Chapter 146 - You Set Me Free

They all sat motionless gaping at him, their faces were a mass of shock. They waited for Hayri to take back his words but seconds passed and the seriousness of his expression did not change. Allie, on the other hand, froze while staring at him, her head tilted towards him. 

"Since we are a family here, please allow me to speak," said Mr. Dioko, his eyes shifted from Hayri to Allie's parents, asking for their non-verbal permission.

Their gazes sharpened at his statement, believing at that moment that there was truth in Hayri's claims, even before he finished his story. An inexplicable feeling spread all over Allie and she felt her blood circulation went in the wrong direction. Her blood seemed to drain out from her face and she became as white as an empty sheet. Hayri noticed her reaction and as a natural reflex, he pulled her even closer towards him, securing her from possible fainting.

"I was rising up in my business career at that time when Sarah's insecurities gripped her badly. We were already in our five years of marriage and still, she was not able to give me a child. Our fightings got worse each day, every female business partner became her worst nightmare."

Mr. Dioko took a deep breath before he went ahead,  taking courage from within to be able to continue.

"One time, we decided to take a break and spend a short vacation here in the Philippines. Due to some business matters, she came here ahead and spent time with her best friend Mary. As to how she was able to convince Mary of a plan, I did not know." He paused and looked at Mary who was, all the time, staring blankly at the floor.

Seeing that there was no resistance from her nor from Sam, he went ahead. "Perhaps, it was because of her suicidal instinct. The plan was carried out and one night, under the influence of heavy alcohol and a sleeping pill, Mary agreed to become a surrogate mother of our child."

Everyone seemed pinned at their seats as they all gaped at what he just revealed. The issue of surrogacy seemed difficult to suggest, even to that sex without affection. Was Sarah watching while the deed was done to her unconscious best friend? Waves of shivers ran through their skin as they all thought about it. They cast stolen glances at Mary, the role she accepted was too hard to believe. 

"After a month, we called her up. When she could no longer be reached and nowhere to be found, I no longer tried to find her. I knew the reason already, she got pregnant. Well, I admired her for the decision to keep the child, even to the extent of breaking her promise to Sarah."

The next scene was heavy with emotion. Allie fell limp in Hayri's arms as she couldn't take in the news. She understood what prompted her mother's decision and she felt grateful for keeping her as her own. What was difficult to accept was the fact that she almost married her own brother. Not only that, even with the thought of him kissing her, was more than she could.

Hayri was not able to hold back his emotions and found himself sobbing when he saw Allie's reaction. His heart went out to her, she had already suffered much. Such was the irony of life, they were allowed to achieve and experience great things in life but no one could guess how grave was the other side of the story!

Seeing that Allie fainted and Hayri burst out sobbing,  he strode fast towards them and took Allie gently away from him. He looked down at Hayri and for the first time, his heart came out crushing for him. He wanted to comfort him and apologized,  but all of them were so lost for words.

Jane rushed towards the nearby couch where Ajie laid Allie down and before she could do a sternal rub, Allie opened her eyes. She looked around and saw their worried faces.

"How are you, Lyz?  Take it one at a time,  everything has its own reason why it happens," came out Jane's reassuring words as she held and squeezed Allie's hand.

Allie responded with a weak smile as her eyes scanned for Hayri. He saw his dad placing an arm on his shoulders,  silently comforting him.

A few minutes after that, Mr. Dioko sat down beside her and without a word,  he reached out a hand to her forehead, stroking it like a father to a sick child. With a restrained emotion,  he smiled at her but Allie sat up abruptly and threw herself to his waiting arms.

"I now understand why you want me to call you dad already," she laughed softly in between her sniffs.

"I now also understand why my heart is always open wide for you," he chuckled as his thoughts flew back to the days he offered her the scholarship to the time he ordered to sponsor her studies in Turkey.

"I'm really sorry!" Mr. Dioko need not ask what Allie was being sorry about. He knew very well it was about her betrayal in exposing the dirty secrets of the drug cartel.

"It hurts but it turns out that you did me a great favor. You set me free."

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"Can you forgive mama?" Mary's rough voice pierced into Allie's ears as she closed her eyes the moment Mr. Dioko excused himself.

She tried to have a mental rest while Ajie was brushing her hair with his fingers as she laid down on his lap. His mouth was shut and his gazes far,  so lost in deep thoughts as well. The course of their lives was just too overwhelming.

Her heart was heavy and sore, perhaps due to excessive crying. The storms in their lives finally passed away and she hoped to face a new beginning with the man he was truly happy.

Looking up, she saw her mom sitting beside her and her eye bags were as red as ripe tomatoes in their garden. She sat up abruptly and without a single word, she rested her head on her chest, throwing her arms around her feeling secured by the warmth of her presence.

"Thank you, ma." Her thoughts were on how difficult it must have been to run and hide, not to mention the guilt in not keeping an agreement.

"Thank your papa," she paused as she looked towards his direction, "he accepted us without any condition."

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