Chapter 26

Three months later…

Nevada, USA

“WE CAN keep fooling ourselves or we can keep trying so hard to work this out, Maggy. You choose. If it was up to me, I would never let you go again. I’m willing to close my eyes and pretend that it doesn’t sting when you’re with me and you’re thinking about someone else.”

I stared at Noah and gently pushed my plate away. I don’t feel like eating anymore. When I came back to Nevada, he also came back in my life. His marriage didn’t work out and now, he was already processing his divorce with Denise. He said he couldn’t fool his self any longer because he was still in love with me.

“Something happened to me and Denise while I was drunk. One day, she told me she was pregnant that’s why I married her. She was my friend, after all. She was always there… unlike you. I made myself believe that I love her,” he explained three months ago. “You can call me a jerk but I was thinking about you on our wedding day. And then I found out that she was not really pregnant. She said she loved me that’s why she did that to me. But I couldn’t bear to be with her anymore.” Sincerity was visible in his eyes as he continued, “I still love you, Maggy. And I waited for you to come back from your mission.”

It was wrong but I only hang out with him to distract myself. Besides, I’m still tied with Austin. I already sent a lawyer to the Philippines but he refused to sign the annulment papers.

I sighed. Right now, I had no one else to talk to because after personally sending me here, Yalena came back to the Philippines for her mission. She only stayed by my side for a week. I tried to stop her and even showed her the documents stating that I now owned a huge share in McClennan Corporation but she didn’t listen.

Austin sent those documents through my lawyer. But Yalena was not satisfied with that. My sister wanted more… more than the company shares, more than the money, and more than the properties Austin was willing to give. She wanted Benedict.

Even if Yalena already saw Benedict’s condition at the wedding, she didn’t care. I couldn’t guess what she was thinking because we didn’t get to talk to each other anymore. The last time she called me was two months ago and that was only to inform me that Lester had been caught by the cops in the Philippines.

I also haven’t talked to Clarice yet. I just asked her the detailed report of YCM through email since she took care of it for a few months. I didn’t try to talk to her. All her profit in YCM goes straight to her bank account.

Right now, I just wanted to forget. But no matter how hard I work, I still couldn’t do it.

“Maggy?”

“I have no right to choose, Noah,” I finally replied. This conversation was making me regret leaving him before. If I didn’t do that, we wouldn’t have broken up. We would have gotten married already. We would have been happy together and I wouldn’t have met Austin. I wouldn’t have fallen for him either.

But would that really be possible? What I feel for Austin was more intense than what I felt for Noah. I’m sure that even if we didn’t break up and he decided to wait for me while I’m in the Philippines for my mission, I would still have fallen for Austin. And I would still have failed my mission. My only consolation as of the moment was that I tried giving justice to my parents’ death.

Clarice and I both had control over McClennan Corporation now. Ansel was the only one clueless about it. If we would only sell our shares, we would be three times richer. We wouldn’t do that, though, since that Company was our family’s legacy. And by keeping in touch with it, we can somehow keep in touch with our fathers’ memories.

Alano and Austin would be our representatives in every board meeting. The two wanted Ansel to find out the truth on his own. Out of the three, he was the one who adores Benedict the most. Ansel seemed to be his father’s avid fan. People tagged him as the shark in the business world. In short, Ansel was dangerous.

But then again, with rage as Yalena’s number one motivation, she could be equally dangerous as well.

“Can’t we really try to work this out anymore, Maggy?”

“I’m sorry, Noah. I may not have the ring on my finger right now but I’m still married unless Austin decides to cooperate in our annulment.”

“We could find a way. I could talk to him.” Noah held my hand. “Maybe all you need is closure. Maybe that’s the reason why you couldn’t open your heart to me.”

“I don’t know, Noah. I don’t know anymore. I’m really sorry but I think I have to leave now.” I took his hand off me and excused myself before walking out of the restaurant. In the future, I would remind myself never to meet him again. I don’t want him to keep hoping for something so uncertain.

And since I was a little tired, I decided to just hail a cab. I’d just order my assistant to get my car there first thing tomorrow. I closed my eyes and leaned on the backrest after sitting inside. Seconds later and I heard the car door open and felt someone sat beside me.

All my senses were immediately activated, especially after I’ve inhaled that familiar perfume. I opened my eyes and saw Austin beside me. Just like that and my mind goes blank.

“No matter how much you hate me or my family, the fact still remains. We are still married, Maggy,” he immediately said. “That’s why you have no right to date anyone else but me.”

“Excuse me for a while,” the driver said. “Where to?”

“Just keep driving. I’ll just pay you afterwards,” Austin replied before turning to me again. “Damn it, sweetheart. I wanted to be mad at you. You didn’t know the hell I’ve been through the past months we were apart only to catch you here dating your ex.” His jaw clenched. “But heck, I miss you so much.”

(Austin)

“YOU ARE really leaving everything here just for one girl?” While staring at Maggy’s face, I remembered what Ansel told me a week ago.

“Yes, I’m really leaving everything for one girl… who holds my entire world in her hands,” I answered while packing my things.

I ignored all the rumors when the guests no longer saw Maggy an hour after the wedding. I tried to get on with my life. But there wasn’t a day that I didn’t remember her. I almost went crazy when she sent our annulment papers. Even if I refused it, my fear and anxiety never went away.

I was so afraid that our chance might never come again.

That was the reason why I followed Maggy after three months. I rented an apartment near the hotel she was managing. For the first time in my life, I left the Company. Ansel was the one who shouldered my job for me although he warned me that he would make me compensate for it when I return.

I left my family. I still don’t know what to feel towards them, towards my parents. I feel like I’m the one carrying their sins and it wasn’t fair.

I turned my back away from the comfortable life I had in the Philippines to see Maggy in Nevada only to witness her meeting her ex-boyfriend. Every night, I’d see them together. I’d watch them from afar even though my heart felt like it’s on the brink of exploding every single time. But tonight, I couldn’t bear to just keep watching. I’ve already reached my limit.

I’m still Maggy’s husband, after all.

“I know how you feel,” Maggy replied in a flat tone. “I mean I was once a human, too, before your father turned me into a monster.”

“Maggy…” I reached out to touch her hands. I endured it when she left me after the wedding. And when she dated her ex, I still endured it some more. But this agony, this constant reminder of my father’s sins that I had nothing to do with, the sin that kept blocking our relationship, is just too damn much.

“For crying out loud, Maggy, don’t include me on the list of the people who have sinned against your family. Dad was a jerk. Heck, he was more than that. If I could, I would have helped you obtain justice. But he’s old now and he’s suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. If I could only change my surname or my identity, I would do it for you. But what can I do?” My shoulders flopped. “Despite all the nasty things Dad did, despite his sins, he’s still my father.”

How I wish that I could tell you it’s all in the past but I was never good at lying and baby, since you asked… I don’t want to hear that song again from the night we first met. I don’t want to hear you whispering things I’d rather forget. I don’t want to look into your eyes ‘cause you know what happens next. We’ll be making love and then, I fall all over again…

I suddenly heard that song when the driver turned on the radio. I shut my eyes. Good Lord, the lyrics of the song was exactly how I feel.