Goodbye To Love

xxiii

Third Person

Greggy and Irene's relationship in one word?

Smooth.

It has been weeks since Greggy met Irene's father. It was everything but terrifying. He had a great time and Ferdinand liked him for his daughter.

Even though their companies are rivals, he was delighted that Greggy was looking out for his daughter, Irene.

But since then, Greggy started to get distant. Always having an excuse to not be there for Irene. And Irene... Well, understood.

What else could she do but understand that Gregorio is a busy, busy man.

Now that he handles both Araneta Group of Companies and now an executive board member of the biggest telecommunication service, he had little to no time to being with Irene.

But she doubts that this was the reason. She knew that there is really something wrong.

And no matter how many times she questioned this, his answer remains the same. "It's nothing." He said. Every time.

She already gave all she has, her time, her effort, her attention, her everything. But maybe, her everything wasn't enough?

Thousands of thoughts were running on her head making her zone out inside her office. Her face frowned as her mind ran.

Unknowingly, a figure went inside her office and headed towards the front of her desk.

"Iya... You look like you're going to kill someone." A voice rang out on the silent room.

She immediately snapped out of her thoughts as a figure stood before her. Her eyes trailed up to see the face and how her heart leaped out as she knew who it was.

"Danny!" She jumped and embraced him, "Oh my gosh! You're back! Kailan pa? Why didn't you tell me?" She withdrew from the hug and hit his chest.

Danny, or Daniel, was her close friend who migrated to Australia to pursue his career on being a pilot. Though she was way younger than him, their friendship clicked as soon as they were introduced to each other.

"Kalma..." He chuckled and patted her head, "You grew..." He smiled as she rolled her eyes at him. "If you're just going to tease me, sana hindi ka na lang bumalik." She crossed her arms.

He ruffled her hair and and smirked, "Pikonin ka pa rin, ah. Maybe that's why you don't have a boyfriend, noh?"

Irene scoffed, "I have a boyfriend." She shared, "And he's lucky to have me thank you very much." She rolled her eyes.

"Hmm... May boyfriend ka na?" He said as he poured himself a glass of scotch. "Sino?" He asked.

They both heard a knock on the door, Irene stood and opened the door, "He's here." She announced and Greggy emerged from the hallways and unto Irene's office.

Daniel turned around and saw him.

"Gregorio." He uttered, bitterness in his voice. "Daniel." Greggy hardened his jaw.

Irene frowned at this and looked at Greggy and Danny back and forth, "Magkakakilala kayo?" She questioned as she closed the door.

"Oh... Danny's my... best friend." He faked a smile. "Correction... Ex-best friend." He corrected himself as his eyes looked at Danny.

"Oh come on, Greggy boy... You have a girlfriend now... Bakit parang galit ka pa rin sa'kin?" Danny smirked and stirred his drink.

"What? Huh? Naguguluhan ako. Best friend?" Irene felt so lost as she stood in between them.

Danny smiled at her and back to Greggy, "Iya, darling... Don't you know your boyfriend was the coolest guy in school?" Danny and Greggy stared at each other.

"Don't start it, Daniel." Greggy gritted through his teeth. "No." Irene looked at Greggy then to Danny, "What are you saying?" She asked.

Danny scoffed, "Didn't you know Greggy's already a father?" He chuckled. "Sino nga yun Greggy? Olive? Olivia? Ah yes, Olivia!" He snapped his fingers.

Irene looked at Greggy, not knowing how to react. "O...Olivia?" She managed to say. "The one your mother was talking about?" She bit her lip. "Yung...yung taong ikakasal sana sa'yo?"

"Let me explain, Iya..." Greggy reached out for her hand but she was quick enough to move backward. "Don't listen to him. He doesn't know what he's talking about." He hissed.

Daniel chuckled at this and sipped on his alcohol, "Oh, but I know... I talked to Olivia." He smirked.

Irene then gazed at Daniel, "You know her?" She frowned. Danny nodded at her, "Of course... She's also a very goof friend of mine." He smiled.

Irene then looked at Greggy, "Totoo ba?" She asked again.

"Totoong totoo... What would be the reason Olivia wants to push through the wedding diba?" Daniel intervened. "Shut the hell up, Daniel." Greggy glared.

Daniel shrugged, "I'm just telling her the truth, Gregorio... No need to be so defensive about it." He smirked.

Greggy looked at Daniel who was grinning from ear to ear. As though everything else disappeared, his fist lunged at Daniel's face and all he knew was that they were now on each other's throats.

"Tama na!" Irene shouted, "Tama na nga!" She tried her best to get in between them but they were both far too strong.

She then reached for the glass Danny was using and threw it on the floor between them. Teeny little glasses shattered and scattered on the floor. The sound of the glass breaking made Greggy and Daniel pull back and looked at Irene.

"Get out." She hardened her jaw and looked at Daniel. He was stunned by this and was about to say something but if Irene's eyes could kill, he would've be. So he looked at Greggy for a moment and walked passed through him.

Irene's eyes then went to Greggy, "Get out." Her teeth gritted.

Greggy's eyebrows furrowed, "Iya, please... Let me explain first... It's not what you think..." He tried to explain.

She remained silent as she didn't want to to hurt him with her words. He stepped forward, "It's not yet sure, mour..." She flinched on what he called her.

"Not sure? So may nangyari nga?" She breathed out at this. Her breathing fastened.

He bit his lip, "The child is already a year old... Hindi nila gustong magpa-test. They're thinking I'm denying the child..." He looked at her. "Give me time... I'll show you that hindi ako ang ama ng bata... We were both drunk that time..." He reasoned out.

"Wala pang tayo nung may nangyari yan?" She asked and he shook his head. "I... I already took you to lola and lolo..." He looked down.

"Okay." Her eyes glistened through the rays of light as she felt herself wanting to cry. "Get out, please." She begged.

Greggy's shoulders dropped at the tone of her voice, so he swallowed a lump on his throat, looked at Irene once again, and head his way out of her office.

There stood Irene. Alone. Alone and Confused. She looked at the glass that was shattered on the floor and how it looked like her heart being torn to pieces of what she just discovered.

Slowly, she felt herself go down to the flood and her tears fell from her eyes. She held on to the side table as she cried her eyes out.

How... how could he do this to me?

She sobbed. The office began to feel so small that it suffocated her. She reached out at the top of the table and pressed a button on her telephone that would ring Imee.

She sat there, crying her heart out.

How cruel could love be?

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