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"Thanks, Naia. You're a lifesaver."

Isang ngiti lang ang naging tugon niya after iabot ang naiwang portfolio ng babae. They were in this nice restaurant sa Taguig for their lunch date. Silang dalawa lang ang magkasama pero nasabi nitong susunod daw sina Jarvis at Inno. Apparently her fiancé just arrived at sinundo daw ito ng kapatid.

"Sorry if hindi na nadala kagabi sa'yo. I thought I'd just give it to you since magkikita naman tayo," paliwanag niya.

"It's not a big deal," anito and smiled. "How was your first night sa mansion by the way? I hope nakapagpahinga ka ng mabuti. You gave us quite the scare nung mahimatay ka nung isang araw."

"Okay naman," pagsisinungaling niya. Truth be told, hindi naging mahimbing ang tulog niya dahil sa pinaggagawa ni Jarvis.

That kiss on the forehead haunts her to this day. Ang malala pa'y he had the audacity to say 'Good Morning' to her nung breakfast as if he did nothing.

"And I'm okay," patuloy niya. "Napagod lang siguro ako 'non plus I had to go through traffic kaya I passed out. Binabawi ko naman sa pag-kain yung puyat so it won't happen again."

"That's good to here," anito sabay salumbaba. "You know, Naia, us career women have things hard. Yung tipong dapat natin patunayan ang sarili sa iba when in fact, hindi naman 'yon kailangan. And if we do exceed their expectations, kung anu-ano pang chismis na kesyo dinaan daw sa ganda, nagpagamit, etc, etc kaya tayo successful. It's so frustrating—I'm rambling again, aren't I? Sorry. Napaka-nonsense nanaman ng mga hanash ko—"

"It's okay," putol niya dito ang smiled at her. "Hindi nonsense ang sinasabi mo. You actually have a point. Lagi tayong naju-judge because we're girls. And girls being smarter or having a career is too much for weak minded people to handle."

Bigla niyang naalala ang nangyari two years ago. How she was immediately judged for being smart and having good grades. Tapos yung pinag-isipan pa siya ng kung ano just because she was dating Jarvis that time. And the one with Mr. Santillan.

"Nakakainis ang mga taong judgemental, 'no?" sambit nito. "It shows how insecure they are. Try kaya nila maging productive para makapag-contribute naman sila sa bansa. People can be so... ugh! You know?"

"Yeah..."

Hindi niya napigilan ang sarili na matawa. George really looked cute while talking. With match ming hand gestures pa ito and all. Ilang beses din niyang tinitigan ang mga pisngi nito. They were really pinch-able. Buti na lang talaga at napigilan niya ang sarili. It would be really weird if out of the blue ay panggigilan niya ang pisngi ng babae.

They talked for a while bago dumating ang magkapatid. Agad na bumeso si Inno sa kanya then to George. Ga'non rin si Jarvis. Kumabog nanaman ang kanyang dibdib nang humawak ito sa may likuran niya.

"Sorry to keep you guys waiting," ani Inno as he sat next to her. Jarvis sat across. "Medyo natraffic din kami kaya ga'non."

"Grabe, Inno. Parang ginawa mong Manila-Baguio ang Seattle," komento ng niya. "I thought you were coming back on Tuesday pa?"

"Something came up so kinailangan kong makauwi agad," sagot nito. "Plus, Dad's already there kaya hindi na rin ako 'don ganoon ka kailangan."

"Perks of having your own private plane," komento naman ni George as she sipped her wine.

"You own a plane?" Gulat niyang tanong.

"I'd love to claim it as my own pero, sa kompanya 'yon," pagtatama nito. "Nakikisakay lang ako kapag may mga biglaang lakad like last time. I usually take commercial flights. Sayang daw sa fuel sabi ni Tita Saturn."

"Sana everyone may private plane," tumatawang sambit ni George. "Pa-ride naman, o."

"Jarvis, pasakay daw sabi ng girlfriend mo," nakangising sambit ni Inno. Hindi niya napigilang matawa dahil agad itong binato ni George ng nilukot na tissue.

"Perv!" bulalas ng babae. "You're so bastos talaga, Inno. Susumbong ko talaga 'yang mouth mo kay Tita Saturn."

"Gusto mo samahan pa kita eh," asar pa dito ng lalaki.

"I'll tell Tita Saturn you're being a nasty perv," naka-belat nitong sambit.

"Alam niya na 'yon so that won't be a big deal."

George looked adorable laughing at Inno's teasing. Hindi ito napipikon tulad ni Yoon pero nakakatuwa pa rin kasi sumasagot ito.

Napakabait talga ng babae at magaang kasama. Any guy would definitely like her. Kaya nga siguro nagustuhan ito ni Jarvis. And apparently Dos even though he—for some reason, broke her heart.

She suddenly felt a pang of guilt in her chest. Paano niya nagawang gawin iyon sa babae? She had sex with her boyfriend. While they were still together. She doesn't deserve that. Actually, walang babae ang deserve to be cheated on. Anong klaseng babae siya to do such thing to a girl as pure and kind like George?

The worse kind...

Through the course pf their lunch, hindi siya makasunod sa usapan and would occasionally just nod or smile. Kinakain na siya ng kanyang konsensya. Hindi niya na rin kayang magpanggap thy that night didn't happen. Because it did. It was wrong yet it still happened. And it was all her fault. Nagpadala siya sa kanyang damdamin. She had the power to say 'no' and stop what they were about to do pero diniretso pa rin niya. She even initiated the kiss.

"Naia?" pukaw sa kanya ni Inno. "You okay?"

Tumango siya't ngumiti ng pilit bilang tugon.

Isa pa itong si Inno. He's done nothing but be good to her. Biktima din lang ito nang pagkakataon at kung mas may malaking isinakripisyo between the two of them, si Inno 'yon. Bakit? Dahil sila ang may kailangan. Ang pamilya nila ang may kailangan ng tulong nito. He has the power to say 'no' to the marriage but he still did it. Kahit pa sinasabi nitong 'it's better to be married to someone he knows', alam niyang tulad niya'y napipilitan lang din ito. If the circumstances were different, alam niyang hindi ito papayag.

Pero andito ito't ginagawa ang lahat para maging tapat sa kasunduan ng kanilang mga pamilya. One that she violated when she slept with Jarvis.

They don't deserve this. At ang patuloy niyang paglihim ng katotohanan mula sa mga ito eh mas lalong dumaragdag sa kasalanan niya dito.

"Sayang talaga, Inno. Hindi mo nakita kung gano naeskandalo si River with the cake we made especially for the Bridal Shower," narinig niyang kwento ni George sa lalaki. "And Arika teased him about it so much! That girl will be the death of your cousin, I swear. She even did this lap dance on him while si Yoon naman danced on the pole while Ken was singing."

"Si Yoon? Nag-pole dancing?"

Sunod-sunod na tango ang sinagot ni George dito and turned to her.

"You should've seen her, Naia," patuloy nito. "She was super funny! And Uno joined her after doing some body shots. I think Seven filmed the whole thing para daw makita mo what you and Inno missed on your bridal-slash-stag party. Natapos yung gabi and we couldn't find Arika and River. Bigla silang nawala eh."

"Baka may ginawang milagro," komento bigla ni Inno. She suddenly felt a lump in her throat. "Alam mo na. Kapag may alak, malaki ang posibilidad na gumawa ng kasalanan 'yung dalawa."

"Kasalanan?" ani agad ng babae. Napatingin siya dito. "River and Arika are together. Engaged, even. Hindi kasalanan 'yon 'no. They can have sex all they want—"

Bigla niyang natabig ang baso sa may gawing kaliwa niya. Nagulat ang tatlo—maging ang mga taong nasa loob ng establishimento, ay napatingin sa kanya.

"S-Sorry," aniya sabay tayo at pulot ng mga bubog sa sahod. Agad naman siyang pinigilan ni Jarvis.

"Don't! Baka masugatan ka—"

Too late. Nakaramdam siya ng kirot sa kanyang daliri to which agad namang tinapalan ng panyo ng lalaki—to prevent it from further bleeding. Then he excused us from the table at dumiretso sa may shared sink malapit sa rest rooms.

"You shouldn't have done that," pagalit nito sa kanya habang nililinisan ang kanyang sugat. "Mabuti na lang at hindi masyadong malalim. I think I have a band-aid sa kotse—"

"I have one here," ani bigla ni George na hindi niya namalayang sumunod pala. "Here—"

"I'm sorry," bigla niyang sambit as she held the girl's hands. "I'm really sorry, George. Hindi ko alam kung anong pumasok sa isip ko. I'm really sorry."

"Ha?" gulat at naguguluhang sambit nito. "What are you talking about, Naia? It's okay. It was just an accident—"

"No!" bulalas niya. "It wasn't an accident, George. Hindi aksidente ang lahat. I slept with him and it wasn't an accident!"

Shocked was an understatement. Napaawang ang bibig ni George as she turned towards and equally shocked Jarvis. She crouched down and cried.

"Anong nangyayari?" she heard Inno's voice which made her cry even harder. "Naia, what's wrong?"

"Apparently she slept with him and she's saying sorry," ani George in a very calm tone.

"Him?" tanong ni Inno muli. "Si Jarvis?"

Napatingin ang dalawa sa lalaki. Pero nakatingin ito sa kanyawith his forehead creased.

"I... I don't know what you're talking about, Naia," naguguluhang sambit nito.

"Ha? What's going on?" kunot-noong bumaling sa kanya si Inno. "Naia?"

"S-sorry...I'm really sorry. Kasalanan ko. I was the sober one pero... I... I'm really sorry. George... Sorry..."

"Sober? So nangyari 'to nung bridal shower?" tanong ni Inno bago bumaling kay Jarvis. "Vis, care to explain?"

"Hindi ako uminom nung bridal shower—"

"It wasn't the bridal shower!" bulalas niya. She turned towards Jarvis. "Nung uminom kayo... the first time I stayed over after going out on a date with Inno..."

Nanlaki agad ang mga mata ni Jarvis.

"Wait. So it wasn't a dream?!" tutop nito ang sariling bibig. "That night... In the guest room... Hindi kita inagawan lang ng kwarto? That dream of us making love... was real?!"

Tumango siya as she cried. The truth was out. What Inno did next shocked her.

"Bastos kang hayop ka!" hiyaw nito sabay hampas sa braso ng kapatid. "Anong klaseng panaginip ba ang meron ka para makalimutan mo ang pananamantala kay Naia?!"

Wait. Hindi ito galit sa kanya?

"I was drunk!" ganting hiyaw ng nakababatang kapatid ng lalaki. Then he turned towards her. "Naia, why didn't you tell me? I was drunk at pinagsamantalahan kita—"

"That's the thing, Jarvis. Hindi kita pinigilan," mahina niyang sambit bago tumingin kay George. "I'm really sorry. Alam ko that there's not enough reason to justify what I've done. Mali iyon and kasalanan ko. You've been nothing but nice to me tapos ito pa pa ang isusukli ko sa'yo. I'll understand if you don't want to ever see me again. But please, hindi 'yon kasalanan ni Jarvis. Ako yung may kasalanan ng lahat."

Hindi umimik ang babae. Sobrang kaba ang nadarama niya waiting for her to say something. Or do something.

So when George raised her hand, she was anticipating it to land on her cheek. But instead, it landed on Jarvis' head. Binatukan ito ng ng babae.

"You son of a bitch!" sigaw nito na ikinagulat niya. Not because of the curse but it was because she was laughing. "Ang manyak mo naman, Vis! How can you not remember having sex? Panagutan mo si Naia, you fucking asshole."

"I didn't know!" depensa ni Jarvis sa sarili habang umiiwas sa mga hampas ng babae. "I swear, when I woke up the next day without you next to me, akala ko eh panaginip lang talaga ang lahat. And when Dos confirmed you didn't sleep in the room so I was convinced it was all a dream."

"Si Dos?" kunot-noong tanong niya. "What exactly did Dos say to you?"

"Na inagawan daw kita ng kwarto. That you slept in the other guest room kaya wala ka nung umaga sa silid mo..."

"For someone with a doctorate in Philosophy, you're so fucking dumb," asik ni George. "I mean, putangina naman. Hindi ka ba nagtaka kung bakit hubad ka nagising? And you actually bought that lame excuse of your equally dumb cousin?"

"I was dead ass drunk, Rhi. I could've stripped thinking it was my room or something."

Napa-facepalm na lamang si Georgina bago bumaling muli sa kanya.

"He's stupid. I don't claim him," ani ng babae.

"Y-You're not mad?" nagtatakang tanong niya dito.

"How can I be mad, Naia? This is premium level blackmail," kibit-balikat nitong sambit. "You don't get screw ups like this often. Especially if it's Jarvis involved."

Ano? Blackmail?

At hindi man lang ito mukhang galit or what. Even Inno, mukha pa itong nagpipigil ng tawa.

What the hell is happening?!

"What the hell?"

Tila natauhan naman ang babae't agad nakagat ang labi. May tinatago ba ang mga ito sa kanya? Why wasn't she affected? Anong nangyayari?!

"Naia... I..." tumingin ito bigla kay Jarvis then back towards her. Napabuntong-hininga ito bago muling nagsalita. "Okay. Promise me you won't freak out, okay? I really like you, Naia and I want to be really good friends with you—"

"I can explain, Naia, please—"

"Will someone just tell me!" bulalas niya sa dalawa. Akyat baba na ang kanyang balikat as she breathed deeply.

Napatingin si George sa lalaki before turning back towards her. Magsasalita na sana ito nang biglang pumagitna si Jarvis.

"We're not really together, Naia," siwalat ng lalaki which made her gasp. "Nung sinabi kong girlfriend ko siya at the dinner party, it was all a show. Wala kaming relasyon ni Rhi other than friendship."

"What?!"

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