Valdez Brothers: Stefan

Chapter 1

Hindi madali para kay Alex na iwanan ang buhay na nakagisnan nya. Pero nung malaman nya ang plano ng kanyang papa na ipakasal sya sa anak ng kanyang kumpare, kinalimutan nya ang pagiging buhay prinsesa and leave their home at once! She's the only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Aguirre, the main reason why her father was so eager na magpakasal sya para may makatuang sya sa pag-aalaga sa kanilang hacienda. Kahit pa sabihin nya sa kanyang papa na kaya nya itong mag isa at minsan na nyang napatunayan nung magkaroon ito ng mild stroke at kinailangan nyang magpahinga, hindi parin nya ito ma convinced. Sinamantala naman yun ng kumpare ng kanyang papa at sinabing ipakasal nalang sila ng kanyang anak na lalaki nang sa gayun ay mapanatag ang loob nito na agad ring sinang-ayunan ng kanyang ama. Which pissed her off!

She has trust issues when it comes to men. Nangyari ito after her breakup with her 1st and only boyfriend in college. That jerk cheated on her causing her to hate all the male species! Well, except her dad of course.

but if he keeps on forcing me to marry that guy, I swear I'm gonna include him on my list!

Men are toxic! Liligawan ka, paasahin, and when you finally give your trust to them, they'll leave you like shit!

kaya I won't let no male species na pumasok sa sistema ko!  not even that fraud fiance of mine. argh!

Dahil sa pesteng arranged marriage na yun, napilitan syang umalis at iwanan ang marangyang buhay nya sa San Diego. Ngayon lulan sya ng bus papuntang Maynila at hindi nya alam kung anong naghihintay sa kanya dun. Bigla syang nakaramdam ng matinding kalungkutan and before she knew it, nag uunahang kumawala sa mata nya ang luha na kanina pa nya pinipigilan. She's in a state of uncertainty. Pero kahit anong mangyari, hindi sya babalik sa kanila hanggat hindi binabawi ng kanyang papa ang napagkasunduan nila ng kumpare nya.

It's not that she's stubborn or she doesn't love her dad. She do. God knows how she loves her parents. But asking her to marry someone she doesn't love is just too much. Ni hindi pa nga nya ito nakikilala at tanging pangalan lang nito ang naririnig nya but she never got the chance of meeting this Paulo guy.

at wala akong balak na kilalanin sya!

Alam nyang sa ginawa nya, lalong magagalit sa kanya ang kanyang ama. But this is the only way na alam nya para hindi sya tuluyang matali sa bagay na alam nyang habang-buhay nyang pagsisisihan.  Sana mapatawad sya ng kanyang ama. She knew also that her mom is worrying at this very moment. Her mom, her loving mom is still treating her like a baby. Hindi rin ito sang-ayon sa gusto ng kanyang papa not because she doesn't like the guy but because she can't accept the truth that she's no longer a baby and sooner or later she'll be living her own life as a wife and as a mother.

but not now! in perfect time, I mean.

Nagpakawala sya ng malalim na buntong-hininga and shunned those stuff out of her mind. Sa ngayon, ang tanging iisipin nya ay kung paano sya mabubuhay na malayo sa kanyang pamilya. Soon, she'll reach the place she never dream na titirhan nya. Nasanay sya sa tahimik na pamumuhay sa San Diego. The noisy and busy life in the city is somehow foreign to her. But she has to deal with it! And that means, she has to begin it now! She needs to prove something to her dad. Kailangan nyang patunayan na kaya nyang mabuhay even without an annoying husband beside her. Bakit pa kasi nauso ang arranged marriage? Isa tuloy sya sa mga taong biktima nito. She glanced at her wrist watch, it's past 12:00 p.m. kaya pala nagwawala na ang mga bulate nya sa tyan.

haaaay! poor Alexica!

Kung hindi lang umepal ang kumpare ng kanyang papa, edi sana nasa mansion sya ng mga Aguirre ngayon, masarap ang buhay at di kumakalam ang sikmura.  Pesteng buhay! Ilang sandali pa ay natanaw nya ang bus terminal, hudyat na dumating na sila. Muli syang napabuntong hininga.