Young and Married

Chapter LIV

Chapter LIV

"Let him in."

"Yes, Ma'am." kaagad na sabi ng aking secretary sa aking utos.

Nanatili ang aking mata sa screen ng aking computer para inaasikasong sales habang hinihintay ang bisita na pumasok. Wala pang ilang minuto nang pumasok si Anthony karga ang si Adea. I smiled upon seeing them.

"Hi, baby!" bati ko sabay halik sa pisngi ni Adea. Humagikhik ito at yumakap sa akin. Natawa ako kung kaya kinarga ko ito.

Tumawa din si Antony nang kinarga ko si Adea. Ngumiti ito sa akin at bahagyang sumulyap sa table ko. He smiled upon seeing something on my table, that's why I looked at my table too. I saw my vase with white roses in it.

"He's still sending you flowers?" tanong ni Antony.

"Every single day." I smiled at him. Tumango siya at bumaling sa kanyang anak na ngayon ay isang taong gulang na.

Something unexpected happened last year. He saw Adea lying in front of the gates of his house in a basket on cold night. He took her in and when people started to notice their resemblance, he took a DNA test and it came out positive. Adea is her biological daughter. Her mother is a mystery to us.

Antony is passionate about Adea. Mula noon ay tutok na tutok ito sa kanyang nag-iisang anak. Kaya tuwing bumibisita siya dito sa opisina ay madalas niyang kasama ang kanyang magandang anak.

"How's the twins? Hindi mo yata sila sinama ngayon dito?" tanong nito.

"Masyadong madaming gagawin, hindi ko sila matututukan." umupo ako sa aking swivel chair habang karga si Adea.

"That's disappointed. Adea is looking forward to play with them." umupo ito sa harapan ng aking table habang nakatingin sa anak.

"Are you really planning to leave?" nalulungkot kong sabi habang nakatingin kay Adea. I will miss this beautiful child. Such a sweet little girl.

"Yes, it's better this way. Baka mamaya ay biglang sumulpot ang nanay ni Adea para kuhanin ang anak ko. Doon muna kami sa ibang bansa habang hindi pa tapos ang settlement ng custodial rights ko kay Adea. Mahirap na."

"You can marry her mother if she suddenly appear. It's better that way." ngisi ko dito.

Umiling siya sa akin. "You know who I love, right?" nangingiti niyang tanong. "You're missing everything, Paige. Sabi ko naman sayo, kalimutan mo na ang asawa mo at magtanan na tayo." biro nito.

"Don't talk that way, Antony. May I remind you that everything has changed when Adea came into the picture?" I said.

Tumawa siya sa aking naging sagot. Natapos ang kanyang maikling dalaw upang dalhin sa bahay si Adea dahil gusto nitong makipaglaro sa kambal. Day off ngayon ni Antony at tuwing day off nito ay nakaschedule na ang bonding ng mga bata kasama si Ex at ang kambal. Nasa ibang bansa na kasi si Leah at tingin ko ay doon na nito balak manirahan.

"Ma'am, may bisita po ulit kayo." ani ng aking secretary.

Lumingon ako dito mula sa pag-aayos ng aking gamit. Balak kong umuwi ng bahay ng maaga dahil bibisita sina Mommy at Daddy sa bahay.

"Who is it?" taka kong tanong.

"Hi, Paige." mula pinto ay lumabas si Emmy. She is wearing a maxi dress and her stomach is protruding. She smiled at me. I somehow feel weird when I realized how genuine her smile is. "I know you're surprise, but can we talk?" tanong nito.

Tumingin sa akin ang aking secretary. Ang iba ko pang staff ay nakatingin sa amin.

"Not here." I said. Tumango siya at ngumiti.

Lumabas kami at nagpunta sa isang pribadong restaurant. Pagkatapos naming kumuha ng order ay ilang saglit kaming nanatiling tahimik.

"How are you?" umpisa ni Emmy.

I awkwardly smiled. "I'm doing very good." I answered.

Tumango siya at ngumiti sa akin. She held her stomach.

"I'm here to ask for your forgiveness. Alam kong walang kapatawaran ang ginawa ko at alam kong sobrang laki ng nasira ko, lalo na sa pamilya mo. I know that I don't have any rights to talk to you after all that I have done but I'm really, really sorry, Paige. " she looked at me with sincerity. "What I did was wrong. If I can only take full responsibility of what happened, I will. If I can only pay for it, I will." yumuko siya at nanginig ang kanyang balikat, tanda na umiiyak ito.

"I'm so evil, Paige. I can't even look at myself in the mirror without remembering what I did to you and to your family. I am ashamed of myself. I'm very sorry." buong lakas loob niyang pinilit na tumingin sa akin habang humihingi ng tawad upang ipakita sa aking ang kanyang sinseridad. "I don't regret any of my decision, Paige. But I regret the consequences. Kung hindi ko ginawa ang mga iyon ay hindi ko makikilala si Jeffrey at hindi ako mabibiyayaan ng biyayang akala ko ay hindi ko na makakamtan." anito habang nakahawak sa kanyang tiyan.

"I know that you deserve that whole truth so I'm here to tell you nothing but the truth." seryoso nitong sabi. "Four years ago, tumawag si Clinton kay Zack. I was nearby so I overheard their conversation. Clinton told Zack about what happened to you. That Mike attacked you and you and your children were in a critical condition. So Zack being Zack, he rushed to the nearest port. Sumunod ako kay Zack. Something unexpected happened. The ship sank because it's overloaded and there has been some engine failure. Sumakay si Zack sa Davao dahil matagal pa ang pag-alis ng sunod barko. Kaya siguro nang lumubog iyon ay hindi niyo naisip na isa kami ni Zack sa mga naroon. We survived and we were brought to the same hospital. He was on comma for one year, I financed for him." she smiled sadly.

"I didn't told anyone about it. I changed our identity. When he woke up, he can't remember anything. He wasn't able to move because half of his body were paralyzed. It took him another year to fully recover. He wasn't trusting at first kahit pa ako ang kasama niya araw-araw. But eventually, he believed every story I told him. After another year, we decided to come here to visit my family. You two met again and technically, the chaos begun."

"Nang makaalala siya, galit na galit siya sa akin. I fooled him, I lied to him and it was my fault. Nawala kayo sa kanya and he blamed me. I was so hurt. I just lost our baby. Nagkaroon pa ng findings ang doctor na hindi na ako magkakaanak pa. I was devastated. Then it sank into me. Maybe I was being punished for being so evil and selfish. I apologized to Zack, he didn't say that he forgave but he didn't said anything. Then I met Jeffrey, I got pregnant. And I realized that I have to ask for your forgiveness. I want you to know that I am really, really sorry, Paige. You don't have to forgive me, I just want you to know that I am sorry." she said sadly.

"I always pray for your happiness Paige. I always pray for your family. I want you to be happy, Paige. I genuinely do."