Chapter 1

Chapter 1: His Affair

Year 2022.

Torres Mansion.

Before getting out of my black Audi, I stared at my reflection in the rearview mirror to see if I still had a haggard face. And, yes. I still have. More fine lines have appeared on my face. I'm really getting old. As I was about to grab the door handle, I noticed the illumination of my mobile phone. It was an incoming call. I pressed the green button but let the phone stay mounted on the car phone holder.

"Gab! What did you do to Ador? Why is he crying here?" Jen, the manager of our restobar in Moalboal, asked right away.

"I fired him," I casually replied.

"You fired him? Then why is there an envelope with a five hundred thousand peso check inside? This is a large amount! I know it's just spare change for you. But why did you fire him?"

I paused for a moment to calm myself.

"What?" she insisted.

"You know the reason, Jen. Don't bother asking me anymore."

"The staff here won't talk. That's why I'm asking you. We lost six employees in just five months. What did they do to deserve being fired? Based on her tone, she was starting to get annoyed. Jen has been a good and trustworthy friend since we started our business. She used to be a waitress until we developed a good relationship, and I saw her hard work and dedication, so we promoted her and she stayed with us. She was absent for five months because we gave her maternity leave.

"Don't mind it, just post a hiring notice."

"It's not easy to find loyal employees, Gab. You know that. Ador is still here, begging not to be fired. And why did you give him five hundred thousand?"

"You already know the answer to that, Jen. Don't make me say it," I started to get annoyed.

"I won't know unless you tell me," she determinedly said. She can be so persistent!

"He slept with my husband. Are you happy now?" Anger was starting to rise within me.

"Oh my God!" Jen let out a loud laugh. I guess she covered her mouth because of what I said. She is aware of my husband's infidelity as well as his sexual orientation. She has witnessed my husband's misconduct before. Actually, all of our staff knows the real situation between my husband and me. They see it because it's visible.

"Are you happy?" I asked, unable to control the rolling of my eyes.

"Oh, I'm crying right now. I cried from laughing. Is that you? Are you using bad words? I've been gone for a long time!" She continued to laugh.

I heaved a deep sigh. "Enough is enough, Jen. I'm done with him. I've already contacted our lawyer, and I agreed to my husband's terms. I will sign the annulment papers."

"What happened?"

"He's becoming more foolish. Before, he used to hide his activities. But since I refused his offer of annulment, he became like this. And worst! He even brings his boyfriend here to our house!" I adjusted the car's air conditioner to a higher temperature because I'm getting heated up remembering the indecencies he committed.

"You're not used to it. He's been like that since you married him, right? What about Skye if you separate?"

I was taken aback. "S-she's going to be fine. I know she will understand it. Eighteen years of enduring is probably enough. I tried so hard to change him, but I can't. He still wants men," I said disheartened. I know I should be crying right now, but there are no tears left after enduring his foolishness for so long. He is crushing my pride and dignity, and I can no longer live under the same roof with him. I'm full!

"What if she goes with Hendrix, not with you? She's a daddy's girl," she said matter-of-factly.

I was once again taken aback, and that's when the corners of my eyes began to burn. I stifled my sob and raised my head up. When I looked down, I saw my daughter opening the double door entrance to our house. She hasn't noticed me yet because she's focused on her phone. She has a black garbage bag in her right hand. She's going to throw the trash. Maybe she's finished washing up for tonight.

"Gab? Are you still there?"

I swallowed a lump in my throat. "Y-yes."

"Don't worry about what I said. Skye will choose you because she knows you chose her over your career. Many people suggested you have an abortion when you got pregnant because you were still young, but you still chose her. You could have been gracing the international fashion industry right now, but you chose her. You could be famous right now.

No! My mind screamed. No matter how Hendrix behaves, I still can't bring myself to break my daughter's heart. I won't reveal her father's wrongdoings. It would hurt my daughter, and I don't want that. She holds her father in high regard, and I can't just sever that connection. I can't break my daughter's heart. She's so precious to me. It's enough that I'm the one getting hurt; I don't want it to be her.

Then I fell into deep thought about the annulment case.

"Mommy!" exclaimed my daughter. She ran towards my car. The cold air tousled her messy hair, and her favorite big old SpongeBob shirt fluttered in the breeze. It was a gift from her crush, Anton, which is why she loved wearing it. She disposed of the trash at the garbage station before coming to where I was.

"I'll end the call, Jen. My daughter spotted me."

"Okay, see you tomorrow. Are you okay?"

"Yes, thank you, Jen. Thank you for asking. Love you!"

"Love you more!" she laughed, and we both hung up.

June Skye, my eighteen-year-old daughter, stood in front of my car. Then she walked and opened the back compartment. I grabbed my LV bag from the passenger's seat and stepped out of the car. "Did you buy pineapples, Mom?" It was her favorite fruit. She lifted the two grocery bags and quickly approached me. She kissed my cheeks, as she always does. Yes, she's that sweet. Always giving kisses. Being with her would wash away my fatigue. She has been my rock and pillar for many years. Without her, I don't know if I'd still be standing. I remain strong because of her.

"Yes, I was just afraid of getting scolded by my only daughter."

She giggled.

I smiled at her happy giggle, but my breath caught at her next words.

"Ninong Darwin is inside. He's having a fencing session with Daddy again."

Fencing session. Their excuse.

My blood boiled instantly as their debauchery played in my mind. There is a fencing room, but behind it lies their secret love nest. My daughter has no interest in fencing, so she never goes there. And she can't enter because only those two friends hold the key to their secret love nest.

In our eighteen years together, I have caught them countless times. I despise the looks of awe on their faces as my husband watches Arnaiz defile him from behind, the sounds of their moans and cries of pleasure. I am always disgusted by what they do.

"Mom?" There was confusion in her eyes as she observed my face. "You alright?"

I realized my forehead was furrowed, and my palms were clenched in anger, so I forced a fake smile on my lips. "I'm okay, honey. I'm just too tired."

She nodded in pity and wrapped her right arm around mine, despite having both hands full. "You should rest after eating, Mom."

"Have you eaten?"

"Yes. Ninong said he's hungry."

I didn't let my daughter see my frustration and anger. Naturally, they would eat first since they would get hungry from their "fencing session."

I walked into the living room, leaving my car keys in a ceramic angel bowl on the console table. I sat back in the vintage overstuffed chair, my arms draped over the rests. I crossed my legs, gazed at the ceiling, and massaged my temples.

My daughter made her way to the kitchen and placed the groceries I bought inside the refrigerator. I watched her arrange the juice packs in neat rows, sorted by color. It made me secretly smile. She has always been a good and responsible daughter. She has grown up and is no longer a baby.

"Mom, I'll go with Daddy later. He said he'll drop Ninong off," she said as she approached me. She knelt down and removed my rubber shoes. She massaged my feet with them resting on her knees.

"Don't go near his cats, Skye," I warned her. She loves cats, but I never got her one because she has a cat allergy.

"I won't, Mom. I'll just look from a distance. I heard he bought a new pink Sphynx cat."

"You better not. You'll be in trouble if you break out in rashes," I said with a threatening tone. She just giggled. She placed my shoes on the shoe rack. She ran upstairs to her room, and I knew what she would do there. She would watch a K-drama. But she came back down and peeked at me from the middle of the staircase.

"Are you really okay, Mom?" I could see the concern on her beautiful face.

Aww.

"Yes, honey. I'm fine. Go! Startyour K-drama. I'll join you in a bit."

She smiled and obliged, disappearing into her room. As I sat there in the living room, I couldn't help but feel the weight of the truth I had been hiding from my daughter. The pain and betrayal I felt were overwhelming, but I knew I had to protect her innocence and shield her from the harsh reality.