Chapter 161 - This Child Is Not Yours

Andrew stiffened and got startled at the first sense of warmth. Never in his life did he experience the love of a father, even when he was with his uncle, who accommodated him after his parent's death. Yes, his uncle was kind, but his treatment towards him was more of an obligation as a family to an orphaned child. Yet, he understood. He did not grow up with them, and he couldn't expect. Kindness and provisions for all his financial and educational needs were more than enough.

However, he longed for the affection of this man before him. Yet, now that he was finally before him, asking for an apology and acknowledging him as his own, a complicated feeling roused up within him. All of a sudden, he was angry. All those hatred he had for this man in the past gripped him again. He took off his hands from his ears and placed it on his frail shoulders. The man looked down on his hands, and his eyes lit up with joy and hope, thinking he won his heart that easily. To his frustration, Andrew pushed him away, and he fell with his back on the floor in a loud thud.

Joanna rushed forward and helped him to sit up. Her eyes widened in horror. "Uncle, are you alright?

The man gave her a weak smile and a nod. "Don't worry, I understand."

Joanna then helped him sit back on the chair across her and asked after his expression calmed down. She knew Andrew's rejection hurt him, but she also knew he expected this. Only that, she had not heard his side of the story. 

"Uncle, I am a psychologist. I want to help you in this matter as much as I want to help Andrew. He needs to resolve his grievances in the past before it will destroy him forever. I am willing to listen," Joanna tried her best to convince him to talk.

She glanced at Andrew and saw him resumed to his previous position, his chin on both of his knees and hands on his ears. He directed his eyes at them, but if one would look closer, those were empty. Joanna's heart broke once again upon seeing him that way, but having this man before her now, gave her the highest hope of his complete cure. All she needed was the final step.

"My first love was a woman named Amalia. I thought she also loved me as much as I loved her, until one day, the news of her marriage to someone else became the talk of our place. I was shocked; never did I expect it would happen. We even planned to get married the following month before her bump would show. She was two months pregnant then..."

_____

"Leo, have you heard the news? Amalia is getting married to your best friend!" said Fernan, one of his cousins who ran to meet him as he climbed down from his horse. He just arrived from a neighboring district to help a priest in training the few selected young people for the church choir. The said priest was also the one who discovered his natural skill in music, so the latter trained him in the use of different kinds of musical instruments. The moment he mastered the task, he helped the priest in training young people for the church's singing group.

"Don't make jokes like that, Fernan. It's not funny at all."

Fernan, who was still panting after running to meet him, felt upset. He sighed and spread out his hands, expressing his disgust upon his stubbornness. "If you think I'm making up stories, it's up to you. I'm telling you this because I'm worried about you."

Fernan then left without looking back, perhaps humiliated by his unbelief. No matter how Leo called him out, he wouldn't listen. Throwing his travel bag at the main door of the house, he left and hurried to climb up into his colt, galloping his way toward Amalia's place. Not long after, he could already see the porch of Amalia's house, and to his shock, he saw in his very own eyes that Amalia was making out with his best friend, Raul.

He jumped from his horse and strode towards them, kicking the chair that blocked his way. With a loud and angry voice, he interrupted the betraying couple in their lewd ministrations. "What does that mean, Amalia? Raul?"

The startled couple separated instantly, and Amalia sprang up to her feet with a horrified expression. She turned pale for a moment but got defensive when Leo's face started to look like an angry lion.  Just as he stepped closer to punch Raul in his place, Amalia jumped in their midst, preventing both from hurting each other.

"How can you do this to me, Amalia?" confronted Leo, his lips quivering in a fury. He then turned toward Raul with a fierce gaze. "And you, Raul! I thought you are my best friend. How could you betray me?"

Instead of cowering down for being caught, Raul faced him with his hands on his pocket and a smirk on his lips. Meeting Leo's sharp gaze, he then laughed like a devil before his erring follower.

"May the best man win, my friend. You lost her because you're not good enough for her," sneered  Raul as he wrapped an arm around Amalia.

"She's pregnant with our child, Raul. I just want to let you know."

Raul broke out once more into a devilish laughter. "How sure are you? She was already mine a long time ago. While you were there with your group of hopeless singers, she was with me in my cabin."

Enraged by this revelation, Leo's whole body quivered as he spoke further. He glared at Amalia and poked a finger in her face. "Now choose between the two of us, Amalia! If you confess right before us that you are just lying, then I'll forgive you and forget everything. But if you choose this traitor, then I'm sorry. I'll never take you back!"

Amalia ran her eyes from Raul to Leo, and her eyes started to get red. Raul returned her gaze with one last menacing look before he stepped away to give them space. With the courage she quickly gathered from within, she dared to look at him in the eye.

"Who do you think you are to scare me? I'm also sorry to tell you this. This child I am now carrying is not yours."