Hindi ko alam kung saan ako kumuha ng lakas at tapang para matawa sa sinabi niya.

"Tama ka naman, this marriage is a prison," Nilapag niya ang pagkain sa harapan oo ngunit nagawa ko lamang 'yong titigan.

"Kumain ka na," mukha namang masarap ang niluto niya pero wala akong gana. Sayang lang at ito ang unang beses na nagluto siya para sa akin.

"Join me..." damn bitch! Where did you get the nerve, huh? Fuck! Mukhang mali ako no'ng inisip kong nahingawan na ako. Nang magangat ako ng tingin kay Hunter ay seryoso lamang itong nakatingin sa akin.

"Who says I'm not going to eat with you?" Bahagya akong natulala sa sinabi niya at halos habulin ko ang hininga ng pisilin niya ang tungki ng ilong ko, bago naupo sa upuan na malapit sa akin.

Wake up Dimaria, he's just playing tricks with you. He's acting so strange. O baka naman nagsawa na siya sa iba niyang babae? Now he's into a model type na at hindi na sa mga mukhang pugita?

Napabalik ako sa sarili ng maramdaman ang pagpitik niya sa noo ko.

"What was that for?"

"Kumain ka na, huwag kang matulala matagal ko ng alam na gwapo ako," My jaw literally dropped. Ang kapal din pala ng mukha niya, akala ko ako lang.

"Am I just drunk or are you really talking to me now like you didn't abduct me and threaten me 3 years ago?" I chuckled, but he refused to join me in my small laughs, so it immediately faded away and our atmosphere became awkward. He sighed. Binaba niya ang hawak niyang kutsara at halos manigas ako ng hawakan at haplusin niya ang mukha ko na tila isa 'yong napakamahalagang bagay. Babasagin na kailangan ingatan upang hindi magasgasan o madurog.

Pakiramdam ko pansamantalang tumigil ang paghinga ko, nang sandaling ginawa niya 'yon. Kabaliktaran naman iyon ng mabilis at malakas na tibok ng puso ko ngayon.

"I'm sorry..." mas lalong lumakas ang kalabog ng dibdib ko. My body shivered as my eyes got bigger. Maging ang mga labi ko ay napaawang sa sinabi niya. Did he just say sorry? To me? Tinitigan ko ang mga mata niya at mas lalo lamang akonh nawindang when I found no trace of lying in his eyes. He's sincere. Damn.

"W-Why are you apologizing to me?" damn bitch! Of course! Kasasabi mo lang ng atraso niya sa 'yo hindi ba?

"Silly, because I put you in this situation. Kinulong kita sa puder ko. I took away your freedom to decide, to do what you want, and to love the man you're in love with." He smiled apologetically.

"It's been three years, and in those years, there's been no night that I stopped thinking about this. About us. About the past. About my mistakes. I went too far when I dragged you into this marriage and threatened you. I shouldn't have dragged you into this mess; you're not part of it. It was just a war between me and your brother. You're not part of that war, and I really want to apologize for that." My mouth literally hung open. I was buying time to process that in my mind. What the fuck is he talking about?!

"I know this is too urgent and surprising. I just... well, I admit... nakonsensya ako kanina no'ng marinig kitang umiiyak sa restroom. I must have been really a jerk to you."

"Why are you telling me all of these? No matter how you try to apologize for it, "sorry" won't mean a thing now. I've been here for three years. I've been Mrs. Martinez for three years. The guy I like has already gotten a girlfriend. I already made my brother worried."

"I just apologized and admitted my mistake, but that doesn't necessarily mean I am going to give you back to Damon. You're my wife. I want you to stay with me. Seven years, Dimaria. We wasted three years, so now I will give you four years to love me. To fall for me."

"W-What? And then, w-what?" Gosh! Pakiramdam ko lalabas na ang puso ko. He smirked at me.

"And then you'll be mine forever. No one can bail you out, because I won't allow it. I have no plan to free you from this marriage. I'm giving you four years, and after that, we'll marry each other again. The reason why? Why can't I just let you go even if I can easily file a divorce?" He leaned closer... closer than our lips are now almost touching. I can feel his warm breath against my face, and it's intoxicating.

"I want this marriage to work out. I want us to work this out... so please cooperate and help me fulfil this fantasy, wife." nanlaki ang mata ko ng sa isang iglap ay tinawid niya ang natitirang distansya naming dalawa.

Mariin niyang inilapat ang mga labi niya sa mga labi ko. Leaving me completely astonished. Hindi ko man lang nagawang labanan ang mainit niyang halik sa gulat ko. I wasn't mentally and emotionally prepared. He was just talking puzzled words I couldn't understand a while ago and the next he's now attacking my lips like it would make him feel full. He devoured my lower lips as he pushed his tongue inside my mouth, exploring, teasing, and tasting me.

A soft moan escapes my lips, and I hold onto his shoulder. I dug my nails on his flesh against his shirt and grip on his shirt, dahilan para magusot ang bandang iyon. Pakiramdam ko nawala ang tama ng alak sa akin at napalitan iyon ng nakakalasing na pakiramdam dulot ng paghalik niya.

This breaks the record of our first kiss. It actually surpasses my first kiss when I was eighteen. Since I lived in a western country and adapted to their culture, I was a bit liberated before I reached the age of eighteen, when I reached legality. I dated men, kissed them a lot, and no one cared. No strings attached, just flings and flirting.

Nang matauhan ako ay marahan ko siyang itinulak. Mariin akong pumikit habang hinahabol ang paghinga at nang magangat ako ng tingin sa kaniya, I found him licking his lips in a sensual way before he smirked at me.

"I should have known that you could be this delicious. I might have really devoured you the first time we kissed," pakiramdam ko'y uminit ang mukha ko dahil sa sinabi niya, ngunit kaagad ko 'yong inalis sa isip at walang imik na nagsimula na lang kumain.

"Why are you ignoring me? Did I kiss badly? Mukha namang Hindi, ah? Did I taste bad?" muntik na akong masamid sa sinabi niya at kaagad na nilunok ang hindi ko pa masyadong nangunguyang pagkain. I took the glass of water and drank it.

"What do you want me to do then? Talk about it? Isn't it a little bit awkward? When I kissed guys before, we ended up not talking afterward, like nothing happened. We'll just drop each other," I saw how his face darkened. His jaw hardened as he glared at me.

Mas lalo akong natigil dahil doon.

"Never kiss guys again like what you did before. If you don't want me to kill that guy who'll taste your lips," and now he's being possessive? Mukhang lumalayo na kami sa topic.

"I am a married woman. Real or not. Contracted or not, I will stay to be a loyal wife, as I was and I am." though I admitted that I still like Meast. I won't cheat on him the way that I'll hook up with some random guy. That's not me.

Mukhang natigilan siya sa sinabi ko kaya bahagya siyang tumikhim.

"Play fair, Hunter." He looked at me. Nawala na ang dilim sa mukha niya.

"I will accept your 'four years' for me to fall for you..."

"In exchange?" he asked curiously.

"You'll stop hooking up with random women. If you want us and this marriage to work out. Iwan mo ang pambababae mo and just focus on me. Make me, Hunter. Make me fall for you."

Even if I know, deep inside me, I am already falling. At hindi ko alam kung bakit.

"Aren't you going to sleep?" nagulat ako nang marinig siyang magsalita sa gilid ko. It was too swift. I didn't know how the table turned too fast? Or maybe three years was enough for him to heal and get over whatever his reason was for doing those terrible things before.

"I miss my brother. I'd been missing him before we reunited, and three years ago, I just left him... again." I was just a kid when I was sent to the US without him. He suffered without me. It rekindles the guilt I've always had inside me.

Na habang nahihirapan at nagdurusa siya, I was living freely in the US. Doing well studying, though, has been a nightmare. What happened when I was just eight.

Hindi ko man lang siya nasamahan noong mga panahong pinipilit niyang makaahon. I wasn't there when he was trying to heal. I wasn't there when he was undergoing treatments.

I am a useless sister.

"My fault. Do you want to visit him? We'll go back." natigilan ako sa sinabi niya.

"W-What?"

"I am not joking wife," niyakap niya ako mula sa likod, hindi noon napigilan ang pagkagulo ng isip ko.

That fast? Uuwi na kami?

But I was still studying.

"But I was just in my third year here."

"You can pursue your degree there, habang nag t-trabaho ka sa company ko."

"Huh? You mean, kahit hindi pa ako tapos, kukunin mo na agad ako to work for you?"

"Yes, alam ko naman na magaling ka," hindi ako makapaniwala sa mga sinasabi niya.

C'mon Dimaria. Huwag ka munang masyadong mahulog. Masyado pang maaga para roon. You still have to know more about him. You still have to dig more. To discover more.

Noong gabing 'yon, inisip ko lang talaga na baka panaginip lang 'yon o hindi ako nahingawan kaya kung ano-anong ilusyon ang naisip ko epekto ng alak.

The next morning, I woke up to find Hunter nowhere to be found. Pumasok pa rin ako sa school with Robert, who drives for me. After class ay saka ako nakipagkita kay Kimmy, dahil sa naudlot naming coffee date kahapon. Alam kong magmamaktol siya kapag hindi ko pa siya pinagbigyan ngayon.

"Oh, buti naman sinipot mo ako? Napaka busy mo naman kasi," she flipped her hair before taking her iPad.

"Sorry na, kaya nga pumunta na ako ngayon eh 'di ba? Papasuyo ka pa ba?"

"Oh no thanks dear! I have my boyfriend to do that," I chuckled.

"Hmm! Speaking of! Kilala mo naman siguro si Hunter Martinez 'no?" muntik na ako masamid sa sinabi niya.

"Y-Yeah? Mukhang lahat naman k-kilala siya...why?"

"Girl! He selected you to be their new ambassador for their new release of products. As in! Ang dami ng gustong makakuha ng opportunity pero ikaw pa! Take note that he really personally selected you. Magpapasa pa nga lang ako ng form mo when I received an email from his assistant."

What the hell, Hunter.

"Can you imagine that? The known top-richest, hottie, and handsome bachelor, Hunter Martinez just personally selected you. For all we know, he's not really into models." kumunot ang noo ko. Alam kong hindi siya mahilig sa mga modelo. Hindi niya tipo 'yon. Mas gusto niya 'yong mga babaeng hindi exposed sa spotlights at hindi nakikita ang mukha kung saan-saan.

"Hmm? Hindi mo alam? Everyone knew that, kasi madalas naka state 'yon sa mga magazines from his previous interviews."

"I don't know, bihira naman akong magbasa ng magazines."

But I'm curious and nervous at the same time.

"Usually, hindi talaga siya ang pumipili ng model ng products nila o ang kausapin man lang sila for interviews." she leaned closer after taking a sip of her coffee frapped.

"Kasi ang sabi...may kinalaman daw iyon sa dati niyang fiancé. Dati rin daw kasing modelo ang ex-fiancé niya."

My heart dropped. Para iyong babasaging bagay na nahulog at nagkapirapiraso. Hindi ko alam but fear rushed through my veins and up into my head.

He had a fiancée? A model. Sino siya? At nasaan na siya ngayon?