24 Years Ago...
"Kia!!" The twelve year old Kia was sitting in a bench at the park where they always play.
"Teddy? What are you doing here? Tinakasan mo na naman si Nanay Pinty?" She asked her friend while playing with a flower in her hand.
"Hinahanap ka na ng Mommy mo e, aalis na ata kayo." Sambit naman ng 10 year-old na si Teddy.
Sa sinabi ni Teddy, lumungkot na naman ang mukha ni Kia.
"I don't want to go back in the Philippines." She told her friend, oo at nasa Pilipinas ang Nana at Papá niya pati na din ang mga tito at tita niya, pero what if the kids there won't like her?
What if hindi siya magkaron ng bagong kaibigan?
"Pero kailangan Kia. Narinig ko may gagawin daw movie ang Mommy at Daddy mo doon."
Kia took a deep breath upon hearing that.
She know she cannot be selfish. Her Mom had put her career on hold when she had her, another reason why they stayed in Spain is to take her away from limelight.
They said they wanted her to grow up away from all of it, and now that she's older, it is time to go home.
And she'll be leaving her life here.
"Nagpaalam ka na ba sa mga kaibigan natin?" Teddy asked and she shook her head.
If there's one thing she hates doing, she hates saying goodbye.
"Jade! Let's go!" They were startled when her mom came and called her.
There's only two person in the world who calls her by her second name, her Mom and another friend of hers, the reason why leaving is harder.
She pulled out something from her pocket and shoved it to Teddy's hand.
"Give this to him please." She whispered so that her Mom won't hear her.
Nakaka unawa na tumango naman si Teddy.
She doesn't know when she'll be back or if she will see him again, but she promised herself that she will never forget him.
Her Ten-ten.
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Present Day....
"Are you going to be alright here anak?" Kia asked her daughter who is now watching a movie at the living area of their suite with Belle and Ken.
She felt that Raine is still tampo to her, she's not that sweet to her anymore, they haven't talked about what happened on their first day here.
"I'm fine Mom. Can Belle sleepover as well? Wala siyang kasama sa dorm e, Cassey will sleep at her parents quarters tonight." Paalam nito sa kanya and Kia smiled at Belle.
She became closer with Belle as well since she already saw her crying last week, and technically she's family too.
Si Sharlene naman ay sa ibang dorm room na assign, every dorm room atay tatlo lang bedrooms and it so happens that Cassey, Raine and Belle shared a dorm.
"Sure love. You two can sleep on the bed and I'll use the pull out one. I'm not sure what time I'll be back so behave yourselves and sleep early." Bilin pa niya before dropping a kiss on both of the teenagers cheeks.
"E, Mommy, we will have to plan for our Lit project remember?" Raine reminded her.
She remembered she gave the students a small project to perform a short skit about their favorite childhood story.
"Okay fine, but lights out at 10:30 okay?"
"Yes Tita Mommy!" Belle answered and her cheeks reddened in embarassment when she saw Ken's eyes darted to her.
Belle asked her last week if she can call her that since she's the wife of her Tito Daddy and she agreed only in private.
"Are you not coming with Mom, Daddy?" She was surprised when Raine speaks again.
"Wh-what d-did you call him?" She asked.
"Daddy." Raine shortly answered, like it wasn't a big deal.
"And why would you call him that?" She asked, her tone is reprimanding this time.
"Why not Mom?" Balik na tanong ni Raine na walang pag da-dalawang isip.
"Relax Kia, technically I am his step-father and I don't have a problem with her calling me that." Ken answered and Kia just took a deep breath and close her eyes to calm herself.
"Fine, bahala kayo. I'm leaving and Ken, we need to talk about that marriage thing, once we are both free we can talk about the annulment." She said dismissively and walks straight to the door.
She knew Ken will not be attending the party tonight, he told her earlier when she asked him, kaya nga excited siya to go to the party, because having him there will not be comfortable for her.
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The party was held in the conference room of the Headmaster, it was quite big because the huge table was removed and was replaced by smaller tables.
There are all kinds of booze, the thing about the school is they encourage socialization for the professors but only during the weekends and if there is an occasion.
As long as the students will never get to witness their professor lose their shit because of alcohol, it was not forbidden to have a drink and have fun every now and then.
"Kia! There you are! Where's Ken?" Iza together with her husband Ethan approached her.
"Oh! Hi Iza, hi Ethan!" She greeted them back. "He's not attending daw, he's watching a movie with the teens in our suite.
"Wow, lakas maka pamilya a!" Cherrie interrupted them. She's with her husband.
"Hello! Good evening po Sir Nick, Ma'am Cherrie." She politely greeted the two.
"Call us Nicholas and Cherrie, we are not working naman Ms. Pascual, and Cherrie is right, para kayong mag asawa ni Quentin sa set-up niyo." Biro pa ni Nick at tinawanan niya lang ito.
She doesn't know how she will react on that.
Surely, she and Ken is not just parang mag-asawa lang because they are really mag-asawa.
"Quentin really doesn't go to parties lile this. Nasanay din siya kay Papa na pinapayagan siya to skip attending parties, maliban kapag graduation party." Nicholas added at tumango lang siya, she doesn't want to respond as she never want to sound eager for any information about him.
There was a short program to welcome the new teachers and after that happy hour na.
The three of them, Iza, Cherrie and her were sitting with three other professors, while the guys have a separate table.
Iza offered her another drink and she declined. She doesn't want to get too drunk especially that Raine is in her room right now so she declined.
"I thought Ken is teaching here as well?" The woman, she thought her name is Therese asked out of the blue.
"You mean Ken Muhlach?" Iza asked and the other wan nodded.
"He does teach here, but he hated attending parties like this." Cherrie answered.
"I see, what a waste. I thought I'll surprise him." The woman added and Kia cannot help but to think who this girl is in Ken's life.
"I already warned you Therese, Ken is not like any other men, once he beds you, you can bid goodbye." Another professor speaks and she had forgotten her name.
"That' makes it more challenging isn't it Jenna? After all, the man fvcks good. He's the best." Therese added which made her chokes on her drink.
"Kia? I thought sabi mo ayaw mo na uminom?" Ani si Iza while patting her back.
"Fudge!" She said as she kept on clearing her throat.
"You okay Kia?" Therese asked her and she nodded.
She took another bottle of beer, she's seething in anger. Napaka landi naman pala talaga ng asawa niya.
How dare he accused her of cheating, when he have strings of women?
Therese is beautiful. Long blonde curly hair, round eyes, long lashes, sexy and she's tall.
Ganito ba ang preference ni Ken sa babae?
They dropped the topic about Ken and continued drinking and Kia was having fun despite the mishaps earlier.
Napapa dami na din ang inom niya.
Another reason why she doesn't like drinking too much is that she's turning into an honest bitch.
"Know what girls? I think I'll go now. It's late and I'm sleepy." She said and stood-up she swayed and almost but Cherrie was fast to catch her.
"Love! Help me! Hatid natin si Kia sa quarters nila." Cherrie said at hindi naman siya tumutol.
"Diba she's sharing quarters with Ken?" She heard Therese asked in a low voice but she still heard her.
"Yeah, and do you have a problem with that?" She asked the woman in a condensing tone.
"Ahm, no naman. I was just thinking, maybe you would like to trade rooms with me?" Therese asked hopefully but of course since Kia doesn't like her at all, she smirked at her.
"Why? So you can seduce him? Not ony watch Ms. Dominguez." She said as Cherrie and Nick assisted her to walk.
The woman did not reply, mukhang napahiya ata ito, but Kia will of course wouldn't stop there.
She stops walking just when they reached the door.
"Kia?" Cherrie asked her but she didn't replied, in fact she turned around to face Therese again.
"Oh, and Miss Domiguez? Stop drooling over married a man okay?" She said and started walking again.
"How did you know that Enteng is already married?" Cherrie asked her when they are already half-way on their walk towards her quarters.
"Oh? Alam mo din?" She asked her friend.
"Only me and Nick and Papá knows about it, I think Ethan knows about it too. He's Enteng's bestfriend e. It was a secret and I don't even know who the wife is. Enteng doesn't like to talk about it. Kaya I was surprised that you know, and now the whole faculty knows!" Cherrie added and Kia couldn't help but giggle.
"Oh, it's about time that they found out. Para matigil na siya sa kalandian niya." Sabi niya na may kasamang gigil pa.
"Pero Kia, non-existent naman yung wife niya. I think Enteng naman deserves to be happy, from what I heard, matagal na siyang iniwanan ng asawa niya. Hayaan na lang natin, I mean he is free as a bird." Cherrie added and Kia laughed sarcastically, and both Nick and Cherrie stopped walking and she did too.
"So that's his story? That I left him? Funny, at least he didn't say that I was dead like he told his family." Balewala niyang sabi and Cherrie's mouth hung open.
"Gulat kayo ano? Yes, I'm his wife? That stupid 18 year old girl who married him and he just dumped me after a week. Tragic right?" She said and she even laughs when a pair of arms took her by the waist.
"Sorry Nick, Cherrie, let's keep this between us please?" Ken told the two as he carried her.
"Hey! Where are you taking me?" She asked him.
"Inside. You are way too drunk Kia." He said as they entered their quarter.
He gently placed her on the couch but she pulled him with her.
"I'm not that drunk!" She protested.
"Yes you are." He answered.
"I'm not that drunk to do this at least." She said as she pulled his face closer to hers and kissed him with all that she has.