Chapter 4

"How's your sister?" Tanong ni Mr. Sanders sa kaniyang panganay na anak na si Cohen. Binisita niya ito sa office ng kaniyang anak.

"She's fine, Dad. I called Isaiah earlier," he said. Tumango ang kaniyang ama at nakita niyang nilibot nito ang paningin sa kaniyang office.

Cohen phone rang and when he answered the call. The phone almost fell in his hand. Mr. Joaquin noticed it and asked his son.

"Isaiah is in the hospital," Cohen said. They immediately rushed to the private hospital to see Isaiah.

Nang makarating sa hospital ay agad nilang nakita ang bodyguard ni Isaiah at sinabi naman agad nito sa kanila ang nangyari.

"He experienced it again," Cohen said while looking at Isaiah. The doctor came and they asked him about Isaiah.

"Is he okay now?" Mr. Joaquin asked.

"Base on what Mr. Rafa said." The doctor looked at Rafa, "Mr. Isaiah experienced Vehophobia again. For all you to know, Vehophobia extremely common anxiety disorder that people typically experience after being involved in a motor vehicle accident. This is usually due to the fact that he's suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which can cause flashbacks of the event."

"I thought he wouldn't experience this again," sabi ng Ginoo habang nakatingin sa walang malay na si Isaiah.

"He will experience this again and again. Kapag may nakita siyang aksidente, the same of what happened to him years ago. Maaalala at maaalala niya ito, at mangyayari ulit sa kaniya ang nangyari ngayon," the doctor said. "But he's fine now. Base on the test, he's doing great. It just happened that he saw the accident, kaya nangyari 'to sa kaniya ngayon."

Tumingin silang lahat sa lalaking nasa kama. Kailangan nilang maging maingat para kay isaiah. He don't deserve to feel that kind of pain again. Alam nila ang nangyari noon at ayaw na nilang mangyari pa ulit iyon, marami nang nasaktan. Ayaw na nilang may masaktan pa ulit.

Nanatili sila sa hospital. Nagising si Isaiah at nakita ang mga kaibigan niya. Mr. Joaquin checked Isaiah first before he left for a meeting.

"Did I faint?" Isaiah asked them.

"Yes, but the doctor said you're fine now," Cohen said. Isaiah closed his eyes when he remembered what he saw earlier.

"Isaiah?" Axel called him.

"You okay?" Tanong ni Blaze sa kaibigan. Isaiah didn't answer, but he raised his hand at them. They knew that Isaiah don't want accompany, so they left him alone. Rafa was outside, para naman malaman niya kung ano ba ang kailangan ng kaniyang amo.

Nasa isang private bar si Margeaux habang nakahawak na sa kaniyang ulo dahil nahihilo na siya sa rami ng alak na nainom. Palabas na sana siya nang biglang may humawak sa pulopulsohan niya. Kumunot ang kaniyang noo at nakita ang kaniyang kapatid na si Matthew.

"Why are you here?" She asked her brother.

"You're drunk, little sis," Matthew said while looking at her. "But, I think you will sober up when I tell you that Isaiah is in the hospital today."

"What?" Her eyes widened as she heard that from her brother. Hindi man niya ganun kakilala ang lalaki ay alam naman niyang malapit ito sa mga kapatid niya. Close rin ang mga magulang nito at magulang ng dalaga kaya naman nag-aalala siya ngayong nasa hospital ang binata. Ano kayang nangyari at nasa hospital ang lalaki?

"You need to visit him," Matthew said. Hindi na siya nagsalita at sa halip ay tumango na lang sa kapatid. Tinanong niya pa si Matthew pero hindi naman siya sinasagot ng binata. Hindi niya alam kung bakit.

Nang makarating sila sa hospital ay nakita niya ang dalawa pang kapatid. Nalaman niya sa kaniyang Kuya Cohen na kaalis lang din ng mga magulang ni Isaiah. Agad naman siyang pumunta sa room kung nasaan ang binata. Nakita niyang natutulog ito, chineck niya kung may lagnat ba ang binata pero mukhang maayos naman ang lagay nito.

Niloloko ba siya ng mga kapatid niya? Mukha namang walang sakit ang lalaki, ah. Bakit pa narito ito sa hospital kung maayos naman ang lagay niya.

She was about to leave to scold Matthew when she saw one of Isaiah's bodyguard entered the room.

"What happened to him? Mukha naman siyang maayos para sa akin," she said as she looked at Isaiah again. He looks like a prince who's sleeping peacefully. Napakagwapo talaga ng binata.

She pinched herself when she realized what she had said.

"Ma'am?" Rafa called her. Napaayos siya nang mapagtantong nakatingin siya sa lalaking natutulog.

"Pardon?" Tanong niya at tiningnan si Rafa.

"Okay na po si Sir, Ma'am. Nagkaroon lang po ng allergy sa nakain niya kanina kaya dinala po namin dito sa hospital." Napatango ang dalaga sa narinig mula sa lalaki at napatingin ulit sa binatang tulog pa rin.

Pakiramdam niya ay hindi na siya lasing, hindi na rin siya nakakaramdam ng pagkaantok. Kanina ay gustong-gusto na niyang umuwi para matulog at magpahinga, pero nang malamang nasa hospital si Isaiah ay parang nawala lahat iyon.

Sinabi niya kay Rafa na mauuna na siyang umuwi. Hindi naman siya malapit kay Isaiah kaya naman hindi na siya kailangan pa rito. Nang makalabas siya ay nakita niya ang mga kapatid at sabay-sabay itong napatingin sa kaniya.

"Uuwi na ako," sabi niya.

"You drank again?" Cohen asked his sister. Nakatingin pa ito sa kapatid niyang parang nakagawa ng malaking kasalanan.

"Yes," sagot niya. Bigla namang tumayo si Claude at lumapit sa kapatid na babae.

"Are you even working?" Nakakunot na tanong ng Kuya Cohen niya sa kaniya. Masakit na tiningnan ni Margeaux ang Kuya niya. Hindi siya makapaniwala na tatanongin siya ng ganun.

"What? Are you saying that I'm wasting my time to parties?" Tanong niya sa kapatid niyang malamig ang tingin sa kaniya.

"Why? Isn't true? You're wasting your time to useless things. Grow up, Margeaux! You're not a kid anymore. Instead of partying, use your time to your work!" Cohen coldly said.

Muntik na siyang matawa sa sinabi ng kapatid. May kirot sa kaniyang dibdib na marinig ang mga iyon mula sa kaniyang Kuya. Ano na bang nangyayari? Ano na nga bang nangyayari sa pamilya niya? Nagugulohan na siya. Hindi na niya maintindihan ang mga bagay-bagay. Alam naman nila kung gaano niya kagusto ang pagpa-party, pero bakit parang nagbago na ata ang ihip ng hangin.

"I can't believe you're saying that to me." She shook her head and turned her back to leave them. Her heart was aching, she needs some fresh air.

"Margeaux!" She heard their voices calling her, but she didn't dare to look.

Keisha took her phone and answered the call from Margeaux.

"Yes, girl?" Keisha asked. She heard Margeaux's crying, that's why she started panicking. Bumaba na siya habang tinatanong kung nasaan ang kaibigan niya.

"Hospital..."

"Why? What happened?"

Keisha took the key of her car and drove. Margeaux's told her the exact name of the hospital. Hindi na muna siya nagtanong kung ano nga ba ang nangyari dahil rinig pa rin niya ang matinding iyak ng kaibigan niya mula sa kabilang linya. When she arrived at the hospital, she saw Margeaux and hugged her tight. Margeaux told her everything. Keisha was about to say something when she saw Blaze with Matthew. Their eyes met, and she immediately looked away.

Naalala tuloy niya ang huling sinabi ng lakaki sa kaniya at ang regalong binigay sa kaniya ng lalaki.

"Margeaux," Matthew called his sister. Nakita niya rin ang magkakapatid kasama ang ilan nilang kaibigan.

"I will go first." Keisha's eyes went to Blaze. Umiwas agad siya ng tingin at bumaling sa kaniyang kaibigan.

"I thought, you will stay?" Cole asked him. Hindi dapat siya nakikinig sa kanila. Wala na siyang pakialam sa lalaki.

"Erah texted me," Blaze said. Kilala ni Keisha iyon. Si Erah, kaibigan ni Blaze.

"Oh, right! Send our regards to her," Matthew said.

"Sure," he said. Keisha felt that the man was watching her, or she's just assuming again. Nagpaalam na ang mga lalaki kay Blaze.

"Let's go home," sabi ni Margeaux sa kaniya. Tumango si Keisha at tinulongan ang kaibigan niya.

"Margeaux, let's go," Claude said. They looked at them.

"I will take her home," Keisha said to them.

"Okay..." Cohen said. Pakiramdam niya ay may gusto pang sabihin si Cohen sa kapatid nito pero hindi niya 'to magawa. Nagpaalam na si Keisha sa kanila at inalalayan si Margeaux na makasakay sa kaniyang kotse. Papasok na rin sana siya nang makita si Blaze na nakikipag-usap sa babae. Akala niya ay umalis na 'to. Napailing siya at agad na sumakay sa kaniyang sasakyan para makaalis na sila.

The next day.

"How is he?" Tanong ni Mr. Logan Sanchez kay Rafa nang bisitahin ulit nila ang kanilang anak. They visited him last night and came back again to check their son.

"He's fine, Sir. Sabi ng doctor ay pwede na siyang makauwi." Mr. and Mrs. Sanchez nodded and looked at their son.

Isaiah woke up and saw his parents with Rafa. When Mrs. Ellen saw that her son is awake, she immediately went to him.

"How are you feeling?" Mrs. Ellen asked her son. Isaiah sat and they are all startled when he did that.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," he said.

"The doctor said, you will go home later. Don't be hard on yourself, son," Mrs. Ellen said while looking at her son. She's really worried, she don't want to experienced what happened to her son before.

"What happened to my meeting yesterday?" He asked Rafa.

"Ms. Evah attended the meeting yesterday, Sir," Rafa said and told Isaiah everything.

"Stop worrying about your work, Isaiah," her mother said while looking at him. "Nasa hospital ka pa, pero ang utak mo nasa trabaho na agad."

"Mom, I'm fine. I can handle this." Mrs. Ellen shook her head and looked at her husband. Mr. Logan shrugged and just smiled to his wife.

They accompany their son, and ate breakfast with Isaiah. After that, they left because they have a important meeting with the board members.

"Did she visit me?" Isaiah asked Rafa when his parents left.

"Yes, Sir. Last night," Rafa said. Isaiah looked at his phone.

"What did she say?"

"She asked me what happened." Isaiah looked at his bodyguard, "at sinabi ko po kung ano ang sinabi niyo sa akin."

Isaiah nodded at him. "Good, I don't want her to know the real reason," he said and looked at his phone again.

Nang makarating si Isaiah sa kaniyang opisina ay sinabi agad sa kaniya ng kaniyang sekretarya ang schedule niya ngayong araw.

"Meeting with the board members, with Ty and Lim," sabi ng kaniyang sekretarya habang lumilipad ang isip niya sa kaniyang kapatid na si Margeaux.

"Sir?" Tawag nito sa kaniya. Napatingin siya rito at napakurap.

"Oh, yeah. Thank you," he said. Tumango ang sekretarya niya at lumabas na ito.

Kilala niya ang kaniyang kapatid, masama pa rin ang loob nito hanggang ngayon. Nadagdagan pa dahil nagkasagutan sila kagabi sa hospital. Gusto lang nila ang mapapabuti kay Margeaux kaya nga ginagawa nila ang mga ito.

"I'm coming, wait for me outside," sabi niya sa sekretarya nang bumukas ang pinto.

"It's me." He looked at the door and saw Eunice. His forehead creased when he saw the girl, he didn't expect that the girl will be here.

"What are you doing here?" He asked the girl. Ngumiti lamang ang babae at lumapit sa kaniya.

"Let's have a breakfast, I'm starving," she said.

"I have important to do now," he said coldly. Eunice was too stunned to speak when she heard that from the man.

Cohen noticed it and shook his head. He stood up and looked at her again. "If you're done, leave my office. I have a meeting, I'll leave first," he said without waiting the answer of Eunice.

Eunice rolled her eyes and looked at the door. "Jerk," she said.

Nang buksan niya ang pinto ng opisina ng lalaki ay bumungad sa kaniya ang sekretarya nito, inirapan niya 'to. She flipped her hair, and walked away.

"What happened?" Her friend, Erah asked her when she entered the car. Eunice looked at her phone and type something on it.

"Cohen was playing hard to get," Eunice said and remembered what the man said to her in the office.

"Really? I can't believe this," Erah said and looked at her friend.

"But, I'm not gonna give up. I know he still love me," she said and looked at her phone again. Erah smiled to her friend, as he drove her car.

Days passed.

Ni isang beses ay hindi man lang nagkaroon ng pag-uusap itong si Margeaux at Isaiah kahit nasa iisang bahay lang naman sila. Abala rin kasi ang lalaki sa trabaho, at ganun din si Margeaux. Nang dahil sa sinabi ni Keisha sa kaniya ay nagtrabaho ulit siya, pero pumupunta pa rin siya sa mga party. She can't say no to their other friends, when they are inviting her to parties.

Abala naman si Isaiah sa trabaho, she heard from the maid that the man left last night with his chopper. May importanteng gagawin sa London kaya naman umalis ito.

She never received any calls or texts from her mother and father. Ayaw din naman niyang tawagan kaya hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa rin sila nakakapag-usap.

"Good morning, Ma'am," the employees greeted when she entered the building. After here, she will going to visit her other branch in the mall. Alam niyang namimiss na siya ng mga staff niya ro'n.

"Good morning," she said and smiled at them. Margeaux saw her secretary, and she welcomed her boss to her office.

"Thank you, Karen," she said.

"It's my pleasure, Ma'am."

She took off her blazer and sat down. She opened her laptop at tiningnan ang mga proyektong tatrabahohin nila.