MANGHA SIYANG NAPATITIG KAY SHELLANY na lumabas mula sa front door at kaagad na naupo sa ibabaw ng katre katabi ng bata. Ang matandang babae na naroon din ay tumayo at sandaling nagpaalam upang pumasok sa loob.

Nanatili siya sa kinatatayuan.

What the f*ck is she doing here?

Wait. No.

What the hell am I doing here?

Hindi siya makapaniwala sa nakikita. Itinaas niya ang kamay na may hawak sa susi at kinuskos ang mga mata, but when he opened them again, Shellany was still there. Sitting on the bamboo bed facing to the other side.

He was looking at her side profile, and he could not believe how she looked... even more beautiful now.

"What the heck is going on?" bulong niya sa sarili.

A week ago, Morriss Jacobs filled in an online form and paid for the full amount. Nang matanggap niya ang booking nito ay kaagad siyang tumawag para alamin ang ilang mga detalye na kailangan niya para sa booking. He sounded like a decent man, and he even searched his info on the internet.

Moriss Jacobs was a legit person, hindi siya bibiyahe ng kulang sampung oras para lang ma-scam. Besides... he paid a full amount.

Hindi siya naniniwalang coincidence lang ito.

Moriss Jacobs must know something.

Pero hindi kaya... si Shellany rin ang nagbook sa kaniya at ginamit lang si Moriss Jacobs?

Pero ano ang relasyon ng dalawa?

Damn it. There's one way to find out.

Humakbang siya papasok ng gate, subalit hindi pa man siya tuluyang nakapasok ay narinig na niya ang malakas na tawa ni Shellany. Doon ay nahinto siya.

Shellany then carried the toddler and placed her on her lap. Mula sa kinatatayuan ay nakita niya ang hawak nitong cellphone.

"Say bye na, honey," narinig niyang sabi ni Shellany sa bata.

And by God. Just hearing her voice made him travel back to the time when they were together.

He would never forget her voice. He would never forget her face. He would never forget the touch of her skin, her smell, her smile.

He was crazy about her.

But he had accepted his fate.

Shellany was not meant for him.

Nahinto siya sa pag-iisip nang marinig ang munting tinig ng batang karga ni Shellany sa kandungan. The toddler who was wearing a pink onesies said, "Dada! Bye, Dada!"

Oh.

Tila siya binuhusan ng malamig na tubig nang may mapagtanto.

The toddler... must be Shellany's child.

And Shellany... must have already gotten married.

At ayaw mang tanggapin ng isip at puso niya'y siguradong kay Knight Perez ito nagpakasal at nagkaroon ng anak.

Hindi niya napigilang sulyapan ang kanang kamay ni Shellany na nakahawak sa batang babae. Mula sa kinaroroonan niya ay malinaw niyang nakita ang gold bond ring sa ring finger nito, at doon ay lalong bumagsak ang mga balikat niya.

Para siyang sugat na inasinan kaya lalong humapdi.

Talonan na nga siya'y inirubrob pa sa putikan. Ano ba ang problema ng langit sa kaniya?

"Bye, Dada!" muling sabi ng batang babae.

Lord, why do you have to rub it in?

Damn it, he couldn't take the sight.

Tumalikod siya at sa malalaking mga hakbang at binalikan ang kotse. Magpapalipas na muna siya ng ilang sandali, ng pagkagulat, bago bumalik at hanapin si Melba.

Kung si Melba nga ang dapat niyang hanapin.

Dahil mukhang ni-set up siya.

Kung hindi man ni Shellany o ni Moriss Jacobs ang nag-set up sa kaniya ay malamang na ang tandana!

Malapit na niyang marating ang kotse, at akma na sana siyang iikot patungo sa driver's side nang may marinig na pagtawag.

"Hey!"

Napalingon siya at hinanap kung sino iyon. Dumapo ang kaniyang tingin sa lalaking naglalakad mula sa direksyon ng farm bitbit sa isang kamay ang plastic bag na may lamang mga gulay. Napatitig siya sa mukha ng lalaki, at nang mapagtanto kung sino iyon ay kinunutan siya ng noo.

"Kelvin Perez..." he whispered in disbelief.

Right, aniya sa isip. This is making much more sense.

Shellany married Knight, and they have a child together. Patunay niyon ay itong si Kelvin. He's here because he is part of the family.

"What a small world!" bulalas ni Kelvin bago lumapit. "How did you find this place?"

"I was given the location by a certain man named Moriss Jacobs. Ano ang alam mo rito, Kelvin Perez?"

Kinunutan ito ng noo. "What do you mean? Pinaghihinalaan mong ako ang nagpapunta sa'yo rito?"

"I never said that." He was getting suspicious.

Kelvin was about to answer when suddenly, his eyes passed over his shoulder. Then, he flinched.

Napalingon siya upang sundan ang tingin nito, at nang makita si Shellany na nakatayo ilang dipa sa likuran niya'y natigilan siya.

Shellany was as shocked as he was, and he couldn't blame her. At base sa ekspresyon nito sa mukha ay masasabi niyang wala itong alam kung bakit siya naroon.

"Shellany..." he uttered, keeping his feet on the ground. Kailangan niyang panatilihin ang sarili sa kinatatayuan bago pa niya makalimutang kasal na ito sa ibang lalaki at may sarili nang pamilya.

Naguguluhan itong napatitig sa kaniya, and by God she looked so pretty in her floral white and green summer dress. May nag-iba sa anyo nito maliban sa medyo nadagdagan ang timbang. Motherhood became her, and she looked incredible.

That son-of-a-b*tch Knight Perez is a fu.cking lucky man.

"Is that... really you, Cerlance?" anito makaraan ang ilang sandali. Her curly hair was tied in a messy bun, so he was able to clearly see a blush on her face. Hindi niya alam kung dahil sa pagbilad sa ilalim ng init ng araw kaya ito namumula. But she looked so damned pretty he almost forgot how to breathe.

"Hi," ang tanging naiusal niya.

"Why are you here?" Shellany asked, confusion was all over her face.

"I was gonna ask you the same. Why am I here?"

"Huh?" Lalo itong naguluhan.

"Someone booked my service. He gave me this address."

"Who?"

He raised his phone, opened the email app, and looked for Moriss Jacobs' ID. Lumapit siya kay Shellany at ipinakita iyon. Pilit niyang pinigilan ang sarili na hawakan ito. He could smell her flowery scent as he got closer to her, making it hard for him to calm his arse down.

Si Shellany, nang makita ang ID, ay napabulalas, "Oh! This is my previous boss! And Ivan's, too!" Sandali itong natigilan kasunod ng pagsinghap. "Ivan told me na may package siyang ipadadala ngayong araw para sa inaanak niya. And you are—"

"The package?" Nagsalubong ang mga kilay ni Cerlance. "Why would he send me here?"

Natulala si Shellany. Habang si Kelvin naman na nanatiling nakatayo sa likuran ay umiwas ng tingin at sumipol-sipol. Napansin iyon ni Shellany kaya napatingin ito doon. Hinarap niya rin si Kelvin at salubong ang mga kilay na tinitigan ito.

"Kelvin...?" Shellany said with a warning.

Kelvin grimaced before raising both of his hands in the air and said, "It was Ivan's idea!"

TO BE CONTINUED...