Chapter Text
Maloi
It was a quiet Friday morning for Maloi as she sipped on a cup of coffee. Tinitignan niya ang mga last minute details para sa nalalapit niyang open studio event.
She will be pairing up with two local artists group at sobrang excited na siya as this will be her first time hosting such an important event. This will not only allow her to generate potential sales and allow the public to interact with her art, but this will also help her connect with the local art community.
The sudden swinging of her office door, however, and the clacking of loud heels that immediately followed told Maloi that her quiet Friday morning had come to an end.
“Mal!”
Maloi looked up as she saw Stacey come up to her desk. Stacey was impeccably dressed in a tan suit. Her hair was slicked back, and her make-up looked like she just came out of a high fashion photoshoot.
Maloi, however, didn’t miss the fact that Stacey looked pissed.
No, scratch that. Stacey was livid.
Nilagay ni Stacey ang designer bag niya in one of the chairs that was placed in front of Maloi’s desk. She then took out two pieces of paper and slammed them on Maloi’s table.
The aggression surprised Maloi as it was rare for Stacey to slam things on the table or just be forceful in general. “Woah, Staks… Slow down. What’s up?”
“This!” Stacey raised the papers and waved the same in the air dramatically. “This is what’s up, Mal!! You have to help me.”
“Ano ba kasi ‘yan!” Maloi reached for the papers from Stacey’s hand. She skimmed through it and realized that it was a printout of an online article.
Stacey was pacing in front of Maloi as Maloi read the title of the article.
The Weekly Inquirer
The Ruthless World of Modeling and the Perpetration of a Distorted Self-Image
May 10, 2028, 1:42 PM PHT
J.C. Robles
“Kailangan natin hanapin itong writer na ‘to. He obviously twisted my words!” Napatigil si Stacey sa paglakad at para ‘bang bigla siyang may naisip na brilliant idea. “Is Colet available for consultation? I will hire her. I need to file something against this J.C. Robles!!!”
“Sorry, Staks… Finals week ni Colet ngayon. Nag-leave din siya from work to focus kaya medyo hindi natin makukulit yon. Isa pa, hindi pa siya lawyer. She’s in her fourth year of law school. Can you calm down first, please? Huwag muna tayong padalos-dalos. Do you need anything? Water? Coffee? Tea? Sedatives?”
“Mal!!” Stacey glared at her, which was a first. Playful glares lang palagi si Stacey, never the serious glare. Whoever this J.C. Robles was, Maloi was thinking na he better start praying because Stacey was obviously coming for the jugular. “Seryoso ‘to! You know how many calls I’ve been getting this morning just because of a misquote?! I could lose endorsements because of this!”
“Okay, okay… Sorry, I’m just trying to lighten the mood.” Truly, Maloi was apologetic. Pero ano ba magagawa niya? Hindi naman niya alam ang mga bagay-bagay na yan. She was just an expert in calming Stacey so baka she can do that for now. “Umupo ka nga muna. Tinawagan mo na ba agency mo as well as their PR team?”
Stacey refused to sit down as she continued to walk around Maloi’s office. “Yes, that’s what I’ve been doing in between my photo shoot kanina. I swear to God, once I get my hands on the author of this article, I’m really going to strangle him!”
“O, ‘eh di ikaw pa ngayon ang nagka-kaso niyan. Huminahon ka nga, Staks.” Umupo si Maloi habang nag-iisip ng paraan para matulungan si Stacey.
Suddenly, an idea lit up in her mind. “Why not you do it this way… Puntahan mo ang headquarters nila then demand na i-take down nila ang article? You can say it’s an urgent matter and all.”
Stacey wasted no time as she picked up her handbag and shoved the two pieces of paper inside it. “Great idea! C’mon!”
“Anong c’mon?” Maloi was surprised. She had a whole day ahead of her para tapusin ang mga kailangan niya sa open studio event.
“Mary Louise, I swear to God… I can actually drag your ass out of this office para samahan ako. Matangkad ako sa’yo.”
“Oo na! Nakakabanas naman ‘to. Hindi naman kailangan i-point out yung height!” Maloi rolled her eyes as she picked up her bag.
“Jaja! I’m leaving, ha! Please tell Colet na kasama ko si Stacey kapag tumawag siya to check in.”
“Opo, ma’am.”
When Maloi headed towards the exit, she saw that Stacey was way ahead of her as Stacey was already outside and making her way to her illegally parked car in front of Maloi’s studio.
“Hoy, Stacey! Hintayin mo ‘ko! Napakabastos nitong kapreng ‘to. Porke’t yung apat na hakbang ko dalawa lang sa kanya, iniiwan-iwan na ‘ko.”
Maloi huffed as she walked faster. This is going to be an interesting morning for them.
Stacey
Stacey was getting increasingly irritated as she waited for the receptionist of The Weekly Inquirer to allow them to go inside and talk to this Robles. The receptionist was busy on the phone as she confirmed for the fourth time kung pwede na pumasok sina Stacey. Maloi was just silently sitting on the couch in the waiting area.
“April…” Stacey said in a clipped voice. “How long are we going to wait here? Did you tell your boss na this is an urgent matter? A matter between him getting sued or not?”
The receptionist glanced at her nervously. “One moment lang po, Ma’am. Kinoconfirm ko lang po kung pwede na po kayo pumasok.”
Stacey sighed audibly. “It’s the fourth time that you’re confirming. Are you stalling?”
Before April can answer ay may isang babae na lumabas sa pintuan. Her hair was long, but it had purple streaks in her bangs. She was the same height as Maloi and she was sporting an oversized denim shirt over her white sundress and lowcut Jordans.
“Hi! I’m Rods. You can come with me.”
Stacey gestured for Maloi to go with her inside as they followed Rods. Stacey assumed na assistant si Rods nitong Robles. When Stacey stepped inside the office of The Weekly Inquirer, some heads turned to her direction. Some were even whispering her name and asking why she was there.
Hala, is that Stacey Sevilleja? Yung supermodel?
Oh damn. She looks really tall in person!
Anong ginagawa niyan dito? Diba may article about sa kanya na nag-run kahapon?
Stacey didn’t mind them as she focused on getting fast to this person that made her morning a living hell. When Rods rounded a corner, they reached a frosted glass door. Rods opened it and stepped inside, “Pasok po.”
When Stacey stepped inside together with Maloi and Rods, she saw a woman standing behind a desk and looking at the array of papers scattered on her table. Her right hand was on her hips and her left hand was busy tapping her table. She was biting her bottom lip, and she was wearing thick-rimmed prescription glasses. The woman was wearing a fitted black long-sleeved top with a v-neckline and a denim long skirt. Her straight hair was down, and she looked preoccupied.
Sino ba ‘to?
“Boss Jho, andito na –”
“Jhoanna?!” Before Rods could finish the introduction ay narinig ni Stacey si Maloi na magsalita.
When the woman heard Maloi, she immediately looked up. The woman looked shocked to see Maloi.
“M-Maloi?” Her forehead creased. “What are you doing here?”
Pano nakilala ‘to ni Maloi?
Stacey, however, was in no mood to chit-chat. The sooner they finish this, the sooner her headache will go away.
So, Stacey cut the impending nostalgia off without any preamble. “I need to speak with Mr. J.C. Robles. The one who wrote this godawful article about modeling and misquoted me. I am demanding a retraction.”
Jhoanna glanced at Maloi and then at Stacey. “Um, okay. Hi, Miss…?”
“Sevilleja. Lindstey Stacey Aubrey Sevilleja. Saan na itong Robles na ‘to?”
The woman crossed her arms. “I’m she. I’m J.C. Robles. It’s Jhoanna Christine Robles.”
Stacey was stunned and Maloi looked certainly amused although hindi gets ni Stacey kung bakit. “You’re not a guy?”
“Fortunately for me, I’m a gay.” Jhoanna’s attempt at a joke confused Stacey. A look of annoyance can be seen on Stacey’s face while Jhoanna kept on smiling as she segued coolly. “What can I do for you, Ms. Sevilleja?”
Didn’t she hear me?
Biglang bumalik ang inis ni Stacey at how calm this Jhoanna was. Stacey couldn’t believe na after niyang gumawa ng isang malisyosong article ay makakatayo lang siya sa harap ni Stacey acting like everything was perfectly fine. Stacey turned her anger on as she spoke to Jhoanna with more passion. “You… You take this article down. Right now.”
“Why would I do that?” Jhoanna was baffled.
“You misquoted me!” Stacey’s voice came out a little higher.
“How so?”
Normally naman ay kalmadong tao si Stacey. The way, however, na nagmamaang-maangan itong si Jhoanna was pissing her off badly.
Keep your cool, Stacey. Cooler heads prevail.
Stacey forcefully yanked her bag open (she internally regretted doing the same to this vintage Prada bag that she loved so much) and pulled the two pieces of paper that she had shown Maloi earlier.
She then glared at Jhoanna, who was still looking at her as if waiting for Stacey to do something. Stacey then started to read some portions of the article.
The Ruthless World of Modeling and the Perpetration of a Distorted Self-Image
The modeling industry has long been recognized as a brutal world that creates false expectations for men and women. The setting of unrealistic and dangerous beauty standards not only affects the health and well-being of men and women alike but also creates a distorted self-image for models and fashion consumers.
…
When asked for comment regarding this controversial topic during the Philippine Fashion Week opening, Supermodel Stacey Sevilleja stated that “[a] model’s physique and appearance are their tools of the trade, which give them a competitive edge amongst their peers. Models know that they are bound to conform to the industry’s body rules irrespective of the physiological and psychological consequences.”
…
Pagkatapos basahin ni Stacey ang portion ng article ay lumapit siya sa table ni Jhoanna. She slammed her hands on the table as she glowered at Jhoanna. “You conveniently omitted some parts of my statements to make it seem like na walang choice ang mga models. What you missed to point out here, Ms. Robles, is that I quickly clarified my statement by saying na this kind of mindset should change in the industry. You failed to provide context in a statement that you quoted me in! Do you know how embarrassing this is for me?!”
Hindi namalayan ni Stacey that she crumpled the pieces of paper that she was holding because she was clenching her hands tight. That’s how mad Stacey was. She could even feel her ears and cheeks heating up.
Jhoanna, on the other hand, looked entranced and…
Wait, is she mesmerized?
Stacey rolled her eyes. “Aren’t you going to do something about it? Are you just gonna stare at me, Ms. Robles?”
Jhoanna looked caught. “Uhm…”
Inadjust ni Jhoanna ang glasses niya as she looked at Stacey. She looked nervous.
Aba, dapat lang.
“Ms. Sevilleja, I truly apologize for this mistake. It could have been an editing issue. My apologies po talaga. I’ll have this taken down immediately so we can revise it further.” Jhoanna turned to Rods. “Rods, get me Jolo after this. We need to remedy this quickly.”
Jhoanna then returned her earnest gaze to Stacey. “We will re-publish the corrected article once the problem has been addressed, Ms. Sevilleja. I’m sincerely sorry that this happened.”
Stacey scoffed.
“That’s such a callous mistake, Ms. Robles, for a well-known and trusted news outlet.”
Stacey reached for her bag and turned around, but not before she left some parting words for Jhoanna. “You’ll surely hear from my lawyers.”
“Wait!” Jhoanna now looked alarmed. She quickly left her table as she ran after Stacey. Jhoanna reached for Stacey’s arm.
Stacey’s hand was on the door handle of Jhoanna’s office. Maloi was following closely, listening and looking intently at what was happening.
“Ms. Sevilleja, please. We’ll be doing a retraction naman po. Perhaps we can no longer involve legal regarding this matter? We can also issue a public apology, but I will have to run it with the executives and our legal counsel.”
Jhoanna’s eyes were pleading, and Stacey felt her resolve crumble a bit.
Weird. What the heck was that?
“Do you just expect me to take this sorry excuse of yours for a mistake that could ruin my career? Feeling mo ba enough na ‘yan, Ms. Robles?”
Okay, maybe not really ruin my career. Bahala na, dapat mas dramatic para mangatog sa takot itong walanghiyang writer na ‘to.
“A dinner.” Jhoanna blurted out.
Stacey laughed mockingly. “What? A dinner? With whom?”
“With me.”
Stacey’s laugh only got louder. “Dinner with you? Bakit ko gagawin ‘yon? In exchange for a damaged reputation, Ms. Robles? Nahihibang ka ba?”
Jhoanna scrambled to explain herself. Stacey felt a little sorry at how the journalist was looking flustered before her.
Wala akong pake. She deserves this.
“No, no, no… Look, Ms. Sevilleja…” Jhoanna took a breath. “I’ll interview you. It’s an exclusive piece. We’ll publish something that will highlight your journey in the modeling world and then promote the things you advocate for. This was your childhood dream, right? We know you’re advocating for inclusivity in the fashion world. You’re also active in some charity works involving kids. Don’t you think it’s a good opportunity na ipalaganap ang mga magagandang nagagawa mo? Ma-achieve rin natin ang gusto ‘mong little changes sa industry. This will amplify your voice. I’ll help you. Please.”
Ang bilis-bilis magsalita ni Jhoanna but Stacey heard everything she said.
How the hell does she know about the things I advocate for? Even yung charity works ko? Pano niya rin alam na childhood dream ko ‘tong modeling?
“Boss Jho…” Stacey saw Rods nudge Jhoanna. “We need to clear it with JGV…”
“Chill, Rods. Ako na bahala.” Jhoanna’s eyes were still fixed on Stacey. Kung hindi man ma-convince si Stacey sa mga parameters ng exclusive interview ni Jhoanna, she thinks na mapapa-oo siya dahil sa pagka-expressive ng mga mata nitong si Robles.
Ang lakas ng puppy eyes. It makes me want to say yes to everything that she wants.
“Ms. Sevilleja, please. We can hash out the details later.”
Stacey went silent. She then felt a hand on her arm. She looked over her shoulder to see Maloi pouting. Maloi then nodded as if urging Stacey to agree with Jhoanna’s proposal.
Stacey rolled her eyes.
“Fine. We'll have dinner for an exclusive article, Ms. Robles.”
Jhoanna breathed a sigh of relief.
“I’ll set the time and place.” Dagdag pa ni Stacey. Jhoanna nodded and she stepped back to retrieve a calling card so she could give it to Stacey.
“Just let me know, Ms. Sevilleja. Thank you for your consideration.” Jhoanna handed her card to Stacey and Stacey looked at it.
“This better be one hell of an article, Ms. Robles.”
Jhoanna smiled proudly. “I take second chances very seriously, Ms. Sevilleja. You will not be disappointed.”
Jhoanna
Jhoanna’s head was throbbing as she leaned back on her office chair. She had her eyes closed as she felt the tension of today’s events tighten her shoulders. It’s been a long day and she honestly just wanted to go home, sit on her couch, and watch some TV series.
“Boss…” Jhoanna heard Rods open the door to her office. “Okay ka lang?”
Jhoanna sighed. Of course, she wasn’t okay.
The Weekly Inquirer almost got sued because of an editing mistake that she failed to catch. Isama na rin itong pabaya niyang copy editor na si Jolo na gustong sakalin ni Jhoanna. Jolo even tried to justify his mistake by saying na kaka-break lang niya sa girlfriend niya that’s why he wasn’t himself lately.
Walang hiyang excuse ‘yan. Kung lahat magka-crumble down sa heartbreak, mabuti pa na wala ng mag-jowa sa team na ‘to.
“Just one of those days, Rods…” Jhoanna opened her eyes to look at Rods. “Bakit ka pa nandito?”
Jhoanna looked at her watch. It was already 9:00 in the evening.
“I’m just about to head out. Nakita ko lang na nakabukas pa ‘yung ilaw mo dito. Just wanted to remind you na kailangan mo rin umuwi minsan.”
Napabuntong hininga si Jhoanna kasi tama naman si Rods. She needed to stop working so much.
“You know what? Tama ka.” Jhoanna stood up as she straightened her denim skirt. “Wait for me, sabay na ‘ko sa’yo pababa.”
Jhoanna started to arrange her things when Rods cleared her throat.
“Nice save earlier with the Sevilleja fiasco, boss.”
Ah, the Stacey Sevilleja encounter today.
Jhoanna tried to ignore the image of a seething Stacey Sevilleja on her mind. Of course, it was no use dahil hindi naman ito mawala sa isip niya from the moment Stacey walked out of her office.
Never in Jhoanna’s wildest dreams did she expect na makikilala niya in person ang supermodel na hinahangaan niya. She remembered coming across an article about Stacey in one of the leading lifestyle magazines in the Philippines a year ago while she was waiting her turn sa dentist niya.
Jhoanna remembered how engrossed she was with the article about Stacey’s journey as a model and how she managed to be successful at the age of 25. It didn’t help matters na sobrang ganda ni Stacey. Jhoanna thought na parang may sariling glow si Stacey in her photos.
Jhoanna wanted to know more about Stacey Sevilleja so like the helpless gay woman that she was, Jhoanna immediately looked Stacey up online.
She googled her and found some interesting articles about her. Dito nakuha ni Jhoanna ang information about Stacey’s childhood dream na maging model, her advocacies, and the charity work that she was doing. Jhoanna was just in awe because she never really expected a fashion model to have substance (Jhoanna didn’t mean to be judgmental but that’s how she thought about it).
Napadpad din siya sa social media accounts ni Stacey. She only followed her on Instagram, and she was treated with high fashion photoshoots of Stacey almost every other day. Jhoanna dreamt of a day that she could write something for and about Stacey Sevilleja. Her journey was interesting and her life as a supermodel seemed to be something that she truly enjoyed.
Kaya naman laking gulat ni Jhoanna nang makita niya si Stacey sa office nila kaninang umaga. To top the randomness and strangeness of today’s event ay kasama rin ni Stacey si Maloi – her ex-girlfriend’s fiancée.
Ayaw ni Jhoanna magpa-obvious na kilalang-kilala niya si Stacey so she had to keep a straight face as she asked Stacey who she was. It was like the universe was pranking her when she found out the real reason why Stacey graced Jhoanna’s office with her ethereal presence.
Before Jhoanna could make a good impression ay bad shot na siya agad kay Stacey. Nakuha nga niya ang inaasam niyang interview but the circumstances could not have been much worse.
Jhoanna, however, was an expert in second chances. She may not have been successful in all attempts, but alam naman ni Jhoanna ngayon that having an opportunity to redo something or change someone’s impression of you is something that should not be taken lightly.
“I don’t know if I can call it a save yet, Rods. Pray for me na ma-iimpress ko itong si Ms. Sevilleja sa journalism skills ko.”
Rods chuckled. “Judging from earlier, baka hindi lang sa journalism skills mo ma-impress si supermodel.”
Jhoanna rolled her eyes. Palagi talaga siyang tinutukso ni Rods everytime may magandang babae sila na na-meet or naka-meeting. Rods always convinced Jhoanna to try dating again but Jhoanna was just too tired or too busy to even entertain any prospects. The last relationship she had was three years ago at napapagod na si Jhoanna sa getting to know each other stage.
“As if she’s going to give me the time of day, Rods.”
“She already did, boss. May dinner na kayo, ‘di ba?”
Judging from the way Stacey talked to her earlier, Jhoanna was skeptical that Stacey would warm up to her. Baka warm enough for her to give Jhoanna important details for the exclusive write-up, but not enough for Jhoanna to get to know her.
Jhoanna sighed.
Bakit ba ako umaasa? It’s not like magugustuhan niya ‘ko.
“It’s just dinner, Rods. Nothing will come out of it.”
“Never say never, boss.”
Kahit gusto man umasa ni Jhoanna, the odds right now are not in her favor. But Jhoanna’s used to things not going her way first. Inisip pa rin niya na may chance pa rin na Stacey will at least acknowledge her presence and befriend her. Kailangan lang ni Jhoanna makahanap ng paraan to apologize and impress Stacey Sevilleja in one night.
You’ll not be disappointed, Ms. Sevilleja.
Stacey
Stacey was back in Maloi’s art studio, and they were hanging out sa loob ng office ni Maloi. Wala nang naka-schedule na shoots si Stacey ngayon kaya minabuti na muna niyang magpalamig ng ulo sa office ni Maloi.
Maloi was facing away from Stacey as she was busy typing something on her laptop. Stacey then remembered a question that she had been meaning to ask Maloi since they left the headquarters of The Weekly Inquirer.
“So, Mal… How did you know Jhoanna?”
Maloi stopped typing and she glanced at Stacey. After a moment, Maloi turned around to face Stacey.
“Jhoanna is Colet’s ex-girlfriend.”
Stacey’s jaw dropped as she let out a gasp. “She’s what?!”
“Siya yung kinuwento ko sa’yo na inaway-away pa ‘ko sa Bohol tapos nagkabati kami sa pre-departure area ng Bohol airport.” Maloi chuckled at the memory. “It’s such a small world, noh?”
Stacey can’t seem to wrap her head around this new information that she got from Maloi. “Is this the ex na pumunta ng Manila to study sa UP kaya nagpaiwan si Colet sa Bohol?”
Maloi nodded. “Yep, one and the same.”
If she wasn’t curious earlier, Stacey is now. She wanted to know everything that she could about this Jhoanna considering the interesting history that she has with Colet. “So anong klaseng tao itong makaka-dinner ko soon?”
Tinignan ni Maloi si Stacey. “Well, from what I heard kay Colet, magaling at matalino si Jhoanna. She’s a UP graduate, Staks. I heard pa nga na she graduated with latin honors, I just forgot what kind of laude it was. I don’t know much about her kasi matipid din magkwento si Colet. I don’t tend to ask much din because the breakup was good naman.”
Stacey grimaced. “Ano ba naman ‘yan, akala ko magkaka-insider information na ‘ko sa taong ‘to.”
Inirapan ni Maloi si Stacey habang ibinabalik ang atensyon nito sa laptop niya. “Ewan ko sa’yo, Staku. Dapat gets mo na ‘yan ‘eh. Past is past, bes. Ayokong kilalanin ang dating Jhoanna through my fiancée. It’s irrelevant to our present and future. Kung gusto mo mag-research sa makaka-dinner mo, eh ‘di mag-research ka diyan sa internet. I’m sure maraming information ang lalabas under her name.”
Stacey heard Maloi typing again on her laptop as Stacey crossed her legs in her seat. She stared at her phone and contemplated whether to search Jhoanna online.
Sino ba naman siya para alamin ko ang mga pinaggagawa niya sa buhay?
Stacey knew, however, that she had to know her enemy to win the war. Kaya naman nagpadala si Stacey sa curiosity niya as she opened her phone’s browser. Stacey then typed "J.C. Robles, Journalist" sa search bar ng browser niya.
Multiple results appeared and the top results consisted mostly of articles that Jhoanna wrote for The Weekly Inquirer and for a site called Malaya.
When Stacey scrolled further, she saw an article saying that Jhoanna won the Young Journalist Award two years ago for her compelling work on human rights violations here in the Philippines. Stacey clicked the article from the award-giving body’s website. It contained a brief introduction of Jhoanna as a journalist. There was also a photo of Jhoanna in white long sleeves and black slacks. The photo looked like she was conversing with a group of people. Her hair was in a ponytail and she didn’t have glasses. She looked professional and put together.
Stacey turned her attention to the write-up below Jhoanna’s photo.
It was Jhoanna Christine Robles’s persistence in her investigations which led her to reveal grave violations of human rights in the Philippines that convinced the judges that she should win this year’s Young Journalist Award.
Jhoanna’s first love is broadcasting, which she studied alongside journalism at the University of the Philippines – Diliman in the Philippines. Jhoanna graduated magna cum laude and had a promising career ahead of her.
But finding it difficult to find a job in broadcasting, Jhoanna grabbed the opportunity to work as a journalist with Malaya, an independent online news portal.
At Malaya, Jhoanna interrogated the data and researched reports to alert people about the impact of systemic abuse and to expose the blatant violation of human rights under the guise of efficiency.
“As a journalist, I want to understand our lived reality. I also wanted to speak up for those who do not have the voice to do so.”
Read Jhoanna’s award-winning piece here.
Stacey read the hyperlinked article of Jhoanna’s award-winning piece and she can’t help but be in awe.
Sinulat niya ‘to? In the height of one of the most dangerous times for a journalist dito sa Pinas? Napakatapang naman ng babaeng ‘to.
Pagkatapos magbasa ni Stacey ng article ni Jhoanna para sa Young Journalist Award ay napadpad din siya sa mga short features about Jhoanna. It looked like Jhoanna won more awards after that. There were also a few articles that shared how Jhoanna knew that she wanted to become a broadcaster/journalist. Meron din mga write-ups on Jhoanna’s accomplishments in the field of journalism and how she spent her free time doing workshops for high school students na gustong maging journalists.
“O, ano na nalaman mo diyan?” Stacey was startled upon hearing Maloi’s voice. It looks like tapos na magtrabaho si Maloi as she was now standing in front of Stacey with her hands on her hips. “Don’t tell me naiimpress ka na kay Jho?”
Stacey made a gagging gesture, which she hoped was convincing enough for Maloi. “Excuse me, sinuswerte siya noh. I didn’t find anything impressive here.”
Maloi raised a brow. “Talaga? Eh bakit halos hindi ka na umiimik diyan?”
This made Stacey frown. “Hindi ba pwedeng nagreresearch lang ng make-up?”
Maloi laughed as she shrugged her shoulders. “If you say so, Staks. But I bet my ass on it na hindi make-up ang tinitignan mo kanina.”
Stacey hated how Maloi could read her like a book.
“Are you done?” Stacey tried to change the topic.
“Yup! Sunduin ko na ang aking pinakamamahal. Sama ka?”
Stacey had enough of Colet and Maloi’s sweet moments. Witness na lang siya palagi sa mga small moments ng dalawang 'to. Don't get Stacey wrong, it was adorable to the point that Stacey wanted a relationship for herself, too. It's been too long since she had someone and pagod na si Stacey na pagdaanan pa ang getting to know each other stage. Why is it just so impossible to click with someone? Love should be just like that, 'di ba? When you know, you know?
Stacey sighed as she looked at Maloi, who was waiting for her answer. Stacey thought about it and she thought that she could live without Colet and Maloi's sweet moments for a night or two.
“I’ll just head home na, Mal. I’m a bit exhausted because of everything that happened today.”
“Awwww… Lika nga dito…” Lumapit si Maloi kay Stacey at inakap niya ito. “It’ll be okay, Staks. I’m sure Jhoanna will do her best para makabawi. Don’t stress yourself out na.”
Stacey nodded as she hugged Maloi tight. “Thanks for accompanying me today, Mal.”
“Anytime, Staks.”
They both left the studio at the same time with Maloi driving in the direction of Diliman and Stacey in the direction of her home in Makati.
When Stacey settled comfortably on her couch that night with a steaming cup of jasmine tea beside her, she again opened her phone and made a quick search on her browser under the search string:
“Jhoanna Christine Robles personal life”