My Husband Beside Me (PREVIEW ONLY)

Prologue

The Past...

SLOANE was eleven years old and his parents asked him to play the piano in a charity event. Dapat ay si Ate Beryl niya sana ang magpe-perform gamit ang cello pero masama daw ang pakiramdam. Ayaw niya sanang magpunta sa maraming dahilan. Naplano na niya kasi ang weekend na iyon, magkukulong siya sa kanyang kuwarto para manood ng Dragonball Z. Once in a blue moon na nga lang siyang magplano, palpak pa. Ayaw din niya ng formal gatherings, they always make him feel uncomfortable-- okay, bored. Isa pa, he hated his outfit. He looked stupid in his black trousers and white long sleeves with a red bow tie. And, oh, his lovely mother fixed his hair. It was parted on the side, neatly-combed; para siyang nakapomada. Hindi niya alam kung ano'ng nilagay nito sa kanyang buhok. Basta magkasingkintab na iyon at ang kanyang mga sapatos.

"Relax, you'll be fine," nakangiting sabi sa kanya ng mommy niya habang nasa lobby sila ng hotel.

Sa isang function room gaganapin ang charity event. It was a dinner gala, at isa ang kanyang pamilya sa sponsors niyon.

"But I look like a waiter!" nakasimangot na sabi ni Sloane. "Baka mamaya may magpakuha ng pagkain sa akin."

"What's wrong with being a waiter? It's a decent job," his father told him sternly.

Hindi na siya nagsalita kahit wala naman siyang masamang ibig sabihin talaga. His dad always misunderstood him.

And so it began. His misery. He was in the middle of a crowd of boring, rich people. He would bet his naka-pomada na buhok to go bald, but he could really sense that maybe half of the people in there were not even interested in the charity itself. They were just there because... well, to show off. Para masabing andoon ang mga ito, para masabi lang na may ambag sa lipunan kahit barya-barya lang naman ang donasyon kumpara sa kayamanan. But, again, donation is donation. At least the kids in the orphanage would be happy.

Pinalakpakan siya ng mga tao pagkatapos niyang tipahin ang Für Elise. Sloane had been playing piano since he was six years old, he could also play the drums. He went into music lesson with his older sister. He could sing, too. But music was not really his thing. Ginagawa niya lang iyon para sa kanyang mga magulang, musically-inclined daw kasi ang nasa pamilya ng Cartagena. And well, pumayag na rin siyang matuto ng music para magamit niya iyon sa pagpapa-impress sa mga babae. They say girls like boys who are into music and stuff. Pogi points daw kasi. Napatunayan niya iyon sa Catholic school na pinapasukan niya, mula nang tumugtog siya ng piano sa simbahan ay dumami ang mga babaeng may crush sa kanya. Ngayong gabi naman ay, may tatlo na siyang nakitang mga babaeng kaedad niya na kanina pa siya tinitingnan at nginingitian.

He just wished he didn't look like a dork in his outfit, really.

Sloane was about to play Yiruma's River Flows in You when he saw her.

Her. A rather strange-looking girl.

He even took a second look to make sure she was really there. Why, she was out of place. The girl was tall and slender. She might be a little older than him, he was not sure. She was standing by the heavily-curtained glass wall, looking bored as hell. Bored, and she looked mad like she didn't want to be there at all. She was not dressed like everybody else. Nakasuot ito ng bestidang thigh-high ang haba, it was black with white skulls print. And she was wearing thick stockings-- or leggings, could be purple or plum in color. Tapos naka-low black boots ito. Her hair was short and was cut unevenly, parang pinaglaruan ng barbero. Her bangs were really short, too. Makapal din ang makeup nito, her face was pale; sobrang dark naman ang nakalagay sa mga mata ito. Her lips were painted with that very dark shade of red.