Chapter 2: One Night 2

Shit!" usal ni Lauren nang matapunan ang kamay niya ng mainit kape. She was fixing herself a cup of coffee when her cellphone rang.

Dashing her way out of that stranger man's suite earlier that morning had made her nervous-wreck.

She should be! She just spent the night with a handsome stranger named Kiel! Too much about gifting her virginity to her husband on their wedding night.

She huffed and went to the sink. Hinugasan niya ang kamay niyang nabanlian ng mainit na tubig bago sinagot ang tawag sa kanyang cellphone. It was her assistant Micha, ang baklang agent niya dati sa mga beauty contests.

"Thank god, sumagot ka na! Saan ka ba galing, Lauren? Halos buong gabi akong mulat kaka-contact sa 'yo!" bungad agad nito sa kanya sa kabilang linya. "Muntik na 'kong mag-file ng missing person's report sa sobrang taranta ko dahil panay-panay ang tawag sa akin ni Sir Jerome, asking where you are! Hindi ba kayo nagkita kagabi? 'Di ba sa Gold Hotel ka dumiretso after ng shooting mo sa Antipolo?" dire-diretsong dugtong pa nito.

She bit her lower lip and tried to compose herself before answering. "Sorry, nakalimutan ko i-charge ang phone ko," sagot niya nakangiwi, cursing her mind for the lamest excuse she could think of. "A-at saka a-ano... hindi ako dumiretso sa Gold Hotel. Ano... umuwi ako agad. O-oo, 'yon umuwi ako kasi medyo masama pakiramdam ko. I just slept the whole night here in my townhouse," pasisinungaling niya.

"So the whole time nand'yan ka lang talaga? Bakit hindi ka man lang nagising nang pumunta si Tita Lileth d'yan? Thirty minutes daw siyang nand'yan kasi nga nagpa-panic na ang lahat kakahanap sa 'yo."

Lalo siyang napangiwi. Marinig pa lang niya ang pangalan ng tiyahin niya, pakiramdam niya nanghihina na siya. She's afraid of her aunt growing up. She was verbally abusive and has control of her finances ever since she started her career in showbiz. Mabuti nga napapayag niya itong bumukod siya at kumuha ng townhouse. At least man lang, nakakahinga siya sa  pagbubunganga nito. But still the same, her aunt controls here in more ways than one. Una na riyan, ang mismong tiyahin ang manager niya. And with what happened last night, she's sure she'll be hearing from her aunt too after she talks to Micha. Sana lang maging kumbinsido ang alibi niya rito.

"I-I took a pill for me to sleep. S-sorry kung pinag-alala ko kayong lahat," muli niyang sagot, hoping that her assitant would finally stop probing.

She heard Micha sigh. “Kaya naman pala. Anyway, mabuti pa siguro tawagan mo na agad sina Tita Lileth at Sir Jerome. They need also need to know you are safe and—“

“Ilang araw ang off ko bago ang next shooting day ko, Micha?” putol niya sa assitant. Hearing the names of her aunt and cheating boyfriend was just pushing her to the edge.

Sandaling natahimik ang kabilang linaya. Maya-maya pa, “Three days pa bago ang ulit ang shooting  mo sa Antipolo. Why?”

“Gusto ko sanang magbakasyon,” diretso niyang sabi.

“Ha? Bakit biglaan naman?”

“W-wala lang, gusto ko lang magpahinga kahit sandali. I never really had a proper rest since January. I just… want to rest,” paliwanag niya, pigil na pigil ang emosyon.

“Kailan mo gustong umalis?”

“Ngayon na.”

“Hala! Bakit naman agad-agad? Umamin ka nga. May pupuntahan kayo ni Sir Jerome ‘no?” tudyo  ng assistant. “Ikaw talaga, ayaw mo pang umamin na--

“No. I will go alone.”

“Alone? As in mag-isa? Seryoso ka d’yan, girl?”

“Dead serious.”

Sandaling natahimik si Micha sa kabilang linya, marahil na nararamdaman nito na seryoso siya. Maya-maya pa, marahan itong nagbuga ng hininga. “O sige, saan mo gustong pumunta? Ipagbu-book kita at—“

“Hindi, ako na. I can take care of that. What I want you to do is, pagtakpan mo muna ako kina T-Tita Lileth at J-Jerome. I just want to… s-sort myself and… thoughts,” she replied her voice drifting away.

“Lauren, okay ka lang ba? You don’t sound so good. Gusto mo puntahan kita ngayon—“

“No, I’m fine. Just… please help me take a rest for t-three day,” she pled, her voice shaking. There’s too much in her mind right now. She knew she needed to be away from the city for a while to clear her head and unburden her heart.

“O siya sige. Mukhang desidido ka na talagang magbakasyon mag-isa. Basta siguruhin mo lang na hindi ako sasabit, ha?  Baka sabunutan ako ni Tita Lileth kapag nalaman niyang pinagtatakpan kita. Kaka-treatment lang ng buhok ko, girl. Sayang ang anda! Alam mo naman ‘yang tiyahin mo at manager, hindi nakikinig sa paliwanag basta tungkol sa career mo na ang pinag-uusapan.”

She gave out a faint smile. “Don’t worry, akong bahala sa ‘yo. Thanks, Micha! I owe you,” aniya bago pinutol ang tawag.

She released aa slow breath as soon as the call ended. There is only one place in her mind she can go to, her parent’s old house in San Ildefonso. Mabilis siyang tumipa sa cellphone niya at nag-book ng ticket.

---

Lauren booked a local flight at Star Airline going to San Ildefonso, her father’s hometown. Matagal na siyang hindi nakakauwi roon. Ipinagbabawal ng Tita Lileth niya. Ang alam niya, nakatayo pa rin doon ang family house nila and it’s been years since she wanted to pay a visit kaya doon niya naisipang pumunta.

With an overnight bag on her hand and aviator glasses, she walked her way through the plane that would take her to San Ildefonso. She settled herself on the window seat, dismissing the glances and murmurs of people as they passed through her. Two years into her career and she had learned how to deal with the public’s scrutinizing eyes. Sa ibang pagkakataon, she would’ve smiled at them—charm them with her beauty and wit. But she is too trouble to do just that. For now, she just wants to reach San Ildefonso in peace.

Maya-maya pa, tumunog ang cellphone niya. She would’ve ignored it subalit nagsunod-sunod ang pasok ng notiications. Napilitan siya tuloy tignan iyon.

She has tons of messages from Micha and from the two people she’s running away from, her aunt and her cheating boyfriend. And as soon as she opened Micha’s message, magkasabay na tinambol ng kaba ang kanyang dibdib at namanhid ang kanyang buong katawan. Segundo lang, napuno ng mga tanong ang kanyang isip. Nangingilid ang mga luhang nag-angat siya ng tingin. People are still giving her that look. And she now knew why. She bit her lower lip and tried her hardest not to cry.

No. She won’t find peace even in San Ildefonso.

---

“Fck!” Kiel muttered as he forced his eyes to open. Sapo ang kanyang nananakit na ulo, umupo siya sa kama at hinablot ang nagri-ring na cellphone a bedside table. He answered the phone without even looking at the screen. “Yeah?”

“Where are you, Kiel?” said his brother Aaron, on the other line.

He huffed, closed his eyes and threw himself on the bed again. His head is throbbing from last night’s drinking. And the last thing he needs now is Aaron’s preaching about work ethics. His brother is the CEO of Sandejas Shipping Lines or SSL, one of the largest shipping company in Asia. His brother works like a dog day and night. Not even when his girlfriend died a few months ago did he ever slowed down working. Well, he ain’t going to do that.  He had taken an indefinite leave from work since three weeks ago, and not even an effin  A-bomb could make him go back. Not now.

“Even if you drag me, Aaron, I won’t go to work. I have made that clear—“

Aaron scoffed. “You had the audacity to not go to work when your company is about to go down?”

His brows furrowed. “W-what the hell are you—“

“Haul your damn ass out to wherever hellhole you are, you ungrateful bastard! Not even you being mom’s favorite can save you now, Kiel! Come to the penthouse here at SSL! Fckin’ now!” Aaron hissed, finishing the call.

When he looked at his phone, there were hundreds of messages—all from his brothers and mother. He opened one of the messages and there he saw a video of him and Lauren Ortega, kissing by the door of his hotel suite before he finally pulled her in as the door closes.

“How in the world…”

Agad siyang napatayo. Hindi na alintana ang nanakit niyang ulo. He instantly saw the bloodstained sheet—evidence of the mistake he had done last night.

“Dammit!” he cussed, raking his hand through his hair.

Last night… He just had one too many booze and when Lauren came to him—warm and very willing…

Who is he to resist sex? A hot and wild sex! With the hot and famous beauty queen and actress Lauren Ortega herself!

‘You promised her, Kiel. You promised her that you will wait for her!’ anang isang bahagi ng isip niya.

Her. The only woman he loved and now belonged to someone else.

“Oh, fck!” he hissed. How could he? How could he do that to her?

Maya-maya pa, muling tumunog ang cellphone niya. It was a message from his mother, echoing what his brother just told him.

He huffed and dashed through the showers. He was done in no time.  Subalit bago siya lumabas ng hotel suite, sinubukan niyang tawagan ang isang cellphone number, hoping against hope that this time, his call will go through. But just like the past weeks, her number is unavailable.

He cussed and stepped out of the suite, realizing how fcked up his life is going to be.