Allie stared at the envelope in her hand. There's no need to open it, she knew how would a court decree of annulment would be like. It's now official, she had lost her marriage to Ajie.
"It's alright, Atty. I have already known about this few days ago. Just need to see it for myself." Allie gave Atty. Manloza a weak smile, not making a slightest effort to conceal the pain of being officially confirmed that her marriage to Ajie was finally annuled.
"Work it out, my dear. You can always remarry." Allie knew that she was only comforting her.
While on the ship, Cherry sent her message to go to Atty. Manloza's office. She didn't have to ask what it was, she knew it would be about her declaration of marriage annulment. Her only question was, the most painful question in fact, why it had to be so fast. A marriage annulment would usually take one to three years to process, but theirs only took around six months. Having connections was really an advantage because your schedules would be on the priority list, and the Lopez family was really great at that.She could only guess, Ajie's engagement to Jane would be formally announced during the ceremonial launching of their ship. What hurt the most was the fact that it should have been hers, the glory would have been about the celebration of their dreams they once shared together.
Cherry must had took a very hard time to decide, whether or not, she would drop the bomb to her while on the cruise. Of course, she was afraid to spoil the moment yet she also knew that telling her the truth would be the best option. To conceal the pain, she allowed herself to submit to Hayri's romantic advances. She was then free after all and that she needed warmth to boost her broken spirit.
"Thank you." She stood up right away and made a nod before turning towards the door. A minute delay would end her breaking before Atty. Manloza and she didn't like the idea.
She had consented to the process without questions or arguments. Many times during the first steps of the annulment process, this lawyer of hers whom she entrusted all her legal matters, made her tighten her belt in this decision. Her consent to the annulment would change her life and it might be beyond redemption.
She took a taxi and went directly to Ajie's apartment. She wanted to see the place she used to call home. The place whose walls were the eyes and ears of how their love for each other was expressed.
Just as the taxi pulled to a stop in front of the apartment, she saw a car going out. She didn't have to think twice. She knew it was Ajie. She wanted to stop him but, all of a sudden, she lost the courage. Somehow, her instinct still worked and she instructed the driver to follow him. She had to see and talk to him!
They followed him and she didn't wonder why they ended in Kamelyo. She had known ahead that his office was here and the object of his dream, his first masterpiece, was erected in this shipyard. Being so obsessed in following him, she didn't even look around to take a glimpse of the place which, for a long time, held the memories of her childhood and teenage years. This was even the place where she first met Ajie.
Soon, she saw Ajie's car slowed down until it parked properly in front of a building. She waited until Ajie would come out. And true, Ajie did really came out but he walked over to the passenger's side and opened the door. She then saw Dr. Jane stepped down, her hand holding to the hand Ajie held out for her. Then they walked slowly towards the building, with Ajie's arm on her shoulders. They were so beautiful to look at, she couldn't deny that, an indeed perfect pair to be called ' husband and wife'.
The self-control she had been holding so tight, now slipped unrestrained out of her, and she began crying loudly and hard. It was indeed over for both of them. She saw it with her own eyes! Jane had finally walked into his heart.
She wailed out for who knew how long and the driver was, fortunately, considerate. He just remained in his seat with a stiff neck, glancing every now and then at the mirror.
"I'm sorry, sir, and thank you for the patience. Keep the change." She smiled as she handed him paper bills which widened his eyes.
The driver seemed overjoyed as it shone in his eyes, and Allie was relieved. She had just grabbed him the opportunity to find more passengers. She picked up a kit in her bag and made a retouch of her makeup which was totally washed out by her tears. Yet, no matter what, it could not conceal her swelling eye bags.
She then thanked the driver and in few seconds, made her way to the building. Once in front of the door where she saw them entered, she knocked. However, no one answered. She didn't know that it was Ajie's private entrance into his office and that there was no secretary to address his client's requests. Being sure that this was really the door where Ajie and Jane entered, she twisted it open, and to her surprise, it was not locked.
She then opened it wider and was suddenly startled at what she saw!
What's inside the room didn't look like an office. It rather looked like a living room which was elegantly decorated. Most of all, the thing that quickened her pulses was the sight of Jane and Ajie on the couch, obviously enjoying the show on a wide TV screen in front of them. They sat closely together and Jane hurriedly straightened up and pulled herself away from him the moment she saw her.
"Allyza!" Jane hurriedly stood up to greet her though in the next moment, Allie saw that she regretted the action. Jane was about to hug her but then she awkwardly paused and extended her hand instead to shake with her.
"Dr. Jane..." Allie did not waste any minute as she could tell that they weren't surprised of her visit. It was not a secret after all that Omnia Vincit Amor was on its maiden voyage towards her home country.
"I want to see my child and my parents."
Jane looked down to see Ajie's reaction as he remained seated in the couch, focusing on the show as if she was just their utility worker receiving an errand from Jane. Seeing that Ajie did not move, she bent down to pull something from her wallet. It was a business card.
"Here's my number, Lyz. Just inform me of the time and date you wish to see them."
Allie winced in pain as she heard this. She was the real mother and now she was regarded as a stranger,waiting at their mercy for the chance to be with them.
When she was about to accept the card, Ajie stood up to grab it from Jane.
"I will be the one to decide." He said as he looked at her coldly.
Allie could no longer hold back her pain and rage. What she did was a great sacrifice so that one day, they could be free from the wrath of her enemy.
"I would not stand in your way but you have no right to deny me of my child and my parents!"
"The moment you ran away was the very day you lost them." The coldness of his gaze now became freezing in her sight.
"You know my reasons!" She retorted and her tears fell like torrents in the midst of a drought.
"Really? I was your husband but you did not regard me as one. You worked out alone for that damn reasons you said and let me feel I am incapicitated."
"You know I was afraid..." She answered through her tears and her screaming emotions were punching inside her chest.
"That foolish fear turned you into a puppet to the extent of staining the integrity of our marriage."
"And you're not?" She glared at him as she also ran her gaze at Jane. The latter cowered and hurriedly made her exit towards another connecting room.
"I'm sorry, Allie. I just could no longer accept a wife sharing herself to another man. In all those years, I really admire you for not getting pregnant. What pills are you taking? Or Louise is just incapacitated? "
Allie was suddenly blinded with anger that her hand instantly came flying into his face.