When Monday came, everything went back to normal. Gone was the sweetness. Ano pa ba naman ang aasahan niya? She asked him to be kind at least hanggang Linggo. Pinagbigyan na siya nito. But that's it. Sunday was the extent of his kindness. 

Maaga siyang pumasok sa trabaho para nawala kay Ken ang isip niya. She badly needed a distraction, and work provided it. Greg helped too. Hindi niya gustong bigyan ng malisya ang pagiging mabait nito sa kanya dahil may asawa na siya. Kahit na ba walang pagmamahal doon, kasal siya sa mata ng tao. They were bound by the law. Ayaw na niyang masabit sa kung anong issue. Baka lalong magalit sa kanya si Ken.

Tama na ang three years. Ayaw na niyang dugtungan ang paghihirap niya.

Unlike last week, lumipas ang maghapon na wala siyang naririnig mula kay Ken. Sinadya niyang mag-OT on her first day just to see if she'd get any reaction from him. Pero hindi ito nagtanong sa text o tawag.

Nang umuwi siya ng alas otso ay wala pa rin ito sa bahay.

"Manang, hindi pa po ba umuuwi si Ken?" tanong niya sa matanda.

Kumunot ang noo nito. "Hindi ba kayo magkasama? Akala ko'y magkasama kayo. Kumain ka na ba?"

"Hindi pa po."

"Ay naku, wala pa naman akong nilutong ulam!"

"Hindi pa po ba kayo kumakain?"

Umiling ito. "Kumain na ako, pero tuyo lang ang ulam ko."

"Tuyo na lang din po ang kakainin ko," sabi niya rito.

"Bakit hindi mo na lang antayin si Ken?"

"Baka po mamaya pa ang uwi nun."

"Hindi ka ba sinabihan?" takang-tanong nito.

"Hindi po e," sagot niya. Alam naman niyang wala na silang pakialamanan kapag dumating ang Lunes. She won't ask and he won't tell. And it's fine. Kung ganoon ang gusto ni Ken, she'll cooperate. It would be a lot easier that way.

She'll just let her feelings grow cold until she couldn't feel anything towards him anymore. Para kapag oras na para tapusin na ang lahat ng namamagitan sa kanilang dalawa, hindi na masyadong masakit.

Gabing-gabi na nang makauwi si Ken. She was already in bed—well, on the floor, technically, when he entered the room. Sumalampak ito sa kama, mukhang pagod at lasing. She smelled alcohol.

He was drunk, alright. He was still fully clothed. Tinanggal niya ang sapatos nito at saka inayos ang pagkakahiga. She tried to turn him on his back dahil baka maubusan ito ng hangin sa pagkakadapa. When she did, he stirred.

Everything happened so fast. One minute, she's trying to turn him around and the next, she's already locked in his embrace. Mahigpit ang pagkakakapit nito sa bewang niya kaya hindi siya makaalis sa ibabaw nito.

"Ahn..."

His eyes were half-open and hazy.

"K-Ken, let me go."

"Is that what you want?" he asked. "You want me to let you go?"

She sensed that he wasn't only talking about his tight grip on her waist.

"Yes."

Bahagyang lumungkot ang mukha nito. She felt an ache in her chest.

"Why?"

"Because you're hurting me."

"You're hurting me too," he told her.

"Then why don't we end this already, Ken?" mangiyak-ngiyak niyang tanong.

"I don't want to."

Sumubsob siya sa dibdib nito. Ayaw niyang umiyak pero hindi niya mapigilan ang sarili.

"I love you, you heartless jerk," bulong niya.

"I loved you."

That stung. Past tense na kasi. She's in the past now, but he wouldn't just let her go. She still needs to pay.

She begged him again to let her go so she could wallow in that painful statement. After a while, pinakawalan na rin siya nito. He rolled to his side and slept. She wiped her tears and covered him with a blanket.

Saka siya muling nahiga at pinilit matulog.

It was four in the morning when she decided to just get up. Trying to sleep was futile. Drowse completely eluded her. Kumuha siya ng malaking cup sa kusina at saka nagtimpla ng kape. Nagluto na rin siya ng agahan, kumain at saka naligo.

Nang mag-alas syete ay bumangon na si Ken. Not wanting to have to interact with him, she left without a word while he's in the shower.

Her day pretty much went the same as yesterday. Ni isang text message, kahit blangko, wala siyang natanggap mula rito. Hindi niya alam kung may naaalala ito sa nangyari kagabi. Lasing kasi ito. She tried to focus at work so she could get him out of her mind and thankfully, they gave her a lot to work on.

She barely touched her lunch dahil sa mga pressing deadlines na kailangan niyang ma-meet. Mag-aalas sais na nang matapos siya sa mga ginagawa.

Nag-ayos na siya ng gamit para umuwi. But before she could leave the office, may dumating na namang bulaklak para sa kanya. Wala na namang note.

"Galing sa asawa mo?" tanong ni Greg. Sumabay ito sa kanya pagsakay ng elevator.

Ngumiti na lamang siya. Hindi rin niya alam kung kanino galing ang mga iyon. Imposibleng galing kay Ken. And it's not from Greg either. Sino naman kaya ang magkakamali?

Pagkarating niya sa bahay ay nandoon na si Ken. Blangko ang ekspresyon nito nang pumasok siya, but that changed when he saw the flowers in her hands.

"Kanino galing 'yan?"

"Akala ko sa 'yo," sagot niya.

Ken scoffed. "Why would I give you flowers?"

Nagulat siya sa sinabi nito. Not that she's expecting something else from him. It's just that the old lady was watching them. Halatang ramdam nito ang tensyon pero hindi ito nagsasalita.

"I-I just assumed—"

He took three huge steps towards her, grabbed the flowers from her hands and threw them.

"Magsabi ka nga ng totoo, may nanliligaw ba sa 'yo?"

"Ha?"

"Ayaw ka bang tigilan ng gagong Greg na 'yon?"

"Ken, those aren't from him—"

"Putang ina, Ahn! Kasal ka ng tao, huwag ka namang magpalandi kung kani-kanino!"

Namula siya sa inis.

"Hindi ako nagpapalandi!"

"Ohhh, right! Then whose fault is it? Wala namang papatol sa 'yo kung hindi ka magbibigay ng motibo!"

That did it. Sinampal niya ito.

"How dare you say that!"

"Ano ba! Tama na!" Pinagitnaan sila ni manang. "Kung anoman ang problema ninyong dalawa, pag-usapan ninyo! Wala kayong mapapala sa pagtatalo!"

"Manang, problema namin 'tong mag-asawa. Pwede ho bang huwag kayong makialam?" mariing sabi ni Ken sa matanda.

Mukhang nagulat ito.

"Manang, sa taas po muna kayo," pakiusap niya.

Sinamaan nito ng tingin si Ken bago ito umakyat. Nang maisara nito ang pinto ay saka niya pinulot ang bulaklak na itinapon ni Ken.

"Drop it."

"I'll just put it in the trash."

"I said drop it!"

"Ano ba ang problema mo ha? Nagseselos ka ba?!"

"Ang kapal naman ng mukha mong itanong sa 'kin 'yan."

Pinigilan niyang ihampas kay Ken ang hawak na bouquet.

"Then what is it? Can't you just accept the fact that someone else sees my worth?!"

"I am just asking you to act like a married woman!" sabi nito habang dinuduro-duro siya. "Mahirap ba 'yon, ha, Ahn? Can't you be at least be discreet?"

"My God, Ken, can you just take your head off of your ass for a minute? Sinabi ko na sa 'yo, di ba? Mahal kita! Lahat ng pagpapahirap na ginagawa mo sa 'kin, tinatanggap ko kasi mahal kita! Masama bang hilingin sa'yo na tratuhin mo man lang ako bilang tao?!" She shoved the flowers in his hands. "There's no one else but you. I don't know why you can't see that."

"Siguro dahil nadala na ako sa'yo. Don't you remember? Three years ago, we were doing fine until you told me that you like someone else. How can I be sure that it's not happening again?"

Napasapo siya. "Babalik na naman ba tayo sa three years ago na 'yan? Oo na, ako na yung nagkamali. Oo na, ako na yung tanga. Nagsisi na ako. Can't you move on?"

"No," simple nitong sagot. "You had three fucking years to ease it on me. Pero ano'ng ginawa mo? Pinaghintay mo ako until your debut to tell me no! Did you get the satisfaction when you saw the dejected look on my face? Masaya ka bang nasaktan mo 'ko?"

Napasabunot siya in frustration. "My God, you're such an asshole!"

"And you're a bitch!"

Sinugod niya ito at pinagsusuntok.

"You. Fucking. Idiot!"

He caught her hands. Inilagay nito iyon sa likod niya. When she had nothing to punch him with, iniuntog naman niya ang ulo sa dibdib nito. Saka siya umiyak nang umiyak.

"I wish I could hate you as much as you hate me."

After hours of crying, she was finally able to get some sleep. Ken had become so cold and cruel. Kanina ay nagawa pa siya nitong itulak palayo habang humahagulhol siya. She slumped on the floor as he walked out the door.

Agad siyang tumakbo sa storage room para magkulong at umiyak. Kanina ay nakailang katok si manang pero hindi niya ito pinagbuksan. She wish that she could go back to last week. Hindi niya akalaing sobrang laki ng mababago pagkatapos ng weekend.

This was too much for her.

"Ahn?"

Bigla siyang nanlamig nang marinig ang boses ng ama.

"Anak, open the door please."

Kalmado ang boses nito pero ramdam niya ang bigat. Alam niyang galit na galit ang daddy niya kapag ganoon ito kahinahon. She was afraid that he'd snapped once she open the door.

Pinahid niya ang luha gamit ang manggas ng damit at saka sinuklay ang buhok. There's no way she could fool him into thinking that she's fine. Mugtong-mugto ang mga mata niya.

Pagkabukas niya ng pintuan ay agad siya nitong hinila pababa.

"D-Dad—"

"We're going home."

Para siyang pinatawan ng sintensya.

"Dad, it was just a misunderstanding."

Tumigil ito at hinarap siya.

"We're going home, Elizabeth."

"Baka hanapin ako ni Ken—"

"The hell he will!"

She flinched when he yelled.

"Dad, let me sort this out with him. Normal naman sa mag-asawa ang nag-aaway, di ba?"

"Did you see me yell at your mom like he did to you? Did you hear me call her a bitch?! I know you love him, Ahn, but this is just wrong. And I'm not going to just stand aside and let him hurt you. Anak kita, poprotektahan kita, even from yourself!"

Hindi na siya tumutol nang pasakayin siya nito sa kotse. Sumunod si manang, dala ang ilang damit niya.