Lahat ng Kabanata ng The Girl He Ruined: Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 10

I stood, smoothed the fabric of my dress, and walked toward the set. Thorne was already there, waiting under the warm wash of the key lights. The scene was styled like a cozy café — warm wooden tables, fairy lights overhead. Perfect for the ad's concept. Too perfect. "Closer," the photographer said. "You're supposed to be lovers here." My jaw tightened. I stepped forward, and his cologne reached me first... fresh cedar with a faint trace of something warm, something I remembered without wanting to. His hand found my waist. My body stiffened, but the camera didn't care. His touch was light, practiced... almost tender. "Eyes on each other," the photographer called. I lifted my gaze. He was already looking at me and not with the detached professionalism I expected. His eyes softened, a faint smile ghosting his lips, like he was remembering something I'd worked so hard to forget. Click. The next pose had him leaning in, close enough for his breath to brush my cheek. I tilted my head

Last week, sumama ako kay Mama. Labandera duties, as usual. Isa sa mga suki niya: the Silvas. AKA, yung mansion sa dulo ng kalye namin na may sariling mini fountain at aso na naka-aircon. Yes, that Silva family. Yung bahay sa dulo ng street na may gate na mas sosyal pa sa SM Aura.Ang routine: akyat bahay, kuha labada, baba. Walang echos. Walang abala. Home Service ito since may Laundry Shop kami pero mas malaki pa laundry area ng Silva kaysa saamin. x3 sa laki.Pero hindi 'yon ang nangyari.One sunny afternoon, sumama ako kay Mama to help carry the laundry and that was my biggest mistake."Liora, wait ka muna dito ha," Mama said as she disappeared inside to talk to the caretaker. So I stayed sa likod-bahay, tahimik lang, hawak-hawak 'yung laundry basket. Minding my own teenage business.And then...Oh. My. God.There he was.Thorne Lucien Silva.Completely. Utterly. Absolutely.NAKAHUBAD.Not shirtless. Not "oops, my towel fell" levels.As in WALANG SAPLOT. Z-E-R-O.Naliligo sa garde

The rest of the afternoon passed. I did makeup for two other auditionees and one of them kept flirting with me by asking if I "like drummers." and I said, "No. I like chaos." That's why I like Thorne hehehe. Gusto ko talaga mga hard-to-get e.After wrapping up, I tried to sneak out of the Org Hall unnoticed, like a ninja na walang budget. Tapos na rin ang role ko dito, approved naman na rin ako. Luckily, saaming tatlo na make up artist, ako ang napili nila. Siyempre, ako pa ba?! talent ko na yan e.I was halfway to freedom when someone called, "Hey!"I turned. Of course, it was him."Uhm... ako po ba 'yon?" I asked, pretending I didn't recognize his voice from my dreams.He grinned. "Yup. Thanks for the help kanina." Sabay abot niya sa'kin ng isang sobre.Uy, may bayad agad?! Akala ko bang practice lang 'yun? Pero syempre, kinuha ko rin. Sayang din 'to, pandagdag allowance na rin.Pagkabukas ko ng sobre, napakurap ako. 10,000?! Wait lang—ten thousand?! Shuta, ang laki nito ah! Allowa

May ibang dahilan bakit ko siya nagustuhan or naging crush, ewan para saakin parehas lang yun.Sanay kasi akong binu-bully nung Elementary ako dahil maarte ako at kikay—kahit wala na kaming pambili ng ulam, kahit thrifted lahat ng gamit ko, kahit iisang lip tint lang ang laman ng buong pouch ko. Sa kanila, mukha lang akong trying hard. 3Ps nga tawag nila saakin e: Pa-bida. Pa-pretty. Pa-sosyal. Wala raw akong karapatang mag-ayos kung wala naman akong pera.Mayayaman kasi halos lahat ng kaklase ko. Mga anak ng doktor, abugado, may-ari ng resort at kung anu-ano pang negosyo na may sariling billboard sa EDSA. Ako lang yata 'yung nagbabaon ng crackers at tubig habang sila, catered lunch at driver pa ang naghahatid-sundo.Pero gusto ni Mama sa private school pa rin ako. Kahit kapos kami, pinilit niya. Ayaw daw niyang isipin ko na hindi ko kayang sumabay. Kaya araw-araw, todo kayod siya sa laundry shop na ipinamana lang talaga sa kanya ni Papa bago siya mamaalam, maaalam lang papuntang kabi

And now, years later, andito na naman ako. Sa tabi niya. As his band's makeup artist. Sa iisang school. Sa iisang event.Pero guess what?No spark. No "Uy, ikaw pala 'yon." No memory of Diesel. No memory of me, with bloodied knees and his hand pulling me back up. Pero after that, back to reality na. Parang wala lang. Tuloy lang ang mundo niya. He went on being the effortlessly charming neighborhood boy. Hindi na ako pinapansin habang ako naiwan sa side, crush na crush ko.Sa totoo lang, hindi naman sa totally hindi niya ako kilala. Technically, nakaupo kami sa iisang mesa every Saturday for almost a year. Ako ang tutor niya before he magically passed GenMath with a 76. I explained integers while he doodled guitars. I handed him worksheets while he yawned in my face. That close.Pero he never really saw me.Walang eye contact na may spark. Walang "Thanks, Liora," na parang ako lang 'yung tao sa room. Minsan nga feeling ko hindi niya talaga alam pangalan ko, kahit pinangalanan ko pa 'y