I carefully asked. 

"N-no! Are you accusing me that I stole your makeup?!" she lashed out at me. 

"Oh, no, no, I was just asking!" I waved my hands in front of me to deny it. "I mean, it's totally fine! I was just wondering." 

Napansin ko rin kasi na for the past few months, unti-unting nauubos 'yong makeup ko sa drawer, so I always had to buy another one. I saw her holding my lipstick and eyeliner last month, so I just assumed that she liked borrowing my makeup. 

"I did not steal your makeup! Now, go away!" she yelled at me. 

"If you... If you want more makeup, you can ask me for some. I can send you the brands I like and-" 

"I can ask Dad to buy me makeup, okay?!" 

I bit my lower lip and slowly nodded. That was a lie. She couldn't tell Dad anything. She couldn't tell him her needs and the things she wanted to buy, so I understood why she had to borrow my makeup. 

"If you need anything, just knock on my door." I gave her a smile before going back to my room. 

My drawer had a lock on it, but I decided to leave it open. I transferred some of my new makeup inside so she could choose among them. After that, I did my night care routine before I went to bed. 

The next morning, I woke up feeling stressed. I just realized that I would get to see that asshole again! Mom was so quick to buy me a new dress for tonight's dinner. Good thing she didn't hire a makeup artist again. That would be too much. 

I waited all day for dinner, not because I wanted to see him but because I wanted it to be over. I wanted to get through it finally. 

"Samantha, be nice, okay?" My mom entered my room. 

I was wearing a brown satin dress and black heels. I let my short hair down, ending just above my shoulders. I looked at the ring on my finger and sighed. I felt suffocated just by looking at it. 

"You can't disappoint Clyden's family. This is your first time meeting his brothers. You know what to do," she said before closing the door. 

I checked my face in the mirror again before I went down the stairs. Naomi was inside her room again. Hindi na naman siya pinayagan lumabas ni Daddy since may friend siyang dadalaw. I felt so bad for her, but I couldn't do anything. 

"Samantha! Wow, you got even taller!" Cristopher greeted me when I entered the dining room. "What a fine lady. Greet her, boys." 

"Charles." The man offered his hand. I could tell that he was older than Clyden. The man had his mom's features. The younger one had his dad's. Clyden was the mix of both. 

"Samantha Vera," I introduced myself. 

"Colin." The younger brother also offered me his hand. Clyden was just sitting there, looking uninterested. He looked so calm and composed. 

"Clyden, greet her," his dad told him. 

The last time I saw him was last year, huh? He got taller, more fit, and more tired. Nothing really changed in his features, but I could tell how tired he was by his eyes. He was wearing a simple black dress shirt and a pair of gray slacks. He was also wearing specs. Hindi ko alam kung may grado o wala. 

He stood up and fixed his sleeves a bit before looking at me. "Hi. Long time no see." 

"Hello." I gave him a fake smile. "I missed you." 

The side of his lips rose, realizing that I was going along with his plan. Act like we were getting along with each other. 

"I missed you more, love." He put his tongue on the insides of his cheek before smirking. 

"Oh, wow, okay. Take your seats." My mom looked so shocked. 

He pulled my chair backwards like a gentleman. Alam ko namang for show lang 'yon pero ngumiti pa rin ako sa kanya bago umupo. Pretending was so tiring. Wala pa nga ang pagkain nawawalan na 'ko ng gana. 

"How's med school, Clyden? Third year ka na, right?" my dad asked. 

"Doing great, Senator." He gave my father a smile. 

Fake. I could tell how fake that smile was. Unang kita pa lang namin, sinabi niya na sa 'kin kung gaano niya ka-ayaw kay Daddy. I couldn't blame him. I understood where he was coming from. He got principles, and I could never blame him for sticking to them. 

"He's doing so great in med school, unlike these two men." Clyden's dad looked at Charles and Colin. The two men looked down at their plates. "Charles did not even graduate with Latin honors. Colin did not even pass med school. I had to pull some strings." 

Clyden's grip on his utensils got tighter, showing his veins. I glanced at his brothers and saw them glaring at him. Clyden remained calm, but I could tell that he was bothered by the conversation. 

"Clyden's my only hope." Cristopher laughed.

"I know what you're feeling, Cris. I feel the same way with Maureen." My dad laughed. 

We continued eating quietly. Clyden did not even talk much. Nagsasalita lang siya kapag tinatanong siya o kaya sinasama siya sa conversation. His brothers were silent. Wala 'yong mom nila but I saw her last time sa graduation party. 

"Where's your mom?" I asked Clyden. 

"Hospital," he whispered back. 

"What? What happened to her?" I asked worriedly. 

Kumunot ang noo niya at tumingin sa 'kin. "She's a doctor." 

Oh! Right! Doctors silang lahat sa family! Medyo napahiya ako roon. Mabuti na lang at sinerve na ang dessert kaya naalis ang atensyon niya sa sinabi ko. 

"After Clyden's graduation, we could already push through the wedding. Is that alright?" Cristopher opened up the topic. 

I looked at Clyden, trying to communicate using my eyes. He looked back at me with wide eyes and raised his brows, telling me that he had no choice but to agree. 

"That's alright," he answered. I almost kicked his chair under the table. 

"How about living together? The both of you should already prepare for that. Ayokong sa unang araw pagkatapos ng kasal, may nagrereklamo na sa asal ng isa sa bahay." Cristopher laughed. 

"Tito, I just have a concern about that. I have a condo near my school so nasanay na 'kong nilalakad ko lang. I can't move away from Ateneo," I said in a nice way. 

"I also can't adjust. I'm very busy. Kung magda-drive ako araw-araw, sayang sa oras. Traffic pa," seryosong sabi ni Clyden. 

"Oh, come on. Ayaw n'yo bang kasama ang isa't isa?" my mom joined the conversation. 

Clyden and I looked at each other, waiting for one of us to answer. I raised my brow, telling him to talk, but he didn't. 

"Can I just talk to Clyden for a minute, Dad?" paalam ko. 

"Sure, hija." 

Tumayo ako at nilapag ang table napkin sa gilid ng plato ko bago ako naglakad palabas ng dining room. I heard Clyden's footsteps behind me, a sign that he was following me. I stopped below the stairs so no one could see us or even hear us. 

"Live together?! Just kill me, honestly," reklamo ko sa kanya. 

"Tingin mo gusto rin kitang kasama? Hindi ko kailangan ng presensya mo habang nag-aaral ako," he fired back. 

"Then say no. Can't you say no to your dad?" I started whispering. 

"Can you?" He raised a brow. 

Natahimik ako roon. I couldn't say no to my dad. Like him, the pressure was on me, and I already agreed to this a few years back. They would use my words against me. 

"See? You can't even say no to your corrupt dad." He brought that back. 

"I won't force myself to drive every day to school. Do you get that? If one of us can't say no, then we will have to deal with it. You will adjust to me. I can't live near your school. That's so far away from mine," I argued. 

"Ako ang maga-adjust sa 'yo?" He scoffed. "Ano ka, hilo? Mas kailangan ko ng maraming oras sa pag-aaral." 

"Wow, you really think you're something just because you graduated as a cum laude in UP and are now studying med, huh? You think you're so high and almighty?" I raised a brow. 

"And you probably think that you're such a princess, huh? 'You will adjust to me'? Kung inii-spoil ka rito, ibahin mo 'ko. Hindi mo 'ko makukuha sa kakaganyan mo," iritang sabi niya. 

"Wow, can you even hear yourself sometimes? Do you know how rude you are?" My brows furrowed. 

"Oo, alam ko. Bakit?" He glanced at me. 

Inis ko siyang tinalikuran at naglakad na pabalik sa dining. Hahatakin niya sana ulit ang upuan ko pero inunahan ko na siya. He shrugged before taking his seat beside me. 

"We are planning to just buy a house in between Ateneo and UPM para fair sa inyong dalawa. Maybe just go home during weekends? We know how busy you guys are with your studies." Cristopher smiled. 

"Lovely!" I gave them a fake smile. 

Cy glanced at me before shaking his head and sipping on his glass. The dinner went terribly for me. I had to excuse myself after eating. 

"Hey."

"Oh my gosh!" I held my chest in shock when I saw Charles outside the restroom. I was already planning to go upstairs, but he suddenly appeared in front of me. "Hi! I'm sorry for yelling!" 

"It's fine." He laughed. "So you're from Ateneo, right?" 

"Yes." I smiled at him. "How about you?" 

"I'm currently taking my internship, but I studied at UST," he answered. "So... I see you're very close with my brother, huh?" 

What even made him think like that? I felt disgusted, but I had to pretend so I remained smiling. 

"Of course. We're marrying each other. We need to get along." 

"Well, if only I did great during college, ako sana ang ikakasal sa 'yo." He laughed. 

I suddenly felt awkward. What was the point of saying that? 

"There you are." My eyes widened when I felt a hand on my waist. 

"Just talking with your fiancée, Cy," Charles said without any emotion on his face. I could feel the tension between them. 

"I'm not saying anything, Charles," seryosong sabi ni Clyden. 

"Sure. Excuse me." His older brother suddenly left. 

Tinanggal kaagad ni Clyden ang hawak niya sa baywang ko at binulsa na lang ang kamay sa pants. I crossed my arms over my chest and looked at him. 

"No one will go home in that house," I told him. 

"Sure," walang pakialam na sabi niya. 

"Marami pang process 'yong pagbili ng house so matagal pa naman, right? What if they hire helpers for us? For sure, they will! Okay, let's schedule who will go home first. I don't want to-"

"Ang dami mo namang iniisip." Napakamot siya sa ulo niya. "Ang dami mong sinasabi, wala pa nga." 

"It's better to plan now than panic late-"

"Ano'ng number mo?" 

I suddenly stopped talking. Matagal niya 'kong tinitigan, hinihintay ang sagot ko. He caught me off-guard with that. 

"Bakit hindi ka makasagot? Number mo, hindi mo alam?" Tinaasan niya 'ko ng kilay. 

"Why are you asking for my number?" I sounded protective. 

"Akala ko mag-paplano tayo? Ano'ng gusto mo? Kailangan pa natin magkita para magplano?" His brows furrowed. 

"I think that's better," I answered. 

He laughed sarcastically. "You think I have all the time in the world? I don't even have time to sleep." 

Inis kong nilabas ang cellphone ko at pinakita sa kanya ang number. He was looking at it when I suddenly took my phone away. That was it. Limited edition. 

"Hindi ko pa nasasaulo," reklamo niya. 

"That's it. Why? You think I have all the time in the world?" I mocked him. 

"Comp shop ka ba? Kailangan magbayad para mag-extend?" he sarcastically answered back. "Ayusin mo, Samantha." 

I made a face before leaving him there. Aakyat na sana ako pero tinawag ako ni Mommy para magpaalam kila Tito Cristopher. Finally, uuwi na sila. I faked a smile and waved my hand before going upstairs. 

I spent almost forty-five minutes in the bathtub, thinking about living with that asshole under one roof. No way. I would rather die. 

I brushed my teeth and did my skincare before lying down on my bed, scrolling through my social media accounts. Ni-like ko lahat ng pictures ng mga finofollow kong friends. Ang dami nila. 

Sumingkit ang mga mata ko nang tumunog ang phone ko. I received a text from an unknown number. 

From: Unknown Number

mam lazada po i2 nag order p ba kau 

Kumunot kaagad ang noo ko. 

To: Unknown Number

I'm sorry, what? What did I order? 

From: Unknown Number

Asawa. 

Inis kong kinurot ang unan ko nang ma-realize kung sino ang nagte-text. I almost blocked the number. 

To: Clyden 

How the hell did you get my number I showed it to you for like 5 seconds 

From: Clyden

Memorized it. 

Hindi ko alam kung maiinis ako or ma-a-amaze sa kanya. I chose both. 

To: Clyden

That fast? 

From: Clyden

Yeah. You know what's faster? 

To: Clyden

What? 

My phone almost fell from my hands when he texted me back. 

From: Clyden

Will you marry me, Samantha? 

________________________________________________________________________________

:)