My Boss, My Lawyer, My Husband [COMPLETED]

Chapter 40: In the End (Jeremy)

"Oh alright. Are you really willing to throw out the Atty. Lim's confidence in you for that one silly secretary? That woman is punching above her weight, clearly." Tanong ni Willa sa akin sa telepono. Kakakwento ko pa lang sa kanya sa mga nangyari sa probinsya namin: the kidnapping, the suicide... but I left a few things out.

"How can you be so heartless, Willa? Teka lang, All this time... I was trying to figure out how Mark was able to put the pieces together. Ang dali lang mahanap ng workplace ni Dianne through the firm's website but Amelia's school... oh my God. Did you help Mark find her?" Napasigaw ako sa galit.

"How dare you fucking accuse me, Jeremy!" 

"You are heartless, cruel and spiteful!" 

Pinagbabaan na ako ni Willa ng telepono. 

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"Dianne, we have to go back to Manila." Hinawakan ko ang kamay ni Dianne. Nakatitig siya sa bintana, nakatulala.

Hinimas ko ang kamay ni Dianne at hinawakan ng mas mahigpit.

"We have to go back." Ulit ko.

"Para saan pa?"

"Sa atin. We have to get our life back."

"Jeremy, basurang basura ako." Nagsimulang umiyak si Dianne.

Niyakap ko siya ng mahigpit.

"Hinding hindi ka naging basura, Dianne. Nothing has changed, in my eyes."

"Jeremy... ginusto ko yun..."

Sa huli, nakumbinse ko si Dianne na bumalik si Alabang. Naintindihan ng mga partners sa firm ang kalagayan namin. 

Nakumbinse kong magpa-counseling kami. Hindi biro ang makidnap at matutukan ng baril ng taong dati mong minahal. Mabuting tao si Dianne. Kahit pilit niyang ibinaon ang pagmamahal niya kay Mark, dahil sa matinding pananakit na inabot ni Dianne sa kanya, hindi nawala ito. 

Stockholm Syndrome.

Hanggang ngayon, hindi pa rin nawawala ang awa ni Dianne kay Mark...

In her mind, kawawa si Mark, at hindi nararapat na kagalitan niya, sa kabila ng mga pangyayari.

Galit na galit pa rin ako kay Mark. Oo, nakita kong sumabog ang utak niya sa harap ko. I've seen his life expire before my eyes. One moment, he was crying and wailing in front of me at ako ang tinututukan niya ng baril. Handang handa na ako mamatay, right then and there but things turned around. He shot himself instead.

Putang ina! Putang ina talaga!

My mind was racing, even before the mind-blasting incident.

Special complex crime of kidnapping and serious illegal detention with rape.

He pointed a gun at me: grave threats...

probably... murder.

Ngayon, wala na... he got off easy: total extinction of criminal liability.

But, I am confident that Dianne and I will get through this. Love conquers all: I strongly believe in that. Kagaya ng pagmamahal niya kay Mark na eventually, naging awa, I don't think Dianne will ever lose her feelings for me. All that is left that we have to deal with, is her feelings of inadequacy. I assure her every single day that I love her. She means the world to me. Ang alaala ni Mark ay isang bahid na lamang ng nakaraan, na kung hindi man maibabaon, ay matatanggap namin ng buong buo.

We are fighting. We continue fighting...

(Last chapter and epilogue to be uploaded early June 2018)