Hindi malaman ni Michelle kung sino ang unang pagtutuunan ng pansin—kung si Zenith ba na maaaring puntahan sa loob ang kanilang anak? From the way he reacted upon seeing Adam, he definitely put two and two together. Why couldn't he? Their child was his father's spitting image—o si Adam na maaaring madapa sa paghabol kay Snowy?
From the corner of her eye, nakita niyang pinigilan ni Lester ang tangkang paglapit ni Zenith sa kaniya. Michelle immediately followed her son inside their home. Kahit nasa loob na ng kanilang tahanan ay naririnig pa niya ang pagwawala nito.
"Donna, pakipasok sa kwarto niya si Aya," she instructed her son's nanny.
"Michelle! Harapin mo ako! Mag-usap tayo!" Zenith said in a loud voice.
"Get your hands off me, you bastard!" Narinig niyang angil ni Zenith.
From the tone of Zenith's voice, she was sure nakikipagbuno ito sa kanilang security team. Lumabas siyang muli papuntang playground area. Ayaw niyang makabulahaw ng kapitbahay at gumawa ito ng eksena sa pamamahay nila.
"Lester, Gerry, please let him go." She could see the confusion on their faces. Tinanguan niya ang mga ito bago binitiwan ng kanilang security staff, but they still blocked his way.
Nang akmang lalapit sa kaniya si Zenith ay pinigilan ito sa dibdib ni Gerry. Nagsukatan ng tingin ang mga ito. Before everything would escalate ay inagaw na niya ang atensyon nito.
"Mr. Sujuico, you may talk to me from where you are standing. Do not create a scene here. Our men are just following my brother-in-law's directive."
Michelle saw how his face turned softly as he faced her. "Is h-he our son?"
She stood straight and intertwined her fingers to calm her down. Matatag na sinalubong ni Michelle ang tanong ng dating asawa na may halong pagtatampo, akusasyon, at panibugho.
"Yes. He is Adam Mattheus, four months over three years of age."
She saw how his eyes mellowed down, pain and anguish were evident while Zenith was staring back at her.
"As a sign of respect, you deserve to know the truth. Yes, I am verifying your hunch." She heaved a sigh.
"Adam or we fondly call him Aya is our son. I learned about him when I and Jorge were already married for a week," she lied. A month after the Singapore trip, she knew the symptoms.
"Why didn't you tell me about it?" Ang boses nito ay may halong pait, lungkot, may himig ng galit, at disappointment.
"I have no obligation of explaining everything to you, Mr. Sujuico. Just so you know, my son already has a father, you have a child with your wife to take care of." Nakita niya ang unti-unting pagpapalit ng ekspresyon nito sa mukha.
"We were shocked. How could I be pregnant that easily? We went to the doctors and we learned he was going five months already." She steadied herself. Kahit na wala na siyang nararamdamang pagmamahal dito, only Zenith could affect her this way.
"I know you felt betrayed and fooled, but what's the use of telling you at that time? Everything was already under the bridge. No need to disrupt the status quo" she further explained.
"Do you know what I am feeling right now? I am deprived of my rights as his father! I missed a lot of milestones in his life, Michelle! I was never by his side to assure him if he was crying. Helped him get back up every time he fell while walking, and I was not there to feed him, teach him, and be there by his side while learning about the world. Michelle, I was not even given a chance to be a father. I was never given the chance to be there!"
BINABASA MO ANG
A Sinful Forbidden Affair
RomanceEra has been in a relationship with Vernon for more than a decade. They met each other when they were still young, and both dreamt of a bright future together. They committed to love each other despite whatever challenges life may brough them. Year...
