Part 16

The continuous ringing of the phone woke me up. I hate the freaking sound, especially hearing it on my day-off. I spent the entire night drinking alone in my condo because I couldn't sleep and I'm pretty sure today's hangover will be a bitch.

Grumbling, I searched for my phone around the bed hanggang sa nakarating ako sa sahig kung saan ko nakapa ang phone ko. My eyes were still half-closed when I checked the flashing name on the bright screen.

Kumunot agad ang noo ko nang makita ang pangalan ng isa sa mga officemates ko. What is it this time? They know better than to disturb  me on my day-off. It was my golden rule. Unless it's for emergencies, I'm basically off the grid.

"Hello?" My grumpy voice greeted.

"Check the news about Saint Claire!" Her high-pitched voice came out crackled through the phone.

"What?"

"There's a video of Sancho circulating around punching a guy in a parking lot. You're in the video!"

Isa lang ang pumasok sa isip ko noong oras na 'yon. The bitch. The one who recorded the incident. She must have already sent it to someone before deleting the video.

Fuck.

The phone call pulled me from the grogginess. With swaying, uneven steps, I rushed to the bathroom and started the shower while cursing under my breath.

I need to do something.

Fifteen minutes later, I headed to my car in the basement parking lot equipped with my Celine tote bag where the iPad, laptop, and flash  drive were all rashly placed inside.

Earlier, when I was just out of the shower, I received a message from Ms. Cee, my Editor in Chief.

Head to their agency and work with their publicist to clear this.

I knew based on the way she typed her message that the situation was serious. I immediately drive to the main road with nothing on my mind but to reach their agency to clear the situation before the internet blew it out of proportion.

It took forty five minutes of traffic before I reached the building. With  my stilettos clacking against the cemented ground of the basement parking, I run to the elevator hoping that I wasn't too late.

This is all my fault. If something happens to the band... if something happens to Sancho's career... I would never forgive myself for causing this.

I went straight to the publicist's office on the 15th floor. The place  wasn't actually an office but a conference room. Nadatnan ko sa loob  ang manager ng Saint Claire na si Mr. Jack at ang stylist na si Ms. Zoe. Sitting in one of the seats was a woman in her early thirties who seems  to be the publicist.

"Hi, I'm Eula Cardona." I automatically placed my things in one of the seats so we can start the process. "I'm sorry for this chaotic first  meeting but are you the publicist?"

The woman peeled her gaze from the laptop monitor before facing me. "I'm from the PR Department that handles actors. We don't have a publicist for the band yet."

Sumulyap ako kay Ms. Zoe na ngumiti lang ng alanganin. Instead of pointing out the importance of having a publicist for this kind of situations, I pulled my laptop from the bag and opened it.

Sa tabi ko, panay ang check ni Ms. Zoe sa Twitter kung saan iba't-ibang opinyon ang naglipana tungkol sa issue. The backlash and varying opinions occupied most of the trend list.

Nabasa ko ang ilan sa mga ito kanina habang stuck sa traffic:

"Hindi ko talaga bet 'yang guitarista nila sa totoo lang."

"Ang violent, grabe. And to think he performs in front of fans."

"Ginawang punching bag 'yong inosenteng tao."

"Hindi dapat siya parte ng banda. Sinisira niya ang reputation ng Saint Claire."

This is what I hate most about people on the internet. They willingly consume what's put in their mouths without even wondering if they're feeding on poison.

"I have here the documentation of what happened that night," I informed them. "The CCTV footage at the parking lot. The police report I filed against the person who assaulted me. We can make an article and  publish it right away."

Humarap sa'kin si Manager Jack na kanina pa palakad-lakad sa conference room. "Nag-report ka sa police?"

"I knew something like this could happen so the police report was my back-up plan to have proof of the incident."

Bumaling ako sa PR staff. "Do you have a legal department?"

"Our legal is usually on-call except about artists' contracts," she told me. "Pero pwede natin silang tanungin tungkol the legal consequences ng taong nag-post ng video."

"Please do. And I can send them proofs disputing the other person's claim," I said. "The fans need assurance that we're taking this issue seriously."

Tinulungan ko ang PR staff na gumawa ng e-mail na is-send sa  kanilang legal department. While waiting for their reply, I started  writing the article disputing the claims.

Nang ia-attach ko na ang CCTV footage at police report, bigla akong natigilan. My name was all over the files I'll have to publish for the public to see.

Maging ang manager ay napansin ito. "Okay lang ba ito sa'yo, Ms. Eula?"

Kahit si Ms. Zoe nag-aalala. Alam kong may idea na sila kung ano ang koneksyon ko kay Sancho. But covering my name would only lessen  the document's credibility.

"Pwede nating i-blur o 'wag gamitin ang totoo mong pangalan," suggested Ms. Zoe.

But from the fan's perspective, lalo lang nilang gugustuhing malaman ang identity ng babaeng kasama ni Sancho sa parking lot. This is how their minds work.

"It's still best to say the truth," I finally said. "I'm not exactly a stranger to the band. Let's just say I was the one who featured the band in a magazine. Fans love that article anyway."

I turned to the manager and Ms. Zoe. "We can also attach screenshots of you arriving in the scene to make it look like we were all together belatedly celebrating the article's success."

Tahimik na nagpasalamat ang manager na may naluluhang mga mata. Manager Jack indeed treats the members as his younger brothers. Kaya isa siya sa pinaka-apektado.

A moment later, we got the response from the agency's lawyer. We immediately incorporated the legal details into the article we were working on.

After several minutes, I sent the article to the PR staff to review. Napatingin kami sa isa't-isa. Unti-unti siyang tumango matapos basahin ang ginawa ko. Finally, through the agency's official website, we released the article.

By afternoon, the issue slowly settled down thanks to the quick circulation of the article from their agency. The quick response was also well-appreciated by the fans. The tide slowly turned from against the band to back on their side.

Sancho's name trended doubled the numbers but this time, from saving someone from physical assault in public. The backlash dramatically turned to messages from fans saying they stan the right person and the right band.

The CCTV footage of Sancho punching the asshole circulated like  crazy. By afternoon, fan edits were made calling Sancho hot and daddy material. Really, these people are scary with their ever-changing opinions.

I stayed at their agency until late afternoon to help with the legal details of the incident for them to properly deal with the perpetrator of the  issue.

According to their manager, the band was in Cebu for a commercial project. It was a good thing things were cleared-up before they head  back to Manila tonight.

Isa-isa kong inayos ang mga gamit ko before I stood up from the conference table.

"You're leaving?" asked Ms. Zoe.

"May mga kailangan pa akong tapusin." A complete lie. Today is most-valued day-off after all. But I had no reason to stay further.  Nagawa ko ang dapat kong gawin. Isa pa, hindi ko siya gustong makita dito.

"Pasensya na at nadamay ka sa gulong ito," the manager told me.

Umiling ako. "I should be the one apologizing. I promise I won't cause any problem in Sancho's career again."

Nagkatinginan si Manager Jack at Ms. Zoe. Alam nila ang ibig kong sabihin. Alam nila ang dati kong koneksyon kay Sancho.

"Please don't mention to Sancho I've been here," I asked them.

"Pero--"

Ms. Zoe nudged the manager, preventing him to say anything further, before they both nodded their heads.

I left the conference room and headed straight to the elevator. Nang mag-isa nalang ako sa loob, napasandal ako sa pader at nag-buntong hininga.

I checked my phone brimming with messages from my colleagues which I had no time to reply earlier. There were also several messages from Kayla asking what was happening and if I'm okay. Sa kanya ako unang nag-reply para hindi siya mag-alala.

Habang nagt-type, napansin kong nanginginig parin ang mga daliri ko at nanlalamig ang mga palad ko. I've been calm earlier because I had no choice but to be calm. But I was so scared. Natakot ako na maging dahilan ng pagkasira ng career ni Sancho.

I blinked back the tears I didn't realize I was holding in. I wiped them from my eyes before heading to my car at the parking lot. What am I  even so emotional about? I let out an empty chuckle. Sleep. I just needed sleep that's all.

I was about to open the door of my car when someone called my name.

"Eula!"

Natigilan ako, hindi inaasahan na maririnig ang kanyang familiar na boses. Sancho came rushing from the second elevator to where I was  standing at the parking lot.

"Eula, wait up."

My eyes widen. What is he doing here?

Sancho rushed toward me. Nang tuluyan siyang makalapit, he was  about to automatically wrap his arms around me but stopped himself.  He was breathing hard as if he's been running around.

"The manager told me I just missed you by a minute so I rushed here."

I stared back at him, unable to say a word. His sweaty forehead and disheveled hair under a cap. His toned chest rising and falling  underneath his white shirt.

"Okay ka lang ba?" he asked. "Fuck," he gritted his teeth before staring up at the concrete ceiling with both hands clasped at the back of his  head. "Hindi ka dapat nadamay dito."

I hid my trembling hands from his gaze.

"It's okay. Everything's clear now," I said. "You should talk to your manager and PR team about this. Stay away from social media for a  few days until the issue dies down. No matter how good your intention was, you still hit someone and there are people who'll still see you in a bad light--"

"Eula... are you really okay?"

I stared back at his worried face. Sancho, the monsters in my head, they're coming back. What should I do, Sancho?

I tried to smile. "I'm okay."

"Hayaan mo muna akong gawin ito kahit ngayon lang."

Natulala ako at hindi nakagalaw nang bumalot sa'kin ang kanyang mga braso. Mahigpit niya akong niyakap habang haplos ang aking ulo. "Patawarin mo ako Eula, hindi kita nagawang protektahan... noon hanggang ngayon."

Tuluyang bumagsak ang luha na kanina ko pa pinipigilan. Warm. His body was so warm like a blanket. Maybe I could sleep in his arms without fearing the monsters in my head.

"Sancho..." I whispered. "Will you let me sleep?"

Crazy... I must have been crazy.

But I didn't realize how badly I needed sleep... until I slept on my ex's lap on the backseat of my car.

***