21

Chapter 21 part 1 Insult I was left speechless in the garden after Jared left. Maybe it was also a time I didn't make progress. There came no tear from my eyes. I can't also feel anything. Just the hollow feeling in my chest. When I returned inside the house, the Arevalo were gone. Only the Villacortas and my family were there. I don't want to think they walked out because of my decision so they're gone. I also decided to go upstairs right away so I didn't talk to any of the people who were there for dinner. Fortunately, my parents did not forbid me. I also don't know how I was able to sleep after what happened. The next day, when I woke up, I was surprised when Daphne was also in my bed. She was sound asleep. I carefully caressed the strands of her hair so that I won't wake her up. He didn't even say I knew he was too worried for me. So maybe he sided with me. He wanted to watch over me. She might be afraid I'd do something horrible.But there's nothing to worry about. I won't do anything that would harm myself just because of that arrangement. I still love my life despite of anything. Life is tough so I should be tougher. If I continue to feel the blow of destiny on me I will really go crazy. I don't want that. I wasn't born to suffer. So, instead of feeling it, I should just deal with it. I should just deal with the course of life that I chose to live. And today is the start. I got up from my bed and took a bath. Life continues no matter what my situation is. When I got to the table I was even a little surprised because Aldrin was there. Of course. He was the one I chose last night. He's not my usual morning visitor-damn, I really shouldn't be thinking of him anymore. There was a look of shock on mommy and daddy's faces when they saw me. Maybe they think I won't eat with them because of what they're doing to me. Just me, I don't want to instill resentment. I'm tired of being angry. They are my family no matter what happens. So even if what they cause me is pure pain, I still need to understand and live with them. We ate silently. I could almost hear the sound of crickets inside my head because of the deafening silence. Maybe they're embarrassed to talk mommy because they know I'm not in a good disposition and that's because of them. Aldrin was embarrassed and this was the atmosphere he had at home but I could do nothing. Even though I keep telling myself to just forget everything because they are my family it is still hard to put it aside I feel. I can live with them but not like before. "Uh … mom, dad, I'm on my way," Daphne cracked in silence. "Oh? It's too early, ah," Daddy said. "I still have some way to go, eh." "All right. Just send it to Edgar," "Yes." He stood up and picked up his belongings. She went to mom and dad and kissed their cheeks. "Remember, hija." Si mommy. "Ate, kuya …" He yelled at us. "Remember, Daph." Shortly after Daphne left Aldrin turned to me. "What time is your first class?" I also turned to him. "7:30," He glanced at his watch. "Uh, I think we should go now. Get traffic on the road. Are you done?" I bit my lower lip and looked at my plate that's almost full until now. "Yeah, I'm done." I grabbed my bag then stood up. His lips parted at my move and I don't know why. "Let's go?" I will ask. Even though I was still hungry he was right. There will be traffic on the road at this time. It's also embarrassing he's waiting for me. He was the one who was kind enough to take me and then I was the one who was willing to wait. He stared at me for a moment with a pitying mouth before he decided to stand up as well. "Are you leaving too?" Daddy asked. Aldrin turned to dad. "Yes. There will be traffic, eh." "All right. Be careful," On the way to school Aldrin and I were quiet in the car. Surprisingly he doesn't open up a topic to talk about. In recent weeks because we have been together, he does not let dead-air. We should always be chatting. It was as if I had no time to remember what Jared had done to me. Could it be because of my decision last night? Now that I think of it, we haven't talked about what happened last night. Does he feel awkward? Should I feel the same way too? For as long as it's not a big deal to me, e. I did choose him but it will take a long time. I haven't felt it yet. Or should I say, I don't like feelings? I was surprised when his car turned into a drive-thru. Before I could even ask why he had already spoken. "I'm sorry for hurrying you up a while ago, Thal. You're not eating well." Oh. I turned to him. "I-it's fine, Aldrin. I wasn't really hungry before." I lied. I feel a little small and my stomach is rumbling. I just don't want him to feel guilty. He muttered a curse. I was surprised there. "I'm really okay, Aldrin." He sighed and turned to me. "You have no idea how happy I am that you chose me last night. Even though I know I'm not what you want, Thalia. Even though Tita and Tito also voted more than Jared." She smiled sadly. My heart seems to be pounding. I don't know what to say. I may not be happy with my decision but Aldrin is probably underestimating himself because of me, I feel guilty. It's as hard as my heart. If it had been easy to dictate that I look back at Aldrin, I would have comforted him. Even I can't take care of myself now. "I'm sorry. I'm just pressured on how to make you happy with me. I want you to feel that I made the right choice. I've been wondering how," He partially laughed and averted his gaze on me. . I bit my lower lip. I grabbed his arm causing him to look at me again. "Don't think like that, Aldrin. You shouldn't be pressured. I chose you and it's my own decision. You don't have to do anything to please me. We should both work for our hapiness." He sighed again. When the car stopped because of the queue, he confronted me permanently. He held my chin and looked at me directly in the eye. "I know this arrangement caused you too much pain. I promise I'll turn all those pain into happiness. I promise I'll do everything to make your decision worth it. I promise you won't regret choosing me, Thalia." When I arrived in the classroom it was Brent's critical look that immediately greeted me. "Who's the lucky guy, mare?" He asked as I sat in my chair. "Tss." I took out my book to read but he immediately snatched it from me. He threw it somewhere. My lips parted. "What the-" He stood up and waved at me. "You're already being so secretive to me, Thalia Ysabel! I almost don't know the course of your life even though we're always together! I thought I'm your bestfriend ?!" I rolled my eyes. I released another book. I can't believe Brent is angry or upset with me. He is a scam. "What? You won't really tell me-" "Aldrin." I said lazily like it wasn't a big deal. "What Aldrin? Hey, who-wait, what? What did you say, mare?" "I chose Aldrin last night." I said, my eyes still on the book. Chapter 21 part 2 I'm sure it won't really tempt me until I tell him which of the two I chose. I better tell him now so I that I can have the kind of peace that I deserve. I also think there's no point of hiding it to anyone. This news will also spread days from now. I also think that our parents will throw an engagement party for us so … When a few seconds passed and he was still speechless I looked up at him. I wanna laugh at his reaction. Eyes widened and jaw dropped. His saliva almost dripped. "What?" I lazily drawled. "What the fuck, Thalia Villegas ?!" I close my eyes to the strength of his voice. Fortunately, there are only a few people in the room. "I-I-I thought you're already inlove with Jared? H-how come s-Aldrin is the one you chose-what the hell!" Before I could comment on her reaction, a classmate called me. I turned my back on the volcanic Brent to face him. "Why?" I will ask. "Someone's looking for you outside." My forehead creased. "Who?" She shrugged. "Beautiful woman. I feel like it's Mrs. Arevalo. It's embarrassing to go through the corridor, e. It's like there's a goddess lying down. It's intimidating!" My eyes widened. I looked outside. Aunt Jene! My heart pounded with excitement. "Uh-oh," I turned to Brent who I didn't know if the look was teasing or nervous for me. "Go to your ex-mother-in-law now and we have a lot of things to talk to later. Goodluck, mare." I stared at him. I was planning to ask for help from him a while ago but I just realized, he can't help. I might just get more nervous. I stood up and nervously went out of the room. What does Tita need from me? Aside from being powerful, the Arevalos were also very famous in Metro Manila. In fact, Tita Jene was repeatedly being featured on Magazines for being a veteran yet elegant businesswoman. Students, especially the business ad students, the girls like me, really look up to her. They want to be like her. But because he was carrying himself people would inevitably be intimidated. They were saying that she's really a nice person but sometimes, they can't help it but be afraid of her. But I met Tita Jene in a very different way. She is my mom's bestfriend so she really is nice to me from the very beginning. She is that cheerful, kind, and easy -to -deal with kind of person. Never did I get intimidated with her, more so, be afraid of her. Maybe because of these things, I didn't perceive her the way people see her. But now, I seem to think differently about him. It's like I'm one of those people who would say he's intimidating. And that's because of what happened last night. I will be intimidated because I am ashamed of him. When I came out, I immediately saw Tita Jene leaning against the railings of the building. There were two guards on either side of him. She is wearing a black hat, a black shades, a black long-sleeve dress, a black pair of stilletos and a dark red lipstick. People looked at him as if there was an actor on the first floor. Her outfit and aura today is very different from the Tita Jene that I usually see before. For the very first time, I got intimidated with her. My knees were shaking as I approached him. "Auntie? H-you're looking for me?" She removed her glasses and smiled sweetly at me. I kind of lost my nerve because of that. "Are you busy, hija?" Contrary to her look, her voice is so serene. "N-not really," He doesn't seem angry with me but I'm still scared of him! She nodded. "What time is your first class?" He asked lightly. "8:00 p.m.," Mali. 7:30 p.m. That was just ten minutes to go. I just feel like he will tell me something important and he will postpone it when he finds out that my class time is near. She looked at her watch. "Oh. You still have 40 minutes remaining time. Can I use that to talk to you for a while?" She smiled sweetly again. Shit. My instinct is right! I swallowed hard. "Sure, Tita." I just hope this isn't about what I'm thinking. Chapter 21 part 3 We decided to talk at the school canteen. Fortunately, there are no students there yet. Probably because it's just the first period. "Thank you," I said to the person who served our order after he landed them. "Thank you for sparing me some of your time, hija." Tita when the server left. I smiled though I don't know how it looked like. I'm still nervous! "No problem, Tita." She took a sip of her drink. So am I. I think I will need more glass of this juice. "I'm not going to mess around anymore, Thalia. I came here because of your decision last night." I could almost swallow the juice I was drinking. Shit. Why do my instincts come true today? She sighed. "I know I don't have the right to question it but I just can't stand seeing my son go miserable," I looked up at Tita. Miserable, Jared? Really, huh? She placed her hand on top of mine. I looked over there. "Hija, do you need more time to think? I can talk to Joseph and Daieanah to give you more time. Maybe you're still confused as to who the two of them really are, hija," She said, her voice sounds so persuasive. I bit my lower lip. "Aunt…" She looked at me through her soulful eyes just like his son. It feels like Jared is the one talking to me right now. "Please … please reconsider my son, Thalia. He loves you so much. I'm the one saying. You need to believe me because I know my son. I've never seen him this crazy over a girl." I feel a little bit and my lip is bleeding because I bit it. I have a big reason why I am not choosing Jared. It's just hard because I don't want to tell people that reason. In return, I am the one who looks bad. But whatever happens, I will stand by my decision, by my principles. Nothing can change my mind. I let out a deep sigh. "Tita, my decision is complete," I stopped speaking for a moment because of Tita's shaking. "Please …" I also laid my hand on his hand. "I have carefully considered my decision-" "No, Thalia! You didn't!" My lips protruded at her sudden sudden raising of voice. "Your decision is so unjust! Jared has put you together more!" "It's not about how long I've been with that person, Tita," I respect tita and her feelings but I just cannot help but to at least defend my decision. I feel like Tita is mad at me and it sucks that I can't feel any fear from me. It's like I want to defend myself but in a calm way. I just can't believe I'm at the point in my life that the person I love is already scolding me. "Then where is your decision based then? What's the reason and why not my daughter, Thalia ?!" I just closed my eyes tightly. The people in the canteen are already looking at us. Why don't they just accept my decision? Because I, I also try to accept! "Answer me, Thalia-" "I love Aldrin." I said while closing my eyes. I want this argument to be over now. The real reason is just so hard to say. Harder to explain. Saying that I love Aldrin is much easier to justify. Then there was silence. I opened my eyes and looked at her directly in the eye. "I like him ever since, Tita. That's the reason why I didn't choose Jared." Liar, Thalia. She was caught off-guard. She laughed sarcastically when she recovered. "Wow! Just … wow! I'm speechless, Thalia! My son did everything for you. Little did we know he had no fight. I hope you just told your mommy and daddy then not to have a modern arranged marriage. My son is at a disadvantage! My head heats up at what Tita said. It's like she's telling me that Jared only efforted because he wants me to choose him and not because he loves me! "He knows it, Tita. I already told him from the very beginning that I will choose Aldrin in the end-" My jaw extremely dropped when my face down to my chest is already wet. He threw the juice at me! We were surrounded by people. Fuck. I looked up at him. His chest was up and down. I don't know what to feel. Is it anger, or fear, or what. I closed my eyes tightly and then bowed. Just calm down, Thalia. He did that because of what you said as well. It's normal for him to treat you like this. Let her pour all her anger. So that he can forgive you right away. Besides, you deserve this. You liar. "How dare you treat my son like that." He commanded calmly but firmly. "You know? I came here not just because Jared loves you. I went here because I want you for him because I thought you're a nice and decent girl. But then you proved me wrong." Chapter 21 part 4 He stood up. "It's a good thing you didn't choose my son. I realized I should be thankful for your decision. I'll make sure I won't have a daughter-in-law like you. You don't deserve him. You don't deserve his surname. " She brought her wallet, threw a one thousand-peso bill on the table and walked out. I was left there stupid. Did I just got humiliated and insulted? Fuck. I heard people whispering about what had happened to Tita and me. I didn't care to look at those people. I can't believe it. Never had I been insulted in my entire eighteen years of existence. This is my first time and it even came from the mother of the one I loved the most. The one who wrecked my heart. I think they have a race that hurts feelings. It was a long time before I recovered. My uniform is wet and I don't have an extra shirt. I decided to go back to our classroom instead. Maybe I can borrow a shirt from my classmates. I shivered back into the classroom, suppressing a sigh. If I think of it, every rational being who would hear my reason a while ago will really get pissed. I don't have the right to question what she did to me because I triggered her. One more thing is that, she is a mother. If one belittles me, for sure my mother would do the same, too. I should understand her. She was able to do it because she loves her son. I was about to enter the classroom but Brent blocked the door. "Hey!" I looked at him tiredly. "Guess what, mare? Prof. Pascasio is out today! You don't really have a problem with me, girl. You will tell me everything-" Brent couldn't continue what he was going to say. I hugged him tightly and started to cry on his shoulder. I can not take it anymore. I've been holding back in the canteen before because I don't want them to see I'm too weak. Now that I got away from them, I can now be weak. I said that I understood Tita for what she did to me but I was also human, hurt. And I was hurt big time at her insults. Before I can fully understand her, I need to bring this all out. "Brent … s-she insulted me big time …" I said in between my sobs. "W-what the fuck happened ?! Why is your uniform wet ?!" I cried louder. "Do I really deserve it ?!" Is that really the kind of insult I should receive because of my decision? I wanna fight back but I know I also deserve those insults! I cried so loud and so long for the pain, humiliation, and frustration that I got since I got involved with Jared. I cried freely at my friend's shoulder like there was no tomorrow. I cried … and cried … and cried until I got satisfied. I cried until I felt tired. I cried until I understood and accepted what Tita did. I cried until I felt okay again.