NOT AGAIN (Cruel Reality Series 4) [COMPLETED]

Chapter 12

"MS. HARAKE!" Natigil ang pagbabalik tanaw niya nang marinig ang boses ng kanyang boss sa intercom na naka-connect sa loob ng office nito. She rolled her eyes in annoyance. Nagsisimula na namang magpasakit ng ulo ang boss niya. Mas lalo siyang nainis nang makitang 8:45 pa lamang ng umaga. 45 minutes pa lamang at pakiramdam niya ay mauubusan siya ng dugo sa inis.

Gago talaga she cursed him at the back of her mind.

"Yes, Sir?" she answered him in a scoffed way.

"Come here," he authoritatively said. Hindi na niya sinagot ang kanyang boss at tumayo nang padabog. Inayos pa niya ang kanyang pencil cut skirt at ang kanyang pag-itaas na damit. She made sure that everyday, she looked like a fucking goddess. She was not dressing for anyone, she was dressing for herself.

Self love is the best.  That was her motto at the moment.

It had been four months since she started her work here at Sim's company. And everyday, her boss never failed making her blood boil. Gaya na lamang ngayon, gusto raw nito ng softcopy ng mga papeles na binigay niya. Pinag-e-encode siya nito ng halos anim na folder ng mga papeles. When she asked where was the soft copy of that fucking papers he just scowled at her.

She took a deep breath to calm her nerves and entered his office.

The moment that she entered his office, his manly intoxicating scent welcomed her. It was familiar, he smell like home. But she knew better, he was not her home, she wass her own home. Walang iba, kundi ang sarili niya, hindi si Sim, hindi ang kanyang ama, sarili lang niya.

"What took you so long, Maria?" The man who looked dashing while sitting on his swivel chair asked her. He was biting the end of his parker pen. She just mentally shook her head. He really looked like a hot bad boy character in k-drama.

"Sir, I told you, don't call me Maria," paalala niya sa binata.  She hated it. Isa pa, hindi na siya sanay.

"Why did you call me, Sir? Do you need anything?" She asked right away when she saw him stunned because of what she said.

"My apologies——"

"That's perfectly fine, Sir. I'm just not used to it," she tried to stop herself from rolling her eyes. "What can I help you?" She asked the man for the second time around. She couldn't stand being with him for a long time, naiinis lang siya. Siya lang yata ang secretary na banas sa kanyang gwapong boss.

"You forgot my coffee, Ms. Harake," he stated. She nodded her head and went to his office pantry to make him coffee.

Habang nagtitimpla ng kape ng binata ay hindi niya maiwasan na alalahanin ang mga nangyari sa kanya noong nakaraang taon. Noong mga panahon na magkausap pa sila ni Sim. The time when he told her that she have him. . .  forever.

Forever my ass, she rolled her eyes when she remembered that line. That was his last words to her before he ghosted her. He left her hanging like an idiot. Ilang gabi rin niyang tinatanong ang sarili niya kung anong mali at kulang sa kanya for him to abandon her easily.

Ang bilis niya lang akong iwanan. Ganoon na ba ako kawalang kwenta? She kept on asking that thing over and over again back then.

Dati kapag may naaalala siya tungkol sa binata, iiyak nalang siya at magmumukmok. Matutulog siyang malungkot at gigising siyang malungkot. Halos magmakaawa siya sa itaas noon na sana wala nalang siyang maramdaman, na sana kunin na ang sakit sa dibdib niya dahil masyadong masakit iyon.

Then, one day... nagising nalang siyang wala na siyang nararamdaman, seeing or hearing his name or anything that reminded him couldn't make her smile or cry. That was the time, she knew, she moved on.