Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

DIVINA MONTES woke up that morning in a foul mood. Her head is aching and she was hungry and almost starved. Hang over caught her. And her feeling of being broke almost crushed her sanity. She lost a huge sum of money last night at the casino and the manager refused to loan her again because of big amount she owed. Her frustrations file up remembering the continuous losing in the casino. Because she could no longer play, she went to the bar and spent the whole night drinking.

She forced herself to the kitchen. Took some medicine to ease the pain and swallowed it with water.

“Hi mom? Drunk again?” Samantha greeted her mother with the usual dialogue. What is new after all, her mother is always drunk every night. Waking up sober is like raindrops at summer time.

“How’s your father’s birthday?” Divina ask almost inaudible evading her daughter’s comment. “Owchhh. My head.”

Divina hold her aching head while Samantha help her seat before she answered.

“Well, he is looking for you?”

“Really!” Divina answer in a sarcastic tone with shrewd smile on her lips. “As if he cares.”

Samantha ignore her mother and begin to prepare coffee. As she is drinking her own, she watched her mother silently. She felt that fang of sadness within. Her mother aged a lot after her father leaved them. It happened when she was in New York studying. When she returned, there was no longer a happy home that she used to grow up. What is left are shattered memories. Her mother told her that Arnald left them for another woman. She later learned that the woman was Marieta De Asis, from a rich clan, a sugar magnate from Visayas.

She was so furious upon learning and confronted her father and the woman but to no avail, her plea had just gone with the winds. Arnald never offered satisfactory explanation of what he did. Neither remorse. Aside from a simple promise that he will continue to love Samantha as her daughter. But Samantha after hearing the word, could not feel the real conviction.

AT that moment Samantha, figure out that her father had changed a lot. Unlike before that she really felt the love. At first she attributed the changes to time and distance. She spent more years abroad studying and soon became busy in her modeling career. But deep inside she felt something else.

From then on, she watched her mother living in so much pain and misery. As her sympathy with her grow, her hatred with her father started. She now realized that her father is a born womanizer. She almost forgot the truth that before her mother, Arnald Lopez had other women. She now realized that his father married a woman, not for love but for the woman’s money.

Divina Montes is the sole heir of the Montes clan of the M&A Pharmaceutical company. A local pharma and also a producers of agribusiness products such as feeds and fertilizer for local consumption and beginning to infiltrate international market.

Her mother was a stunned beauty and a promising beauty queen when she met her father and the whirlwind relationship started without the permission of Divina’s parents. But as the song lyrics echoed, too much love will kill you, her mother’s love literally killed both Joaquin and Corazon Montes, her grandparents.

It happened one stormy night. Joaquin was so upset while driving. Corazon was trying to appease Divina while sobbing and crying. They forcefully took back Divina from Arnald. Arnald force to let Divina go with her parents because of threats of kidnapping case from Joaquin. The old man also verbally abused Arnald, and promise the man of miserable life if he will not let go.

But fate take its toll of shares. If too much love kills, too much hates do the same. Joaquin continued berating Divina and promised that the next morning she will be send abroad. But it never happened. Joaquin lost his concentration while driving and a single mistake brings them to fatal death when their car was bumped by a speeding truck. The rain and darkness blinded both drivers that resulted to a devastating accident.

It was a miracle that Divina survived.

With no other heir, Divina took over the pharma operation and with the guidance of Arnald who had a raw talent for growing businesses, Divina’s life begun to return to normal. But it was a short episode of happiness for her and soon fades fast like smoke in the air.

Arnald’s past relationship is like ghost that hunt Divina as the time goes, Divina learned about Arnald’s women and children. She was consumed by too much raged and jealousy. She also felt cheated because Arnald never mentioned about his past. The sweet love she felt for the man, started to get sour and begin to flew in the window. But what can she do? It is as if she can no longer live without Arnald. Aside from being her husband, Arnald run her inherited business as Chief Operating Officer.

Eventually, Arnald had bought lose company shares of stocks and became the minority shareholders. Divina had still maintained her shares and still owned the controlling vote.

“Samantha, I need five hundred thousand to pay my debt.” Divina broke the silence as she drunk her coffee “Can you tell your father to draw a check?”

“Why don’t to talk to him about that.”

Divina’s expression changed immediately upon hearing her daughter.

“You know that I can’t do that.” There was anger in her pitch voice. “I don’t want to talk to him. I don’t want to see him either.”

It was clear reason why Divina did not show herself last night at her father’s birthday, instead went to casino and got drunk eventually.

Samantha sigh. She knew why her mother don’t want to tell her father about money matters. Her father knew full well that the money will just go to casino and before handing money to Divina, there was sermons first and filthy exchanges of unpleasant word.

“Okay Mom, I’ll try.”

“Don’t just try. Do something. I need the money badly.”

Samantha was adamant herself to see her father. No, the truth was she hates her father but she is becoming rational of seeing him until such time she gets her share of inheritance. Dealing with Arnald Lopez requires a lot of nerves and superficial skills. The man is ruthless and foul mouthed.

She needed someone with her to see her father. Tagging somebody can be a shield from Arnald’s verbal insult to her mother.

Samantha blushed in anger thinking that her father is enjoying such wealth from her grandparents. And now her mother is being deprived of what is rightfully belongs to her. Even her share was controlled by her father.

Angelo came to her mind. She took out her phone and dialed the man’s number.

ANGELO was enjoying his daily swim at his pool. The five thousand square meters farm he owned in Laguna, is just one among his properties. He has an apartment in New York. A forty floor condominium in Vietnam that serves as his offshore head quarter. A huge farm land in Indonesia, Thailand and many other properties scattered in many countries.

Thanks to Han Le and Le Fong. His vast experience working with Han Le family had made him self-made billionaires. His export and import business is blooming that is why he is planning to start a real estate business soon.

His mansion is a two story bricks building with one thousand square feet floor area. The design is a combination of western architecture and oriental.

The area was fenced and two armed security guards roam around. Close Circuit Televisions were installed, and a Doberman was stationed at the guard house at the entrance. A walk way that leads to drive way was separated by a big swimming pool.

He had already finished his customary ten daily lapped and started to walk inside for shower and breakfast. He has scheduled meetings for the day at his office in Manila.

As he entered the huge living room, the uniformed house help came rushing towards Angelo.

“Sir telephone for you.”

It was Samantha calling. At first Angelo has no interest to see her today or even for the whole week. But when Samantha ask him if he could accompany her to meet Arnald Lopez, Angelo just say yes without so much thinking.

This is an opportunity he is looking forward since long ago.

Know your enemy well before you attack to ensure winning.