Chapter 35

"Lara was supposed to be the perfect woman I ever met. He chooses me rather than choose my best friend Raven, and after one year of being in a relationship. She's the kind of woman that every man dreamed of and a perfect wife for me. We went to London for a simple wedding that she wished for and I gave that wish to her. Everything is fine, but it turns out like a nightmare after the wedding. She broke up with me after our honeymoon and said that she loved someone else. How disgusting, right? Sino ang lalaking matutuwa sa ganoong kahibangan?"

"She didn't tell you earlier and let the time pass to let you know about her feelings for another one?"

"Yeah. When she was out of my house, I chased after her, but I late realized that it was my damn trapped in heaven. She has never been there when I suffered my pain and everything. After two years, she came back for divorce. I never signed it because I wanted her to suffer everything I have been through."

"Why? Kung alam mo naman sa sarili mong magkikita kayo ng babaeng dahilan ng..ng..nangyari sa'yo?"

"I want to see her begging for her freedom just as the thought that she left me all alone."

"Pero may mali, Zack. Gusto mo siyang mag-suffer at hindi mo pipirmahan ang divorce papers niyo pero mas lalo mo lang pinapasikip ang mundo niyong dalawa. Or else, may gusto ka pa sa kaniya." Sabay lihim na napakagat-labi siya. Zairah, bakit mo hindi pinigilan iyang bibig mo!

Napatingin sa kaniya si Zack at mariin nitong pinag-aralan ang mga sinabi niya habang siya naman ay pasimpleng ginawa ang lahat upang hindi ito makahalatang may gusto pa siyang malaman. She wanted to know if he still loves Lara until now.

"I won't ever love a woman who's the reason why I am supposed to be here in my devil chair. We have an agreement if she broke up her promises and left me, she will have my billions."

"Billions?" kunot-noong tanong niya. Hindi niya maintindihan ang ibig nitong sabihin tungkol sa pera.

"Yeah. All this time, alam kong ang habol na lang ni Lara ay ang perang iyon na inilaan ko para sa kasunduan namin na wala naman talaga sa usapan. I was drunk that time and I never thought she put me on her bait. I trusted her with all my life and everything turns out like this? Hindi ako makakapayag na ganoon na lamang niya makukuha iyon at alam kong sa umpisa pa lang ay iyon na ang plano niya at kung sino man ang lalaking ipinagpalit niya sa akin."

"So? Bottom line, pera lang talaga ang habol niya sa'yo."

"Indeed. But, eveything has just an end. Lasing din ako noon nang isulat ko sa kasunduan namin ni Lara ang isang bagay na magpapawalang-bisa sa kasunduan."

"Wait! Legal and agreement?"

"Yeah. And Raven put this in legal, due process. I told you, I was drunk that time."

"At ano namang bagay na magpapawalang-bisa sa agreement?"

Humugot nang malalim na hininga ang binata bago ito muling nagsalita. "Napakababaw sanang dahilan pero ako mismo ang sumulat noon. Lara knows about it that I would never find another woman to do this."

"Na ano?"

"That I will have a baby with another woman!"

"Huh?!" maang niyang sabi. Kalokohan ang agreement na iyan! Anong kinalaman ng baby born sa kasunduan na iyan?

"Lara suggested it also. Alam niyang hindi ako maghahanap ng iba dahil alam niyang siya lang ang babaeng kinababaliwan ko noon. It was a shame and a lame agreement for both parties. But I told you, I was drunk. Para akong nilason nang gabing iyon na hindi ko alam."

"At naroon si Raven na hindi ka man lang pinigilan?" Parang may mali.

"I don't know. At hindi ko pinag-iisipan si Raven dahil alam kong hindi niya gagawin iyon sa akin. Siya ang laging nagpaparaya pagdating sa mga bagay na alam niyang magpapasaya sa akin."

"I see. Pero maaari mo naman kausapin si Raven para mapawalang-bisa ang kasunduan."

"The agreement was in the court already in London. I will lost everything if I do that. That money is massive enough to make my life miserable in case I mismanaged it. Kaya hanggang ngayon ay hindi ko pinipirmahan ang divorce paper namin ni Lara at pinapaasikaso ko na iyan kay Raven. Hindi ko ibibigay sa babaeng iyon ang lahat ng mga pinaghirapan ko at mauuwi ang lahat sa wala. That was a big mistake if I ever do that."

"Kung..kung alam mo naman pala na may ganoon kayong kasunduan, why don't you find a woman to have your race?"

Muli itong napaisip sa sinabi niya at mabilis din na tumugon. "It never crossed in my mind that I would do that thing, but I was thinking that idea as you came."

"What do you mean, Zack?"

"Nothing. Ayokong gawin ang bagay na iyon dahil gusto kong⸻" 

"Then let's have a baby!"

Tila natigilan si Zack sa sinabi niya at bahagyang napakunot-noo.

"I mean—kung iyon lamang naman ang magiging solusyon sa problema mo, bakit hindi natin subukan." Zairah, anong ginagawa mo? Isusuong mo na naman sa problema mo ang iyong sarili? Pinagalitan na naman niya ang sarili. But I wanted to help him.

"Pumapayag ka?"

Marahan siyang tumango. "O-Oo. If that thing will set you free from her. Pero kung ayaw mo sa ideya⸻"

"I agree."

"Huh?!"

"You heard me, I agree. Then let's try to make one."

"O-Okay." Naku naman, napasubo na naman ako!

"You have a couple of days for one month hereafter you came, Zairah. Why don't you try a test to see if it's positive."

Alam niya ang tinutukoy nito. "I will make a test through PT. Hindi pa kasi ako...nagkakaroon."

"Really?"

Nababakasan ang mukha ng binata ng isang excitement sa mga mata nito nang marinig iyon mula sa kaniya ngunit hindi niya alam kung natutuwa ba ito dahil magkakaanak sila o nang dahil sa kasunduan nito sa dating asawa.

"Uhm, I'm not sure. Kaya kailangan nating makasiguro."

"Then we need to see a doctor if it's positive. I must also ensure I could give you that because I suffered severe injury."

"Pero nagagawa naman natin ang possibilities, right? You look normal, Zack."

"But I want to make sure."

"Okay. Ikaw ang bahala."

"I'll set an appointment with my cousin Imari."

Tumango-tango lang siya bilang pagtugon dito. Alam niyang mahihirapan na siyang makawala kay Zack oras na magkaroon na sila nang malalim na koneksiyon nito bilang magiging ina sa kanilang bubuuing anak. Wala sa plano niya ang bagay na ito ngunit iyon lamang ang magiging sukli niya sa lahat ng ginawa nitong kabutihan.