Chapter 84 - Each Other’s Embrace

“Javier is very sick…”

Megan walked in a daze through the hospital hallway, replaying in her mind the information she had learned about Javier's condition.

She didn't know what to feel. She didn't know what to do. Fear continued to creep into her heart. She wanted to cry, but she couldn't. She felt guilty. She felt worthless. She started questioning herself why she caused that accident, the reason why Javier might be dying right now.

“When he got in the accident with Megan’s car, he injured his head. There has been continuous minor hemorrhage after the accident.”

Megan felt her strength slowly waning as she stood in front of the door to Javier's room. The fear in her heart was so overwhelming, almost impossible to contain. She wished she could just collapse there and question every decision she had made in her life.

Why didn't Javier tell her? They had been together countless times. Why didn't Javier tell her about his condition? She was the reason for all of this. Why did Javier hide it from her?

Once again, Megan found herself slowly drowning in the memories of the accident. She initiated the accident. She caused that accident. She did this to Javier.

Yes, yes she lost her memories, but she got them back and was alive right now.

But Javier continued fighting for his life because of that accident without her even knowing. Why did it have to be Javier? Of all the hurtful things she did and said to him, which one was the most painful? How many times did she cry while enduring her pain without even knowing?

Who did he call whenever he couldn't handle everything anymore? Who saved him? Or was there anyone who saved him? Fuck.

Megan lifted her gaze to the side of the door, where she saw Javier's name. She was about to knock when she hesitated, flooded again with thoughts of what she learned about him.

“His doctor wanted him to have the surgery, but… he didn’t listen. Saying he had things to do. He wanted you to have your return to the rightful place that you lost because of him.”

Megan's hands began to tremble as she touched the doorknob. She felt like she could collapse to the ground at any moment.

“He was so happy to be with Megan. He wanted to enjoy that happiness longer. During the surgery, you never know what could happen.”

Inside his room, Javier glanced at the door as he felt like someone was there. He quickly approached and opened it, but he saw no one.

No. Megan can't take it. She couldn't face Javier. She couldn't bear to see him. She couldn't bear to see him weak and in the hospital because she was the one who caused it. She felt like her heart was being torn apart again as she thought about Javier's condition.

Especially when she remembered their last encounter. Javier wanted to run away with her, but she refused, and he accepted her decision without a fight. What face could she still show him? How could she face him? How could she be strong for him when this news was slowly taking away her consciousness?

Megan decided to step out again. She was still not herself as she walked along the sidewalk. She didn't even notice the people she bumped into as she walked that night. All she could think about was Javier.

Her heart felt like it was being crushed into a million pieces. Every step she took felt heavier than the last. Her mind was consumed by guilt, regret, and despair. She replayed every moment she had with Javier, especially the ones where she hurt him. The pain was unbearable, and tears threatened to spill from her eyes at any moment.

Her chest felt tight as if a heavy weight was pressing down on her. She couldn't shake off the feeling of helplessness and devastation. The thought of Javier suffering because of her actions tore her apart inside. She wished she could turn back time and undo the damage she had caused, but she knew it was impossible.

Megan's entire being was consumed by sorrow and anguish. She felt lost, alone, and broken, unable to see any light at the end of the tunnel. All she wanted was to make things right, to somehow ease Javier's pain, but she didn't know where to begin.

“While I was crazy over you, my father passed away. I’m out of my mind now, and I can’t think straight. Whether I stab myself or you two, whether I make myself bleed or you, if I can destroy you, if I can kill you both, I would do anything.”

Megan let out a sigh as she revisited each painful word she had uttered to Javier. They seemed to hurt three times as much now, knowing that Javier was secretly suffering from his illness during those times.

How could she say all those things to him? How could she hurt him? She was the cause of everything for Javier. She was the reason he was suffering. She was also the reason why until now he refused to help himself get better from the illness he had.

Little by little, Megan realized that she was the reason for everything in Javier's life. In happiness, in sadness, especially in pain.

How could she do that to him when she loves him to death? How can she say she loves Javier when all she can give him is pain and suffering?

Tears streamed down Megan's face as she stopped walking, her knees giving in to the overwhelming weakness. She felt like she was running out of breath. She pounded her chest forcefully. She wanted to scream.

She wanted to scream her agony, her guilt, her pain, hoping to alleviate even just a little bit, but she knew it would never be enough. Everything in her hurt. She was hurting so much for Javier. She fucking hated herself for hurting him and making him suffer for so long.

Just because she thought Javier was just sympathetic to her. Just because she thought Javier was just feeling guilty that he did everything to help her regain her memory.

He did that even though he knew that when her memory returned, she might despise him.

Javier was so selfless when it came to her, and she couldn't bear it. She felt like she was dying from the overwhelming pain.

Like Megan, in her room, Ava couldn't stop sobbing as her conscience and worry for Javier continued to torment her. She didn't proceed with her plan to visit Javier and let Megan be the one to find out everything and take steps for him.

Her crying abruptly stopped when her cell phone rang. Seeing that it was William calling, she tried to compose herself before answering the call.

“Hello?”

“I will only say it once. So please listen carefully. From the beginning, it was all about my ambition and greed to have Hidalgo Empire.”

Ava scoffed in disbelief. “Now… What are you talking about now?”

“What I honestly wanted to have wasn’t you, but the Hidalgo Empire. You knew nothing about it. You were being manipulated by me. That’s why I left President Hidalgo to die, and in the end, even Megan…”

Ava stood up from her seat because of what she heard from William. She didn't understand why he was saying these things to her now.

But Ava had a gut feeling. She felt like he was up to something nefarious.

“What are you trying to do now?! Hello, William! Answer me!”

“Megan is the biggest obstacle for me in order to have Hidalgo Empire, and I’m trying to get rid of her as well.”

Ava’s eyes widened. Fear crept into her heart.

“Where are you right now? Where are you? Let’s talk please!”

“Keep it to yourself. When the police ask you, that’s what you need to say. Don’t panic or act confused.”

“Hello, William! Where—”

Before Ava could say anything, William abruptly ended the call. She found herself on the roadside near the hospital where Megan was, ready to carry out her plan.

As she glanced outside from her car window, her brows furrowed when she spotted Megan seemingly about to cross the pedestrian crossing. She quickly sprang into action, putting on her cap as Megan passed by the side of her car, seemingly not noticing her.

Meanwhile, Megan, lost in her thoughts, suddenly heard her cell phone ring. When she saw that it was Ava calling, she promptly rejected the call and turned off her cell phone.

Unbeknownst to her, Ava only wanted to give her a warning about what William might do to her now.

***

[At the hospital.]

Javier sat in his room, lost in thought, staring blankly at the ceiling, when suddenly Yvo arrived.

“I can’t get in touch with Jamilah. She said she would go on a trip with a friend. She must have a bad service there,” Yvo told him and sat beside his bed.

“That’s good actually. She would be worried if she knew,” Javier answered.

“I agree. Anyway, did you see Megan?”

Javier slowly turned his gaze towards Yvo.

"Didn't she come up here? I saw her going up from the lobby," Yvo asked him, full of confusion.

Upon hearing that, Javier quickly sat up on his bed.

“Megan was here?” Javier muttered.

“Huh? I thought I saw her. You didn’t see her?”

Javier suddenly remembered the earlier incident when he felt like someone was behind the door. Could it have been Megan who didn't proceed inside?

"When was it? When did you see her?" Javier asked urgently, wasting no time as he hurried out of the hospital to look for Megan. He was certain she was the one he heard behind the door earlier.

He briskly traversed the sidewalk outside the hospital, searching for Megan.

Meanwhile, Megan continued walking, tears streaming down her face as she resented herself. The last words Javier said to her before they parted ways kept replaying in her mind, haunting her as she tried to recall her memories.

“I will go wherever you want to go. To a place where no one can find us. Run away with me, Megan Hidalgo.”

“I don’t want to.”

Kung pumayag siyang magpakalayo-layo, hindi magiging maayos ang lahat. Hindi mababawasan ang sakit na nararamdaman ni Javier na siya ang may gawa kung pumayag siya.

No. Why is she walking away when Javier did everything for her to come back and remember, even though she knows it's me waiting for her?

Megan abruptly stopped walking and quickly turned around, sprinting back to the hospital. Like her, Javier was doing the same until he reached the pedestrian crossing.

Breathless, Javier halted in the middle, waiting for the traffic to stop. As his gaze wandered to the other lane, he froze upon seeing Megan there, just like him, waiting for the cars to halt.

As they caught sight of each other, they felt an overwhelming desire to bridge the vast distance between them. If only time and the whole world could stop, they would do everything to make it happen so they could finally draw close.

They couldn’t contain their happiness as they saw each other. When the green light flashed, the people around them moved swiftly. They walked towards each other, Megan crying and Javier smiling as he could only see her.

They couldn’t wait to feel each other’s embrace, to touch each other, to hug each other, and to express how much they loved each other.

Javier couldn’t tear his eyes away from Megan, who continued to cry as they awaited their collision.

As Javier approached Megan, he spotted William quickly striding towards her with a menacing gaze.

Before William could get any closer, Javier sprinted towards Megan and pulled her into a tight hug.

Javier gasped as he felt the blade stab into his side while he held onto Megan. Before he could react, William swiftly ran off.

To Megan, it seemed like Javier was just eagerly hugging her, unaware that Javier intercepted the knife meant for her, once again saving her from harm.