Bakit 'Di Na Lang Totohanin? (ALDUB-inspired)

Thirty-One

DISCLAIMER: - see previous chapter -

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XXXI.

Maine's POV

I WAS SEETHING WITH ANGER as the elevator made its ascent to my floor. What the hell was Alden up to? Akala ko ba on-board sha na mag-pretend kami na there's something more between us than meets the eyes, tapos bumalik siya sa pagiging player niya? Hindi naman ako magagalit ng ganito kung sinabihan niya ako. Pero hindi eh. Sa ginawa niyang iyon parang pinalabas niya na nagsawa na siya sa akin and I was Flavor of the Week no more. Hindi naman ata fair iyon.

If he wanted to change the rules of our charade, he should've consulted with me first instead of foregoing talking to me and doing whatever the hell he wanted to do!

My office phone was ringing by the time I got to my desk. I don't need a caller ID reader to know who it was calling me. Wala naman tumatawag sa akin before nine o'clock, so si Alden sigurado itong tumatawag na ito. I debated on whether to answer it or not. Minsan kasi si Ike tumatawag din kapag male-late siya, but if  this was Ike and he was running late, he was calling a bit too early. Usually he'd call mga fifteen minutes before nine not a full forty minutes before!

"Hello?" I tried not to sound grumpy when I answered, after all this was the company phone and not my personal phone so I need to maintain professionalism.

"Maine?" It was Alden, and he sounded uncertain on the other end too.

"What do you want?" I snapped.

"An explanation for starters," sagot niya.

Ako din, I want an explanation, manganingani kong sagutin sa kanya, but instead I replied with, "For what?"

"Uuuhh, yung sa sampal na pinsalubong mo sa akin."

"What about it?" I think justified naman ang pagsampal ko sa kanya, diba? He was supposed to be pretending na meron kaming ugnayan na dalawa, tapos bigla na lang ibang babae ang inaatupag niya?

"That was uncalled for."

"Oh really?" I couldn't help my eyebrow from raising and my tone of voice from changing. Medyo dumidilim na naman ulit paningin ko and he was lucky he wasn't standing in front of me while having this conversation because I'm sure magasawang sampal na ang mare-receive niya from me.

"Yeah."

"I think it was called for."

"What? Seryoso ka?"

"Wasn't the slap to your face an indication?"

I heard Alden huff on the other line. He was probably at a loss for a comeback after what I just said. I can't believe he had the gall to get mad at me when it was obvious what the hell it was he did to cause me to slap him the moment he was within range of my aim.

"Busy ako ngayon, Alden. If you have nothing important to say, I'm hanging up," I told him and didn't wait to hear what he has to say before I replaced the handle back on its cradle.

Hindi naman ako busy talaga, pero I needed an excuse to hang up on him.

My private line rang again after I hung up. This time I made sure to check the caller ID and saw Alden's name on the screen. I hit the FORWARD button so it went straight to voicemail.

"Trouble in paradise?" was Ike's amused comment.

I looked up from sorting out some of the papers left on my desk from when I left yesterday afternoon and gaped when I saw my boss, who never bothered coming in to work until well past nine in the morning since we finished catching up on everything our predecessors left for us to clean-up, standing by his doorway with his arms crossed over his chest and a smirk on his handsome face.