Days have come by since Irene and Emma's first meeting. Greggy still doesn't have any idea that his wife met his mother. He is still oblivious to the fact that Irene has been meeting his mother behind his back without his knowledge.
They both were busy at work, halos hindi na nga sila nag-aabot sa bahay nila. Whenever Greggy's off work, he usually spends his time with Isabelle. While, Irene just stays home or meets up with her friends.
"Baka hindi ako makauwi dito mamaya, just lock the doors." sabi ni Greggy habang inaayos ang necktie niya. It's early in the morning and he's bound to go to the company.
Irene was still laying down on her bed while scrolling on her phone, she took a day off today. "Hmm'kay. Baka lumabas rin ako mamaya, but I am still not sure though."
Greggy just hummed as an answer, took his bag, and said, "Gotta go now, bye."
"Bye." sabi ni Irene at sinulyapan si Greggy bago nito isara ang pintuan ng bedroom nila.
As Greggy went to work, Irene took her time to rest and organize their penthouse. Natulog muna siya ng ilang oras at gumising muli para magluto ng pananghalian niya. After eating her lunch, she cleaned their penthouse.
From the dishes, laundry, organizing certain things, mopping, cleaning the bathrooms, vacuuming and so many other things. She re-did the set-up of their living room. The only space that she didn't touch is Greggy's working area.
After she almost refurnished their place, she suddenly received a message from her mother-in-law.
From: Mama Emma (MIL)
Irene, can you please call me?
She immediately did what Emma told her.
"Ma? Anything wrong po?" bungad niya.
["I actually need your help, there's this bomb threat in the hotel that I moved to. I'm not in Conrad anymore."] nagulat si Irene nang marinig iyon galing sa biyenan niya.
"Oh gosh. Ma, are you okay? Are you safe?" puno ng pag-aalala niyang sagot.
["The authorities are still checking the place. Hindi ko kasi matawagan sila Elvira at Patricia, they're abroad, that's why I called you instead. Do you perhaps know a place where I could spend the night?"]
"Send me the location of where you're at, Ma. I'm coming over."
["Okay, dear, thank you very much."]
After the call ended, naligo muna siya at nagbihis para puntahan ang biyenan niya. Irene thought of letting Emma stay for the night since hindi naman uuwi si Greggy. She spotted Emma outside of the said hotel, pinasakay niya ito sa sasakyan niya.
"You're a savior, Irene."
Irene started driving back home, "Always here to help, Ma. Doon ka muna magpalipas ng gabi sa penthouse namin ni Greggy—"
"Irene, magagalit si Greggy, does he know?"
Nilingon niya saglit ang biyenan niya at umiling, "Hindi po siya uuwi ngayong gabi kaya ayos lang po."
"Why isn't he coming home tonight?" nagtatakang tanong ni Emma.
Irene was caught off guard and still managed to make an excuse, "Madaming gawain po sa office 'e," she smiled.
Tumango na lamang si Emma at wala nang ibang sinabi pa. They arrived at the parking lot of the building, they walked together to the elevator to go up to their penthouse.
"Thank goodness I cleaned up," Irene thought in her mind while they were in the elevator.
Bigla namang nagtanong si Emma, "Kayo ba ang bumili nitong tinitirhan niyo, hija?"
The elevator opened directly to their penthouse, Irene opened the door and answered Emma. "Uhm, no po. My parents and Don Luis bought it for us."
Emma nodded as they went inside. Nilibot ni Emma ang tingin niya sa buong penthouse, maaliwalas at mabango. Not the design that she would go for but it's nice, simple, and modern.
"You have a nice home..." Emma complimented.
Irene smiled, "Thank you, Ma."
Emma sat on the couch while Irene brought her mother-in-law's things inside the unused drawer in her walk-in closet. Agad niyang binalikan ang biyenan niya sa sala. She proceeded to go to the kitchen to prepare dinner for both of them.
"Naglilinis naman ba si Greggy dito? Is he helping you around here?" tanong ni Emma habang tinitingnan ang mga furniture, Irene was cooking adobo.
Napatawa ng maikli si Irene, "Oo naman po. He usually cooks for us pag maaga po siyang nakauwi, he washes his own laundry, and he cleans up whenever he's free."
"I know he would. My Greggy is a clean freak. You know, when he was a child, his room was the cleanest among his sisters. Tinitignan kasi ni Luis 'yon pagdating niya ng bahay." kwento ni Emma at tumayo katabi si Irene.
Irene nodded and smiled, fascinated about her husband through his mother's stories. "Clean freak po talaga... He sometimes arranges my vanity table po, 'yung closet rin po namin."
"I'm so glad that he's not like his father, hindi ginagawang katulong ang asawa." Emma said bitterly at umupo sa dining chair.
Napawi ang ngiti ni Irene. Being Don Luis' wife must be hard, she thought. Unintentionally, seems like Emma was a trophy wife to Don Luis. Now, she understands her mother-in-law, Irene knows that it took a lot of courage for Emma to leave.
Not too long, their dinner is served. They ate adobo together. When Emma took her first bite, Irene was watching her carefully, trying to see Emma's reaction for her cooking. Tumango-tango ito.
"My son hit the jackpot, huh? You're a good cook!" Emma complimented which made Irene smile brightly.
They went on with their night. Emma volunteered to wash the dishes but Irene didn't let her. Irene turned on their television para naman malibang ang biyenan niya. She then joined Emma in the living room after she cleaned up.
Both of the ladies were enjoying their movie, and with the popcorn that Irene prepared when suddenly, the door opened. Nagtinginan ang dalawa at nagulat.
"It must be Greggy," pabulong na sabi ni Emma, she is clearly nervous.
"Irene? I'm home!" Greggy announced from the doorstep.
All Irene could do was bite her lower lip and face this reality. Irene stood up and greeted Greggy at the doorstep, she trying to distract him. "Hey.."
"Hi, nag dinner ka na?" tanong ni Greggy habang hinuhubad ang sapatos niya.
"Uhm.. I thought you weren't coming home? Ang sudden naman..." she nervously uttered.
Greggy loosened his tie and walked to the house, "Cancelled 'e, may lakad— What are you doing here?" gulat na sabi ni Greggy nang makita si Emma sa couch nila.
He looked back at Irene and saw her guilty face, his brows furrowed. Nilingon niya ulit ang ina. "What the heck are you doing here?!" halos pasigaw niyang sabi.
Irene walked towards Emma and tried to hide her mother-in-law behind her. "Greggy..."
"Care to explain?! You've been seeing that woman behind my back! Ilang araw mo na 'tong tinatago sa'kin!? You know my current stand with her, Irene, and yet you are clearly neglecting it!" galit na sabi ni Greggy.
"She... She's not just a woman, Greggy, she's your mother..." Irene rebutted.
"Since when?!" Greggy scoffed.
Irene tried to hold his hand, trying to console him. "Greggy, there's a bomb threat at the hotel that your mom is staying in—"
"And how does that concern you? What happens to her does not concern you, Irene..."
Emma grabbed her bag and stood up, wanting to leave. "Irene, dear... Aalis na lang ako, I'll just find a hotel..."
"No, Ma, no. Stay... You should stay, delikado po." Irene convinced Emma.
Dinuro ni Greggy si Emma, he's enraged. "See what you're doing... Trying to take advantage of my wife's kindness... Ganyan ang ugali mo 'e! Huwag mo ngang dinadamay ang asawa ko sa nangyayari sayo! Call Elvira or Patricia! Huwag mong idamay ang asawa ko!"
Emma was almost tearing up. She was just staring at Greggy's furious reaction. Nothing has changed, Greggy is still angry with her.
"Greggy, stop... She's your mother."
"You don't know anything, Irene, you don't k-know..." his jaw clenched as he stormed inside their bedroom, leaving Irene and Emma.
Emma broke down, niyakap siya ni Irene. "I apologize for Greggy's behavior, Ma..." she caressed Emma's back.
"It's m-my fault, Irene... Kasalanan ko..."
Irene pulled out from the hug and excused herself to follow Greggy in their bedroom. As she opened the door, she found Greggy smoking on their balcony. Nilapitan niya si Greggy ng palihim.
"Throw that away..." utos ni Irene kay Greggy. "I thought you quit that?"
"Paalisin mo ang babaeng 'yon." Greggy stated. It was full of authority, it's as if he already made up his mind.
Irene swallowed as she nervously walked closer to him. "Greggy, delikado nga. Gabi na. Baka ano pa ang mangyari sa mommy mo, you wouldn't want anything bad to happen to her, would you?"
"For all I care." he scoffed at umiling pa.
Kinain sila ng katahimikan ng ilang segundo. Irene was just observing Greggy's expression. Blanko ang mukha nito ngunit alam mong malalim ang iniisip. Nag-tiim bagang ito habang nakatingin sa malayo. She touched his biceps, trying to console him.
"Just make her go," sambit ni Greggy.
Irene sighed. "Gabi na." she whispered. She cleared her throat. "Would you feel better if samahan ko na lang si Mama at maghahanap na lang kami ng hotel?"
Nilingon ni Greggy si Irene habang nakakunot ang noo, he looked puzzled. "You call her 'Mama'? The hell. And there is no way that you will go out with her to find her a place to stay, that is not your job. Binibilog ka ng babaeng 'yon at nagpapadala ka naman. She's using you to get to me, Irene. And I hate that so much. Her, using everybody just to get to me." suminghap si Greggy.
"Greg, hindi ganon." malumanay na sabi ni Irene.
"You don't know her like I do, Irene. She will use everyone just to get what she wants. And now, ikaw 'yung pinupuntirya niya." he stopped for a moment. "Stop talking to her."
"Greggy, I can't do that."
"And why not? Irene, you don't owe anything to her. When you married me, you are not entitled to anyone from my family. You are not my sisters' in-law, not my dad's in-law, and definitely not hers. When you married me, you became my wife. Just mine. My wife." binigyang-diin ni Greggy ang lahat ng lumabas sa kanyang bibig.
"Greg, she wants to reconcile with you... " ani Irene.
"And I don't want to." he said, clearly. "I'm gonna call Elvira or Patricia to pick her up." he excused himself to go inside their room and called his sisters.
Natahimik si Irene sa sinabi si Greggy. As much as she wants them to reconcile, seems like her husband is not open to that yet. He is not ready to forgive his mother, and she has no say in that because she was not the one who got abandoned.
She went out of her room to go to Emma, she found Emma just sitting on the couch. Nilingon siya nito nang maramdaman nito ang presensya niya. She sat beside Emma, she placed Emma's bag on the carpet.
"Ma, I'm so sorry... Ayaw po makinig sa'kin 'e,"
Emma smiled bitterly and slowly nodded. "It's okay, Irene. Thank you so much for trying..." she held Irene's hand.
"Ipapasundo ka daw po niya kay Elvira or Patricia po..."
"Okay... Sorry the trouble, nag-away pa tuloy kayo."
Irene closed her eyes for a short second and shook her head. "Walang problema 'yun, Ma. Kaya ko,"
"Thank you so much, darling... Thank you for loving my son." Emma said sincerely.
All Irene could do was nod. How long will this stupid lie go on? She doesn't love Greggy, that is the truth. And yet, she's here sitting beside his mom, whilst trying to look like she loves him. She doesn't think she could ever love again. Once was enough.
Minutes later, someone knocked to their door, must be Elvira or Patricia. Lumabas na rin si Greggy galing sa kuwarto nila. Nilagpasan niya lang ang ina na parang hangin. He was the one who opened the door. Irene stood up with Emma who's clutching her bag.
"Greggy," sambit ni Elvira. Hindi umimik si Greggy.
Emma walked towards Elvira.
"Greggy, anak... I am so sorry." Emma mumbled.
"Stop bothering my wife. If anything happens to you, call your daughters, not my wife." he said crystal clear.
"I'm so sorry, Greggy." sabi ni Elvira sa kapatid.
"Kayo na diyan." sabi ni Greggy.
Irene smiled at Emma. "Ingat po kayo." Emma smiled back at her.
Greggy almost slammed the door at them, he stormed inside their bedroom leaving Irene at the living room. Natulog siyang may halong tampo sa asawa. First time in their marriage, Irene slept with heavy heart. Tomorrow is another day.