" Have you ever been in love? Horrible isn't it? It makes you so vulnerable. It opens your chest and it opens up your heart and it means someone can get inside you and mess you up. "
- Neil Gainman, The Sandman, Vol. 9: The Kindly Ones
" Where have you been? " I hear the loud female voice from the curvaceous figure next to my office desk, Lucero it is. She's standing like a sculpture with her pointy nails tapping on the table as soon as I entered my office. My Monday has gotten worse when the woman who claims to be my girlfriend starts to sermon me early this morning.
" Well, speak up. I grew worried, you know. "
" Do you even need to ask? You're not my mother. " I snapped back, walking to my desk and placing down my briefcase. " I never cared where you were yesterday. "
" Excuse me, haven't you forgotten? I'm your goddamn girlfriend. " she claims once again with her hands down on my table in front of me.
" Wha- "
" Don't deny it, señor. Because I have the complete evidence in my possession in case if you don't remember the specific crazy night a few months ago. " she shows her phone which I know it contains the bullshit video. That crazy goddamn night where I was completely drunk and I accidentally said words I never meant and it resulted to getting stuck with her like a leech on a piece of wood. " So you haven't answered my question. Where have you been the other days? " she asks again with her brow raised to the highest point.
" Out of town with a couple of friends. " I didn't look straight to the eye. Making excuses that would bail me out of this stupid discussion. I started to analyze the folders left on my table.
" Out of town? Really, Fer? Stop beating around the bush with me! " she cried out.
" You liar! " she pointed.
" Then what explanation do you want to hear, Lucero!? " I yelled at her.
" Care to explain this, Fernando. " she showed me the picture on her phone. Thalia and I, holding hands together in the park the last day was clearly shown in the shot.
" So? What's up with this? At least, I'm not treating her with a little bit of malice. You're the one who is thinking bad about it. " I roared, standing up from my seat.
" Don't tell me you're jealous, Lucero. You told me you could wait for the divorce to be done. "
" Of course, I'm jealous, Fernando. Because I love you, obviously. I don't want you clinging around with your ex. " she reasoned, seeing the first time she tears a bit from her eyes.
" Goodness gracious, you're so clingy. " I complained, then she comes near and hugs me from behind.
" I'm so sorry, mi amor. I don't want to loose the father of my child. " she revealed, clinging to me like a monkey on a tree. Did I just hear that right? Could this be even possible? I think my worst nightmares are coming true which will make my chances of reconciliation with Thalia even harder.
" What? You have to be serious, Lucero. Are you joking? " My eyes widened in fear. I turned to her with my mouth wide open.
" Yes, mi amor. We're going to be parents. " she cheerfully exclaimed which changed her mood from a grumpy hag to a playful vixen once again.
" How can that be possible? " I questioned.
" Are you doubting that I have another affair, Fernando? I have always been faithful to you. Its clearly possible, you're a man anyways and I am a woman and its been crazy these past two months. " she explains, she must've drugged me in one of those nights or made me crawl into her bed with her deadly, seducing perfume. But my Thalia, I feel that I have been pushed a few chances away from her. " Aren't you happy? "
" I'm happy. " I murmured in a sad tone,turning toward another direction and stared afar.
" As soon as the baby is born and as soon as your divorce is through, I expect the two of us to get married in a real church wedding! " she is on discussing her high hopes of a happy future. I was a coward and vulnerable man when I met this vixen and I regret being in a fling with her and now, she's pregnant what I am going to do?
Should I push on with the divorce? It would be unfair on her part and the child's part if I still stick with my ex. But it would be unfair for Mattheo, seeing him grow up blinded by the happiness around him. But what if the child isn't really mine? I know this woman, I know Lucero. I'm wondering.
" We'll get married, nothing can stop us and I want you to present me to everybody in the ball this coming Wednesday. " she traces her finger along my necktie. " As your new woman. "
I feel like I am choked with her actions and words. She's evil, I can see that word written all over her. " We'll see. " I mumbled.
She just grinned. She tries to reach for my lips but before she could even do that, a knock echoed through the office and I see Jennifer standing by the doorway with a bright morning smile. Lucero parted away from me.
" Can't you knock, idiota." she quietly mumbles to herself.
" Good morning, sir. " she cheerfully greeted.
" Buenos dias, Jen. "
She walked towards the desk like a model in a pencil skirt. Thalia's best friend saved me from a kiss with the devil. " Mrs. Castro told me to pass these to you. " she hands me a blue folder containing files.
" Thank you, Jennifer. " I analyzed the papers that it contained. " You can leave now. " I smiled back at her and she turns with one heel and exits the room.
As Jennifer closes the door, Lucero comes back to me again and tries to cup my face, reaching for a kiss. But I gently shoved her away. " Not now. " I ordered. She crossed her eyebrows, turns around and walks out of my sight. I feel like concentrating when she's not around.
I sat and placed my arms on the table, scratching my head in confusion. What am I to do? What if Thalia knows Lucero is pregnant? Of course, she doesn't really care about me anymore, now that there's nothing in between and the divorce is going on. But I know that there's this part in her that will break when she hears about it. The more her angst against me will grow. I think it would be better to reveal it to her personally rather than to hear it from someone else.
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I held the four pieces of papers of divorce that my lawyer left on my table. Then I saw my signature on the last page but without that devil's signature. With that hard head of his, I'll burn in rage everyday if I don't get him to sign these papers I'm holding.
" Knock, knock. Can I get in? " Jennifer knocks, standing by the doorway. I nod and she hurriedly gets in and sits on one of the chairs across my desk. " You wouldn't believe what I just heard! " she has new gossip obviously but her face expression was different than usual.
" This better be worth my time, Jennifer. " I rubbed my temples while reading the reports on my table.
" You better listen, woman! Its about your ex... " she starts, I closed the reports and listened to what gossip she has to say. " Your worst nightmare finally came true. His woman is pregnant. " she revealed with such emotion painted on her face.
She's pregnant...
Those words kept repeating in my head, swirling around my mind like a typhoon and leaving a massive headache. I felt so affected even if I'm not in their situations and I feel nothing else but friendship and care for Fernando. Something broke inside of me when Jennifer blurted out the news. I rubbed my forehead, this isn't supposed to be a problem of mine but why did I become so affected? I tried biting back the tears that started to come out for no apparent or unknown reason.
" Are you crying? " she noticed the liquid encircling the bottom part of my eyes.
" No. " I sighed. " That's not my problem. None of it is my business. " I stood up from the swivel chair and looked at the city view behind me across the huge glass window of the office. " Where did you get this info, amiga? " I asked.
" I heard them talk and each word was loud and clear. She's pregnant, his woman is hoping that he would marry her after the divorce is done. " she answers.
" That witch and her elusive dreams! " I mocked. " I don't know or care with those two idiots anymore. They betrayed me, they laughed behind my back. " I faced Jennifer with an angry expression. They owe me so much. Their actions took away my happiness and left me crying and cold for two months.
" Then give them what they want! The divorce. " she suggests.
" But that devil won't sign! " I pointed up where his office is located. " And I'm trying to make him since my lawyer won't be here for a few months. " I continued.
" God, I didn't know its not easy to be liberated from a marriage these days. " She sighs. " So after the divorce, are you willing to see them happy while you remain the same? " she asks.
Never thinking of that question, the more I get disgusted, angry and hurt when I'll see them in each other's arms, being happy. My mind starts to cloud with hate against them, especially with that woman. If they were able to laugh behind my back, I'll give her something to wait for a hundred years and I'll give Fernando something to empty his pockets. Its time to pay back what they've caused.
I reached for the telephone on my desk and called my lawyer. " Hello attorney, this is Ms. Sodi. I'm shifting for an annulment. " My decision was loud and clear. I won't care anymore how expensive or how long will it take, at least it will be long to test her patience and I'll find ways to be happy amidst of the heavy situation. This is one risky move I made. We discussed with my lawyer for a couple of minutes, I would exchange these divorce papers for the annulment documents. I hung the call after.
" Are you serious? You have to be reasonable, Thali. Annulment is no joke, it would take years. " Jennifer was shocked and wide eyed, unable to believe my actions.
" I am reasonable, Jenni. " I stated with a firm look at her. " I want to see them break fiber by fiber as the time passes and I would laugh at them after. " I sounded evil with my tone.
" I'll push on with the annulment, nothing will stop me even if Fer will kneel down begging for forgiveness. " I started to break down in tears, Jennifer, mi mejor amiga who has known me in times of misery, ran to comfort me.
" And after that, can you be happy? " she pulls off the question.
" Goddamn! Why shouldn't I be? " I exclaimed, giggling like a fake between the tears.
If they were able to laugh behind my back, if they were able to be happy then why can't I? I felt betrayed more than ever in my life.
End of Chapter Six