Jovanka tossed her phone aside. She screamed hysterically until Cindy, her assistant, covered both of her ears. Jovanka's elderly housemaid also hurriedly ran from the first floor to the second floor to check on her employer.
All the items that were on the table had turned into a mess on the floor. Even the wide-screen television had been shattered by a chair. The woman's rage was truly terrifying.
Cindy, feeling frightened, had even begun to crawl towards the door, afraid of becoming the target of the woman's wrath.
"Aaaarrrrgggghhhh!!!!" She screamed again.
The woman grabbed her own hair. Her gaze seemed unfocused. She paced back and forth in her room, oblivious to the ceramic shards that could potentially injure her feet.
Evans arrived shortly thereafter, looking out of breath from running. He saw Cindy and the middle-aged woman alternately. Cindy simply shook her head. Evans promptly entered the room, embracing the woman from behind.
His hand reached for a box from his bag. He pulled out a syringe from it and injected it into Jovanka's arm. Instantly, her body went limp in his embrace.
Evans carried Jovanka's body to another room on that floor, instructing the housemaid to tidy up the mess in Jovanka's room and asking Cindy to follow him.
"What happened?" He asked when Cindy was in front of him. "What's with the chaos she caused?"
"She asked me to prepare a parcel containing expensive imported chocolates," Cindy began to explain. "I complied after she handed me a postcard with her message."
"And then?"
"As requested, I sent the parcel via express delivery service. I don't know why. Earlier after lunch, she was fine. In fact, she seemed happy because I saw her laughing while looking at her phone.
"But just now, when I went to her room, she seemed to be looking at her phone. She got angry and threw her phone away. Then she started screaming and going berserk. Messing up the room like you saw."
"She keeps mentioning the name 'Adaline' and calling her 'damn woman', 'indecent woman', 'whore'. And other words. I can't remember anymore. Is she always like this? She..." Cindy glanced at the sleeping Jovanka, who looked peaceful and beautiful as if she didn't have a care in the world. "She's terrifying," Cindy whispered.
Cindy was new to working with Jovanka, so naturally, she didn't know much about the woman.
Evans sat in the corner of the bed, running his fingers through his hair and rubbing his face roughly. He didn't know what craziness the woman would do next. And what scared him even more. He didn't know the consequences that the woman would face if she continued to disturb the Quirino family.
Evans cared for Jovanka. As a manager who had been looking after and guiding Jovanka, he had come to see her as a little sister. He had known Jovanka since she started her career in modeling. And that had been almost ten years ago. And for the past ten years, he had observed all of Jovanka's developments. And the Jovanka he knew before was not like this.
The old Jovanka was a sweet, spoiled, cheerful girl. And a hard worker. But everything changed because of her ambition.
The dissatisfaction that filled her mind. Until she, who used to be so caring for others, became indifferent. She who used to enjoy sharing became selfish. She who used to be so innocent became ambitious.
She no longer glanced at those who had helped her. She was even willing to leave the ones she loved to fulfill her dreams.
The humble and simple Jovanka Lawrence had long been dead. Transformed into Joe Lawrence, the ambitious supermodel. And Evans was one of the few people who knew her and regretted her change.
He glanced at the still-sleeping Jovanka. The beautiful face untouched by surgery was not as beautiful as her heart.
Slowly, those who cared about her began to leave her because of her own behavior. And soon, Evans would leave her too. Because he was tired of all her selfishness.
If only Jovanka realized her mistakes. If she would humble herself and appreciate the people who loved her. She wouldn't have become like this. She wouldn't have lost the people who loved her. The people she once loved.
Nothing lasts forever.
Jovanka should have realized the meaning of that sentence. Even the love she boasted would always be with her eventually chose to retreat.
There's no enduring love if the recipient of that love doesn't reciprocate.
In this world, there's no true love without expecting something in return. That's just poetic words filled with emptiness. All love requires reciprocation. Those who don't get love in return eventually choose to leave or let go. Unless they're masochistic and willing to live with suffering.
There's no 'unconditional love'. All love comes with conditions. The condition of love itself is happiness. If there's no happiness, love fades. Or seeks new love.
Jovanka worshipped herself too much. Thinking that the whole world revolved around her. Believing that she was the center of rotation.
She disregarded other people's dreams as long as her own dream came true. She didn't care about other people's feelings as long as she was satisfied and happy. And look at her now. Losing the most meaningful people in her life.
Thinking that Altezza would always wait for her. Love her. Thinking that Altezza couldn't live without her. Ignoring the dreams they built together. Until finally, only Altezza held onto those hopes tightly. Squandering all the sincerity that man gave her.
And look at her now. Suffering because of her own actions.
Altezza, an independent man. He had his own dreams. And now, he pursued his dreams. But Jovanka didn't accept it. When Altezza shared in Jovanka's happiness, Jovanka couldn't feel the same. The love Jovanka had for Altezza now turned into obsession.
The desire to be happy with Altezza had now turned into her ambition. While the man had truly rejected her. Closing his heart. And all because of whom? None other than the woman herself.
Jovanka woke up two hours later feeling disoriented. She observed the entire room, and her gaze stopped when she saw Evans standing by one side of the window. His back was turned to her.
"What happened?" She asked softly. Evans turned around and looked at the beautiful woman sitting on the bed.
"How are you?" He asked in return.
"A little dizzy."
"Do you not remember what you did earlier?" Evans saw the woman furrow her brow. Shortly after, she shook her head. "You caused another mess, Joe. Aren't you aware?"
The woman glanced around the room again. She was still in her house, though not in her bedroom. Her memory slowly returned.
"That damn woman!" She muttered, gripping the blanket tightly.
"Stop calling her that. She's a good woman." Evans gently commanded. He walked closer and sat at the foot of Jovanka's bed. "Stop it, or you'll lose everything.
"Stop your obsession with Altezza. Let's start anew. You're still young. There are plenty of opportunities ahead for you.
"We can move to another country and advance your career there. You could become even more famous than you are now. You know you have that potential." Every word Evans spoke was met with a shake of the head from the woman.
"No, Evans! It's enough for me. Now I just want Altezza. To be his wife again and bear his children.
"I love him. I don't want to lose him. And before that, I have to get rid of that woman."
Evans was angry. He stood up from his seat again. He paced back and forth in front of the woman with clenched fists, occasionally running his hand through his hair. His teeth gritted to contain his anger.
"Stop it, Joe!" He growled. "Stop destroying yourself! Stop all your obsessions! He's not coming back to you!" He said with a loud shout.
Jovanka looked at him sharply. "I won't stop," she replied coldly. "He promised me that he would love me. He asked me to be the mother of his children. And that woman took him away from me."
"Jovanka!" Evans shouted. His emotions had reached their breaking point. "Wake up! He did love you and asked you to be the mother of his children. But that's in the past!
"In the past, Jovanka!
"In the past before you ruined that dream. Please, wake up..." Evans pleaded and returned to the bedside. He held Jovanka's delicate hands and squeezed them gently. "Come back to the Jovanka I know. Forget him. I'll help you start a new life."
"No, Evans. I don't want to. I want Altezza. If you want to help me, help me get him back.." she pleaded so pitifully.
Evans stood up again and shook his head. "I'm sorry, Joe. I can't help you destroy someone else's life. Please do it yourself.
"But if you change your mind. If you want to start a new life without Altezza in it, then I'll gladly help you. I'm leaving." And Evans truly left the woman alone.