"MISS Abueva, may kailangan ka?" iyon ang bungad sa kanya ni Mr. Alcala nang papasukin si Eunice ng lalaki sa opisina nito. Pagkatapos ng naging pag-uusap nila ni Arriane ay dumiretso siya sa opisina nito. Suwerte nang naroon ito at walang meeting kaya naman agad siyang na-accommodate nito.
"Sir, you were college friends with Ethan, right?" simula niya.
"Yeah, why?"
"Is he really the CEO of EM Technologies?" diretsong tanong niya. Parang sasabog na ang puso niya sa mga nalaman mula kay Arriane kaya hindi na niya kayang magpaligoy-ligoy pa rito.
Awtomatiko namang nagbago ang ekspresyong ng mukha nito nang marinig ang sinabi niya. Halatang hindi nito inaasahan ang tanong niya. Nawala ang ngiti sa mga labi nitong ibinungad nito sa kanya at bumadha ang pagkagulat.
"Eunice, take a seat and let's talk." Seryosong sinabi nito na lalong nagpatindi sa kaba niya. Naramdaman niya ang unti-unting pagbalong na naman ng sakit sa dibdib niya. He didn't even answer her question but she felt a stabbing pain in her heart.
"Is he the CEO of EM technologies?" matatag na ulit niya sa tanong rito.
"H-he is but---"
Inaasahan na niyang iyon ang isasagot nito ngunit masakit pa rin palang tahasang makumpirma iyon. She felt her heart got shattered. And just like that, she felt all her emotions pouring out. At hindi pa man nito nabubuo ang sasabihin ay hindi na niya napigilan ang ilabas ang nararamdaman niya kesehodang boss niya ang kausap niya.
"Sir, how could your friend do this to me? I thought I was in an honest relationship. Na lahat ng nangyayari tama. Na lahat ng ipinakita niya totoo. But nothing about what he told me was true. Nothing about us was true. Paanong magiging totoo ang ipinakita niya, samantalang 'yong totoong siya, nagawa niyang ilihim sa akin, hindi ba?" Sunod sunod na sabi niya. Wala na siyang pakialam pa kahit pa ito ang boss niya. Ni hindi siya sigurado kung alam nito ang progress sa relationship nila ng kaibigan nito. All she knows was that she was hurting and she needs to let it out.
"Eunice, it's not that---"
"What is it then, Sir? Bored ba siya kaya naisipan niyang magtrabaho sa kompanya? Does he knew from the start that I liked him kaya ba nakipaglapit din siya sa akin. What was I? His past time while his fiancée was away?"
Saglit na natigilan ito. At hindi man kinumpirma nito ang sinabi niya tungkol sa pagkakaroon nito ng fiancée ay ipinakita naman nito sa mga kilos nito na tama ang natuklasan niya. Na tama ang lahat ng sinabi ni Arriane. Na lahat ng ipinakita ni Ethan sa kanya ay walang halaga. It was all just for fun for him, and unfortunately she became the only casualty.
"And now that his fiancé is back, he just left like that? At isinugo pa niya ang fiancé niya para magpaliwanag sa akin? I didn't know he was that kind of a person. I believed him, for Pete's sake!"
"Look, you have to talk to him to clear things---"
"I had been made a fool, sir. Everything is clearer now."
"Eunice, he has a reason—
"That's enough, sir. Thank you. Will you be nice enough though to give this back to him." Inilapag niya sa lamesa ng boss niya ang panyong matagal din niyang iningatan pagkatapos at tumalikod na siya. Sapat na ang mga nalaman niya sa pakikipag-usap dito. Wala man siguro siyang nakuhang matinong sagot mula rito but his expressions gave him away.
Narinig pa niya nang tawagin siya ng boss niya ngunit hindi na siya nakinig. The next thing she knew, she was running away. Kasabay niyon ang pagkawala ng luhang kanina pa nagbabadyang lumabas mula sa mga mata niya. She had been in love and the next thing she knew, she was badly hurt.
He didn't leave because he was turned off. Right from the start, nothing was true. He did not feel anything for her. And everything about what she knows about him was not real. Ang pangalan nga lang siguro nito ang tanging alam niya tungkol rito. He was Ethan Alexis Monteverde. That was it. The only real thing she knows about him.
He was far from the IT support specialist she had been in love with. The Ethan she fell in love with was nice, was always sincere, was always smiling. But it was all pretend. And to top it all, the guy has a fiancée. Maganda, sikat at mayamang fiancée. They were a perfect pair, no question.
At siya? Well, she had been a part of a prank. A very harsh prank. And she was far from being okay.