My chin rose to push down the tears that were making their way to my eyes. Percival stood in front of me and stared at me with promise. I stared back at him as I tore my own heart out of my system. Everything that serves Cadmus no longer has a place in my being.
Percival's eye suddenly widened as if realization have hit him.
"What made you leave him, Katalina?" I haven't answered but anger is already evident in his voice, I even saw his jaw clench."He told me that I was damaged and no one will want me because I am a woman of no value if I can't carry a child... He even cheated on me for that reason. He cheated on me with Minty," I swallowed hard as my gaze dropped to the ground. "And I saw it with my own eyes."
I raised my now empty eyes back to his face. There I could see the horror in his eyes as he stared at me as if he knew what I said just killed me. When he drew his face away, I could still see his uneasy pupils that seemed like they were sha
When my secretary delivered my laptop and paperwork, I started working on all my pending load. Percival was still around and, he doesn't seem to be doing anything—is he on some kind of day off? Or does he really slack around just like how he used to when we were students? I simply ignored him and focused on my work. Evening came so, I decided to wrap things up and have dinner with him. We still had a lot to talk about. A man came into the house and cooked our dinner for us. I guess all his staff doesn't reside in his home rather, they come only when they're needed. We were in the middle of a meal when I spoke to break the silence. "Percival, about the agreement. Shall we talk about it?"He raised his gaze to meet mine. "What's there to talk about?" I don't want to make the same mistakes. That's why I want to know if we're on the same page. "What will our set-up be?
I spent five days with Percival. I was too busy trying to recover from the damage that Cadmus did to my heart that I didn't notice that Percival has been taking care of me throughout the process. I tried to stop him but he wouldn't listen. We even argued a lot.He's been reminding me to eat, helping me with work, and we have talked about our next move.We also planned to get married as soon as my marriage with Cadmus gets annulled."I'll come with you," Percival said."Should I take my clothes as well?" I asked. "Or should I just buy new ones?""Just take what's important. Everything else can be replaced." He took his keys and faced me. "Let's go?""Let's go." Thanks to Percival I can now face Cadmus without getting too overwhelmed with emotions.I just want to talk about the annulment and gather the important documents I left in the house.It did not feel too strange to breathe the same air as Percival. Eve
My body reacted to my emotions again. I felt my knees going weak when we arrived at Percival's place. It was not just about my emotions. It might also be because of my pregnancy."Katalina?" Percival examined me as he pushed the door close.I have to tell him about my child. I told him that Cadmus left me because I'm infertile, and it seemed like it didn't bother him at all. Now, he has to decide if he can play the role of a father to my child as well.He has to know so he can decide whether to stay by my side or not. I'm sure it won't be much of a problem because there was no love between us. But, I still respect his opinion about the matter."Percival...I have to tell you something," I started."Katalina, you're turning pale. Let's go to my room." He went to my side and held my waist as he guided me toward his room.He made me sit on top of the bed. He even fixed the pillow so I can rest my back there."You really ha
I couldn't answer Percival yet. I have to know how my parents will react to my annulment first. I know that they will not be against it once I tell them my reason. What I'm more worried about is Koen. I know he's been looking for a reason to start a fight with Cadmus. He might also get cautious of Percival after what happened to my first marriage. In the end, I know they would still respect my decision. I'm just worried about how it would affect their feelings. At the same time, I'm embarrassed by how my life turned out. My parents were so happy when I married Cadmus, they're probably frustrated after the last dinner we had. The thing about my parents is that they have always respected my decisions and opinions. Even when they arranged my marriage, they made sure that it was fine with me, that I wanted it too. He chuckled and leaned back on the sofa. "The meeting with the parents will have to wait, I suppose." "I'll still h
"Father, mom, please calm down; I'll explain everything," I said as my eyes implored my father to listen."Give me a moment. I-I'll be right back." I turned my back against my parents. But before I could leave the room, I stopped to say something.This was all Cadmus' fault. I don't want my parents to ever feel guilty for it."I wanted this marriage, and it fell apart. None of it was your fault," I said without looking back at them. I took another deep breath before I left the room.This was the first time that I ever walked so fast. The moment I stepped outside, the bright light shone on me but, my eyes were fixated on a man's moving figure."Cadmus!" My voice thundered across the place, which caused Cadmus to halt.It took him a moment before he turned to face my direction. I was quick to close the wide distance between us, and as soon as I got near, my hand flew to his face.
My father was already standing by my mother when I entered the office. He seemed to be trying to comfort her. Their eyes immediately landed on me, and I felt my body tense up. It was a topic I never wanted to talk about with them... So, as I looked them in the eyes, I could feel the pressure and embarrassment. So many thoughts came to mind. Like, where should I start, and how will they take this? Mom stood up, and desperation was visible in her eyes—she wanted answers. I knew she had a lot of questions after the last dinner we had with Cadmus' family. Father immediately placed his arms around mom as they walked closer to me. Looking at them made me realize how lucky they were to have found each other. Who would have thought that marriages are even harder to maintain than businesses? Maybe my idea of love came from my parents. They were both successful in the business industry yet still found love. I envy them--and it was
The evening arrived rather too early. All I could think about on my way to the Salazar's place was how everything between me and that family would end today. So, as I sat with Cadmus' parents at one table, I tried to hide how much I detested their son.When I looked at them before I took my seat earlier, they all seemed relaxed yet cautious of me. Because of that, I confirmed that Cadmus had already spoken to them. My eyes glowered at him for not letting me tell my parents first.I rolled my eyes. Of course, Cadmus wanted to make me miserable as if having an affair behind my back wasn't already enough.There was a long silence between the four of us. I did not bother opening up any topics before they did. Perhaps by then, they would realize how much this family has disrespected mine. Cadmus did not only hurt me, but he also did not honor the forged bond our families had. My parents respected him and trusted him—what he did was not just
Their family let Minty into their home after their son forced me out. By the time the realization sunk in, I was already too used to the feeling of betrayal. "This place doesn't suit you, Minty." My eyes pierced through her as I sauntered forward. Minty wore an innocent smile that could deceive any fool. She was wearing a white dress that flowed down to her knees. Her brown hair was tucked behind her ears; they were shorter than before. She used to copy me a lot, my hair included--but she seemed to be way past that phase. Her eyebrow slowly rose up, and who she truly is resurfaced. "I'm here to claim my place in this household," she taunted. "It's you who's not supposed to be here." "You've never changed. You're still a thief. You never learned your place, huh?" I retorted. "And you, the mighty Katalina Deveza, haven't changed at all as well. Too overconfident, too full of herself. Look where it got you?" The mockery in her