The Billionaire's Canary

#7:

Sinundan ni Danilo kung saan napako ang mga mata ko.

"He's my boss," sabi nito ng makilala kung sino ang tinitignan ko na nakatayo ngayon sa may pinto.

Binawi nito ang kamay na nakahawak at nakapatong sa balikat ko. Sa pagbitiw nito sa akin ay tila doon naman ako nakaramdam ng panginginig ng tuhod ko.

Napakurap ako, suddenly aware of the man I hadn’t seen for nearly a month. Turning my eyes away from him, I directed my attention back to Danilo.

"I’ll go first, Zee. I’ll just visit you later," he said, tinapik pa ni Danilo ang balikat ko bago niya ako tinalikuran at humakbang na palapit sa boss nito.

I didn’t dare to look at them again until they were gone.

“Mr. Hidalgo, I just said hello to my friend,” narinig kong sabi ni Danilo, na para bang kailangan nito na magpaliwanad.

His words hung in the air, but there was no response from the man.

Ang tanging narinig ko na lang ay ang tunog ng mga hakbang nila palayo, at sa paglayo nila ay muli na naman akong nabalot sa katahimikan.

I glanced back at them, my heart heavy, especially as I noticed the woman next to Mr. Hidalgo, her grip firm on his arm.

Siguro siya na ang babaeng matagal nitong hinihintay. Sa mga sandaling ito, nakaramdam ako ng pagkahabag sa sarili ko.

Sa loob ng mahabang limang taon na nakatali ako sa kontrata sa kanya, napagtanto ko sa sarili ko na tuluyan ng nahulog ang loob ko kay Kendrick.

Our agreement was clear from the start, yet here I was, wrestling with feelings I shouldn’t have.

Napatingala ako ng mamuo ang luha sa aking mga mata, sinubukan mo iyong pigilan.

I shouldn’t feel this way; I needed to move on, to not let my emotions defeat me.

I took a deep breath, trying to summon my courage and calm my racing heart before I turned back to the book I had been reading earlier, before Danilo’s arrival.

But the words on the page blurred as I realized I just couldn’t concentrate.

Instead, I gently set the book aside, placing it neatly into my bag.

With a renewed sense of purpose, I decided to leave the classroom and seek out my sister.

Patapos na din ang klase nito, pupuntahan ko na lang ito para sabay na kaming bumalik ng aming dorm.

......

As I navigated the crowded hallway, my thoughts were centered on finding my sister.

Ngunit, ang paghakbang ko ay bumagal hanggang sa tuluyan na akong tumigil sa paglalakad nang mapagsino ko ang pamilyar na pigura sa harap ko.

He stood upright with an air of composure, as if anticipating my passage, and I found myself hesitating, stepping back, stunned by the intensity of his stare.

His eyes locked onto mine—an unreadable expression marred only by the subtle frown knitting his brows together. Napapaisp ako na kung ano ba ang tumatakbo sa isip nito sa blankong ekspreyong nakikita ko sa mga mata nito.

Part of me wanted to retreat, to avoid this encounter altogether, but that desire wrestled with my resolve.

Bakit kailangan kong umiwas sa kanya? I had every right to walk this hallway; it wasn't his domain to control.

The truth lingered painfully in my mind: our relationship had concluded—the bond severed when he returned to the one he loved. This unexpected meeting had to be nothing more than a coincidence.

Steeling myself with that thought, I took a resolute step forward, even though each movement felt like a careful dodge as I averted my gaze from him.

As I approached, napansin ko ang kanyang isang kamay na tumaas na para bang balak niya akong hawakan.

My heart raced with the instinct to flee, but just then, his hand froze mid-air, interrupted by a voice calling out to him.

"Kendrick, let’s go," a woman said, stepping out from the nearby classroom hallway, her warm smile brightening the tense air.

Without a moment's hesitation, the woman grasped the hand that had been reaching for me.

Sa pagdating ng babae, doon na ako nagmadali na umiwas sa kanila. Ang normal kong lakad kanina ay naging pagtakbo para lamang agad na makalayo sa kanya.

It wasn't just about evading his presence; kundi ang katotoohanan na nakaramdam ako ng paninikip ng dibdib ko.

I watched helplessly as the woman clung to his arm—those familiar arms I had cherished and held for five long years. The reality hit me hard; now, the woman had the claim to them that I once held so dearly.

.....

"Kuya Zeon, are you okay?" Rosalie asked, ang boses niya na bumasag ng katahimikan na bumalot sa amin sa loob ng kwarto namin.

I hadn't uttered a word since we returned to the dorm, at hindi maitago ang kanyang pag aalala sa akin.

With a heavy heart, I lay down on my bed, hoping to unburden myself from the weight that pressed down on my chest.

As she watched me, I pulled the blanket away, revealing my pensive expression.

Hindi agad ako nakasagot, sa kataunayan, wala talaga akong alam na tamang sabihin habang nakatingin ako sa kapatid ko..

"Are you having a problem, kuya?" she prompted gently, her concern deepening.

Sa kabila ng bigat na nararamdaman ko sa aking puso, nagawa ko paring ngumiti—a feeble attempt to assure her that all was well.

"Don't worry about me," I replied, though my heart knew that was far from the truth.

Rosalie's eyes glimmered with understanding, and she continued, "That's how you were when you came back. We didn't ask at first, thinking you were just tired from working abroad for us so long. But now..."

Naputol ang kanyang mga salita, nag-iwan ng hindi masabi na pagkakaunawaan sa pagitan namin.

Malinaw na pinaghihinalaan niya na pinipilit kong ngumiti, pinipigilan ang mga emosyong nagbabantang kumawala.

"I'm just a bit inexperienced. It's been ages since I was in school, Rose," I replied, attempting to veer the conversation away from uncomfortable topics.

Inside, I was wrestling with a storm of unease, driven by fears that felt as if they might burst forth if I let my guard down.

Alam kong may hinala na ang mga magulang namin, pero paano kung lumabas pa rin ang katotohanan, at pati ang nakakabata kong kapatid ay malaman ang dahilan kung bakit ako nawala sa loob ng limang taon? At nag aalala ako sa pwedeng maging reaksyon nito.

Na ang perang ipinapadala ko noon sa kanila ay galing sa isang mayamang lalaking pinagsilbihan ko ng buong puso't kaluluwa. Mandidiri ba ito sa akin? Magiging malamig din ba ang pakikitungo nito tulad ng malamig na ipinaparamdam sa akin ng aming mga magulang?

Dahil ipinagpalit ko ang aking dignidad sa malaking halaga, nasangkot sa isang negosasyon na hindi nila lubos na mauunawaan.

Alam ko na sinumang magulang ay magagalit kapag nalaman na ang kanilang anak ay nakompromiso ang kanilang integridad para sa pinansiyal na suporta.

Pero, sa kabila ng pagkawala ko sa limang taon na iyon, nanatiling nakatali ang puso ko sa isang lalaki—si Kendrick.

He was more than just a name; he was a cornerstone of my journey, the first, and likely the last, to ever truly claim me.

As I sat on my bed, contemplating the future, I realized that I had no intention of pursuing another relationship once my contract with Kendrick came to an end.

The depth of the experience he had shared with me was more than enough, leaving an indelible mark on my heart that I would cherish for the rest of my life.

With a deep breath, I rose from my bed, determination fueling my movements as I turned to face Rosalie.

"Don't worry. I'll get used to it," I reassured her, my voice imbued with warmth.

Gently, I placed my palm on her head and ruffled her hair affectionately, hoping to lift her spirits.

"Let's go. Let's eat first. It's still early, so we can go for a walk after we finish."

I invited her with a smile, my heart swelling with a sense of responsibility for my sister.

After getting ready, I reached for her hand and pulled her from our dorm room.

She didn’t ask any more questions; she simply followed me, trusting and eager for our little adventure.