CHAPTER IV: A CONFLICTED MAN

SHE hoped it was all a misunderstanding. Maybe she misinterpreted it. But no matter how many times she read it, it was crystal clear to her. However, she still found it difficult to believe the said message.

She wasn't being in denial.

She knew her husband far too well to believe he would do such a thing. Not only that, but she never had the impression that he was doing anything inappropriate behind her back. She has a woman's instinct, so she would notice if anything wasn't quite right.

Her husband was just too in love with her to even think about cheating.

He would never do anything to ruin their marriage … their family.

Many people were envious of them; thus the text message could have been made up. It was possible that it came from people who were envious of their family's status, particularly since her husband was a well-known businessman, and she was a well-known journalist.

Whoever those people are, they can't ruin her family.

She inhaled deeply and applied lipstick. Her night wasn't going to be ruined. She couldn't afford to be emotional, since that night was too essential for them.

"Mrs. Salameda?" a member of their staff knocked on the door.

"Yes?"

"Mr. Salameda is looking for you, ma'am. The party will start in a few minutes."

"All right, I'll be right there."

She looked at her own image once more. She had a sophisticated and commanding presence. She was the definition of a successful woman, and she wasn't about to let a silly rumor ruin her night.

Act like everything's doing perfectly fine, Elena.

***

MIGUEL Salameda stood proudly in front of their company's significant owners, stockholders, business colleagues, and employees. He finally got the job he'd been hoping for a long time. He had been putting in long hours to ensure that he would achieve his dreams. He had many doubts about his ability to succeed, yet he persisted.

"Hon, don't be discouraged," his wife would continuously remind him. "You are meant to carry on your family's legacy. You are destined for the greatest things the world has to offer. Just because you failed today does not mean you are a total failure. No, you should bounce back and do better."

"It's exhausting to prove myself to them. I don't think they even see my worth. I'll never be good enough for them."

"Then maybe it's about time to stop proving yourself to them. You don't even have to prove them wrong, 'hon. Just keep doing your best, okay? You know who you are, what you're worth, and what you're capable of."

He, like his wife, didn't feel like he belonged in their family. Unlike Elena, he was not an illegitimate child. However, his siblings were always better than him, regardless of what he accomplished.

His eldest and most established brother, Alfred, died of leukemia roughly four years ago. Because he was their father's favorite, he was supposed to be the one in his position now. That's why, even after realizing his greatest ambition, he couldn't help but feel that something was still lacking. He felt as if he was only there because they didn't have any other options.

He remembered the conversation he had with his older sister, Ate Beatrice, before the party began.

"Are you sure you're up for this?" she asked him coldly. Because his older sister had always been harsh with him, he was already used to dealing with her.

"I know you don't think I'm qualified, Ate—"

"On the contrary, I believe you are qualified for the job."

He was taken aback by what she said. He assumed she didn't believe in his abilities. If it wasn't for the fact that she had her own business to run, he would think that she was ready to fight him to get the position he wanted. However, his Ate Beatrice was already too preoccupied with running the most successful lifestyle magazine in the country. It was her passion, so she never thought about managing Salameda Group of Companies.

"Do you really think so?"

"Come on, Miguel, I'm not blind. I've seen your hard work over the years, and I've seen all of your efforts to achieve your goals. Yes, you're highly qualified to be SGC's CEO, but not as qualified as Kuya Alfred."

"Ate—"

"You'll always be compared to our late brother. You'll live in the shadow of a dead person, and some people will always think you're only in your position because he's gone. Do you think you can live with that?"

"Then I'll prove them wrong."

"You've spent your entire life proving yourself. Aren't you tired?"

She was completely right in everything she said. Everything made complete sense. But what did she expect him to do? Let go of the position that he had worked so hard to achieve?

He wasn't insane or stupid to do that. Yes, it was exhausting, but he was not about to give up. Finally, he could prove his worth to everyone. That he could be a strong family leader.

For years, he endured being in the shadow of his famous and successful wife. Don't get him wrong, he was happy, and he was proud of all his wife's achievements. He knew all that Elena had gone through to reach her current status. But there were times that he felt inferior because she had so many achievements in life.

"Dude, your wife just won another award in New York!" Arjhay, his best bud, exclaimed while holding his phone. "Damn, she's really unstoppable!"

"Yeah, she is," he answered as he fiddled with the wine bottle. They were enjoying a drink at his friend's place at the time. "I'm very proud of her."

His friend chuckled and said, "Oh man, I know that face."

"What?"

"You're feeling inferior again because of your wife's accomplishments."

With a shake of his head, he expressed his dissatisfaction with the situation.

"No, it's not like that. I just hope I could be like her, you know? I want to have big accomplishments like she has, and I want her to be proud of me."

"I bet she's proud of you. You know what? That's just your ego talking, man. Besides, we know you're about to inherit the SGC, and you'll be the head of the country's largest business empire. Maybe that'll be enough for you to feed your ego."