SANDRA was fixing her files in the drawer when the door to her office opened.
“I’m going home early, Heidie. Please cancel all my meetings and reschedule them tomorrow.”
She dusted off her hands. Got some more files to add to the pile of documents on her desk.
“Doc…”
“Why?” she asked.
Sandra was stunned when she lifted her head and saw that aside from the nurse, a man she just saw in person but knew well was standing by her door.
ELAINE didn’t have the courage to go back and face Tan again but found herself parking her car in front of their rented house in Makati.
She hasn’t been herself. She cannot erase what Janine told her from her mind. She was sure she knew about her past and hasn’t told Tan yet.
Of her many secrets from her husband, which one does the doctor know? If she really wanted Tan for herself, she should
PRESENT TIMETan sat in the chair across the doctor after they shook hands. Based on the doctor’s reaction when she saw him, he believed she knew who he was even before he introduced himself. That realization made him more nervous.Tan wasn’t able to stop himself even though he wanted to give in to her request to leave her alone and stay away for a while. He still followed her. He was dying of worry, more so when he saw her still shaken up when she turned away from him a while back.He tailed her car, he saw with his own eyes how she recklessly drove as if there was no tomorrow.Tan cleared his throat when the Doctor sat on her swivel chair. He had so many questions in mind but he didn’t know where to begin. He had a feeling whatever he chooses, the answer would be painful nonetheless.Aside from anxiety and PTSD, could Elaine be suffering from other disorders he may not know about? If not, after the attack, why would she go to a
August 30, 2017The next thing Elaine knew was the guy roughly grabbed the blouse she was wearing. She heard the buttons hit the floor. Her breathing was rugged. She wanted to fight him off and push him away, but she just couldn’t find her strength. The guy was immovable as he was still on top of her no matter how hard she pushed.He landed a punch to her stomach when he got irritated with her crying and struggling. Elaine gasped, it was as if she ran out of air for a moment.“Stop resisting, bitch!"'Please...' she heard herself begging but wasn't sure if he heard her."This is what you get for turning your back on your father!” he snapped and grabbed at her hair from the back. Elaine didn’t think about her aching scalp. She was more attuned to the excruciating pain from the hit in the belly and the truth of what he just
PRESENT TIMESPO4 Ralph Veneracion had a gentle smile when he went down to meet with Elaine in their wide living room in Makati. From the hotel she and Drew were staying in, she found herself in Marco's uncle's place.For years, it hadn’t been easy for Elaine to go back and face the person who would remind her of the incident that almost ruined her life. But unlike before, it was easier now not to quiver in front of the former police officer.Although her fingers are tightly locked together. She prepared herself for the reaction to the information he could give her. The same information that she refused to listen to and know about before.Elaine quickly sat on the single sofa when Ralph signalled to her. He moved the lemon juice and cookies brought by the maid towards her.The old man sat on the sofa in front of her. “I’m happy to see you again. How are you?”Elaine cleared his throat. “Yo
PRESENTElaine shut her eyes in anguish. Tears stung her eyes. With weakened knees she fell to the floor sitting, she felt her tightening chest as tears fell down from her already swollen, puffy eyes.The rogue fragments of unbearable memory she kept by herself all those years felt like it was still happening. And until now, she was hopelessly trying to escape.That night, Tan met an accident. He was rushed to the hospital and was in critical condition. But even if she died worrying and no matter how much she would’ve wanted to be by his side, it’s too late. During that time, she was in the police station already. She confessed to Bettina’s crime.Little by little, guilt lived in her heart. That wouldn’t have happened to Tan if not for her. She was in jail and all, still she brought her husband harm.She tried calling Tan every chance she gets, not just once or twice. But each time, she remembered a woman&rsquo
Elaine walked for several minutes while Tan quietly followed on the opposite side of the road. Tan had mixed emotions in his heart and he cannot remove her from his sight not even for a second.The wind softly blew Elaine's hair and the hem of her blouse follows her every step. Just like before, everything she wore fit perfectly to her slender body. The same body he’d adored and worshipped.Tan came to a realization that for the last three years, he had never gone an entire day without longing for her. The yearning was deep and strong it was consuming him. And maybe, he intentionally traded those feelings with anger.Why- it was the question that was too painful for Tan to ask and the answers to that ‘why’ scare him ever since their paths crossed again.Why did Elaine leave him? Why was it so easy for her to forget and throw his love away? Why the span of three years, she didn’t see him even once. Didn’t she miss him
“Ma’am…”Elaine opened her eyes. Anne was in front of her with an uneven smile. She looked around her surrounding. She wasn’t in Tan’s rented house but inside Ainsdale. Tan wasn’t there as expected. So it was just a dream.“I was hesitant to wake you, but your phone keeps ringing. It might be important.”She moved. Locating the cell phone in the handbag.“Sorry, I must have dozed off. What time is it?” she asked while going through her bag.“I must have dozed off.”Elaine was surprised to hear herself say that. She never once felt sleepy while on the job.“Almost closing time, Ma’am. Seven o’clock.”She slept for almost half an hour. She was waiting for Tan for almost eight hours already. According to Drew, his husband would certainly ask her to eat out. But why until this time, he hasn’t shown
Elaine stared at her reflection in the mirror. She was glowing, it wasn’t obvious that she was nervous and anxious while parking her car inside their rented house. She could call Tan to let him know she was coming home but she chose to just wait for him there.She has a lot to say and explain to her husband. Sandra called. She admitted everything to Tan. Though the clever doctor laughed in the end saying she doesn’t have the right to file a case against her because she only told the immediate family.Elaine was thankful though. It’s as if a heavy weight was lifted from her chest. No matter how hard she tried to work up her courage, she couldn’t bring herself to admit everything to Tan if not for Sandra’s help.She was always scared that her husband might not be able to accept her. The person she loved might leave her because she was unacceptable- she was lacking and she was not whole.After the terrible things that happ
Elaine woke to the penetrating sunlight in Tan’s room. Her eyes opened wide when she realized the time. It was past nine in the morning, said the clock that was hanging on Tan’s bedroom wall.Her original plan was to wake up early so she could prepare breakfast for Tan. But as she was about to get up, she was stunned to find Tan’s huge hand around her shoulder.She looked up to Tan who was still sleeping. She took few deep breaths to calm the beating of her heart. This was her favourite sleeping position. Lying on Tan’s chest and clearly hearing his heart beating.For a long while, it was just last night when she truly felt peace, security and love again. She fell asleep fast and slept easy on his arms. After all the nightmares that passed and tested their life, she felt as if she just truly awakened last night.Carefully, she removed herself from Tan’s embrace. She sat by the side of the bed and watched him sleeping. She was