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I was 7 and he were 9 when we first share our glowing stares, that saved me from drowning under the raining waves. I just don't understand why does he became the reason behind my growing tears nowadays despite of his old watery words. I said, "I don't want to cry, I might drown". But every person who get hurts, cries, just make sure not to live with it, because breathing under water is painful, it's fatal. When people around me shove me down, I almost let myself to lay on the bed of sea since I sink in because of all the heaviness inside me. But, I will still never let myself not to breathe in the fresh salty air again. I may stood up with my body soaked, the important is: I learned how to open my eyes after my dying days. One of the things that I've learned in my whole existence is that: do not breath in a toxic air, it's better to be alone than to be surrounded by toxicity. I'll be 67 and he'll be 69, he still look at me like the shadow of the waves that shine. I am Maryanelle Georgianna, I am the wave and he is the light. If we exchange sight, we will shine bright - but when a height block the light, I, the wave could be a... shadow in a faded light. I am, the faded silhouette of waves, and that was one of my biggest regret.
My hands are busy building my sand castle when I threw another gaze to someone who is sitting not too far away. I wasn't surprised when our eyes met for uncountable times.
My little brows raised as I took off the dirt which eventually coated my tiny hands. Pinagpag ko 'yon sa dress ko and it gives more texture and emphasis to the cloth. I stood up from squatting without cutting the string in between our sight.
I didn't notice myself suddenly following the line. I was captivated by his brown eyes when I got a chance to stare at them closer, nearer and clearer. "Hey," I started instead of 'hi'.
The look on his face didn't change together with his eyes that can't stop from catching mine. "What are you looking at? Kanina ka pa." I confronted.
"Am I not allowed to look at you?" He stood up from sitting on a perfect shape of rock, the same moment I saw a line sightly curving on his lips.
"No, but every time I look at you, you're looking at me." I wonder why. Simula nang makita ko siya rito, lagi na niya akong tinatawag ng mga tingin niya... and I don't actually like it.
He smirked and I don't like the way he do that. "So you look at me?"
I chuckled. "Because you look at me," I replied with my arms crossed.
I heard him also chuckled. "Because you are the birthday celebrant, you already should expect that you are the apple of the eye." My eyes goes up to down. How I hate being a center of attraction for other people, but with my parents, I am willing and I love to be.
"Well, I don't want to be what you're talking about," I mouthed and from my peripheral vision, I saw them preparing my birthday cake over the fancy table. Geez, I don't want to blow my candles in front of the guests. I'm sure that any minutes from now, they will call my name for my birthday wish. "The reason why we need to hide - now!"
I grabbed his hands but he pulled it back. My hands are shaking while looking back and forth. I tried to take him away from where he is but once again, I failed. "What?" By the tone of his voice, I can recognize that he is against in my plan that he absolutely doesn't know what.
"Let's just go! Come with me." I convinced him while throwing a glimpse into the area of fun, meters away from here in the shore... but I just received a glare from him.
My eyes automatically roll over as I turned around and was about to run without him when I bumped into something. "Looking for someone to hide with?" another boy with a messy hair said with a wide smile on his face.
I was about to smile back and nod when he pulled my hands without my response and permission. "W-Wait, where are we going?" He runs nonstop so I don't have a choice but to run along.
"You wanna hide right?" He chuckled and my heart beats runs hundred times faster than how our footsteps hastily run. I suddenly realized that the body of water is zooming through my sight. The surface of the sea starts to soak our clothes, down to our skin, overlaying the clear color of it.
"Huh? - A-Ah!" I was out of words when he shoved my head down to the water. My eyes automatically close and bubbles exits from my mouth. I can feel the pain across my chest and nose as I try to lift myself.
I don't know how to breath underwater, let me go!
I harshly swayed my hands and shook my head. I'm feeling so hopeless because of the fact that I cannot escape from his hands over my head.
I was running out of air when I suddenly heard a voice. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!" That deep loud murmur made his hands loosen.
When I got a chance, I didn't hesitate to lift myself to escape the dying water. My heartbeat runs thrice a second, my deep breaths are nonstop. I took a moment to breath through the salty air and regain.
"Hiding?" I can hear the sarcasm beside me and saw a boy who have brown eyes in front of me with his face frowning. For uncountable times, he met mine and grabbed my hands to take me behind him, away from that boy who is carrying a demon on his back.
My nose is still hurting and my chest is still tight. My eyes are almost shut, cannot comprehend what just happened to me. My whole body is trembling and I feel like my knees wants to give in. I am lucky to lean my head on his shoulder and held me when I lost my balance.
"You almost drowned her! You're a crazy kid. Did your parents didn't even thought you good manners?! Jerk," I heard him said before I let my eyes totally close. The wetness throughout my body adds more shiver and pressure. Even though my lips are damp, I feel so dry especially to my chest that is still keeping on pumping in and out.
"Don't you ever call me like that, pakialamero!" An aggressive tone entered my ears. My fingers bend together despite of my weakness.
"Mangingialam ako kung kinakailangan because I know what is right and what is not, and I will never tolerate people who do bad things in front of me." In a blink of an eye, I was out of the water.
I slightly opened my eyes and my sight touched his collar. He is carrying me with my arms around his neck. I looked at him directly - to my new favorite spot, those brown eyes.
I took a deep breath, I can't stop from gasping. I tried to swallow my dried saliva to talk. "T-Thank... y-you." My tears started to fall down to my cheeks. "F-For s-saving me. Y-You're my s-saviour." My gasps suddenly turns into sobs.
I don't know how to thank him. Kung hindi siya dumating... hindi ko na alam ang mangyayari sa 'kin. When I got a chance to reach his jaw, I tried my best to give him a soft kiss into his cheeks.
Natigilan si Madisyn nang matuklasan na hindi siya biological child ng kanyang mga magulang. Dahil sa pakana ng tunay na anak, siya ay pinalayas at naging katatawanan. Inaakala na ipinanganak sa mga magsasaka, nagulat si Madisyn nang makitang ang kanyang tunay na ama ang pinakamayamang tao sa lungsod, at ang kanyang mga kapatid na lalaki ay mga kilalang tao sa kani-kanilang larangan. Pinaulanan nila siya ng pagmamahal, para lang malaman na may sariling negosyo si Madisyn. "Tigilan mo nga ako sa panggugulo!" sabi ng ex-boyfriend niya. "Kay Jenna lang ang puso ko." "Ang lakas ng loob mong mag-isip na may nararamdaman ang babae ko sayo?" pag-angkin ng isang misteryosong bigwig.
Nakatalikod si Sheila sa dingding nang pilitin siya ng kanyang pamilya na pakasalan ang isang kakila-kilabot na matandang lalaki. Sa sobrang galit, umupa siya ng isang gigolo upang gumanap bilang kanyang asawa. Naisip niya na ang gigolo ay nangangailangan ng pera at ginawa ito para sa ikabubuhay. Hindi niya alam na hindi siya ganoon. Isang araw, tinanggal niya ang kanyang maskara at ipinahayag ang kanyang sarili bilang ang pinakamataas na magnate sa mundo. Ito ang naging simula ng kanilang pag-iibigan. Pinapaulanan niya ito ng lahat ng gusto niya. Masaya sila. Gayunpaman, ang mga hindi inaasahang pangyayari ay nagdulot ng banta sa kanilang pag-iibigan. Malalampasan kaya ni Sheila at ng kanyang asawa ang bagyo? Alamin!
Ang pagpapakasal ni Rosalynn kay Brian ay hindi ang inaasahan niya. Halos hindi umuwi ang asawa niyang si Brian. Iniwasan niya ito na parang salot. Ang masama pa, palagi siyang nasa balita para sa pakikipag-date sa maraming celebrity. Nagtiyaga si Rosalynn hanggang sa hindi na niya kinaya. Tumayo siya at umalis pagkatapos mag-file ng diborsyo. Nagbago ang lahat makalipas ang mga araw. Nagkaroon ng interes si Brian sa isang taga-disenyo na nagtrabaho nang hindi nagpapakilala sa kanyang kumpanya. Mula sa kanyang profile, masasabi niya na siya ay napakatalino at nakasisilaw. Huminto siya para malaman ang totoong pagkatao nito. Hindi niya alam na matatanggap niya ang pinakamalaking pagkabigla sa kanyang buhay. Kinagat-kagat ni Brian ang daliri sa panghihinayang nang maalala ang mga naging aksyon niya at ang babaeng walang kwenta niyang pinakawalan.
Nang muli silang magkita, isinantabi ni Jason ang kanyang paranoia at pride, mainit na niyakap si Chelsey. "Pakiusap, bumalik ka sa akin?" Sa loob ng tatlong taon, naging sekretarya niya ito sa araw at kasama niya sa gabi. Palagi namang tinutupad ni Chelsey ang kanyang mga kahilingan, tulad ng isang masunuring alagang hayop. Gayunpaman, nang ipahayag ni Jason ang kanyang mga plano na magpakasal sa iba, pinili niyang ihinto ang pagmamahal sa kanya at bumitaw. Ngunit ang buhay ay nagkaroon ng hindi inaasahang pagliko. Ang kanyang walang humpay na pagpupursige, ang kanyang pagbubuntis, at ang kasakiman ng kanyang ina ay unti-unting nagtulak sa kanya sa bingit. Sa bandang huli, nagtiis siya ng matinding paghihirap. Limang taon na ang lumipas, nang siya ay bumalik, hindi na siya ang dating babae. Ngunit napunta siya sa limang taon ng kaguluhan.
Upang matupad ang huling hiling ng kanyang lolo, pinasok ni Stella ang isang madaliang kasal sa isang ordinaryong lalaki na hindi pa niya nakikilala. Gayunpaman, kahit na pagkatapos na maging mag-asawa sa papel, ang bawat isa ay humantong sa magkahiwalay na buhay, halos hindi nagkrus ang landas. Makalipas ang isang taon, bumalik si Stella sa Seamarsh Lunsod, umaasa na sa wakas ay makilala niya ang kanyang misteryosong asawa. Sa kanyang pagkamangha, pinadalhan siya nito ng isang text message, sa hindi inaasahang pagkakataon na nagsusumamo para sa isang diborsyo nang hindi pa siya nakikilala nang personal. Nagngangalit ang kanyang mga ngipin, sumagot si Stella, "So be it. hiwalayan na natin!" Kasunod nito, gumawa ng matapang na hakbang si Stella at sumali sa Prosperity Group, kung saan siya ay naging public relations officer na direktang nagtrabaho para sa CEO ng kumpanya, si Matthew. Ang guwapo at misteryosong CEO ay nakatali na sa matrimonya, at kilala na hindi matitinag na tapat sa kanyang asawa nang pribado. Lingid sa kaalaman ni Stella, ang kanyang misteryosong asawa ay ang kanyang amo, sa kanyang kahaliling pagkakakilanlan! Determinado na mag-focus sa kanyang career, sadyang iniwasan ni Stella ang CEO, bagama't hindi niya maiwasang mapansin ang sadyang pagtatangka nitong mapalapit sa kanya. Sa paglipas ng panahon, nagbago ang loob ng mailap niyang asawa. Bigla siyang tumanggi na ituloy ang diborsyo. Kailan mabubunyag ang kanyang kahaliling pagkakakilanlan? Sa gitna ng magulong paghahalo ng panlilinlang at malalim na pag-ibig, anong tadhana ang naghihintay sa kanila?
Isang lalaki lang ang nasa puso ni Raegan, at si Mitchel iyon. Sa ikalawang taon ng kanyang kasal sa kanya, siya ay nabuntis. Walang hangganan ang saya ni Raegan. Pero bago pa niya masabi ang balita sa asawa, inihain na niya ang divorce papers nito dahil gusto niyang pakasalan ang first love niya. Matapos ang isang aksidente, nahiga si Raegan sa pool ng kanyang sariling dugo at tumawag kay Mitchel para sa tulong. Sa kasamaang palad, umalis siya kasama ang kanyang unang pag-ibig sa kanyang mga bisig. Nakatakas si Raegan sa kamatayan sa pamamagitan ng mga balbas. Pagkatapos, nagpasya siyang ibalik sa tamang landas ang kanyang buhay. Ang kanyang pangalan ay kung saan-saan makalipas ang mga taon. Si Mitchel ay naging lubhang hindi komportable. Sa hindi malamang dahilan, nagsimula siyang ma-miss. Sumakit ang puso niya nang makita siyang todo ngiti sa ibang lalaki. Na-crash niya ang kasal niya at napaluhod siya habang nasa altar siya. Duguan ang mga mata, tanong niya, "Akala ko ba sinabi mo na ang pagmamahal mo sa akin ay hindi masisira? Paano ka ikakasal sa iba? Bumalik ka sa akin!"