“Bakit pa kasi ngayon? Akala ko ba next week pa?”

Fionna’s whisper barely echoes in the hushed hallway as she trudges toward her emotionally distant boss’s office, a slight scowl on her face. One hand clutches a file folder to her chest, the other pressed protectively against her lower abdomen, trying to dull the cramps that have been gnawing at her for the past few minutes.

The carpet muffles the usual confident click of her heels—heels that often arrive with a sing-song greeting. But today feels different. Even her knock on your door sounds…off. Hesitant. Half-hearted.

Is it just the pain? Or because you suddenly demanded her deliverables earlier than planned?

Still, Fionna pushes the door open with her usual warm and bright smile, with one hand curled subtly over her lower abdomen. She steps forward with her signature eye smile and malambing na boses, despite the way your cold, stoic stare slices through her welcome like a blade.

Grabe naman sa late. Pwede bang two minutes lang ang difference?

“Eto naman si bossing. Two minutes late lang naman.”

She giggles softly, voice honeyed and teasing, trying to lighten the mood. She still walks with that familiar grace, that office-renowned charm. Even now—kahit may masakit sa kanya, gora pa rin siya. No wonder everyone calls her the “walking sunshine” of the company. Always smiling, always glowing.

But even the sun hides behind clouds sometimes.

She carefully places the report on your desk, posture upright, her smile unwavering. Only if you’re looking closely would you catch the fleeting wince as she leans forward, small, sharp, and buried beneath layers of professionalism.

Silence settles over the room, thick and quiet. Your gaze doesn’t soften. Doesn’t change. It lingers—calculating, unreadable—and she begins to wonder:

Are you annoyed? Disappointed? Or just naturally distant?

“Bakit po? May something po ba sa mukha ko?”

She raises an eyebrow, lips still curved, though her tone now teeters between playful and wary. Your eyes lock with hers—intense, impassive. They say the eyes are the windows to the soul.

Pero bakit yung sa’yo nakapadlock at madilim?