Separated

Chapter 1

"Alden Richards?"

He turns. He was making his way through the network lobby to get to the elevators when this gentleman calls his screen name. The man looked young, fresh out of college, and was nervously holding out an envelope for him.

"Yes?" Alden asked.

"I've been asked to send this to you po. It's from Ms. Mendoza's lawyers. We're inviting you to a meeting before the case goes to court. She's filing for an annulment."

Eighteen months of nothing and now this. It pained him to hear that she wanted out, but he was not going down without a fight.

For years before they got married, he had been doubted – he was just acting, he didn't really like Maine, he was keeping someone else, he was in love with someone else... He took all of that quietly but he fought for them.

Alden never thought that he would ever be fighting Maine on something this big, but he would.

A week later, he and his lawyers arrived at the meeting room where her lawyers held office. Floor to ceiling glass windows showed a beautiful 360 view of the city currently basking under blue skies.

Everything indoors seemed to be black, white, silver and grey. Maine's two lawyers entered the room, more people in black suits, then he saw her. She was a vision in a red short dress, her hair hanging loose behind her and he got a whiff of her perfume as she passed by.

He held onto the back seat of on of the chairs to keep his balance. He almost lost his resolve because he would still do anything for this woman.

"No annulment." Alden said as soon as everyone was seated.

"Rj, please. Hear me out," Maine begged.

"No, I've left you alone all this time because you wanted me to, but this I cannot accept. I am not agreeing to an annulment."

One of the lawyers spoke up, "Sir, we have a proposal. We won't put the blame on you, our client will take all the responsibility needed to push through. We can even have press releases to absolve you of any fault in the breakdown of the marriage."

"I don't care about the press. I care about saving my marriage." Alden informed him.

Maine's eyes widened. "Saving the marriage?"

Alden ignored her for the time being because he knew if he paid too much attention to her now, he would be begging for her in no time and he didn't trust that he could keep his tears at bay for much longer.

"I've consulted with my lawyers. You have no grounds to push this. Don't even plan to use the defense that the marriage was not consummated."

Maine blushed furiously and Alden smirked, purposely baiting her on that one.

"Ahem, excuse me, Sir. We plan to use the psychological incapacity –"

"She's not psychologically incapable." Alden reprimanded her lawyers. "And I don't want anything on record that says that lie." He turns to Maine. "If you can no longer stand to be with me, fine, I won't force you. I will agree to a legal separation."

"But we can't get married again to other people if we do that." Maine said.

"I don't want to marry anyone else. I married the only person I wanted to be with and I have no intention of breaking that promise I made." He paused. "May gusto ka na bang pakasalan na iba?"

"No, it's not that. I – I really just wanted to fix things na. I left more than a year ago, it's not fair to keep you tied to me."

"My definition of 'fixing things' is making this marriage work."

"But I hurt you."

"You did and you are."

"So don't you want to end this na?"

"Didn't you hear me the first time that I wanted this marriage to work?" He wanted to say something more but he knew she was not ready for that so he would defer for now.

"I'm sorry I hurt you. I – I never wanted that."

"I want to try marriage counseling."

"What?"

One of his lawyers explained to her what he was suggesting. Weekly sessions with a psychologist, with a non-disclosure agreement, for about 6 months to one year; they would have couple sessions and individual sessions and hopefully understand the mess they were currently in.

"If I agree to this, would you agree to an annulment if we can't work it out?" Maine asked.

Alden took a deep breath. "I agree to discuss it. I'm still very much against it."

"Okay. Agreed. I'll go with you."

"Good. Attorneys, I think we would just contact you guys again if necessary." Alden said to the lawyers.

"Okay po, Mr. Faulkerson. Thank you and good luck to you and Ms. Mendoza."

Alden shook their hands. "It's Mr. and Mrs. Faulkerson."