Chapter Text
Risa came home to a house with no lights on. She realized that the maids had already gone home when she saw the time. Normally, she comes home before 10pm, but because of a late dinner with her staff, she stayed despite her exhaustion because she wanted to have a night off. Just to relieve her stress and anxiety over the things that have been happening in the Senate. It dawned on her when she realizes that Sherwin hasn’t texted her for hours now, and she wondered if he was already asleep.
She went into their bedroom to see if he was already sleeping. When she opens the door, she was met with a made bed and darkness.
He’s not home. As always.
These past few weeks, it feels like they barely see each other anymore. It makes sense because they were both busy, her with the Senate, and him being a mayor in Valenzuela. But she still felt a sharp pain in her heart because, as enormous as their house is, she feels terribly alone.
She then proceeded to text Sherwin to know his whereabouts. Even though their marriage was arranged, over the years, they had become very comfortable and caring with each other.
“Hello, Sherwin. Where are you? It’s already 12am and you’re not home. Please reply as soon as you get this text. I’m worried.”
The reason why Risa was so worried was because he always updated Risa about his whereabouts, which is why Risa feels there is something wrong.
“Risa, I’m just here with a friend. Don’t wait up.” As she read this, she knew for sure there was something wrong. From another perspective, this must have looked like a normal text. But this is not how Sherwin talks to her. Sure, he can be very firm, but not cold. She doesn’t feel good.
“Okay, take care.” Risa replied only with that because she didn’t know what else to say. What else do you have to say to someone who just married you because his parents said so?
Sometimes she thinks that if divorce was legalized here, he would’ve divorced her a long time ago. That realization made her stomach drop.
What Risa didn’t know is that Sherwin is outside. On their lawn and staring at their house from his car. He felt the same way Risa felt. But neither of them knew that they were both feeling the same thing — that each of them feels incredibly alone. What Risa didn’t know was that Sherwin had been home since 8pm. He dismissed the maids the moment he got home, and he made dinner for himself and Risa. He noticed that these past few weeks, he’s been very absent from their life. He’s always in Valenzuela, always working and thinking of other people’s needs, not knowing that his wife needed him as well.
So here he is, making dinner, as pambawi. He knows that he doesn’t have any obligation to treat her like a wife. He knows that what they have is just a written agreement of being a husband and a wife, and both of them know that they don’t have to play the part. But somehow, being away, he missed her presence.
He set the table with her favorite china, mellow music, and dim lights. On his way home, he bought her favorite ice cream because he knows that she’s been having a stressful week.
But as he kept on waiting and staring at the door, Risa Gatchalian never came through the door.
He then decided to message her, very worried about her because she never does this. She never leaves him hanging and always keeps him updated.
“Hi, Risa. Pauwi ka na ba?”
He’s been staring at his phone for an hour and no messages from her came through. That’s when he decided to leave and go to a bar. Alone.
He left because the house felt suffocating when it hit him that it doesn’t matter how big of a house you have; when your wife doesn’t come home, it’s not really a home.