No, this wasn't right anymore. For Kim to tell me that he's in love with me would worsen the situation. I shouldn't allow this to happen. I was already weak in resisting him, and for him to ride on this situation would only put the embers into flame.
This was perhaps because I had this strange but special feeling for him. But if I also had to entertain the mutual feeling he said he had with me; it wouldn't be long before I would completely fall into the pit of sinning. This I didn't want to happen.
Zed was almost a perfect husband to me, except for his sexual disorder. In our seven years of relationship, we never had gone into any serious argument. He highly respected me and consulted me in every decision-making that he made. He gave me freedom in everything I wanted to do, not suffocating me with his self-set restrictions.
"Don't flatter me, Kim, if your intention is just to pacify me for our sin. It doesn't help the situation at all."
He just pinned his gaze at me. His mouth formed out some words, but its sound never came. I wondered what made it difficult for him to say it, but that moment wasn't the time to raise the question.
I pulled my hands away from his grasps and began to walk away. I no longer turned back to see his reaction, and he also didn't stop me anymore. The moment I went out, the lady receptionist just stared at me with a curious look. Perhaps she was wondering what went through in that whole period of staying with Kim inside the room.
But whatever her opinion was, I couldn't care less.
The dazzling lights beaming from a car's headlight blinded me for a moment. I squinted to adjust to the glare, and when I did, the window from the driver's side rolled down. Vic's head then popped out of the window.
"Ma'am, I'll drive you back to the hotel," Vic hollered. He was Kim's personal driver in Japan.
I forced a polite smile, but I waved a hand in a dismissive gesture.
"Thanks, Vic, but Mr. Mori may have some errands for you."
When I didn't move, the door to his side opened and he stepped out of the car. Walking towards me, he waved a hand with a phone in it.
"Someone wants to talk to you, ma'am."
I gave him a short stare, shifting my gaze between him and the phone. I knew who was on the other line.
"Here," he said, handing out the phone to me with a wide grin on his face
I didn't have the heart to ignore his kindness anymore. He gave me a warm smile; how could I refuse?
Kim's voice flowed into my ear right away. "Let Vic drive you back to the hotel. Unfortunately, in your haste, you have forgotten to wear your…"
I looked down to see my chest, and indeed, he was right. I was naked beneath the thin fabric of my dress. I crossed my arm after handing back the phone to Vic.
"Let's go," I said with my head bowed down, wishing he didn't see my discomfort. I am gifted with a perky full size, so I knew I could barely hide them away.
Vic opened the door for me, and the moment I sat comfortably, he pointed a finger to the box sitting on the corner of the passenger's seat.
"Mr. Mori asked me to lend that to you."
I gave him a questioning look before I slowly opened the lid of the box. He also walked to the driver's side and got in.
"That's a jacket. He said you should put that on. He's afraid you might catch a cold."
I glanced at him through the rearview mirror, and our eyes met. He was also observing me through that mirror. Somehow, I managed to smile before I spoke.
"Please thank Mr. Mori for me. I indeed need this." I needed it to shield myself from shame.
"Sure, ma'am," he replied; his tone was kind, but his suspicious look didn't escape me. But, of course, I could tell what's in the mind of those who knew that I came out of that building and who I was with.
"Vic, how long have you been working with Mr. Mori?"
"Ten years, ma'am."
A sense of excitement wrapped my heart. Maybe, I should make friends with him. I was sure he knew Kim a lot, being his driver for ten years already. He could be the answer to the hundreds of questions running in my mind.
I chuckled softly and said, "I wonder how Mr. Mori looked like ten years ago."
Vic laughed softly as well. "He's stunning when he was younger, but I like his looks better now that he has matured."
"He's gorgeous, indeed. Perhaps he already has a long list of women queuing to get his attention."
"It's true. Lots of women have played tricks to get his attention, but sorry, his heart belongs to Jakara only."
I heaved out a deep sigh to calm down my rising curiosity again. The more they mentioned Jakara, the more intense my desire to know her more became.
"Is Jakara a Japanese woman?"
"By adoption. She worked for Quicksend International Remittance when Mr. Kim met her."
Oh, dear! When Shirley presented my work experiences to the Board of Directors, she also mentioned that I worked for this same company six years ago.
And she was adopted?
"Who adopted her?" My heartbeats hammered against my chest again. I quickly recited some words of prayer in my mind that Vic would just answer my question.
"Mr. Jake Williams, an American national who ran some of his businesses in Japan."
Mr. Jake Williams. The surname may be a common name, but hearing it from the lips of Vic sent shivers down my spine. I had the feeling that I had also met this man before.
Drawing a deep breath again, I gathered my courage for another question.
"Vic, do you have some saved photos of Jakara?" I asked, holding my breath
"Yes, wait."
Vic pulled to the roadside and picked up his phone from the car's phone stand. I moved forward so I could take a clearer look while he browsed on his saved photos. When Vic's finger finally stopped scrolling, I also felt my heart skipping a beat.
"Here, ma'am," Vic said with a triumphant smile on his lips as he handed his phone to me.
My hand that held the phone immediately shook as I saw the photos on the gallery. My heartbeats fluttered, and the hair on my spine crept. All those were intimate poses with Kim.
"Vic, is it me? Or, do I have a twin sister?" I asked, and my tears immediately flowed out like a deluge.
CHAPTER 3 "I'm not in the position to answer your question, ma'am. So why not talk to Sir Kim about it, instead?" Reading the meaning between the lines, my suspicion that I was indeed Jakara grew higher. I could consider having an identical twin, but the intuition or "lukso ng dugo" made me eliminate the thought. Not only that, there was something in the way Kim looked at me that attracted me to him ever since I knew him. And there was a strong emotional pull within me that I could not explain every time I got near him. My thoughts then went to that day I first met him at Ara's office. I was sitting across from Ara's desk when Kim entered the office. His eyes fell on me right away, and he seemed to freeze for a second before he shifted his gaze to Ara. "Ar, Mr. Sato, and his team are coming over this weekend. They'll be staying for about a month," he said, but his side glances didn't escape me. "Got it, sir. I'll be meet
In less than fifteen minutes, I was already done changing into a casual little black dress. It was a sleeveless, body-hugging dress, and its hemline fell several inches above the knee. I couldn’t care less if it was the proper attire for the party or not since it was all I had. I was even glad that Zed, my thoughtful husband, spared me this extra dress for the trip. He seemed to have predicted that I might be needing it. And since it was a pool party, I wore ahead a bikini set underneath my dress. Japan is known for ‘onsen,’ a hot spring bath that is geothermally heated under the ground due to natural volcanic activities. So, I presumed I would also have time for this later. "Yen, where have you been?" Trish sprang up from her seat and ran to meet me while I was still halfway towards the group of people who gathered by the pool. There seemed to be an equal number of men and women; some of them were even seated by twos. "Sorry, Trish! A friend called out of th
Kim stood up and moved his chair beside me. He reached for my hands under the table and held them tight. "I'm here. You don't have to be afraid," he said, staring into my eyes to force me to look at him. I wondered if my reactions were so transparent or if I had a history with this Josh Herra. But my reaction told me I had been into some conflict with him. Addressing me as Jakara further added to my suspicion that I was indeed Jakara. Because If I had an identical twin, I wouldn't have been bothered like this. "Who is he, Kim? Why does he address me as Jakara?" I asked; my lips were already quivering. I was glad the lights were dim because the people around us would have seen my reaction. "Don't trouble your mind for now. You're pregnant, and it isn't good for you to worry much." He released my hands from squeezing, but just when I thought he would already pull them out, he began interlacing his fingers with mine. I no longer realized the roma
CHAPTER 6Trish turned and asked me to zip up her dress. I stopped for a second to give her a thorough overall look and I couldn’t help but stick my eyes on her flaunting curves. The body-hugging cream dress that showed her long legs and a big portion of his back, shoulders, and arms made her so stunning that I even imagined her as a real bride. I even wondered if there was a time where Kim was attracted to her.Remembering that Kath was waiting for us, I also hurried to change into the dress prepared for me. I had no idea on the whole plan for the night, but since Cris involved me in this, I expected that I would have an important role later. While looking at myself in front of the huge mirror, my thoughts then went to Mr. Williams and Josh Herra.Who are they? What is their significance in Jakara's life? And why do I seem bothered inwardly even by just the mention of their names?“Miss Trish, Miss Y
Staring at the old man from my seat, I felt something strange inside. It felt like I had already met him and that I had been close to him. Yet, no matter how I racked my brain, I couldn't bring myself to remember a thing about him.What's the problem here, I thought. Is it really me? Why don't I remember them?I glanced at Kim with a questioning look, but thinking it would prompt an emotional outburst, I excused myself and went to the bathroom. Seeing that I was alone, I let go of the tears that were welling inside me. I was so confused.What happened to me five years ago? Why don't I remember any of these? How do I become someone named Jakara? If I indeed married Kim, what caused our breakup? What role does this old man have on me? I have a biological father in my country. So, why does everyone say he's Jakara's father?My questions popped one after another, and they were as many as the teardrops that raced down my cheeks. T
I froze in my seat when I realized that tonight wasn’t just an engagement party but an actual wedding ceremony. I looked at Trish, and I also saw the massive shock registering in her face. Her glowing eyes were now red, and a gentle emotional tug would surely send her to tears.I turned and looked at Kim and his lips twisted into an amused smile. He seemed to read my mind because he tried to explain.“The couple had some arguments lately because Trish has this feeling of insecurities. So when she learned that Cris is planning to supervise his business in the Middle East, she thought that their relationship isn’t going to work anymore, so she broke up with him. Thus, this surprise wedding ceremony. The grand wedding will follow soon.”“Is there a third party?” I asked because a woman won’t easily get insecure if she doesn’t have to compete for attention from a man.“Not really, but Trish took it serious
I couldn’t believe those things Josh Herra said happened to me. I forgot my current situation for a moment, and it felt like I was listening to a radio drama series.“What happened next, Josh Herra?”Before Josh could answer, a loud siren pierced into my ear. Josh fumbled immediately on my handcuff and released me.“Don’t ever make things hard for me because I always have ways,” Josh said as he glanced at the police car blocking our way. Because his driver didn’t even try to escape, so I guess Josh used this incident as just a threat.Josh rolled out the window when a policeman stood by the passenger’s door.“Sir, what’s the problem?” Josh asked in a poker face that I clenched my hands to hold back my urge to slap him.“We received a call that you’re taking a woman with you by force.”Josh scoffed and moved his gaze between me and the police.
I noticed that he didn’t mention Maezy’s name, but I didn’t expose him. What for? We were already both married and had led separate lives, so it’s useless to cry over spilled milk.Perhaps Kim was afraid that I would confront him for marrying the woman who sold me. If he truly loved me before, he should have married someone else and not the one who betrayed our friendship. But I couldn’t question his decisions because it didn’t matter anymore. Things like that could happen to people, even to someone you don’t expect.“Thanks for coming back to me, Yen,” he said, and his hand crawled on top of my right hand, clasping it with his.Tears rolled down from my eyes as I shook my head.“I am already married, Kim. And so you are.”“But you were mine first.”“But it’s in the past.”I heard with my two ears when Josh confronted Kim for stopping him i
My mom almost fainted when she saw me standing outside the door with Kim. Her eyes were on his arm on my shoulders, and I could tell by her expression that she was gritting her teeth in anger. “Where do we fail in raising you, Yen? Why do you bring another man into the house? Is it because he’s richer? Why? Are you not content with Zed’s income?” I was taught to keep silent every time my parents scolded me, so I just swallowed all her hurting words. “Come inside and let’s hear what your dad hasto say. You put us all into shame.” My knees trembled right away as I imagined dad slapping me in front of Kim. If that would happen,I would surelydie in shame. So, when I heard his footsteps on the stairs, I held Kim’s hand tighter. Kim also raised his arm again and pulled me close to him. Damn it, my mom’s eyes almost fell out from their sockets. “Yen, you’ve finally remembered us. Do you have any idea how many times we went to your h
I waited until Dr. Vergara came back. Her eyes flew wide as she saw me holding a record of another patient.“Miss Yen, this is not allowed. All records must be confidential,” she explained politely, even though her voice didn’t conceal her being upset with me.“I understand, doc, but he is my husband. So, if you tell me everything, that would save him from my lifetimehatred.”The doctor sighed, but she began telling me a little about Zed.“He’s been with me for a couple of months already. However, I believe that the reason he’s not improving yet is because of the secrets he hides from you. If you want to know more, talk to him.”I hurried out of the doctor’s clinic. And for the first time in 6 months, I stepped into the place that created my best memories with Zed. The grass had grown tall, and dried leaves filled the lawn. But it looked like no one was living here anymore.
I moved out of Zed’s houseright after I was discharged from the hospital. I even refused to stay at Ara’s house since I didn’t want to live near Zed anymore. I only came to her house when she informed me of her flight to the USA. And that happened after six months.“Yen, you should listen to Zed. I’m not telling you to go back to him, but at least you talk things out.”“I wouldn’t dare anymore.”“How about your marriage annulment?” Ara asked, but I didn’t believe she didn’t know anything.“Only his lawyer came. Zed has decided to make everything smooth for me by not appearing during the hearing. Both of us signed waivers. I refused to have a share in his house, car, and businesses.”“It’s sad, Yen, but I’m after your happiness. I guess you are happier with Kim.”I didn't tell Ara that I also asked Kim for some space and tim
When Zed slammed the door shut, I went out of the room. But then I felt a cramping sensation in my lower abdomen. I hurried upstairs to rest, ignoring Zed's calls.This was what I was too scared about. That this constant nervousness and tension I went through would eventually bear me down and risk my pregnancy. I forced myself to sleep, hoping that this cramping would be gone when I wake up. But somehow, the symptoms persisted until morning.I took a quick shower, preparing myself to see Dr. Mitch. I also wondered where Zed had gone to, but I shook it off, thinking that Zed wouldn't want to see me after that conversation with Kim.I was already pulling out of the garage when Ara called."Where have you been? Zed had been drinking all night.""Zed? He doesn't drink," I argued, but Ara insisted that he did."He fell asleep here on the porch. He thought you would come here after running away.""Don't wake him up," I said. "Let him sleep
I hurried away from the hotel, pushing away Kim and Zed, who tried to hold me. I just didn’t want the confrontation happening this way. But who could stop Maezy from getting back at us? Perhaps she thought I was avenging for Ara when Kim barged into her home and brought Tim’s things with him. She must have also thought that I manipulated Mr. Yuki and Kim that all those things that should be hers went to Ara instead. She was already desperate, and nothing could stop her from suspecting me.I went home and sought a place to hide. Yet, Zed had all the keys to open the rooms, even our guest rooms. Of course, I would have wanted to stay at any hotel or resort, but I didn’t have time to prepare anymore. Moreover, I knew that these two wonderful men were already rushing after me. Luckily, I had thought of the stockroom. And I knew Zed would never think I would hide in that messy place.I turned on the lights and locked the door before I looked for a comforta
Ara, Zed, and I gathered around a table in the finest restaurant in the city. The day had finally come for all of us to have dinner with Maezy and him. And since we arrived earlier than them, I kept stealing glances at the door. At this time, I had already prepared myself for the worst. I was already too exhausted from constant hiding and running. I had always wanted to protect Zed from hurting, but I had not lived in peace for a long time.“Good evening, everyone!” Kim’s voice jolted me off my seat. I had shifted my attention to the baby inside the stroller because the anxiety was killing me already.“Good evening, Mr. Mori.”“Good evening, sir Kim.”“Good evening, Ja -” Kim greeted, looking at me. I froze for a second, but then he said, “I mean, Yen.” He then took a seat across from me, stealing gazes now and then. But, damn it, his presence was then sending pricks down my spine, es
“Go ahead. Do everything for her,” Zed replied. He saw me coming, so he met me halfway and pulled me to a corner.“Don’t worry. Ara will be alright. She just needs close monitoring.”I pulled out my phone from my bag and called Tim. He didn’t pick up right away, so my anger escalated. I was already shaking -- aggravated by that sore spot in my heart.“Look at what you did. Do you really think this is the best time to drop your bomb on her? Ara is dying, Tim! She’s in the ICU, and the doctors are attending to her right now. If Ara is not going to make it, you will never see your son. And what’s ironic about it? Your son looks exactly like you!”“Ara has given birth already?” Tim confirmed, shaken by the news.“What do you think? Can’t anything happen to her after picking the best time to shatter her heart?”Zed snatched my phone away because my face had
“Dear, I will go home. I will prepare the baby’s room.”“Zed, you’re just so excited! The baby will stay with Ara for as long as she is here.”“Ara said she wouldn’t look at the baby. So that the pain of having to be away from him would be bearable for her.”Glints of massive shock must have spread on my face because Zed rubbed my back. I couldn’t believe Ara could do that. But perhaps, she had already thought about that and I had to honor her decision. Some people appear tough on the outside, but they are too weak inside. If she couldn't handle more than her stress over Tim's betrayal now, who am I to judge her? Perhaps, all she needed was time.The nurse picked up the baby and held it out for me. And there was the cute bundle, sleeping soundly in his sky blue bonnet and nappies!"I can't wait to hold her, Zed!" I exclaimed, giggling."You have all the time to do that later. Go to
I felt my strength leaving my body as I stared into Kim’s eyes. I slowly dropped myself to the floor, but Kim was quick to pick me up. He brought me back to the office and placed me on the sofa.“What’s your plan now?” Kim asked.“You know what, how I wish I could turn back the time. I would not have chosen to work for you. I’d rather forget a part of my life than hurting someone who doesn’t deserve it.”“Then what about me, Jakara? I had been searching for you for a long time, and this is what I get?”“But Kim, I still don’t remember the feelings I had for you back then, although I feel comfortable with you around. Aside from that, we have hurt people. You hurt Maezy before by your indifference, and now for discarding her like trash.”“I even think I knew why Maezy seduced Tim. It’s because she’s insecure.”“And because she’s a