Chapter 85 - Tomorrow

Javier became numb. He didn't even feel the stab William gave him in place of Megan. He just feels numb. He just knows it. That he has been stabbed. The only thing in his mind is, thank God, Megan is safe.

His embrace grew tighter. He felt the excessive fear in his heart. What if his past caught up with him? What if he didn't see it immediately? What if he didn't notice William? He wouldn't forgive himself if anything bad happened to the woman he dearly loved.

The light became red. The cars started moving around them. They stayed in the middle of the road while hugging each other tightly. Megan sobbed continuously while Javier was holding her tightly, never wanting to let go of her in fear that William might still be waiting for the opportunity to hurt her.

On the other hand, in her room, Ava let out a heavy sigh as she stared at herself in the mirror. Shortly after, she dialed a number on her cell phone.

"Hello? Is this the police station? I want to turn myself in. My name is Ava Choi."

***

[At the park.]

Javier and Megan sat silently on a bench in the nearby park, gazing at each other, unwilling to waste any minute given to them to converse.

Megan continued to stare at Javier, while Javier quietly endured the stab wound he received on his side. He kept his hand pressed against the wound to prevent the blood from flowing.

Javier smiled painfully at her. His face clearly showed the intense suffering and pain, unnoticed by Megan who was too emotional to notice.

"I came out without a word. My doctor must be looking for me now," Javier informed her, calming himself down and forcing to ignore his stab wound.

Although he wished their conversation could last longer, it was no longer possible, as Megan might find out about his injury. He didn't want to disclose it to Megan because he was sure it would only double her worry and self-blame.

"Actually... I'm very tired now," Javier continued and heaved a sigh exhaustedly before looking at Megan's eyes.

"If you have something to tell me, can it wait until tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow?" Megan almost whispered. The tears in her eyes just won't stop streaming.

Looking at Javier like this right now is tearing her apart. She couldn't explain the pain she felt in her heart anymore. She clearly saw Javier's suffering, but she couldn't do anything to help him.

While she was the one in need of help, he did everything just to expedite her recovery.

"That's right. Tomorrow... Let's do it tomorrow. I also have a lot to tell you. I will tell you all tomorrow," Javier told her as he tried to hitch his breath.

He knew that at any moment, he could lose consciousness. He knew that at any moment, the blood he was trying to hold back could start flowing. He wanted to be with Megan for a long time, but he felt the excessive weakness of his body.

The only thing he could do now was to make sure Megan was safe when she returned to the hospital.

If he was still alive to go back there.

Megan swallowed the painful lump in her throat.

"Okay... Let's talk tomorrow."

Javier could do nothing but escort Megan to the taxi stand. He watched her as he still held onto his side. When Megan opened the car door, she was about to get in, but she looked back at him again and faced him.

"Can I ask you one thing right now?" She asked Javier with fear and sadness in her voice.

Javier forces a smile and nods. "Sure."

"In the tunnel... why didn't you move away from my car?"

Javier was stunned by Megan's question. It wasn't the question he expected from her, so he couldn't respond immediately.

Why indeed, Javier? Why didn't he avoid Megan's car, as if he also wanted the accident to happen?

"You could have avoided it. Why didn't you get out of the way?"

Javier couldn't even contain the pain in his heart and on his side anymore, but he tried his best not to show it to her.

"Well... why didn't I get out of the way?" Javier muttered and faked a smile to Megan. "I don't remember."

He lied. He vividly remembered the reason why. He remembered everything, starting from then. He remembered when he realized he loved Megan. He remembered when he decided he was willing to sacrifice everything just to bring her back to the right happiness for him.

"Aren't you getting in?"

Their gaze was interrupted by the taxi driver's shout.

"Yes, she is. Hold on," Javier quickly responded to the driver and turned to the crying Megan.

"I will tell you about it tomorrow. I will try to remember why. Get in. He's waiting," Javier insisted to Megan.

Megan was about to get in the car, but she suddenly remembered why she turned back and ran towards Javier earlier. She faced Javier again, and in an instant, she bestowed upon him a deep and loving kiss.

***

[Police Station.]

After making the call, she quickly changed clothes and headed to the police station.

"Please go on," the detective told her.

She was currently in an interrogation room with a man, while a laptop was in front of him. Ava sat there, staring blankly into space.

"I seduced Mr. William Almario. I asked him nicely and at times, I threatened to help me. He was just following my orders. President Hidalgo's death and... Mr. Marco Yboa's car accident was ordered by me," she started confessing to the detective.

Ava knew what William was up to. Despite his claim that he only wanted to manage the Hidalgo Empire and that's why he helped her, she knew it wasn't true. She knew William still wanted to take credit for all his wrongdoings.

And she couldn't allow that to happen. She's ready to face the consequences of her actions. She's prepared to go to jail. She's willing to endure hell and live in it.

"And... there is one more thing I need to confess. It happened seven years ago. It was a murder case of Director Fuentebella's son of Hidalgo Empire. I'm the one who killed him..."

The detective in front of Ava stopped typing on his laptop, his forehead furrowed as he looked at her. It seemed he couldn't believe what he heard from the woman.

"In order to save myself, I pinned the blame on Javier Salvatorre."

"Is it okay to continue this without your lawyer present?" The detective asked her.

Ava smiled. "Yes. Please write it all down before I change my mind."

Meanwhile, the kiss between Javier and Megan ended, seemingly causing Javier to feel even weaker. When Megan pulled away from him, he almost chased after her lips.

"See you tomorrow. I will come early in the morning," Megan told him gently, and with full of love.

A tear fell from Javier's eyes as he forced a smile and simply nodded to her.

Before Megan got back into the taxi, she faced Javier again.

"There is one thing I want to thank Ava for. I met you, thanks to her."

Megan finally boarded the taxi, and as it started to drive away, Javier released a violent and weakened sigh.

Slowly, he removed his hand from his side, and there he saw a lot of blood. He cursed heavily and tried to walk slowly back to the hospital.

However, before he could get far, he collapsed on the ground, the blood continuing to flow from his wound.

Megan asked... In the tunnel why I didn't move away from her car. To Megan, I told her that I didn't remember, but... I remember exactly why I did that.

At that time, I... I was very tired of myself and the world around me. My present life... I might have thought it was okay to end it.

And... in my next life, I would definitely meet Megan again. Then I would want us to date like any other couples do. I would want us to start over. I think I was praying that to God.

Javier struggled to stand, wanting desperately to reach the hospital, but he couldn't. Tears streamed down his face.

In that moment, Javier realized he still wanted to live. He wanted to spend more time with Jamilah, Yvo, especially Megan. He wanted to start a new life with them. He wanted to live a long life with Megan. He wanted to marry her.

But, Javier wondered, why life kept being unfair to him. What great sin did he commit?

Moments later, Javier closed his eyes for the last time, consumed by darkness.

***

[7 YEARS LATER...]

"Hello. My name is Lorraine Villega. My dad's name is Yvo Villega. My mom's name is Jamilah Salvatorre."

"No good!"

Jamilah stopped recording her child when she heard what she said. She frowned and looked at Lorraine as if she was upset.

"Why did you say your daddy's name so sweetly? And to me, it's just normal? Say it again. Make it sweeter when it comes to my name, please," Jamilah ordered her daughter and opened the camera again, pointing it at her child.

"Mom."

"Yes?" Jamilah halted and looked at her daughter.

"My teacher told me not to lie in the film."

"What? What lie? There's no lie in there. You just have to say my name in sweeter voice," Jamilah insisted.

"Fine, mom."

"Okay, go on. Do it again," Jamilah said and pointed the camera again to Lorraine.

The child was about to speak but suddenly stopped.

"Wait, Daddy told me to wake him up," the child said to Jamilah.

Jamilah was startled in her seat.

"That's right. You should get ready for school, too. Hurry up!"

Jamilah quickly went down to the living room where Yvo was. She found him still asleep on the sofa.

"Honey! Wake up. You said the meeting starts at 9." Jamilah shook Yvo to wake him up, but he remained asleep.

"Come on. Hurry up!"

Moments later, instead of waking up, Yvo placed his finger on his lips as if asking for a kiss.

Jamilah chuckled and quickly kissed her husband on the lips. Yvo's smile widened, and he went back to sleep.

***

Aaron was busy cooking chickens that day when Yvo suddenly arrived at the store.

"Hi, how are you?" Yvo greeted Aaron while he was packing an order,

"Hi, Lorraine's dad," Aaron greeted him too.

"Can you wrap thirty of this box? I want to take them to my employees," Yvo said to Aaron who looked dumbfounded by what he heard.

"Thirty boxes?" Aaron hissed at Yvo who was just smiling at him.

"Yes."

Quickly, Aaron sprang into action and started preparing special chicken for thirty boxes. They were in the midst of that scenario when Amy suddenly arrived.

"Hi, Secretary Amy," Yvo greeted her.

But the woman ignored him and gave Aaron a displeased look, causing him to pause in his work.

Moments later, Amy dramatically placed a white paper on Aaron's store counter. Written on it was, "I love you dearly, Miss Secretary Amy."

"Didn't I tell you not to send me this?" Amy asked Aaron sharply.

Aaron immediately looked away and scratched his head, while Yvo watched the two of them silently.

"I'm sorry. It was just that I wasn't thinking clearly. I was drunk, and before I realized it..."

"What is it?" Yvo curiously asked Aaron.

Aaron gazed at him for a second. "It's a love letter."

"It's supposed to be a love letter? How can you misspell so many words in one letter? The spacing was all wrong. Plus, what's with Miss Secretary Amy? Do you even know my full name?" Amy continued to scold Aaron in front of Yvo who was just laughing beside them.

"I do. It's Amy Salvador. It’s just that I didn’t get much schooling.”

“Are you bragging?” Amy asked sternly to Aaron.

Aaron just muttered some curses and ripped the paper in front of them.

“Damn it. I’m sorry. I was wrong. I will quit my drinking or… I will break my wrist not to write when I’m drunk.”

“You didn’t have to crumple the letter like that,” Amy, in the end, looked at Aaron with so much concern in her eyes.