Chapter Forty One
Valerie's POV
"Dad." I quietly said as I stood in front of his desk. He looked up at me from the papers he was reading and took off his reading glasses.
"Sweetheart." He smiled.
His smile quickly disappeared when I didn't smile back at him. I just stood there with a frown on my face. He gestured for me to sit on the armchair in front of him and I sat on it.
"What's wrong?" He worriedly asked.
"What is he doing here?"
"Who?" His brows furrowed.
I let out an annoyed huff and rolled my eyes. "You know who..."
"Axel?"
"Yes." I said.
"Sabi niya gusto niya daw magtrabaho dito." Kibit-balikat na sabi niya.
"Daaaad!" I whined.
"What? It's free labor." Painosenteng aniya.
I pouted at him. "Dad naman, why are you doing this to me! Alam mo naman ang tungkol sa amin."
His face changed into a serious expression. He took a deep sigh as he looked at me. "Hindi mo naman siya kailangan pansinin, hindi niyo kailangan mag-usap. I just feel like you still need him, sweetheart."
"I-I don't." I said in a harsh tone, my frown grew even bigger. Dad looked at me in the eyes and my eyes automatically dropped to my feet, afraid of what he might see in them.
"Valerie, sweetheart, you know it's better to be hurt than hardened." Seryosong sabi ni dad. "I will not allow anyone or any situation to harden you and make you bitter. I don't want you to close your heart. I'm doing this for you, sweetheart. Alam kong hindi mo naiintindihan ang mga ginagawa ko ngayon pero gusto kong malaman mo na wala akong ginusto kung hindi ang mapabuti ka."
Axel's POV
I was already up by four in the morning. Mas nauna pa akong nagising kaysa sa pagsikat ng araw. My body was sore. Day two and I still wasn't used to sleeping on a hard worn down bamboo bed. I forced myself up, sitting on the edge of the bed and stretching my aching limbs. I brushed my fingers through my sweat drenched hair and stood up. Well, at least it wasn't as hot as it was last night. I put on my jeans and my tank top before going out.
Sabi ni Jaime kailangan gising na ako bago tumilaok ang manok. I had to work from dawn to dusk. He gave me a chance to prove my love for Valerie and I wasn't going to let it go to waste. Patutunayan ko sa kanya kung gaano ko kamahal ang anak niya.
Oh, the things I do for you Valerie.
Kailangan kong mag-igib ng tubig pangpaligo mula sa poso. Just getting a bucket of water was already a lot of work. My stay here as Jaime's worker made me realize I took a lot of things for granted. My bed, airconditioner, water... Valerie...
Yun ang mga akala kong hindi mawawala sa akin pero nagkamali ako. I was used to being handed everything. Ngayon lahat ng kailangan ko dapat kong pagtrabahuhan. In a way, the little things I did gave me a sense of accomplishment because I knew I worked hard for it. I would work myself to death if I had to, bumalik lang sa akin si Valerie.
Yesterday, we had sex... if that's what she wanted to call it. It didn't feel like the way it felt everytime we made love. She was so detached, so impersonal, and cold. I had never felt sexually used by a woman before, usually it was the other way around or if I'd ever been used before I didn't care at all, they didn't mean anything to me. But it was Valerie and it hurt like hell. I was inside her but it felt like we were still a world apart.
After filling up the bucket I carried it to the outdoor bathroom. It was just a small space with wood sticks standing on all four corners of it to hold the dried leaves that was covering it. I took a quick shower and wore the clothes that Jaime lend me. Wala naman akong dala nang magpunta ako dito kung hindi ang kotse ko lang at sarili ko.
Inaya ako ng ibang mga trabahador sa hacienda na kumain muna bago kami magsimulang magtrabaho. They were all nice to me. Nakakakuwentuhan ko sila at nakakabiruan. Hindi katulad sa kumpanya namin. Nagsisimula pa lang ako doon, iba na ang trato sa akin ng mga tao. They knew I was the boss' son. Even the people with higher position than me treated me as if I was a god. Lahat ng gusto ko, gagawin nila. Isang sabi ko lang, nandyan na. Hindi nila ako tinrato na kapantay nila. It's true what they say, it's lonely at the top. It was cool to have people you could casually talk to and be treated as if you were one of them.
We started harvesting sugar canes after having breakfast. Tanghali na ng matapos kami. By the time, we were done, my tongue was hanging out of my mouth. Damn! This was more exhausting and better than an intensive work out at the gym.
I was taking a break, sitting under the shade of a tree, when I saw Valerie. Malayo siya mula sa kung nasaan ako pero hindi ako pwedeng magkamali na siya nga iyon. My hands clenched into fists when I saw who she was with. David. They were walking side by side, smiling and laughing.
I got up and started following them. It looked like they were heading towards the woods. I kept a safe distance behind them, hiding behind trees. It took all I had not to snatch Valerie away from David. Just seeing them together made me want to kill that bastard. Huminto sila sa talon at naupo sa ilalim ng puno. I hid behind a tree, just a few steps away from them.
After a few minutes, David started taking off his shirt and jumped on the water. Valerie let out a loud giggle. Hindi ko na napigilan ang sarili kong lumapit sa kanya at hatakin siya. I pulled her behind the tree with me while David was busy swimming. Maingat ko siyang isindal sa puno.
"Axel!" She gasped as she looked at me with eyes wide open.
"I'm sorry but it kills me seeing you with him." I breathed out.
Her eyes narrowed into a slit when it finally sunk into her. "Ano pa bang ginagawa mo dito? Why don't you go back to your wife. Sigurado akong miss na miss ka na niya." She sarcastically said.
"She's not my wife anymore." Mahinahong sabi ko sa kanya. "Please, Val, give me another chance. Lahat ng gusto mo gagawin ko. Wala akong hindi ibibigay sa'yo. Please, just don't leave me. Don't love him, come back to me, I'm begging you."
"At paano pag nakahanap ka na ng ipapalit sa akin? Someone better than me? Are you going to leave me just like the way you left her? Asawa mo na siya, kasal na kayo, nagawa mo siyang iwan. You cheated on her with me. Paano pa kaya ako? Kayang-kaya mo din akong iwan." Her voice shook as she tried to hold her tears back.
I cupped her face in my hands. "Listen to me, Val, mahal kita. Ikaw lang. You're the only woman I love, the only woman I will ever love. I belong to you and only to you from as long as I live. There won't be anyone better than you and if there is, to hell with her, your everything I want and need. "
She tightly closed her eyes to keep the tears from falling. She opened them again and shook her head. "Ayoko na, Axel. I've been hurt enough. Nakakapagod na masaktan. I'm not up for anymore. Tigilan mo na itong ginagawa mo, hayaan mo na ako at bumalik ka na sa Manila."
"No." I firmly said, holding back my own tears. "Lahat na hilingin mo sa akin huwag lang ito. Hindi ko kayang ibigay sa'yo ang gusto mo. You taught me this, didn't you? You taught me that when you love someone, you don't give up on them. I'm not going to give up on you. Even if you give up on us, I will never give up on you. I love you, Valerie."
Tears fell from her eyes, it triggered the tears to fall from mine too. She brought her hands over mine that was cupping her face. Inilayo niya ang mga kamay ko mula sa mukha niya at umiling. "I just- I can't feel anything for you anymore."
Those words cut into me deeply. They hurt but I felt like I deserved it. She took steps back away from me and suddenly stopped when she bumped into something. I looked behind her. It was David. Hinawakan niya sa magkabilang braso si Valerie habang matalim ang titig sa akin.
"David!" Valerie turned her head to him, shocked.
"Are you okay?" He asked, quickly glancing at her before turning his angry eyes towards me. "Ano'ng ginawa sa'yo ng lalaking 'yan?"
"Nothing." She said, trying to compose herself.
"What are you doing here?" He asked in a low but hostile tone.
"It's none of your business." I said in equal hostility, throwing him a sharp glare. "Wala akong dapat ipaliwanag sa'yo."
"Don't ever go near her again, you bastard." He hissed, posessively wrapping his arm around the small of her waist. I gritted my teeth in anger at what he did. My body leaned forwards towards him, ready to attack.
"I don't think that's possible." I let out an arrogant smirk. "She's mine. She belongs to me in every way imaginable. I've had her in ways you'll never know." My eyes went to Valerie. "Isn't that right, Val?"
David took a step forward to attack me but Val was quick to stop him. I said that to let him know that Valerie was mine, she had always been mine and will never be his. And I was really riling him up so I could have an excuse to beat his ass for touching my woman. Gusto ko lang siya ang magsimula para hindi na lalong magalit sa akin si Valerie.
"I-I want to go home. I just want to go home, please." Val begged as he looked at David. He took a deep breath to calm himself down. Valerie wrapped her arms around one of his. I watched them walk away. I felt helpless, I knew I couldn't do anything but watch them. I felt like my chest was being squeezed by an unknown pressure. I felt as if my heart was going to burst seeing her leave with David.
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