One-night Stand with the Billionaire

Chapter 2 - Inah

Chapter 2- Inah

Lazily, I sighed. I am trying to comb my hair but why does it seems like the hair brush is too heavy for me to hold in place? I am wearing a nice off-shoulder black dress. My mother told me that I should wear red, to show the Araneta's that I am happy and rejoicing.

Shit!

I am not rejoicing and I don’t feel glad about it. I feel like mourning anyway. Nabubwisit ako sa totoo lang, at nagdarasal akong makahanap ako ng katiting na tapang para tumanggi.

My dog, Fiya was sold because they said, Nico is allergic to furs. Stupid idiot! He looks like a mite which lives in a fur! Iyon ay isang garapata para sa akin.

My eyes went to my phone when it lit up on the vanity mirror. My sister is calling me and I felt so sad when I saw Margaret's face on my phone’s screen. Parang gusto kong maiyak na ewan. I remembered childhood. We never fought. We always love each other and Margaret was the best elder sister to me. We shared the same car, toys and everything. Everything just changed when Margaret was kicked out from the house. Nawalan ako ng kaisa-isang kapatid dahil parang kahit na sa akin ay lumago ang loob niya, o baka ako ang lumayo dahil nagagalit si Daddy kapag nakikipag-usap ako roon.

Margaret was disowned by our Daddy. Para sa ama namin, ako na lang ang nag-iisang anak, tagapagmana ng lahat, lalo na ng sama ng loob.

I remembered when Daddy was talking to Margaret. I was standing behind the jamb, watching my sister cry yet had the full courage to defy our parents for the sake of love and true happiness. Margaret was courageous while I am a coward. I only take courage when standing behind my father but when I tend to face him, I am so damn weak and so afraid to lose everything. I have plenty of reasons.

I picked up the phone after putting down my brush.

“Ate,” I said.

I used to call Margaret Ate and Margaret calls me, Bibi.

“Bibi,” Margaret said, not sounding so happy, “how are you?”

Namiss ko ito bigla, sobra. Naaalala ko madalas ang mga pagsasama namin sa kotse noong high shool siya at elementary naman akom

“Not good. Do you know? Today’s the prenup and the traditional ‘pamanhikan', whatsoever.”

“I know. Your Kuya Vito just overheard the news about the famous Nico Araneta getting married to a Lagdameo. You never told me anything about it, Bibi,” she sounded so sad for me.

I just bowed down my head and shook it lifelessly, “Telling you will never help. You’ll just be sad and stressed about my situation. I am not like you, Ate. I’m afraid. I can’t stand on my own feet and how will I if Daddy has all the guts in the world to manipulate everything? I wish I was never born as Georgina Lagdameo,” a single tear escaped my eye but I wiped it immediately.

“At least just to…lessen the pain you feel. You know I will stand by your side though I am not as rich as you are right now.”

“Ate,” I almost exclaimed, “Don’t say that.”

That’s another reason why I agreed to marry the guy I loathe to the moon and back. I want to get my inheritance and share it with my sister. That’s my deal with my father. I’ll have it after a year of being tied to Nico, and Dad agreed. He had a purpose of attaching the name Araneta to our family name. The Araneta’s are the richest people in the Philippines right now and they will make a great impact on my father’s candidacy, as the President of the republic.

I don’t want to say it but seems like Hector and my Dad are using each other. And who will not even turn down marrying a Vice President’s daughter? Nico is such a crap. He has a dream of becoming a politician as well. That man always changes his mind every minute. I never wondered why Nico never finished any course. Up until now, he’s still studying. He already took five courses and yet spent a year or only one semester for each course. The latest one is Bachelor of Science in Economics.

Dugh!

I bets he’ll drop it soon. Wala naman permanenteng utak si Nico sa isang bagay kung meron man, iyon ay ang kayabangan lang nun.

“Georgina, what’s taking you so long?” my mother asked at the door.

I never noticed the old woman coming. I paid too much attention on my thoughts.

“I’m with ate,” I answered coldly.

“Drop it now before your Dad gets mad,” mommy commanded me.

I sighed and stood up, lips are tight and so as my chest.

Aracelli Lagdameo is an aristocrat, professor in a famous private university, yet she acts like she has not been teaching for so long because she couldn’t teach my father how to be good to his children.

I think that my mother even tolerates my Dad, Daniel. Instead of making him understand that as a daughter, he couldn’t use her for the sake of his own good and personal interests. Children’s lives must be prioritized first once a woman and a man decided to become parents.

In my case, I am making all the sacrifices.

“Aren’t you even going to say hi to Ate Margaret, Mommy?” I asked my mother sarcastically.

Alam ko naman na dakila siyang alagad ni Daddy, kaya natitiis din niya kahit sarili niyang anak. She worships my Dad.

She didn’t pay attention to me and turned her back. If I am a coward, what more my mother?

“Faster. We’ll be waiting for you at the lawn.”

I placed my phone back on my ear and sighed.

“I heard Mommy,” sabi ni ate sa akin, para siyang malungkot, “Go now before Dad come upstairs and scold you. Call me, Bibi,” my sister added.

I didn’t answer to what Margaret said and just sighed heavily, “Bye Ate.”

I ended the call and stared at it for a while.

I turned around and walked towards the door. The burial is near and I am coming really close to it. The prenup isn’t a prenup for me at that time, it’s a death certificate, for heaven's sake.

Pakiramdam ko ay itutulos ako sa lupa dahil doon.

I lamely walked outside going to the staircase. I can’t back out anymore. I am still torn between standing for my sake and being anxious to what might life bring in the future when I defy my father. I tried so many times. I told him I never wanted to marry Nico. I wanted a life of my own. I wanted to love yet he just said that I am crazy like my sister. Love doesn’t come unexpectedly, it’s being learned, that’s what my Dad said. My mother and father were also settled. I even wonder how did the two end up loving each other? Well, they must did but they never loved their daughters. My mother perhaps developed so much love for my Dad, that it even came to the point wherein she could no longer choose her own children to be happy. Mommy only wants Daddy to be happy. That’s too much respect if my mother would say it’s just respect for the head of the family. I also need respect though I am just a child. I need respect as a human but seems like my parents never have any respect for me or even for my sister.

Sadly, I walked going to the lawn but I heard a person talking. The voice belongs to the scumbag, Nico.

Nakakairita kahit na boses niya. Kahit kailan hindi na ako magkakagusto sa ulupong na ito.

“I miss you. Just wait patiently until this settlement is done. I can’t defy my father. You know all my bank accounts would be gone once I disobeyed him and besides, I could use Daniel Lagdameo for my own good. I can replace his throne one day as the President of this country. That’s why I chose to study Economics now.”

I dilated my eyes and crossed my arms over my chest, stepping out from where I unintentionally hid.

I smiled sarcastically to Nico when the guy saw me and his face was a bit horror. Mukha na ba akong aswang para katakutan niya?

“Bravo!” I raised my brows haughtily, “You should’ve taken another course instead of Economics, Plasticology suits you, fake!” her lips twitched.

Gusto kong matawa sa plasticology. Hindi nga dapat ito isang estudyante sa kurso na yun, kung hindi ay propesor. Master na ng mag-ama ang bagay na yun.

Nico’s face turns so confident and arrogant, “Your stupid father believes that I like you. Good thing you’re not as stupid as him.”

My blood coils because of what he said. No matter how much I hates my father right now, I still couldn’t bear to hear such name being called to my Dad. My Dad isn’t stupid.

“You’re stupid,” I faked my emotion, looking so ironic.

I wanted this man to feel that he’s the dumbest person on Earth.

“Dad never took five courses and just spent half of the semester for one of the courses, unlike you. You are not able to finish your career because your foolish. Oops… masaket ba?” I scornfully scanned Nico, head to toe, “You don’t even have a career. All that you know is to hold a grip on a person’s weakness and use it as your strength to take a step higher. In other words, user ka.”

I saw how his jaws clenched. I won over him. Akala yata nito hindi ko siya lalabanan.

“And you think I’ll give you satisfaction once we’re married, walking HIV? No way. I was late today because I just slept with a man. Bye, virgin girl,” I rolled my eyes and walked past him.

Nico is short-tempered and by the look on his face, he’s lost. He could never force her to have s*x with me. I’ll file a case against him if that thing happens without my consent. It is so wrong that he said yes to the settlement. I am only going to ruin his life gradually until he’s lost his overbearingness and ego. I’ll never ever feed the ego of this man. He will never deserve any kindness from me because he never showed me any.

I am prepared enough for an everyday battle with him.

“You only say that because you’re still so in love with me. Who knows, I might fall for you this time,” he still managed to say despite my words.

I looked back a bit and smiled ironically, “In your ass!”

He couldn’t hurt me again, not this time that I already knew how to act stubbornly. I could say that my father is such a dictator but no question that I’m also a spoiled brat especially to material things in life. I carry expensive bags and wear expensive clothes and shoes. I could be mean when I want to not just to be mean to my father because I’ll get a slap in return. And Nico, I could fight this man all day and all night. Kahit na suntukan ay lalabanan ko ang lalaking iyo.

I stopped at the door when I saw numbers of people outside, preparing a table. There were so many dishes on it. It’s a feast…for my parents but not for me. Whenever I see foods like what I see right now, I remember my sister. Is she eating the same kinds of foods? Does my nephew eat the same, too? I am wondering how could my parents let their own child suffer and their own grandson? I’m expecting a little pity from my mom because somehow, Aracelli is a mother, and a mom has a soft heart for her children, but again, my mom is different. She was infected by my Dad’s rock-hard heart. The two were united as one in all terms.

I’m counting Nico's family members in my mind, pointing at each person. Mrs. Ariela Araneta is present, the fifty-two-year old mother of Nico. Nico's elder brothers are also present. I could see another old man and an old woman, and then a man facing the pool, hands in his pockets.

My brows knitted. That man seem to be younger than Hector and the other man. I sighed seeing my parents, too. The two looked so happy, happy for themselves.

I saw balloons and flowers being put in place. Why need flowers and balloons while the heart of the future bride isn’t happy after all? Everything’s just for a show. A bit later, flashes of cameras will definitely flicker and tomorrow, I’ll see my face on different newspapers and magazines.

I inhaled deeply, locking my mouth tightly. God, I can't promise not to show disappointment and dissatisfaction.

Gusto kong magwala at tumakbo papaalis.

Cold, I pushed the glass door and took a step. I could feel that Nico was behind me, walking towards the gazebo, too. I never looked back for I don’t want to see a face of the dumbest person I had ever met. If only I could spit on his face, I already did.

“Oh, here they are!” my mother exclaimed and seems so very happy.

I felt so much remorse upon hearing it and by looking at my mom's face. How could my mom show happiness while she knows that her daughter isn’t happy?

Ariela also smiled broadly, “They will make a beautiful couple, right Ara?”

My mom nodded abruptly and so I just hid my face so that they would not see me making an eye roll. I couldn’t help myself. I want to p**e with these people’s fake attitudes.

Bakit sa halip na matuwa ako na anak ako ng mga magulang ko ay hindi ko magawa?

“We can start now and we’ll start with the prenup,” Hector said.

I wanted to tell this man that he has nothing to worry about their money and assets. I’m not interested and will never get anything from them, so instead of imposing that s**t prenup that’s been an insult to me ever since, why not just withdraw the settlement? I could be happier.

“Brando, come here. We’ll start,” said Hector with full of authority.

my eyes moved to the man standing by the pool. He turned around and my face turned white in horror.

Anak ng limang pusang gala!

I wanted to screech. This man is the man I had slept with. No! I am only dreaming! This isn’t real!

I wanted to run away and because of anxiety, I never found the courage to turn around and hide.

The man’s face is so serious, hard and blank. He looked at me and he paused for a while. He has the darkest stare and his eyes are more beautiful when he’s awake. He has thick dark brown eyes, pairing his eyebrows and natural hair color. He pressed his lips together so his dimples took a show. He scanned me for a while.

No, no. This man was drunk last night. For sure he doesn’t know me. I have to worry about. Para akong matatae na ewan. Parang hindi ako makahinga at parang gusto ko na rin himatayin sa mga sandaling ito.

I don’t know if my cheeks are red or pale in color. All that I know is my breathing hitched and my hands were cold as ice, but the man moved his eyes away from me and looked at the table, pursing his thin pink lips.

Hindi niya ako naaalala. Salamat sa Diyos!