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CHAPTER 10

'Cause I wish you the best of all this could give

And I told you when you left me

There's nothing to forgive

But I always thought you'd come back,

tell me all you found was heartbreak and misery

It's hard for me to say, I'm jealous of the way

You're happy without me.

- Jealous, Labrinth

***

"HALA! Bakit ang daming tao?" Kinakabahang tanong sa kanila ni Felice.

"Hala oo nga! Grabe naman! Ano bang meron? Red carpet premiere ng bagong pelikula ng KathNiel?" Sagot naman ni Pipay.

Napagkasunduan nila kasing sabay sabay ng pumunta sa Awards Night ng The Journal. Una dahil nakakahiyang pumasok sa loob ng venue kung mag-isa ka lang at ang pinaka rason ay para makatipid sa Grab.

"Hindi ko naman ine-expect na ganito kadaming reporters ang pupunta. Akala ko nga wala eh." Sagot sa kanila ni Robin habang sumusunod sila sa asher.

"Medyo naging malaki na din ang platform na'tin. Naging matunog ang online reading and writing, hindi na din nakakagulat kung maging interesado ang media sa flatform na'tin." Paliwanag ni Pipay.

"Hala ka! Buti nalang talaga bumili ako ng damit at nag-ayos tayo mga day! Tignan niyo! May pa photo op sa red carpet at bonggang backdrop! Hindi na talaga ako magugulat kung lalabas bigla si Beyonce dito!" Natatawa pang sabi ni Robin ng mapansin nila ang nagyayare sa iba nilang katrabaho na nauna sa kanila.

"Jusko day! Iba talaga powers ni Sir Patrick! Awards Night na awards night ang peg!"

Nagbubulungan nalang sila habang papalapit sa mismong red carpet.

Totoo ang sinabi ni Robin, buti nalang talaga at naisipan niyang bumili talaga ng damit na susuotin ngayon. Kahit na hanggang kagabi ay nagdadalwang isip pa din siya kung pupunta siya sa event.

"Okay, center please." Sabi sa kanila ng asher.

There are so many flash coming from the reporters. Hindi siya sanay sa mga ganito kaya medyo nahihiya siya, pero ng lingunin niya ang mga kasama ay hindi ata uso sa mga ito ang salitang hiya.

May pahawak pa sa bewang si Pipay while weaving like a newly crowned Ms. Universe. Plus Felice is a little bit shy pero uma-awra din ito. And Robin, acting as if he is a good-looking man in a black suit, bloated naman.

Mukang siya lang ang medyo normal sa kanilang apat.

She's wearing a simple black Athena gown. Itinaas din niya ang kanyang buhok, hindi din siya masyadong nag make up. She just wore a red lipstick. She is about to leave ng tawagin siya ng isa sa mga press, hindi na dapat niya ito papansinin ng harangin siya ng asher.

"Bakit?" Nagtataka niyang tanong dito.

"Gusto daw po kayong interviehin ng mga press." Simpleng sagot nito.

"Ako?" Turo pa niya sa sarile. "I-interviewhin? Bakit a-ako? Saka bakit may pa ganito pa?" Reklamo niya habang inaalalayan siya palapit sa mga press.

"Hello, Ms. Infinity. What a nice and unique name." She always got compliments regarding her unique name. Pero kahit sa hinagap ay hindi niya akalain na sasabihin ito ng isang reporter. Nagpasalamat nalang siya dito.

"Hi Ms. Infinity, I'm Katrina from Morning Press. Gusto ko lang sanang malaman straight from you, as one of the OG writers of The Journal, how can you write such heart brrokening stories? Na dumating na sa puntong binansagan ka ng Tragic Writer ng mga readers ng The Journal."

She was not new into this kind of question pero she was still caught off guard. Hindi naman kasi niya alam na may ganitong interview. Siguro pagkatapos nitong event ay susulsulan pa niya si Louise na bugbugin si Sir Patrick para makaganti siya.

"Ahm. W-Wala namang kakaiba sa way ko ng pagsusulat. Hindi ko din naman sinasadya na ganoon 'yong kalabasan ng bawat storyang nasusulat ko. Ang akin lang, kung anong nararamdaman ko the day I started writing the draft of my story doon lang iikot 'yong flow ng story ko."

Bigla namang may isang nagtanong.

"So ibig mong sabihin Infinity, you're always brokenhearted? Kasi halos lahat ng tema ng story mo doon umiikot."

Nagtawanan naman ang lahat ng nandoon, kasama na din siya.

Mas magandang tumawa nalang sila kesa sagutin niya ang tanong. Dahil baka kapag i-kwinento niya ang buhay niya sa mga ito ay magsi-iyakan sila kahit nasa umpisa pa lang siya ng kwento.

"Kidding aside. I read almost all of your stories. Gusto ko lang malaman kung saan mo hinuhugot lahat ng iyon? As he said are you always brokenhearted to produce that intense story?"

"I just…" sandali siyang huminto sa pagsasalita, nag-iisip ng bagay at angkop na salita sa nais niyang sabihin. "I just based my characters decision the way I created them. You know. Their characteristics, their principles. That way nagagawa o nabubuo ko 'yong ganoong story and lines."

A reporter will ask a follow up question ng biglang nagkagulo ang entrance ng red carpet.

In a snap all the reporters that surrounds her a minute ago ay nasa may red carpet na ulit. Lahat gustong makakuha ng maganda shots sa mga taong bagong dating.

Bakit hindi magkakagulo lahat?

Dumating na si Louise in her red sexy gown, with, of course, Sir Patrick.

And Lyra in her white mini dress with her husband sir Jhezz. Her tummy is still not visible pero kitang kita mo sa mukha nito ang pregnancy glow.

Sir Gerald, the Editor-In-Chief in training is with Angelica. Na kinagulat niya at ng lahat ng mga tao sa venue.

Angelica is wearing a different gown! Hindi ito ang binili ni Angelica ng kasama siya.

Kaya pala binawi nito ang sinabing sasabay sa kanila papunta sa venue, may kasama na pala itong iba.

And the last pair that appear on the red carpet is none other than Sir Paolo, together with his rumored girlfriend, Grace Angeles.

Angeles clan is well known around the country because of their political power. Sa ngayon nga ay sikat na sikat ang pinsan nitong si Vice Mayor Clyde Angeles. And Grace herself is a well-known fashion designer for celebrities and people with great power.

The power couple walks gracefully into the red carpet. They walk as if they own the ramp. They look like a god and goddess went straight from Mt. Olympus.

And of course, the reporters will not miss this kind of opportunity. One of the reporters asked questions immediately.

"Ms. Angeles. Is it true that you and Mr. Santos here are dating?" Direktang tanong nito.

The elegant woman whose arms are tangled into an almost perfect man answered the question in polite and direct words.

"Yes, Katrina. We are."

That made the crowd cheer, kanya kanya din ng pagbati ang mga ito.

"Thank you so much for your greetings! Paolo and I were together since December last year. We just want to keep it private." Segunda nito.

After some questions regarding her clothing line. The reporters now asked questions to Paolo.

"Sir, many people in the business world are wondering why you invest and bought a big percentage of shares from a publishing company?" Tanong ng isang reporter dito.

"First, Patrick is my good friend. There is nothing wrong with investing in your friend's company. Second is that I was fascinated with writers. Because they're the martyrs of literature. Kaya nilang saktan ang damdamin nila, ang characters nila na sila mismo ang bumuo, so they can give us stories that could give us life lessons. That is the main reason why I decided to invest in The Journal."

Umani iyon ng samo't saring reaksyon. They can't believe that they heard it from Paolo Santos himself, one of the Philippines' top bachelor businessmen, and now a hopeless romantic guy.

"We don't know that you're a hopeless romantic type of person, Mr. Santos." May halong tuksong sabi ng isang reporter.

He just laugh it off while saying "Hindi naman ako kagaya ni Jhezz na sobrang seryoso. Between the three of us, Patrick, Jhezz, and I. I can say that I am a combination of the two. Sometimes I can be serious and playful."

Natawa naman halos lahat ng nandoon. They all knew that the three friends have different personalities. Patrick is the jolly one, Jhezz is the serious type and he is the combination of the two.

"You are very lucky to have him, Ms. Grace." May halong inggit na sabi ng isa pang reporter.

The two couple smiles at the reporter before answering her.

Grace put her arms at his arms before saying "No, darling. I am the one who is lucky because I have him."