'Til I Found You (COMPLETED)

42

He leaves the town that night, the echoes of his argument with Lea ringing in his ears. Every mile he drives away from them feels like a physical weight pulling at his chest, a heavy, suffocating load that settles deep in his bones. He understands her worries—the fear of a complicated life and the sting of his long absence—but knowing her reasons doesn’t make walking away any easier. At that juncture, he knows there is no other choice, yet every instinct screams at him to stay. He never wanted to leave their side again, but the world around them is a storm he has yet to calm.

In the first few weeks, Aga phones Lea incessantly, his thumb hovering over the call button in a desperate ritual. She never answers. Not once. As days turn into months, the silence becomes a deafening roar. He feels himself sinking into the quiet, his spirit dampened by the distance. At random nights, when the suite feels too large and too empty, he reminisces about their fleeting moments of togetherness. Eli’s laughter—bright and mocking whenever he stumbled over a wrong answer to one of her questions—echoes through the hallways of his mind. He can still hear Lea’s soft giggles, a sound that used to anchor him. He misses them with an ache that is almost physical. Every move he makes, every legal maneuver he plots, is fueled by the singular hope of fixing the wreckage and coming home to them. They aren't just his family; they are his life.

The annulment, however, is far from the smooth sailing he had hoped for. Luisa was adamant at first, her defiance written in the sharp set of her jaw. She appeared in court for the initial hearing, her presence a silent, chilling protest, but she failed to show for any of the subsequent dates. Her calculated absence has dragged the process into a sluggish, agonizing state of limbo.

Aga realizes then that Luisa won't go easy on him; she is content to let him rot in the waiting room of their dead marriage. But he is done playing defense. He is willing to risk whatever it takes to accelerate the process, even if it means scorched earth. To force her hand, he begins to add fuel to the fire, unearthing the very secrets that would surely blow up Luisa’s carefully constructed world. He is no longer just fighting for a signature; he is fighting for his freedom.

The tension finally snaps. Luisa storms into his office, the door slamming against the wall as she vents her fury. "Aga, this is ours to solve! Hindi mo kailangang idamay si dad dito! I know what you did!"

He doesn't even look up from his desk at first, leaning back with a cold, triumphant smirk. "I’ve only just begun, Luisa. Tama ka. This is ours to solve and you know exactly what I want. Don’t make things even more complicated than they already are."

"Wala ka na ba talagang konsensiyang natitira, Aga?!" she cries out, her voice cracking. "Alli doesn’t want to go back to school. She wants to see you! Kahit naman hindi siya sayo, she grew up knowing you are her father!"

"And it’s because of you! Wag mo isisi sakin to, Luisa," Aga roars, rising from his chair as he finally vents his bottled-up frustrations. "Hindi ako ang nagsinungaling! Kung meron man dito ang walang konsensiya, ikaw yun! I can ruin your family, but I hope we won’t get that far. All I am asking for is your cooperation. Kailangan ako ng mag-ina ko. I’ve spent twelve years believing in your lies! Kung may natitira pang konsensiya sayo, tapusin na natin to!"

Luisa freezes, the sheer persistence in his eyes cutting through her defenses. For the first time, she truly sees the wreckage she caused the day she hid the truth. Remorse begins to flourish, heavy and bitter. She thinks of Alli, still incognizant of the storm, and she remembers Lea’s sharp words. She realizes she has never been tough enough to stand without her parents’ shadow, and for the sake of everyone, this needs to end.

"Bawiin mo yung pinakalat mong balita tungkol kay dad," she says, her voice low but steady. "I will attend the court hearing next week."

Aga feels like he’s on cloud nine. True to her word, Luisa appears at the hearing, and for a moment, the path looks clear—until he encounters the silent, icy disapproval of his mother. Doña Carol has barely spoken to him since the filing.

He drives to the old mansion to see his father, but finds only his mother in the living room. Their gazes lock, and Aga realizes he can't walk away this time. "Good morning, Ma. Is dad around?"

"He’s not. He went out with his friends," she responds casually, not looking up.

"I see. Pakisabi na lang ho dumaan ko."

"You just arrived. Aalis ka na agad?" she scoffs, finally meeting his eyes. "I heard your annulment with Luisa is going well. Lea must be so happy about it."

"Ma, please. I came to see dad. Since wala siya, babalik na lang ho ako."

"Wag kang bastos, Aga. I am talking to you! Umiiwas ka tuwing binabanggit ko siya. Ang hindi ko maintindihan kung bakit mas pinipili mo yung babaeng yun kesa kay Luisa!"

"Ma, mahal ko si Lea!" Aga’s temper finally flares. "One more thing, Lea and I have a daughter. Pinanindigan ko yung batang hindi naman sakin samantalang yung anak ko lumaki nang wala ako!"

"How sure are you that her daughter is yours?!" Doña Carol stands, her voice rising in disgust. "Eh diba nga ang daming lalaki non?! Nahuli mo pa ngang nakikipaghalikan kay Gary eh. Aga, use your mind! Kung sinu-sinong lalaki ang pumatol don kahit mga kaibigan mo naikama na yung babaeng yun! I did not raise you with that low standard! Son, wake up! Mahiya ka naman sa pamilya natin! Pera lang naman ang habol ng babaeng yun sayo! Demand a DNA test at kung talagang sayo yung batang yun then sustentohan mo, but you don’t have any obligations to Lea!"

Aga clenches his fists so hard his knuckles turn white. He is done being the obedient son. "Are you done, Ma? I am telling you this for one last time: mahal ko si Lea. Minsan na kitang sinunod, Ma. I married Luisa just like you wanted! Nagpakaama at asawa ako then now, what?! Luisa was carrying a child from another man! Lea might not be that decent. She has an unlikely past but I love her, Ma. So much! If you cannot accept it ... itakwil niyo na lang ako. Mag-ina ko sila. They are my life. I’m so done with all this mess. Gusto kong makasama ang mag-ina ko and no one could stop me. Not even you, Ma. I should’ve chased Lea rather than marrying Luisa! Itinatama ko lang ang pagkakamali ko."

"Hindi ako makakapayag na yang babaeng yan ay maging parte ng pamilya natin! She’s just after your wealth!"

"She’s not, Ma. Don’t worry, hinding-hindi niya makukuha ang yaman mo, because she doesn’t need it. We don’t need it."

She furrows her brow, confused by the shift in his tone. "Ano’ng ibig mong sabihin?!"

"Ayoko na, Ma. I resign," Aga says, his voice eerily calm now. "From now on, I don’t want to manage all your branches. Uuwi ako sa mag-ina ko and we will build a new life. I will prove to you that Lea is not after anything from us. Mahal ko siya. Mahal ko ang mag-ina ko. They are my life. Mas kailangan ko sila higit pa sa anong bagay. I’m sorry, Ma, but I ... I am so done. I’m leaving. And I wish you and dad the best in life."

Doña Carol calls his name, her voice shrill with panic, but Aga doesn't look back. As he walks to his car, a grin finally plasters itself on his face. The weight of twelve years of expectations has vanished. He is finally standing on his own, and he is finally going home to where Eli and Lea are waiting.