67:  What happened?!

 

Khana sensed that something terrible was on the horizon, a storm brewing that would soon crash into her life. The court hearing for her divorce was approaching faster than she had anticipated, and with it, the overwhelming weight of judgment and loss. Anxiety gnawed at her, and each passing day felt like a countdown to disaster.

Then, it came. A loud crash from downstairs snapped her out of her thoughts, sending her heart racing. Voices—angry, furious voices—echoed through the house. Her body went cold as she recognized the sound. Richard’s parents had arrived.

As she descended the staircase, Khana’s legs felt like they were made of lead. She was nearly at the bottom when Richard's mother, Karylle, stormed toward her, grabbing her roughly by the arm and pulling her down the final steps. Khana gasped in shock, stumbling to the floor.

Richard helped his wife stand up, it was never his intention to see Khana hurt. He was surprised as well, he never had seen how violent his mother would be.

A resounding slap echoed in the receiving area. It was Khana's mother-in-law's hand that fell onto her cheek.

"My son gave you everything! How dare you betray him!" says Richard's mother, believing her son's claim.

Richard told her mother that Khana ran away and eloped with the priest. Of course, his parents believed him since they believed their child would never lie.

Khana shed a tear while holding the side of the slapped cheek. She wants to reason out, but there's no point explaining things with close-minded people.

Khana’s face stung from the slap, but it was nothing compared to the pain she felt inside. She glanced at Richard, who stood there, saying nothing to defend her. He had told his parents a twisted version of events—one in which she had run off with a priest, abandoning her marriage. A complete fabrication, but they believed him, convinced their precious son could do no wrong.

"We treated you like our real daughter. How shameless!" Khana's father-in-law added.

"Mom, stop! You shouldn't dirty your hands with such a shameless woman," says Richard, trying to stop his mom from hurting Khana physically, by saying hurtful words about his wife.

But his eyes betrayed him. Deep down, Richard didn’t want this. He still hoped Khana would change her mind, stay with him, and avoid the public scandal that was quickly unraveling. He didn’t want the humiliation.

Richard still hopes that Khana will change her mind and just stay with him to avoid humiliation and chaos.

Khana glanced at her parents, who looked at her with disappointment. They never defended or asked her to tell her side of the story. Her heart is in agony, all she wants is to decide for herself.

"I will never allow you to divorce peacefully. You'll rot in hell and you will never see your son ever again!" Her mother-in-law yelled.

"N-Nooo, you can't do this to me! Kharl is my child! Richard is-" Khana stopped when she realized, Chloe clearly reminded her through a piece of paper attached to the envelope, 'Never reveal anything yet'

"Get out! I'll see you in court!" Richard's mother added.

"Guards! Throw them out!" Richard's father commanded, his voice booming. Two burly security guards moved forward, grabbing Khana and her parents as if they were common criminals.

Khana’s heart shattered as she screamed, "Kharl! My baby!" But no one listened. Her cries fell on deaf ears as she was dragged out into the cold, harsh rain. Her child was ripped away from her, and there was nothing she could do.

"You reap what you saw, Khana. From now on, don't let us see your face until you fix this!" Karylle uttered. She left the wheelchair rolling for her husband.

Khana was left alone outside the house. She had no choice but to leave as the neighbor started gossiping. With nowhere else to go, Khana’s mind drifted to the only person who might offer her shelter—Serina, her old friend. She had no money, no phone, nothing. All she could do was walk, hoping her feet would carry her to Serina’s doorstep.

She was walking barefooted and drenched in rain. Her feet are swollen and scratched due to long hours of walking without anything to protect her feet. She had nothing, no money, no cellphone, and no wallet. But all those wounds are beyond comparable, losing her child is what truly hurt the most.

She rang the doorbell, her body trembling from exhaustion and the cold. She waited for someone to notice her. Luckily, Serina was near the gate, thus she immediately unlocked it. The lady was surprised at how pitiful Khana had become.

"Oh my God, Khana! What happened to you?" Serina gasped, pulling her friend inside and wrapping her in a warm embrace.

Khana was lost for words. She did nothing but cry in the arms of her friend. She calmed down a little after a hot shower.

"What happened? Why are you drenched and looking at this..." Serina asked while cleaning the wounds and putting betadines.

"They kicked me out and deprived me of Kharl. My baby, they had my baby," Khna uttered with a river of tears.

"Hush now. They won't hurt your baby, it's their grandson."

"No..."

"What do you mean no?" Serina asked.

"Richard is sterile," Khana replied. "But I never told anyone about it yet," she added.

"For real?! How did you know?"

"Chloe gave me the result."

Serina was confused, thus Khana explained that Chloe was the one who promised to help her win the case. In return, she'd migrate to somewhere else.

Serina’s mind raced, trying to make sense of it all. "So if Richard isn’t Kharl’s father, then... who is?"

Khana hesitated, the weight of her secret crushing her. "I only have one person in mind, but I never intend to let him know about this. He's already living his dream life. All I want is Divorce and live with my child, even if it means I raise him alone."

"Have faith. You can get through this. God will not forsake his child," says Serenity, wholeheartedly supporting her friend- Khana.

Khana suddenly thought about it... She silently asks herself, "What if this is the bad Karma God has restored for me? A delayed one...What if I'm being punished since I tried to seduce one of the priest who swore loyalty to him."

"Am I ready for this? Do I really have a stand on this matter?" Khana mumbled.

Her heart pounded with guilt, fear, and uncertainty. "Am I being punished for my sins?" she murmured, more to herself than to Serina.

Serina’s brow furrowed in concern. "Don’t think like that, Khana. You’re a good person. You’ve made mistakes, but so has everyone. You don’t deserve this."

“Do I really not deserve it? A sinister woman who slept with a priest,’ says the back of Khana’s mind.