The Unwanted Marriage

TUM - 36

"Joshua.." Cali smiled nervously and held Joshua's hand in the table, pero agad itong inalis na Joshua at sinamaan siya ng tingin.

"I'm not here for this Cali, I just to remind you that I'm already married, I'm forming my own family, please lang tigilan mo na ako," He said while gritting his teeth.

"H-Huh? Y-You're married? H-How about your promises? When we were in high school? Joshua," Pilit niyang inaabot ang kamay niya but Joshua rolled his eyes on her.

"Y-You said you're going to marry me! That's why I think na hindi mo naman talaga mahal si Grace at babalik ka rin sa akin?! Joshua you promised!" Her tears flows down as Joshua stared at her.

The room is dim, at silang dalawa lang ang nasa loob, Denise is listening from outside dahil siya mismo ang nag dala kay Cali para makausap siya ni Joshua.

"Yes. I do promised, but what did you do? After we graduated in college, you said I don't have a chance for you, I can't even believe that, I waited for you since high school Cali, but what did you do? You pushed me away while I'm longing for your love and attention, now. You're ruining my life?" He scoffed and frowned.

"Wag na wag mong lalapitan si bea, she is my WIFE."

"I love you for many years Cali... I really do. But pushing me away from you is too much, you lied to me that I got you pregnant that's why Grace and I broke up, ngayong kasal na ako mag papakita ka sa asawa ko at mag sisinungaling na pakakasalan kita? Wow. You're really shameless aren't you?"

Cali's head lowered and bit her lower lip while looking at her legs. She wiped her tears and smiled at Joshua while she is still fooling herself.

"I-I'm sorry.." She sniffed and lowered her head. "I-I'm really sorry.. Shua.." Denise opened the door slightly to look at her. She shook her head and closed the door again.

"M-Mom died last week. Dad is still in the prison. I-I think I-Im just crazy to have you I'm s-so sorry.." Joshua looked at her and gave her a handkerchief.

"Wipe your tears," Her hands is shaking and Joshua saw a lot of bruises and cuts in it. "D-Don't worry about this, I-I'm fine,"

A long minutes had past at walang nag sasalita sa dalawa. Cali was about to say something but Joshua opened his mouth.

"I want you to be strong, Cali you need to fix yourself. You.." He stopped and stared at her. "You really look different.."

Cali's life went so rough after Grace's win. Her mom was forcefully removed from the directors, Her dad was imprisoned because of estafa, now her mom died last week because of leukemia, at hindi siya pinapayagan na mag punta sa kulungan ng papa niya para makita ito.

She's living with Denise, she adopted her like a friend, like a sister, kahit na marami siyang kasalanang nagawa sa pamilya nila. She is a former assistant of Denise, pero hindi niya 'yon tinuloy dahil alam niyang matalino si Cali at matutulungan siya nito.

Denise saw her life turned up side down, even though denise is sometimes evil, but she thinks it's just her mechanism to protect her soft heart.

"Denise is helping me.. Grace wants me to throw away, but denise told her to give me a chance so they will not remove my licenses." She smiled painfully while holding Joshua's handkerchief.

"I.. I stopped studying I work now because no one's gonna help me for my expenses.."

"Do you need a wor—" Joshua can't continue her words when Cali continued hers. "When I saw your wife, she look so respectfully and beautiful that day,"

"It pains me so much that all of your women are very beautiful, I was intimidated by Grace at first. Now I saw your wife, It feels like I'm the ugliest person in the world." She laughed and sniffed.

"S-She is pretty right?" Cali can saw in Joshua's face he is blushing. "Yeah, she really is.."

"Joshua?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you for choosing your lovely wife, I'm sorry for Grace, I'm sorry for everything I've done. Thank you for talking to me. Thank you for keep rejecting me. I promise for you and I, I'll change and I'll make sure pag nag kita tayo ulit. I can be your friend again.. " Finally her gummy smiled shows again.

"Just FRIEND okay? I'm married." He jokes and they both laughed.

"That's true, I'm really shameless, but I'm a changed person, I'll seek some help, thank you Josh.." He stood up and also her to hug each other.

"Thank you for letting me go Cali.." He whispered to her.

"Thank you for rejecting me.. Shua."

Joshua is the first one who left and Cali stares at the shut door shutting down her eyes as her chest clamped.

She sat down again and clenched her hands into her chest. She didn't know that the door opened and denise entered the cold dark room.

"Didn't I told you that big girls don't cry? Aren't I?"

She slowly walk towards to her and tapped her back. "Having a bad day, doesn't mean you're having a bad life.." Denise smiled.

"I-It hurts so much!" She cried on her shoulders. Denise knows that Cali is still in love with him.

"Just. Cry, crying is not a sin, feeling in pain is not a sin, you don't need to stop yourself when you're hurting.. Just cry.. The pain will fade someday.." Denise tilted her head and looked up to see stars.

The brightest one. Jillian.

"I was hurt, I was you. And you will be better." She looked up to see Denise's face, she wiped Cali's tears and smiled.

"Maybe not today, but I know, you will be better someday.."

"Thank you so much denise.."

"You don't need to thank me. I'm everyone's protector."