" Love Untitled " ~ The Road Home ~ BOOK SIX

Prologue

" It's impossible to find someone who never hurts you. So, go for the one who's worth the pain. "

i...

It has been three straight days that Psyche left him. It was his darkest days, he was totally lost, he didn't know on what to really do without her. It was the beginning of the year, yet, he can't figure out how to start life with the thought that he pushed his wife away from him, denied her of the chance in explaining herself, when he could have done better than that. It was simply depressing, he was wrecked. Then he thought, Is he really willing to swallow the idea that the woman who he married plotted on crippling his life? Breaking his heart? Ruining everything about him? Is he ready to risk it, when there was no guarantee if she has still personal grudges against his family? Even if it would mean a heartbreak? The answer is YES. Hell, fvcking yes. He'll even press the repeat button. Would do it in a heartbeat, if that would mean Psyche staying... if that would mean seeing her again... if that would mean holding her again, he'd do it. Over and over again. He'd do it.

Richard Armani was left with no choice but to tell his family the truth. Why he had been hell-bent searching for Psyche and why was she missing in action for a few days. Madame O.J blamed Ellery for it, while his brother didn't say a word. He was nodding and absorbing the words the whole time he was giving them the details. He didn't give a damn though whatever their opinion might be. He came to a conclusion that his wife was the victim of bullying and the most hurting part of it was he hurt her too in the end. Psyche didn't have a solid family in the metro. She had been far away from her relatives and had become independent at an early age. Strong woman. He married a very strong woman. For a few, uninterrupted days, he had been searching for clues, for possible traces that would lead him into seeing his wife again. Joei can't be found as well. Their animal institution was temporarily being handled by another volunteer. It was like both of the women disappeared without the hint of where they went. His last resort was Phyton. That part was hopeless. He's a freaking, professional hacker and he can erase his footprints, Richard Armani can't locate his physical address. He even assumed that he also altered the two women's disappearance. Phyton Remulla can do that. What he doesn't understand was the fact that he can't detect how Psyche and Joei made their exit. There was no indication of their activities in all forms or so. May it be through bus terminals, via plane or ship. He used his damnsht money and it was useless. This was the most crucial time that he needed for it to work for his convenience, yet it cannot even follow where the hell did his wife go. It was as if Psyche Saavedra didn't exist at all. Gahd. It was the most damaging feeling of all.

Richard Armani drowned himself all day to a long neck whiskey again. His mother and brother had been freaking worried about him, but nothing and no one can penetrate within his walls. They have been calling him on his phone. He wasn't picking up. He was by then seated behind his working desk located in the Library of his condominium. He was done putting Benedict to sleep, told him that his mother needed to be somewhere else. His son openly cried at him, accusing him that he didn't let him say his farewell to Mrs Potts and that he misses her already. While Benedict was crying hard, and this was the first time he did that because he didn't when his biological parents died, Richard Armani wished he could do the same. He embraced his son tightly, he wished he could tell the kid the truth that he's never seeing Mrs Potts again. That these things were happening just because he asked her to leave him. And now... he regretted that. Richard Armani drank the whiskey straight, just after he sent a letter to the office of the CEO that he's taking a one month leave. It didn't take a minute and Rafa Armand replied - APPROVED. In his brother's silence, Richard Armani knew that the other guy understood. He sighed out loud and thought, 'How is he going to even start searching for his wife? And if he isn't successful, how's he going to spend his corporate leave doing nothing without Psyche in his life?'. He shook his head, massaged his neck. If it is going to take to turn this planet upside down, he'll fvcking do it. He'll get his Psyche back. He'll beg. He'll crawl. Whatever it takes to get his wife back. Richard Armani eyed his glassed desk and wondered where he'd put his cellphone. If Psyche's here, she'll know where. She had always been reminding him about his valuables. He thought of giving his brother a call to make them stop from worrying. He eyed the lower cabinets and assumed that he placed his mobile somewhere in there. He opened the lowest cabinet and pulled it. He froze because it was supposed to be empty, but someone placed an average size envelope there and he can't remember himself transferring his folders in his condominium. Richard Armani pulled the envelope and pulled its ribbon. He then realized that there was a small card attached to it and it read - Happy Birthday, Sweetdreams. Richard Armani's eyes widened, his heartbeat drummed a hundred times against his chest, he immediately recognized Psyche's handwriting. Quickly, like every fiber in his system came alive, resurrected from the day it died, he opened and pulled out the two items in it. First being was a hard copy of Psyche's Ultrasound Scan, showing the baby's tiny formed head, body, while it looked like it was inside a liquid sack. Richard Armani's jaw clenched. He had never wanted to weep more than that day seeing his own child's first picture. His first born. He swallowed hard and thought that if he only listened to his wife that day, they could be spending the last three days shopping for their baby and they could turn the room nearest to Benedict's into a nursery room. He even accused her of not owning the baby. Richard Armani brushed his face with a hand and sighed out loud. Shit. This is just too much. He had denied himself of being a father to the woman he wanted to be with for as long as life is in them. He honestly didn't know how long was he looking at the picture, but his attention was caught by the last item wrapped in a purple casing. When he pulled it out from the velvet cloth and figured out it was a compact disc, Richard Armani quickly stood and played it to the DVD player attached to the large, flat screen TV on the wall. He stood in front of it, as he waited for it to play. He can't afford to sit down and watch. Anything that has to do with Psyche gets the best of him. He felt cold and nervous at the same time, he was swallowing hard while waiting for the CD to play. It was for a few seconds when the screen began moving, as it preludes with their wedding song 'Ikaw Na Nga' by Daryl Ong. Richard Armani froze as he watched a scene on the TV, as his wife was being in a video shoot, hours before their wedding in a hotel and she was still in a bathrobe, getting dolled up by her makeup artist.