Clarification: Yago and Millie didn't have sex. Yago and Rory didn't record themselves--the video was taken without their knowledge. Thank you.
#ILWTG35 Chapter 35
"Tutuloy ba si Ellie ngayon?" tanong ni Manang. Agad akong napa-tingin sa gawi ni Papa para makita kung gising ba siya. Though it wasn't a big improvement, it was still an improvement. I could see how Papa's mood lightened up whenever Ellie would come to visit. I was really happy. And thankful.
"Hindi po, e," sagot ko nang masigurado na tulog si Papa. "Busy si Jax ngayon. Hindi madadala dito si Ellie."
I didn't know the setup... I didn't ask. Basta ang alam ko, si Jax ang pinagbilinan ni Yago para kuhanin si Ellie mula kay Millie para dalhin dito sa bahay. Ni hindi ko alam kung alam ba ni Millie o hindi. I just... I just really wanted her gone from my life. I didn't want to talk about her, think about her. I didn't want to give myself an opportunity to get mad at her. She still held the key to destroy my life. And I just wanted to protect myself.
Jax was right... there's no winning this.
I just needed to live my life.
A lot had been sacrificed for this.
Nagsabi na rin ako kay Manang na baka hindi ako makauwi mamayang gabi. Jax fucking resigned from the firm kaya sa akin napunta iyong ibang kaso niya. I could still remember that day... I never thought he had it in him... but I guess he just loves her more than life itself...
"Atty. Div—"
I halted from speaking and walking when I realized how palpable the tension was. Atty. Divina stood up, the veins in his neck were very visible... and it was Jax who was in front of him.
"You're not taking the case, Atty. Yuchengco!" Atty. Divina shouted.
"I already took the case," Jax calmly but seriously replied.
"You must've forgotten that you're still working for me—"
"Then, I'm tendering my resignation effective immediately, Sir."
What. The. Fuck.
"You're about to be a junior partner, Atty. Yuchengco! Are you really going to give it up to take that case?! It's a losing case! All evidence point at her!"
I couldn't see Jax's face... but I knew that if Atty. Divina was talking about Katherine's case, then there's nothing he could do to stop Jax. That guy... it's been years, yet I was certain that when it came to Katherine, he'd move heaven and earth if it meant saving her.
"I'll transfer my pending cases and forward my resignation, Sir. If there's anything I can do for the pending cases, please send me an email," he said. "I value my time here, but I'm afraid I need to do this. Thank you for everything, Atty. Divina."
Agad na napaawang ang labi ko nang tumalikod si Jax. I could see how his eyes looked red... Fuck. Did he cry?! In all the years I had known him, I'd never seen this guy shed a single tear! He's always calm and composed!
Hindi ako maka-galaw. Gusto ko siyang sundan pero agad akong tinawag ni Atty. Divina. He warned me not to help Jax with the case. I was... shit. I didn't know what to do! Agad niya akong sinabihan na kasama ako sa mga sasalo sa mga kaso na iiwan ni Jax. And that I wouldn't have the time to play a losing game with Jax.
But it's Jax...
He'd always have my back...
I thought I was efficient before, but I was even more efficient right now. I was flying through the files because I needed to get out early. Alam ko na hindi ako papayagan ni Atty. Divina na tumulong kay Jax. He has eyes everywhere at sa oras na malaman niya na dumadalaw ako sa kulungan, alam ko na malalagot ako.
"Have you seen Indie?" I asked Sancho.
"Who?"
"Si Indie," sabi ko, umirap. Ang tagal-tagal na, hindi pa rin alam ni Sancho pangalan ng paralegals dito. Kanina ko pa hinahanap si Indie dahil may kailangan akong research para sa case. I needed to finish this para makaalis na ako.
"What do you need?" Sancho asked. He's already a junior partner. Siya yata iyong pinalit nung nagresign si Jax two weeks ago. Akala yata ni Atty. Divina ay nagjoke lang si Jax, but that man was serious nung sinabi niya na magreresign siya. It was a big deal... because some of our clients were here because of Jax. And when he resigned, it caused some kind of trouble.
"Iyong similar cases sana sa Villamor case," sabi ko. "Nasan ba si Indie?" I asked, slowly getting frustrated dahil gusto ko na talagang umalis. Cha sent a text earlier saying na nasa condo na sila ni Jax. Doon kasi iyong 'HQ' para sa kaso.
Atty. Divina said that I couldn't join Jax in the case... he never mentioned anything about being a support. Jax had been there for me through the worst of times. Of course I'd help him get through this. And if Atty. Divina would prohibit me from doing this, then I'm afraid I'd have to fucking resign, too. Siguro magtatayo na lang kami ni Jax ng sarili naming firm. Tutal marami namang kilala si Jax na kliyente. At hindi na ako tanga sa civil law.
"I'll read through the Villamor case," Sancho said. "You can go now."
"Seryoso ka?"
He nodded. "Yeah... I know where you're going."
Agad na nanlaki ang mga mata ko. "What?! Paano mo nalaman?!"
He shrugged. "Our community is small. Everyone knows everything."
"Shit... Si Atty. Divina?"
"He knows."
"Fuck. Should I send my resignation letter?"
"Nah... The fact that he knows yet chose to ignore it means it's okay," Sancho said. But my face was still covered with worry. Shit. I knew I was very careful. Ni hindi nga ako pumupunta sa kulungan kasi sobrang high profile ng kaso, e. "Just keep it lowkey. Atty. Divina won't let you resign."
I bit my lower lip. "Si Jax nga pinayagan niya, e... Ako pa ba?"
Sancho's face crumpled in confusion. "Jax is great, that's a given... But Atty. Floresca... you're literally the most hardworking person in this firm. You hold the highest number of cases won. Give yourself more credit. Hindi ka papayagan ni Atty. Divina umalis. That's why he's ignoring the fact that you ignored his warning."
That brought a smile to my face.
It has been a year since he left.
I remember debating with myself if I should stop him... but in the end, I didn't. I knew that we both needed this. To rest. To find peace. I didn't know if I'd ever see him again... because it's been year with nothing from him.
But it was for the best.
My work has never been better. I grew up a lot. My father's more stable. Ellie's not mad at me anymore. I tried to date... I really did... I tried to go out with three guys, but I'd always ended up comparing everyone to him.
He's not funny like him.
He's not smart like him.
He's not as tall as him.
He's not... he's not him.
In the end, I just stopped dating.
One day... one day, I'd find someone who wouldn't remind me of him. But until then, I'd just focus on myself and my growth. Because he sacrificed a lot for this... and the least I could do was to make it worth both our pain.
* * *
I didn't want to believe it, but Atty. Divina passed by the firm and he saw me reminding Sancho about the Villamor case. Alam ko na narinig niya ako! At kitang-kita ko rin kung paano niya kami nilagpasan... Shit. Did he really want me enough to let me help Jax?!
No longer a liability... I was an asset to the firm.
Wow.
Hard work... it really works.
Dumaan muna ako sa resto para bumili ng pagkain dahil sigurado ako na hindi pa kumakain si Cha at Jax dahil ganoon naman talaga iyong dalawa na 'yun. Kapag masyado silang invested sa kaso, nalilimutan nila na kumain. Lalo na si Cha. Sobrang workaholic.
Pagdating ko sa unit ni Jax, napa-tingin agad ako dun sa board nila na maraming mukha ng possible suspect. Until now, our play was still to instill doubt in the mind of the judge. Thankfully for us, it's innocent until proven guilty. Malakas ang tiwala ko sa kaso na 'to... not only because I trust Katherine, but more so because I knew that Jax would never give up on her.
"Si Jax?" I asked pagkatapos kong ilapag sa lamesa iyong paper bag.
"Kwarto. May kausap sa phone."
"Sino? Naka-hanap na ba kayo ng witness o kaya CCTV near the area?" I asked because that's still our biggest problem. I really wanted to go to Batangas to check the CCTVs but I was literally swamped with work. Sobrang daming kaso ni Jax kaya kahit apat kaming naghati, marami pa rin. I didn't know how he did it alone.
Cha shook her head while digging in the food. She ate quite a lot. For four tuloy iyong binili ko. One for me, one for Jax dahil hindi siya makakain like normal dahil stressed siya, and two for Cha. 'Di naman siya matakaw nung nasa law school kami. She just ate for 'sustenance,' according to her.
While Cha was eating, I read Katherine's testimony. Baka kasi may hindi ako napansin dati. Naka-ilang basa na ako, pero hindi pa rin lumalabas si Jax sa kwarto niya.
"Sino bang kausap niya?"
Cha looked at me. "You really wanna know?"
I nodded. "Yeah... sino?"
"Yago."
My lips parted. "W-What?"
"He went home two weeks ago."
Hindi ako makapagsalita. He... went home... two weeks ago? Ganoon na siyang katagal na nandito?
"He's here kapag nasa trabaho ka. Umaalis bago ka dumating," Cha explained, but I still couldn't wrap my mind around the idea that's he's here! Breathing the same air as me! For two weeks! Nang wala akong alam!
"...for two weeks already?"
Cha nodded. "Yeah. Heard something like 'I promised her that she wouldn't have to see me again.' But if you're curious, he's still so fucking annoying. Ang daldal. So, if you can do me a favor and come here early para aalis na siya agad, that would be great."
Hindi ako maka-galaw.
Hindi ko alam ang gagawin ko.
My head couldn't comprehend the fact that he's here... and he really didn't show up in front of me...
"Cha—"
Agad na napa-hinto si Jax nang makita ako. He looked like he was stress personified. He stopped shaving and there's a five o'clock shadow on his face.
"Hey," he said. "The autopsy report will be out tomorrow. You handled a similar case. Can you study the report and tell me if there's any similarity or difference that we can use?" he asked.
I nodded. "Yeah... sure..."
I looked at him. Yago's here... but Jax really wouldn't tell me. I could see it. I could see it on his face.
"Yago's here."
Hindi ko napigilan ang sarili ko.
Tumingin sa akin si Jax. At tumingin kay Cha. At ibinalik sa akin.
"Yeah," he said.
"Since when?"
"Since I resigned and called him for help because I need all hands on deck, Rory."
"You didn't—"
"Tell you? You begged him to leave. I'm sorry. I don't have the energy to understand you right now, Rory. Yago also asked me not to tell you and I promise he's doing his best not to show in front of you. And he'll go back to Cali once this is all done. You can calm down. Hindi siya magpapakita sa 'yo. Ni hindi uuwi 'yun kung hindi ko siya tinawagan."
Agad na umawang ang labi ko.
"Jax snapped," Cha said, shrugging and sipping his cold black tea. "Ikaw naman, Rory. Make up your mind. Do you want Yago or not? Because it's been a year... next year sigurado ako may ibang babae na si Yago. Because as annoying as he is to me, I'm pretty sure he's a catch to someone else. And I'd hate to see you pouting all your life because you missed your chance."
Hindi ako makapagsalita.
"I know where he's staying at. Just give me a wink and I'll text you the address," she said.
"I... don't know."
"Well, you better decide. Guys like him? They never stay in the market for too long. Pero kung ayaw mo na talaga, just brave the next few months... I'm pretty sure after this case, he'll never set foot in the Philippines again... or if he did, you wouldn't know about it."
Hindi ako makapagsalita. I just ended up reading similar cases and being actually helpful. Pero sandali akong napa-tigil nang may makita akong papel...
This was him.
This was his handwriting.
Shit.
"What—"
"You're welcome," Cha said after she slid over a paper in front of me. "It's been a long year, Rory. I've seen that you grew up a lot. You've thought about Yago a lot. It's high time you finish what needs to be finished... or continue what's been put on hold."
"But... what if he's already with someone else?"
"Then you need to know and not constantly wonder," she said. "Don't spend the best years of your life wondering about him. Give yourself an answer or a closure. Either way, stop torturing yourself."
"Why are you doing this?"
Cha pointed at Jax who was writing something on the whiteboard. "Because I'd hate a rerun of this. I don't want you to marry someone else while being in love with Yago. And end up being a suspect in a murder case. Because if Jax and Katherine just talked? None of this would happen... but theirs is already done. Pero kayo ni Yago? You can still talk. Please talk. I don't want to receive a call in the middle of the night about you being a suspect in a murder case."
Hindi ko mapigilang matawa.
"You're hilarious."
She rolled her eyes. "Whatever."
"Thanks, Cha."
It was already 5am when we finished. Hinatid ko si Cha sa apartment niya. She was already cursing habang nasa sasakyan pa lang kami dahil naiirita na agad siya dahil makikita niya si Iñigo. Nang matapos akong ihatid siya, I knew that I should drive to my apartment... but I ended up driving in front of the hotel he's staying at.