บท 17: CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
"IT'S GOOD to have you back, Aqua." Ngiting sambit ni Victoria kay Aqua na bagong dating lang.
"It's nice to see you too, Miss Victoria. How are you and Sir Noah?" Aqua asked.
Victoria winced. "Everything became complicated."
"How so?" She asked.
Akmang sasagot si Victoria nang dumating si Noah sa living room mula sa kitchen. "Handa na ang breakfast. Aqua, kumain ka na rin."
Aqua nodded. Sabay-sabay na silang pumunta ng kusina para kumain. Simpleng scrambled egg and bacon lang ang ulam pero dahil allergic siya sa mumurahing pagkain, she ordered a one thousand dollar frittata made with six egg and lobster claw na galing pa talaga sa isang mamahaling restaurant sa New York.
Pero napalitan ng kunot ang mukha niya nang mapansing kumuha ng container si Noah at nilagay ang breakast sa container. "You're not going to eat?" Victoria asked.
Umiling si Noah. "I'm late. Tinatawag ako ng boss ko eh. Sa office na ako kakain."
Victoria just shrugged and continued eating, trying to hide her disappointment. "Okay." She simply answered. Akala niya makakasama niya kumain si Noah.
When Noah left, agad na kinuha ni Victoria ang atensyon ni Aqua. "Hey, I have a question."
"What is it, Miss Victoria?" Aqua asked.
"How do you know if you're in love?" She asked.
She knew Aqua was caught off guard by her sudden question.
She just need some answers. Hindi kasi siya mapakali. She's starting to feel uncomfortable around Noah but at the same time, she likes seeing his face and being with his presence.
"I have no experience in terms of being romantically in love, Miss Victoria."
She looked at Aqua flatly. "In other words, you've been single since birth?"
Tumango naman si Aqua. Kanino naman siya magtatanong? It'll be too uneasy if she asks her parents.
Maybe search the internet instead?
Right. Search the internet. Pero paano naman niya malalaman kung reliable nga ang internet?
Ugh. Bakit nga ba siya nagsasayang ng oras dito? She's nver been in love and she will never be.
Bakit kasi ginugulo ni Noah ang isip niya? Hindi tuloy siya makafocus.
Nang matapos ang breakfast, dumeretso siya sa kwarto niya at kinuha ang phone. She typed in, "How to know if you're in love."
She clicked the first website she saw. Number one, you keep staring at them.
Napaisip si Victoria. "I never stared at Noah longer than five seconds. He's too ugly to look at. So no." Kausap niya sa sarili.
Number two, you keep thinking about them.
"It is true. I keep thinking about him." She let out a sigh.
Number three, you get jealous
Natigilan si Victoria. When she sees Noah with Vivienne, she suddenly become irritated. Does this mean she's jealous? "Probably a yes." Ani Victoria.
Number four, you keep complimenting the person you love.
Victoria stilled. Just the other day, they kept complimenting each other. Does this mean something? For Victoria, it's a yes. But for Noah?
Number five, you picture your future with that person.
Kumunot ang noo ni Victoria. "Future? I never thought of that." Aniya pero biglang may sumagi sa isip niya.
A picture of Victoria and Noah on the aisle experiencing a real wedding. What the hell is this imagination? Bakit ngayon lang niya ito naiisip? And since when did she become so ambitious when it comes to her future?
She then pictured another scenario on her mind. Where Noah was happily taking care of a baby habang siya ay masayang kumukuha ng mga litrato.
What the hell?! Ano ba itong ginagawa niya? She's 24 for christ's sake! Ilang taon nalang 30 na siya at nagffeeling bata pa siya.
Inis na sinara niya ang phone at tinakpan ang mukha gamit ang blanket. Naiinis siya and at the same time, she can't get Noah off from her mind.
I need to see him, she thought.
~
DRESSED in her simple jeans with a gucci crop top shirt while holding a coffee on her hand, komportableng pumasok ng opisina si Victoria. She looks calm but on the inside, she's very nervous. Bakit nga ba siya pumunta dito? She unconsciously want to see her husband.
"Miss Victoria?"
Lumingon si Victoria at nakitang nasa front desk si Aeign. "Where's Noah?" She asked.
Aeign gestured at Noah's office. "He's inside. But he's currently in meeting with a client and our boss."
Victoria flipped her hair. "I'll just wait."
Seriously, nasa meeting na nga, hihintayin ko pa?, she thought.
She should be at home, getting her beauty rest. Pero sa halip ay pinupuntahan pa ang asawa.
Akmang aalis nalang siya nang may marinig siyang tawanan sa loob ng office ni Noah. Hindi naman malayo ang office ng asawa sa front desk. And that laugh came from a woman's voice.
Naningkit ang mata ni Victoria habang lumalapit sa office ng asawa.
Dahan-dahan niya iyon binuksan. She then saw two women in her thirties and Noah's boss, Atty. Sanchez.
The three were laughing habang si Noah ay nakayuko at tahimik lang. What are these three doing to her husband?
"I wonder why you even took up law? Hindi ka naman magaling." Saad ng matandang puno ng makeup ang mukha.
Tumawa naman ang isa pang matanda. "Pera lang siguro ang habol mo sa law. Tignan mo ngayon, wala ka namang kliyente. Mag-asawa ka nalang ng mayamang foreigner." Tawa nito.
What the hell is happening? Why are they insulting Noah while her husband is just there sitting quietly?
Inawat ng boss ni Noah ang dalawang babae. "Ladies, huwag niyong ganiyanin si Noah. Tignan niyo tahimik lang siya. Apparently, he can't understand what we're saying. He's too dumb. Tignan niyo nga, abogado nga, wala namang kliyente."
The three laugh and Victoria just stood there, frustrated. Even Noah's boss is insulting him. Ganito ba ang nararanasan ng asawa araw-araw?
Akmang papasok siya ng biglang may tumulak sa kaniya at pumasok ang isang matandang babae na siguro ay nasa mid 40s at galit na dinuro si Noah.
"You! Sabi mo ikaw ang bahala sa kaso ko. I lost fifty million because of your carelessnes as an attorney. Dapat makukuha ko na ang pera ng asawa ko pero napunta lahat sa kabit niya. Binayaran kita ng malaki pero eto isuskli mo sa akin? Dapat sayo kinukulong!"
That's it. Vctoria lost her patience. Galit na binuksan niya ang pinto at pumasok. Everyone in the room fell silent. Sino ba naman ang hindi tatahimik kung makikita mo ang isanv Victoria Salvador.
"Sino ka naman? Isa ka rin bang kliyente ni Noah na magrereklamo?" Tanong ng isang babae.
Victoria crossed her arms. "Hindi niyo ako kilala?" She asked. These women are thirty years old and above. Lagpas na sa kalendaryo ang mga edad nito at ang mga hilig nito ay ang mga matatandang artista din kaya hindi na nakapagtataka na hindi siya kilala ng mga matatandang 'to.
"Sino ka ba? Kung magrereklamo ka, magreklamo ka na." Mataray na sambit ng isang matanda.
Really? Si Victoria pa talaga ang tinatarayan nito? Mali ata siya ng kinakalaban.
"My name is Victoria Salvador. Remember that name. Dahil ang
pangalang iyan ang sisira sa buhay mo." She fought back.
The old woman scoffed. "Sino ka ba? Di ka naman maganda. Nadadala lang sa makeup iyang mukha mo."
Victoria snorted. "Oh my, I'm sorry I wasn't informed but, since when did you had the authority to judge someone? Sino ka ba? Si God ka ba? Ha?" Inis na sambit niya.
These small minded people really need to shut their mouth. Wala namang magandang lumalabas sa mga bibig nito.
Umiling-iling ang boss ni Noah. Ang isa pang salot sa buhay niya. "Miss Victoria, I believe you don't have any rights to be here, unless you are here to meet with an attorney."
Hindi pinansin ni Victoria ang boss ni Noah sa halip ay tinuunan ng pansin ang tatlong babaeng iniinsulto ang asawa. "One fact, for you to insult my husband like that, I would first have to value your opinions." Aniya at hinawakan sa kamay ang asawa at gimiya palabas.
Pero bago pa makalabas, nilingon niya ang mga salot, "yes, Atty. Noah Alegre is my husband. So back off." Giit niya at umalis habang hawak ang kamay ng asawa.
She's really pissed off. Hindi lang sa mga taong iniinsulto ang asawa kung hindi pati kay Noah. She hates that he's so weak when it comes to situations like these.
"Narealize mo bang sinabi mo sa kanila na asawa mo ako? Akala ko ba ayaw mong nalalaman ng tao na mag-asawa tayo?" Panimula ni Noah nang nasa loob sila ng kotse niya.
"That situation was different. Bakit ba nagpapa-api ka sa mga hampaslupang iyon?" Tanong niya.
She gained empathy for Noah. In that short moment, she felt what Noah must've felt in that situation.
"Wala namang mangyayari kung lalaban ako diba?"
Victoria snorted. "Kaya ka inaapi eh. Kasi iniisip nila, mahina ka." She tsked.
Noah laughed softly. "I'm fine. This will pass."
She knew that Noah is lying. His faces tells her that he's okay but the eyes never lie. His eyes holds sadness and fear. And she can clearly see that.
So she did what she never did in her whole life—A simple but tight hug. Enough to show her support for her husband. "I don't know how to comfort sad people, but I'm always here. Sabihin mo lang sa akin kapag may nang-aaway sayo. I will end their life."
But much to her surprise, Noah hugged her back. "I really needed a hug. I'm getting tired." He simply said.
And then Victoria just stayed silent...hugging her husband tightly.
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