The Revenge of the Pretend Secretary

NATIGILAN si Violet nang humahagugol na sumugod ang kanyang pinsan na si Amber sa kanyang opisina. Agad siyang napatigil sa pagpipirma ng mga papel at lumapit dito. “What happened, Amber?” tanong ni Violet at nag-aalala na tumingin sa pinsan. “Why? Why are you crying?” Amber sat on the sofa and wiped her tears. “That damn Staurs...” Walang ideya na napatingin si Violet sa kanyang sekretarya at tipid na pagkibit-balikat lamang ang natanggap niya dito bilang pagbibigay-alam na wala itong ideya. “Staurs?” tanong ni Violet at umupo sa tabi ng pinsan. “What do you mean?” “He broke up with me right after he took my virginity!” pasinghal na sagot ni Amber para manlaki ang kanyang mga mata. “Oh, my God...” palahaw ni Violet sabay nasapo ang bibig. “You... you already lose it?” Nagpatuloy lamang sa paghagulhol si Amber at tumango. “I love him, Vi, that's why.” “B-But that doesn't mean you have to offer it, right?” tanong ni Violet at inilingan ito nang hindi niya na napigilan magpahayag ng kawalang paniwala. “We have a pact that we will lose it after our marriage.” “That was like ten years ago, Vi,” sagot ni Amber at napalakas ang paghikbi. “Can you blame me? I fell in love...” “But a pact is a pact no matter how long it was made,” giit ni Violet at dismayado na tumingin dito. “Amber, why did you do it?” “I came here thinking I will receive comfort from my cousin yet here you are, scolding me like my mom,” ani Amber at nagmamakaawa na tumingin sa kanya. “Can you not do it? Can you please just show your support for me? I am the victim here. It’s not like I want to be hurt.” “I do support you, Amber. You know I do,” pagbibigay-diin ni Violet at hinawakan ang kamay nito. “But what you did last night was impulsive. Just because you love a man doesn't mean you have to offer it. Our purity is our dignity, Amber.” “Fuck this, Vi!” singhal ni Amber at napatayo. “Maybe you're right. And you can say that I'm being desperate. But you know how much I love Staurs. I've been chasing Staurs for a decade now. I just... I just thought that he will love me back if I surrender to his touch.” “Oh, god...” ani Violet at napahagod sa buhok. Hinudyatan niya ang sekretarya na lumabas na agad naman sinunod ni Ava. Sumipat siya sa pinsan at napabuntong-hininga. “But he didn't love you, did he?” “I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry if I am not as uptight as you,” wika ni Amber at humakbang palayo. “I'm sorry if I'm not like you who knows how to guard her heart. I'm sorry because I am not you who was looked up to by many including my mother. I'm sorry because I'm not perfect like you, Vi. I'm sorry I'm not you...” “I didn't say you need to be me,” ani Violet at lumapit dito. “I said you could have been careful.” Tumingin sa kanya si Amber at napahagulgol. “I'm sorry, Violet...” “Oh, come here...” pag-alo ng yakap ni Violet na agad na tinugunan ni Amber. “No, stop apologizing. I should be the one saying sorry because I've been insensitive. I know your heart is wrecked but I even break it further. I'm sorry, Amber. I'm just... worried.” “I love him so much, Vi,” wika ni Violet sa pagitan nang paghagulhol nito. “I love him since day one.” Marahang hinagod niya ang likod ni Amber. “I know, but romancing him will not make him love you back. It never work that way.” “I wish I have your outlook in life,” ani Amber at ibinaon ang mukha sa kanyang balikat. “Apparently, I don't. Now, I have to suffer. I just want one man in my life yet—” “You couldn't have him...” dugtong ni Violet para mas lumakas ang paghagulgol ni Amber. “Hindi lahat ng gusto natin ay nakukuha natin.” “I supposed you're right,” pagsang-ayon ni Amber at bahagya nang humina ang paghikbi. “But that doesn't mean it's the end of the world,” dugtong ni Violet sa marahan na boses at pinalis ang luha nito gamit ang ang hinalalaki. “Life goes on despite of the ache. We have to keep going on.” Tumango-tango si Amber at pilit na ngumiti sa kanya. “Oh, come on. You are beautiful, Amber. The right man will never run. What's for you is meant to be yours,” wika ni Violet at tinapik ang balikat nito. “You may have lost it but you're not going to lose me. I am always here.” Napangiti si Amber at sinikap na huwag nang lumuha sa harap niya, ngunit hindi nagtagumpay si Amber sa nais dahil patuloy pa rin sa pagpatak ang mga luha nito. She could see that Amber is deeply hurt. And she could understand tha matter. Five years had passed yet she was still head over heels with a man named she called Staurs. Pangalan pa lang ay umiinit na ang dugo niya. Kung hindi lamang dahil sa reputasyon na kanyang pinakaiingatan ay hindi siya magdadalawang-isip na maghiganti para sa kanyang pinsan. Iisipin niya pa lamang ang mga luha na sinayang ni Amber para sa isang lalaki na hindi ito pinahalagahan ay marami na siyang naiisip na mga posibilidad. Kaya-kaya niya itong patumbahin gamit lamang ang mga masasamang salita sa pag-post ng isang article patungkol dito. But no, she wasn't going to do it for she wasn't that shallow. Sure, she was furious about Amber's turmoil, however, she doesn't have the right to judge the man. He could have his reason. Acceptable or not, it doesn't give her a reason to revenge. Kahit pa man gaano niya kamahal ang pinsan na si Amber ay labas na siya sa problema nito. Kinabukasan, gulat na nagising si Violet sa biglaang pagtunog ng kanyang cell phone. Papikit-pikit pa ang mga mata na bumalikwas siya mula sa pagkakahiga at tiningnan ang caller ID. It was her aunt Amanda, Amber's mother, calling her in the middle of her sleep. “Hello? Is there a problem, Auntie? Why call? It's still dusk,” bungad ni Violet at kinusot-kusot pa ang mga mata at tiningnan ang bukang-liwayway sa labas. “Nandiyan ba si Amber sa inyo, hija?” tanong nito, bakas sa tono ang matinding pag-aalala. Sapat na iyon para magising siya sa diwa. “Po? Wala po. Pumunta po si Amber sa office ko kahapon pero nagpaalam po siya sa akin bago lumubog ang araw na uuwi siya.” “Pero simula kahapon pa na wala sa bahay si Amber, hija...” Nasapo ni Violet ang bibig at nag-isip. “Ang sinasabi niyo po ba ay hindi umuwi si Amber kagabi?” “Tama ka, hija. Hindi siya umuwi kahapon at akala ko'y sa inyo siya nakitulog kagabi,” wika ng kanyang tiyahin para magkakutob na agad si Violet. “Huwag po kayo mag-aalala, kapag may narinig po ako mula kay Amber ay agad ko po kayong sasabihan,” pagtitiyak ni Violet bago pinatay ang tawag. Pagkalapag niya sa cell phone ay husto ang pagtunog ng kanyang notification sa Instagram at nakita ang recent post ni Amber na imahe ang makulimlim na langit mula sa labas ng eruplano na isang mapple leaf ang nakalagay sa caption. Amber fled to Canada on her own and it's because of that damn Staurs. Dali-dali niyang hinanap ang binata gamit ang website at nabungaran ang mga imahe ni Staurs na puro nakangiti at halatang masaya habang suot nito ang mamahalin na damit. Looking at his pictures, she could say that he was a powerful wealthy man. An invincible one and is hard to take down. Dahil sa mga nasilayan ay mas lalong uminit ang dugo ni Violet at mas lalo siyang naudyok na kalabanin ito. Staurs must have been really unbothered to the situation while her cousin Amber obviously felt dejected. Now after what Staurs has caused Amber, how can she not take revenge? MULA sa malayo ay kumunot ang noo ni Violet nang makita na may kasamang ibang babae si Staurs. Marahil ito na nga ang babaeng ipinalit ni Staurs sa pinsan kaya ganoon na lamang ang paglugmok ng kanyang pinsan na si Amber. Seeing them happy together and unbothered makes her vommit and aggravate. It's making her fumung mad because the two are undeniably looked so good together. She had to admit that Staurs was a very handsome man in his age while the woman was obviously splendid and younger. Younger than her and Amber. Ngunit, kahit na ganoon ang mga ito na napakaaya-aya sa mga mata ay hindi niya pa rin matanggap ang ginawa ng mga ito kay Amber. Lalo na si Staurs na ngayon ay umaakto na parang wala itong ginawang masama. Ang katulad ni Staurs ay hindi kailanman dapat na lumigaya dahil kabaliktaran ang lagi nitong dinudulot sa iba, kadalasan sa kababaihan ay halos dalamhati. He doesn't deseve to act so cool when he knew what he had done was wicked. Amber was an angel who doesn't deserve that kind of treatment. Thrown off after getting her virginity was a very unscrupulous act. Kaya naman hindi masikmura ni Violet na makitang masaya si Staurs habang ang kanyang pinsan ay naghihinagpis ngayon at napalipad patungo sa Canada na walang paalam. It was too late for her to stop her cousin when she found that she had posted an airplane photo with a maple leaf on the caption. Canada obviously, she had fled to somewhere far. Kung naatim ni Amber na lisanin ito nang hindi nanghihingi ng kapalit na siphayo puwes ay iba siya sa pinsan. Kung hindi nito kayang gawin ang pakikipagtunggali ay siya ang kikilos. Nagnggitngit na binawi ni Violet ang kanyang mga mata mula kay Staurs nang makapasok na ito sa pagmamay-ari nitong establisyamento at husto ang pagtunong ng kanyang cell phone. Tiningnan niya kanyang ang cell phone at sinagot ang tawag nang makitang si Ava ang nasa Caller ID. “Ava, I hope to hear a good news after a week,” bungad ni Violet sa sekretarya habang nakatingin sa entrada nang malaking establisyamento na pagmamay-ari ni Staurs, handa na ang kanyang suot at resume. “His secretary accepts our offer and agree to start immediately, Miss Violet,” pagbibigay-alam ni Ava para mabuhayan ang kanyang dugo. “Staur is in need of a secretary now.” Bingo! Matapos marinig ang magandang balita ay nagdire-diretso si Violet sa loob ng kompanya. Tinungo niya ang HR Office upang magpasa ng Curriculum Vitae o sa mas kilala sa tawag na CV, ngunit nagulat siya nang ang babae ni Staurs ang naroon at nakabantay. Pinigilan ni Violet ang paghaharumentado at kagustuhan na sugurin ito at sa halip ay nakangiti na ipinasa niya ang kanyang mga importanteng dokumento. “Wow, aren't you so lucky to be the first one to submit a CV for a secretary position after The CEO’s secretary resign, huh?” bungad ng babae sa kanya at magiliw na ngumiti. Napatingin dito si Violet at sinikap na huwag itong bulyawan at pagbagsakan nang masasamang salita dahil sa kanyang galit. She tried so hard not to attack her by clasping her hand on her middle just in case she wouldn't control her nerves. She couldn't afford to fail. To be his secretary was the only way to get her revenge on Mason. “Just trying my luck, Ma'am...” sagot ni Violet at tumugon nang matamis na ngiti kahit sa loob-loob niya ay nagngingitngit na siya sa galit.