In The Name of Love (COMPLETED)

Chapter 39

#ITNOLBothEndsNow

A/N: Hanggang chapter 50 po (excluding the Epilogue) ang In The Name of Love so eleven more to go before we'll end this fanfic! Sorry for the grammatical errors and misspelled words. Thank you, enjoy reading!

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"Good morning Mr. and Mrs. Alcasid..." mahinang tugon ng lawyer sa'ming dalawa. Alam kong hininaan nito ang boses niya just because we're filing for divorce and not compatible anymore with each other. Napaupo kaming dalawa ni Ogie sa magkabilaang dulo ng lamesa ng lawyer. He cleared his throat and spoke again in front of us.

"So, are you somewhat sure about this?" he looked at us seriously.

"Yes." Desidido kong sagot. Ano pa nga bang dapat patagalin? I need to end this mess right now. This will not be hard because we're both high ranged personalities anyway.

"Ikaw Sir?" he asked my husband. For now.

"Y-yes..." mahina niyang sagot. It bugged me but I swiftly threw those bothers away. Walang oras para mag-alala sa kanya. Walang oras para maawa sa kanya. It's now or never.

"Okay, so let's proceed." he got out his folders and started explaining. "Maraming pwedeng grounds ang divorce. In the Philippines, hindi pa ito purely legal but many cases of these are already conducted here. Usually the grounds were adultery, alcoholism, years being separated without consent, bigamy, and being psychologically incapacitated. So as you two are high profile people in this country and your marriage is a secret to everyone, I suggest you must speak out the truth than to act something so that your divorce papers will be approved. Paparazzis may come pero huhupa rin yang mga yan for sure. You guys need to clear out your name by speaking up the truth. So, can I hear the story now and maybe find one solution on how to place it on the prosecution?"

Marahan akong tumango. I was the first to get into that tiny confession room and there, I stated my problem and reason on why I'm going to divorce my husband. Medyo gumaan naman yung loob ko since this lawyer is a complete stranger to me. Ni-reto lang sa'kin to ni Piolo, saying he is such a great lawyer here in the country. He has won many cases and also lost some too but still treasurable.

After we finished talking, tinawag na niya si Ogie para pakinggan rin ang hinaing nito. I hope this lawyer enlightens everything between us and will not insist of not divorcing the both of us. Sana hindi siya maging hadlang sa gusto kong mangyari. Habang may oras pa, habang kaya ko pa, gusto ko naman maging malaya.

Lumabas na silang dalawa ng confrontation room. Discomfort and disappointment enclosed the lawyer's aura. I'm so sure ganyan din naman lahat ng reactions ng mga lawyers after a proper confidement.

"As I talked to the both of you...may valid and solid evidence kayo to file an annulment." he concluded. "Hindi tayo maghihirap na makakuha ng pirma ng judge para mapawalang-bisa ang kasal niyo. I'll just forward this to my prosecutor friend and contact you for the final judgement." he assured us.

"Thank you, Atty." I smiled at him at nakipag-kamay sa kanya habang tumatayo ako.

Agad naman akong lumabas ng silid na iyon at ganun din si Ogie. I never looked back on him while getting out on that office and went straight to my car. Nabigla ako sa ginawa niyang paghila sa braso ko, dahilan na natignan ko siya ng malalim sa mata.

"Ihahatid na kita," he softly trailed off ngunit may katigasan na sabi nito.

"I didn't tell you to," I glared at him. "Bitawan mo ako at pwede bang umalis ka na, ha? Kotang-kota ka na."

He slowly let go of my arms and shook his head. Naglakad na ako papalayo sa kanya at nabigla ako sa sunod niyang sinabi, "Mahal kita."

Mahal kita pero tama na.

Mahal kita pero pagod na akong lumaban mag-isa.

Mahal kita pero...ako muna.

"Regine, kahit na anong mangyari, mahal na mahal kita." I noticed that his voice became so cracked up and he's in the verge of crying. Nakatalikod pa rin ako sa kanya, ayoko siyang tignan na umiiyak. "Even if it means to let you go, I will. Papalayain kita dahil yun ang gusto mo at alam kong dun ka sasaya. Titiisin ko ng wala ka...kahit gano katagal..." I hear sniffs and sobs in the atmosphere, but I chose not to look back.

Nagpatuloy akong maglakad papalayo hanggang sa marating ang kotse ko. Sumakay ako kaagad at natulala nang para bang walang kaluluwang naninirahan sa katawan ko. I just stared out of nowhere, in an empty state of mind. Hindi ko na dapat baguhin ang desisyon ko. I am pushing through this action and there's no chance of changing my mind.

Pinaandar at pinaharurot ko na ang sassakyan ko. Nakadaan ako sa school ni Sarah and saw her standing near the taxi alley. I decided to stop by and made her jump here in my car. Maybe we can have lunch na rin.

"Sarah!" I called her out. I caught her attention and gave me her warmest smile.

"Hi, Ma!" naglakad ito papalapit sa'kin at binuksan ang pinto. "Can I? Lunch tayo!"

"We have the same thought. Anak nga talaga kita." she chuckled as she rode on to my car. She fastened her seatbelt and fixed herself. "How's school?"

"Eto, tinatapos thesis. I'm so drained up Ma." reklamo niya. "Pano mo nalampasan lahat ng to? How the heck did you manage to be the most influential doctor in the Philippines?"

I smiled. "Perseverance is the key."

"Pagod ka na bang maging determinado pagdating kay Dada, Ma?" her tone got so serious, hindi ako sanay na naririnig siyang ganito. Alam ba niya? Does she know what's the recent score between her mother and her stepfather?

"Ha? Hindi kita maintindihan." I chose to be clueless. "Anong ibig mong sabihin?"

"Narinig ko lahat kay Papa. Alam ko ma. Alam ko na nanggaling ka sa kaibigan niyang lawyer because you're filing for divorce with Dada." she trailed off. "Wala na ba talaga ma? Ayaw mo na ba talaga?"

"I'm tired, Sarah. Ayoko na. Witness ka sa mga pinaggagagawa ng stepfather mo sa'kin. Inubos na niya ang pasensya ko. I gave him two chances but he took those for granted. Tama na yun." I briefly said. I'm tired of saying and explaining myself to everybody, can they just simply stay silent and internalize by themselves?

"Mahal mo pa ba siya?" she interrogated me.

Napahinto ko ang sasakyan dahil sa tanong na iyon. "Anong magagawa ng pagmamahal ko para baguhin ang isip niya? Anong magagawa ng putanginang paglunok ko ng pride kung sa huli uulit-ulitin niya pa rin ang mga pangyayaring iyon? Anong magagawa ng pagmamahal ko para mahalin niya rin ako pabalik? Tama na siguro ang pagiging bobo sa loob ng halos labinlimang taon, nak. Tao lang din ako, at pagod na pagod na akong intindihin siya. Mahal ko siya pero hindi ko alam kung saan ako aabutin ng pagmamahal ko sa kanya habang nakikita ko ang sarili ko na sirang-sira na dahil sa pagiging tanga..." I broke down and cried again. I guess my tear-producing glands are all swelled up now dahil halos araw araw na akong umiiyak kakaisip sa mga nangyayari sa buhay ko.

"Ma..." she conforted me and hugged me tightly. "If that's what makes you happy, then do it. Walang pumipigil sayo kasi andito lang kami ni Papa para suportahan ka sa lahat ng desisyon mo. We love you so much that we're considering your own happiness over us." she uttered.

"Alam mo ma, ganyan talaga yan minsan. Napapalayo ka sa taong mahal mo at nakikita mo na lang ang sarili mo na nasa kabilang dulo na ng talampas, making you chose on falling or not. But ma, you shouldn't let yourself fall on your sadness and sorrows. You should keep on walking on land and forget all those regrets to ride on life and still go on. Kailangan mong lumaban, kailangan mong kayanin ulit—hindi na para sa minamahal mo, pero para na sa sarili mo." he uttered those words and it pierced deeply through my heart and soul.