"It was such a pleasure meeting you, dear." Niyakap ako ni Ma'am Natasha at mahinang tinapik ang aking likod. She feels like a mother I never had. It's just sad that this is all fake.
Ang swerte naman ni Ivan dahil may ina siyang kay ganda at kay bait.
"Please take care of Ivan. Alam kong baliktad pero sa tingin ko ikaw pa lang ang nakakatagal sa ugali niya." She smiles while shaking her head.
Tumingin ako kay Ivan kung saan nag-uusap sila ngayon ng tatay niya. They both look serious. Now that they're standing together, 'di maipagkakailang mag ama nga sila. They're both gorgeous.
Ibinalik ko ang tingin ko kay Ma'am Natasha at nginitian siya. "So far, kaya ko pa naman po tiisin ang ugali niya."
Pareho kaming tumawa.
Naalala ko na naman 'yong sinabi ni Ivan tungkol sa nakaraan ng mama niya at kung bakit niya ako piniling tulungan. I'm curious lalo na kung ganito kaganda ang nanay niya. Kung sino man ang ex ni Ma'am Natasha, it's his loss. Pero buti na lang nandiyan si Sir Ivo. I can see that they love each other deeply.
"Alam mo ba? Ngayon ko lang nakita ang anak ko na nakangiti ng ganyan."
That's fake. He's pretending.
"Really? Hindi po ba siya palangiti na tao?"
"He rarely smiles. He also doesn't show many emotions except when he's acting." She pauses and narrowed her eyes on me. "Sa totoo lang, I'm doubting if you two are really in love with each other."
Nanlaki 'yong mga mata ko. How did she . . . ? No, she's only doubting. Hindi niya dapat malaman na nagpapanggap lang kami. I tried to deny ngunit nagsalita na naman siya.
"Nagpapanggap ba kayo?"
Naiisip niya ba kung anong nasa isip ko?!
"It's written all over your face, dear."
"N-No! That's not true! Hindi po kami nagpapanggap!" pagdidipensa ko.
She gave me a look as if she already knows I'm lying. Like how?!
"Ivo and I also went through this and it's all familiar, siguro medyo mas magaling lang ako magpanggap kaysa sa'yo." She taps my back. "Maybe try a little harder."
Nakaramdam tuloy ako ng kahihiyan dahil sa panlilinlang namin sa kanila kanina.
"But I'm still surprised at how you manage to make Ivan agree," she said while looking at her son.
"Sorr―"
"No. Don't be. I've been in your position before. I have to marry someone because of my personal reason."
Napalunok ako. I don't know her past but I guess she was also desperate at that time to seek for help.
Ibinalik niya 'yong tingin niya kay Ivan.
"Do you know why Ivan chose to become an actor?" tanong niya bigla.
Umiling ako. Hindi ako nag abalang tanungin dahil wala naman akong balak na kilalanin siya. Same goes for him. Since we're just pretending. The more we dwelve into each other's life, mas mahihirapan lang kaming umalis sa set up na 'to. Or maybe it's just me.
"Because it's his dream?" panghuhula ko pero umiling siya.
"He has an alexithymia."
What is that?
"He has difficulty expressing and identifying expressions. He has to enroll in an acting class to learn different facial expressions but I don't think he knows it emotionally. Ilang doctor na ang sumubok tumulong sa kanya ngunit wala sa kanila ang nag tagumpay."
BINABASA MO ANG
Paint Me Red
Vampire(REAGAN SERIES #3) Scarlett Amara Torres is the shy and outcast heiress of Torres Apparel Corporation. She discovered her fiance had cheated on her with her sister just two weeks before their wedding on the same day she found out her days are number...
