Chapter 4

THE pain that hit him was incomparable to anything he’d ever felt before. After all that she did, after leaving him that way, hindi inakala ni Jacob na may mas malala pa palang ginawa si Libby.

A child. He’s got a child. With just one look alam niya na.

He looked at Libby and saw despair on her face, but how real is that? He’d already learned how cunning this woman could be. Was she laughing deep inside?

Nakita niyang nagsalita si Libby pero wala siyang marinig because all his other senses went numb, and things seemed to be moving in slow motion. He realised she was asking the others to leave the room and to bring the child with them.

Nanlaki ang mga mata niya. “No!” he shouted vehemently. Unbelievable! They were actually taking his son away. “Don’t you dare!”

All eyes went to him, including that of the child na halatang nagulat at natakot.

“Jacob please,” narinig niyang sabi ni Libby. “I promise he’ll just be outside. We need to talk. Alone.”

Right, he considered. Alone. He wouldn’t want his son to witness him murder Libby anyway.

Napatango siya nang marahan, and watched in despair as his son was led away from the room. Maging ito ay hindi umangal, na komo’y naramdaman ang tensyon sa silid.

“Jacob,” he didn’t realize it was the third time she called him. Para lamang siyang natauhan nang maramdaman ang pagdampi ng palad nito sa kanyang kamay. Agad niya iyong iwinaksi na komo’y napaso.

She went even paler.

“How could you?” usig niya. Every word was as heavy as his feelings. “How dare you?” there were so many things he wanted to say, hindi niya lang alam kung paano sisimulan. Kung paano ipararamdam dito ang galit na nararamdaman niya ngayon.

“I’m sorry.” bulong ni Libby, braving his gaze. Nangingilid ang mga luha sa mga mata ng babae pero pilit nitong pinipigil dahil walang oras para umiyak. “I am so sorry, Jacob.”

Funny how she sounded sincere. But he’d been deceived before. Never, ever again.

Tinalikuran niya ang babae.

Gusto niyang sumigaw. Gusto niyang manakit. Oh God, he even wanted to cry.

But doing all those won’t ease his pain. Napapikit siya at kumuyom ang mga palad. “You will be sorrier once I’m finished with you.” he managed to say. “I will destroy this place, and all your accomplices for keeping my son away from me. I will start with your lover—the one you allowed to be with my son.”

Nang unang makita niya sina Libby at ang lalaking iyon sa reception, hindi pa pumasok sa isipan niya na maaring may namamagitan nga sa mga ito. Only when that man rushed into the room to check on her did he suspect what’s going on. The more he thought about it,mas lalong sumisidhi ang galit niya. Not only did Libby deprive him of his son, she allowed another man in his life at maaring ang lalaking iyon ang kinikilala ng bata bilang ama. If she tells him they were married....his brain refused to function at the idea.

“Arthur is not my lover.” she said softly.

He hated the fact that he was relieved.

“I will destroy him anyway.” was his stubborn reply.

“Look at me Jacob.”

Look at me Jacob, she used to tell him in a commanding tone during love making as she positions herself on top. He would helplessly meet her gaze and she would smile seductively as she rides him to oblivion.

Nangalit ang mga ngipin niya sa ala-ala. Yes, he enjoyed Libby’s share of dominance at times, but he wasn’t supposed to remember those.

Look at me Jacob. Hell, he would look at her alright.

Sa wakas ay kumilos si Jacob para muli itong harapin. Finally their eyes met again.

His empty stare left her feeling cold.

Napahugot ng hininga si Libby. “Arthur is our guardian angel.” simula nito. “His only role in our lives was to provide us with the help we badly needed. Wala siyang personal na kasalanan sa iyo. Kung may dapat ka mang sisihin, ako lang iyon, walang iba.”

“Oh,” he shrugged casually, “I just forgot to mention that you are top priority. Pack your things. I’ll arrange for the chopper to pick us up.”

Tumalikod ang lalaki para lumabas, apparently to make his call. Pero hindi pa siya nakakalabas ng silid ay biglang may narinig siyang ingay sa likuran. “What the--?” nanlaki ang mga mata niya ng lumingon at makita si Libby na nakahandusay sa sahig. “Libby!” malakas na sigaw ng lalaki.

NAGKAMALAY si Libby sa loob pa rin ng cabin. Nakahiga siya sa massage bed.

Noong una’y naguluhan pa kung nasaan siya, at nang maalala ang mga pangyayari ay parang gusto niyang mawalan uli ng malay.

Naririnig niya ang mahina ngunit tensyonadong mga boses, and realized that Jacob and Arthur were just a few feet away sa may bandang pintuan.

“Well how was I to know that she’s still recovering from being ill eh wala namang nagsabi sa akin?” angil ni Jacob.

“If you knew her so well as you obviously wish to claim, you should have noticed she was pale and sickly.”

Pinagtiklop ni Jacob ang mga kamay sa dibdib. “Oh yeah?” nanunuya ang boses nito. Halos magkasingtangkad lang ang dalawa, but at that moment, Jacobs’ aura was overpowering. Inilapit ni Jacob ang ulo sa kaharap. “Are you saying you know her better than I do?” hamon nito.

In desperation, lumikha ng ingay si Libby. There were no words, just some ugly sound coming from her throat pero sapat na iyon para makuha niya ang atensyon ng dalawa at mapigilan ang mainit na bangayan.

Libby was confident that Arthur has no romantic interest in her but when goaded, he might be tempted to give Jacob the wrong idea. She didn’t want any more complications.

Mabuti na lamang at nagtagumpay siyang magpapansin at ngayon ay nakalapit na agad sa kanya si Arthur.

Si Jacob ay nanatili sa kinatatayuan nito, nanatiling nakatiklop ang mga braso sa dibdib. Pakiramdam ni Libby ay paraan iyon ng lalaki upang kontrolin ang galit.

“How are you feeling? Balik ba tayo sa ospital?” tanong ni Arthur habang tinutulungan siyang bumangon paupo.

“No. Please no. I was just exhausted.”

“You were lucky you did not bump your head anywhere.” tiim-bagang na sabi ni Jacob.

Napatingin dito si Libby, searching his face. She was saddened by the thought that came to her mind. Would he have liked that? If she accidentally killed herself?

“Hey, namumutla ka uli!” nagpanic ang boses ni Arthur.

“Nauuhaw lang ako.”

Walang nagawa si Arthur kundi ang lumabas para ikuha siya ng maiinom na tubig.

Hinintay lang ni Jacob na makalabas si Arthur bago siya binalingan.

“Since you’ve recovered from your drama, I’ll go and get myself acquainted with my son.”

Walang nagawa ang nanghihinang si Libby kundi ang sabunutan ang sarili nang tuluyan na itong makalabas.