Wayne's POV

"You said you want to talk to me?" I asked, sitting down on the armchair in front of his desk. Last night, I received an email from my father telling me to immediately come to his office because we had an urgent matter we needed to discuss. I rarely see my dad. I'd be lucky if we see each other twice in a month.

He was reading some documents when he got there. He lifted his gaze up to me and set the folder aside. He clasped his hands together in front of him as he looked at me. My father had always looked serious, calm, and calculatedly refined. When you see him, you'd know that he was a no-nonsense kind of guy.

"Tama ba ang mga naririnig kong balita tungkol sa'yo?" He asked with a hint of controlled anger in his voice.

"What?" My brows furrowed.

"You have a woman living in your condo unit with you." He said.

My heart started beating fast. I opened my mouth to say something but closed it back when I couldn't find any words to say. I didn't know how to explain to him about Tanya. I didn't where to start.

"Is that true, Wayne?" He gave me a sharp glare.

"Yes, Dad." I answered quietly.

"Gaano katagal na ito?"

"Almost two months."

I saw how his expression darkened even more.

"Pinabayaan kita sa mga gusto mong gawin. I gave you your freedom while giving you money to spend on anything you want. I pay all your bills and everything you have now, every cent you have is from me." His voice boomed throughout the room. I could tell that he was really pissed off. He rarely loses his cool like this. "Hindi maganda ang record mo sa eskwelahan, palagi kang bagsak sa klase dahil bihira ka lang pumasok... I put up with all that, Wayne. Kahihiyaan para sa akin ang mga katarantaduhan na ginagawa mo. Your actions reflect on me, my reputation! And then I find out you're letting a prostitute live with you?"

"Tanya is not a prostitute!" I threw him a sharp look as my jaw clenched. I tried to hold my anger in at his harsh words. I was so angry I could feel hot blood pounding in my head but I tried to hold my emotions back. "Malinis na babae si Tanya. Wala kang alam sa kanya. How dare you say that? You don't even know shit about me, your own son."

"I had her investigated, Wayne." He took out a folder from his desk cabinet. "Kabilang siya sa mga babae sa isang Blue Book kung tawagin? That's where you found her, right? She's a student prostitute. I never thought you'd stoop that low."

"She is not a fucking prostitute, dad!" I frustratedly slammed my fists on his desk.

"Do not use that language on me, young man. Baka nakakalimutan mo, you are living off my money. You maxed out your credit card because you funded her mother's medical bills. Ako ang nagbabayad ng lahat nang iyon." He calmly said, not paying attention to my anger and frustration, as he was scanning through the documents. "And now you're letting a harlot live in a condo unit that I bought for you? Ano bang pumasok diyan sa isip mo?"

"Dad, I don't want to argue with you." I tried to get a grip of my raging emotions. "Mali ka nang iniisip tungkol kay Tanya. She is not what you think she is. Yes, she had herself listed in the blue book, she needed the money because her mother was sick."

"Wala akong pakialam sa kung anuman ang rason niya. I want her out of your condo unit and your life. Get rid of her." He firmly said.

I shook my head. "No... I'll do anything but that."

"Do not try me, Wayne. You have gone way beyond your boundaries. This is where I draw the line." He said in a still calm but furious tone. "Huwag mo akong subukan kung ayaw mong gumawa ako ng bagay na di mo magugustuhan."

"I don't even care anymore. Do whatever you want."

"You are just like your mother, Wayne Cameron." There was bitterness in his voice. "Hindi ko alam kung saan ako nagkamali sa pagpapalaki sa'yo... Di mo na inisip ang kahihiyan aabutin ko kapag nalaman ito nang ibang tao? Of all the woman, you picked a harlot. Di ko alam kung anong utak meron ka. Minsan iniisip ko kung sinasadya mo ba talaga ito para dungisan ang pangalan ko. You're a disgrace to our family, just like Almira."

My palms clenched into fists. That was the worst insult I had ever heard in my whole life and that insult came from my own father. I never wanted to be like my mother. I despised her.

"Well, what do you expect? I'm her son." One corner of my lips lifted into a bitter smirk. "Sorry I'm not like your two perfect children. I'm Almira's son. I'm just like her, a fuck up. And you didn't raise me, you treated me like a goddamn plant! You spent money on me but never your time."

I didn't wait for him to say something. I got up from my seat and left with a heavy heart. I never had a good relationship with my father. We never had a good relationship. We'd always been distant with each other. We never liked it each other but to here those words from my own father was still heart breaking.

I opened the door to my house and saw Tanya walking out from the kitchen. She greeted me with that cute smile of hers. I immediately walked up to her and hugged her. I hugged her like I never had before. It was all I needed now. She was all I needed.

"O, bakit?" She asked, worry in her tone as she rubbed my back.

"I don't know what I'd do without you, angel." I sighed.

She was the home I'd never had.I'd always felt like there was something missing in my life and she was the patch my heart needed, the one who had filled that gap in my chest. She was what I'd been searching for my whole life. She was my home. Always. Home isn't just a space of brick and walls that hold. It's the comfort of knowing that I'd always have something to return to, of knowing I'm never alone. She gave me that security and the calm I needed. 

"Ano bang nangyayari sa'yo?" She chuckled a little. "Nagkita naman tayo kaninang umaga."

"Nothing." I said, pulling away from the hug and cupping her face. I kissed her on the forehead. "I just had a rough day."

"Bakit? Ano bang nangyari?" Her brows furrowed as her doe-like eyes looked at me. Her hand raised to touch my cheek, it tingled with warmth that made me sigh again. Her touch alone could turn my world upside down. The tenderness of it soothes my pain away.

"I'm just tired." I said.

"Gusto mo munang kumain bago ka magpahinga? Nagluto na ako ng dinner natin." She smiled.

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. Ano bang niluto mo ngayon?" I asked.

"Yung paborito mo." 

I wrapped an arm around the smallest of her waist and we both headed towards the dining room. I could care less about anything right now as long as I have her hear in my arms. I won't need anything else but her. She was everything to me. I'll face anything, climb any mountain with her by my side. 

Tanya's POV

Mas maaga sa akin ng dalawang oras ang unang klase ni Wayne kaya nagsabay lang kaming mag-almusal at umalis na siya. Katatapos ko lang maligo at nagsuot na ako ng uniform. Nasa harap ako ng salamin at nagsusuklay ng buhok ng marinig ko ang doorbell.

Kumunot ang noo ko. Wala naman sinabi sa akin si Wayne na may darating siyang bisita? At kung meron man, itatawag naman mula sa baba iyon. Naisip ko na baka siya lang rin iyon at nakalimutan siguro ang susi niya. Ibinaba ko ang suklay na hawak ko at lumabas ng kwarto. Nang buksan ko ang pinto, tumambad sa harap ko ang isang lalaki. Matangkad ang lalaki, matipuno at hawig ni Wayne.

"Good morning." Pormal na bati niya sa akin.

Ilang segundo ang lumipas bago ako nakasagot sa kanya. "G-good morning din po."

His presence was intimadating. His authority was apparent.

"You're Tanya, am I right?"

"Opo." Sagot ko.

"I'm Enrico St. Croix, Wayne' father."

Wala akong rason para hindi maniwala sa sinasabi ng lalaki sa harap ko. Kamukhang-kamukha siya ni Wayne.

"Kaaalis lang po niya kani-kanina lang." Niluwagan ko ang bukas ng pinto. Kabastusan naman kung pababayaan ko lang siyang nakatayo doon at hindi ko siya imbitahan sa loob. "Pasok po kayo. Pasensya na po, di po ako nakapaghanda. Hindi naman po sinabi sa akin ni Wayne na darating kayo."

"It's alright. Ikaw ang pinunta ko dito." Humakba siya papasok. Umikot ang paningin niya sa loob ng bahay bago siya muling tumingin sa akin.

Kinakabahan na nga ako ngayong kasama ko ang daddy ni Wayne at mas lalo pa akong kinabahan sa sinabi niya. Inaya ko siyang umupo sa may couch.

"Gusto niyo po ng maiinom?" Magalang na tanong ko.

" Hindi na. Pumunta ako dito para makausap ka." Sabi nito. "Maupo ka muna."

Sinunod ko ang sabi niya. Umupo ako sa single armchair na nasa kaliwa ng couch.

"Hindi na ako mag-aaksaya ng oras at didiretsahin na kita. Hindi kita gusto para sa anak ko." Walang kakurapkurap na sabi nito.

Napalunok ako. Parang nahulog ang puso ko sa tiyan ko. Hindi ko alam kung ano ang dapat kong isagot o sabihin sa kanya.

"I gave my son the best of everything and I only want the best for him." Tinitigan niya ako ng diretso sa mga mata. "Hindi ako katulad mong babae ang gusto ko para sa anak ko. I don't know want him fooling around with some harlot he met through the blue book."

Parang pinipiga ang dibdib ko sa mga salitang binitawan niya. Gusto kong magsalita pero hindi ko mahanap ang boses ko.

"I want you out of my son's life. Layuan mo ang anak ko." Muli siyang nagsalita matapos ang ilang segundong katahimikan.

"Hindi ko po kayang gawin ang hinihiling niyo." Mahinang sabi ko nang makaipon ako ng sapat na lakas ng loob.

"He's just fooling around with you, hija. Kilala ko ang anak ko. He's using you to rebel against me. Akala mo ba seseryosohin niya ang isang katulad mo? He'd dated a lot of women in the past. Mga babaeng galing sa maaayos na pamilya, mga may pinag-aralan, mga babaeng mas higit pa sa'yo. Once he gets tired of you, he's going to leave you just like he did to the others."

Sunod-sunod akong umiling. "Hindi po totoo 'yan. Mahal niya po ako, sabi niya hindi niya ako iiwan."

"Don't be naive." He let out a low chuckle. "He doesn't love you. Wayne is just bored with his life. He needs you to keep himself entertained. Talaga bang iniisip mong seseryosohin ka ng anak ko? You are a whore. Sana alam mo kung saan ka dapat lumugar."

Naramdaman ko ang panunuyo ng lalamunan ko. Nagbaba ako ng tingin. Nanliliit ako sa sarili ko. I tried to collect myself and keep my composure. I could feel his disgust as he looked at me. Sobrang sakit pala kapag nanggaling sa mismong magulang ng taong mahal mo ang salitang iyon.

"Isa kang kahihiyan sa pamilya namin. I do not want to be associated with you in anyway. That's what Wayne wants to do. Gusto niyang ipahiya ako kaya niya ito ginagawa. How much money would it take to make you leave him?"

"Mahal ko po si Wayne. Hindi ko po ipinagbibili ang pagmamahal ko sa kanya." Nanginginig ang boses na sabi ko. I bit my lower lip to keep it from quivering.

"Lumayo ka sa anak ko." Muling sabi niya bago dumukot sa loob ng coat niya. May inilabas siyang mahabang papel mula doon at ipinatong iyon sa coffee table. "Here's a two hundred fifty thousand pesos check. Siguro naman sapat na yan para sa'yo?"