Tears Of Cinderella

Chapter 32 - Skeletons in the Closet

Regrets had been Gareth's best friend for five years now. Hindi niya maiwasang manlumo sa tuwing naiisip ang mga pangyayari ng nakaraan. They were a ghost and a stigma in his existence. It kept haunting him day after day. His conscience was killing him. He was indeed a rotten man; both from the inside and from the outside.

Pinikit niya ang kanyang mga mata. He saw an image of Arthur, his brother was suffering for the things that he did not do. He had the chance to help him, to make things right. But he chose to remain quiet for those people who only knew of power. Nagbulagbulagan siya sa katotohanan.

If only he had spoken that day, Arthur would not be incarcerated. He would still be Crown Prince and he would probably be happily living inside the Arondight palace kasama ang pamilya nito. But he didn't do anything.

Nanakit bigla ang sentido niya.

This was the reason why he chose Asphodel. Milya-milya ang layo nito sa Camelot. It's the coldest place in the whole kingdom. Gusto niyang takasan ang lahat. He wanted to appease his conscience. He wanted to tell his mind that the end justified the means. Buong kapatid pa rin niya si Lancelot at ang kanyang ina pa rin ang nagluwal sa kanya sa mundo. Ngunit kahit saan siya magpunta, inuusig pa rin siya ng kanyang konsensya.

Muli niyang tinungga ang hawak na baso ng alak. The whisky immediately burned inside his throat.

And now, another ghost had come to haunt him. After five years, Steffanie had found her way back in his life. But the thing was, he didn't expect the overwhelming emotions he felt when he finally saw her again.

She had changed a lot. Gone was the shy and indifferent woman. Now, she walked with full grace and confidence. Mas nagkaroon ito ng kumpiyansa sa sarili. She was a proud woman now. Bakit nga naman ba hindi? Isa na itong modelo. And just any model, Steff was the Kingdom's highest paid supermodel.

She had come a long way from the timid girl that he knew. At alam niya kung paano natamo nito ang kasalukuyang estado. Modeling was synonymous to prostitution. Most of the top models he knew had whored themselves for money ang fame. They were a class A tramp, a dangerous vamp who was all too willing to spread their legs just for cash, favour and prestige. He knew it personally because he bedded most of those girls in the past.

At ang isa pa, hindi ito nag-atubiling tanggapin ang perang binigay niya rito. Perang kapalit ng pagtatalik nila. This cemented everything that he thought of her.

But still, his mind was bogged with the spots of dry blood on his sheets. She felt virgin-tight. Could it be that she hadn't had sex for a long time? But that was absurd and impossible. Palihim niyang sinusubaybayan ang galaw nito. He read tabloids and watched television shows para makibalita sa nangyayari sa buhay nito. And he knew that she was still meeting up with the Duke of Sutherland. Minsan pa nga ay kasama ng mga ito ang anak na babae. At anong ginagawa nila pag nakikita ang mga ito? Nagtitigan? Cut him some slack. He knew how a man's libido worked. He was not born yesterday. But still, how come that she felt so tight when he had her?

Fuck! Medically speaking, there was only one acceptable explanation. But his mind refused to believe any of it because it well shake-up everything that he believed about her.

May isang pait na gumapang sa kanyang puso nang maaalala ang nakitang larawan ng mga ito sa internet.

He felt jealous. Siya dapat ang kasama ng mga nito. Kung hindi lang ito nagtraydor sa kanya. Kung hindi lang siya pinagpalit ni Steff. Sigurado siyang isa na silang masayang pamilya ngayon.

He refilled the whisky in his glass.

Steff... Why, sweetheart? Why? He said to himself as he intoxicating effect of the alcohol enveloped him.