“SELENA’S PLOTTING”

"WHY all of a sudden?"

The question immediately escaped Cynthia's lips when she told her of her sudden decision.

That's when she turned to Joaquin who just smiled at her.

"I just want to focus on taking care of my family. And one more thing, so that we can give Callie a sister," she answered and then chuckles.

Although everything she said was true, she couldn't tell Cynthia that Joaquin was the one who really liked her to resign. She doesn't want her friend to have a bad impression of her husband. Although after all, she knew Cynthia wasn't like that.

"I called Sir Randy earlier, I said that it would be better if she replaces you in my vacant position," she informed her friend.

As soon as Lara said that she immediately saw the tears forming in Cynthia's eyes.

"Really?" she asked in a tone of obvious disbelief.

Lara nodded one after the other. “I know you will be a good Branch Manager. Do not disappoint me, okay? Because I assured him that you can handle this branch. Well of course I believe you can do it," she said truthfully.

That's when Cynthia acted. She approached her and hugged her tightly.

"I don't know what I should feel right now," she said, following what she said with a soft laugh even though she was still in tears.

Lara kept smiling even though inside she still didn't feel like leaving her friend.

"You have been promoted. The memo that our boss will release is just a form of formality," he said.

At that point, Cynthia hugged her tightly again. She knows that promotion is a big help to her, especially since she has a nephew who is studying. And Cynthia is the one providing for it.

She and Joaquin didn't spend much time there. After saying goodbye properly and after the turnover, they left.

"I'm sorry if I forced you to resign," said Joaquin when they were inside the car.

That's because she couldn't control her emotions anymore and started crying.

"N-No, it's okay," she corrected her husband’s misconception.

At that point, Joaquin quickly pulled and hugged her. "I promise you that everything you sacrificed for me will not be wasted. I will not waste everything you left to be with me always," he said as she remained locked in his big arms.

When Joaquin said that the flow of her tears became more frequent. She knew that all the emotions she was feeling would be there together.

Happiness because she is sure that her tomorrow will be happy with Joaquin.

Sad because she was separated from Cynthia. But the pinch in her chest that she feels more is that she loves her job.

And above all, fear. How will she fix her situation with her husband so that they can live a wonderful life forever?

"I love you, sweetheart," Joaquin said to her.

That's when Lara released herself from her husband's tight embrace.

"I love you too," she said smiling then wiping away her tears. "Let's go?" she said sniffing afterward.

Her husband nodded and started the car. Then he held her hand then raised it and kissed it.

"Everything will be fine soon. All of us, including our issue about my father."

With what Joaquin said, Lara's heart was filled with hope. But deep inside she also prays that when he learns the truth, understanding and love will prevail in his heart.

What she did was not simple, and she knows that. And the secret that she kept from Joaquin was after all something that was no joke. So, there is a big chance that he might get angry with her.

But just in case. If his love for her prevails in his heart. He will be not far from being open to understanding and forgiveness for her. And when that happens, she won't be able to ask for anything else because she will definitely be happy forever. Especially their daughter.

*****

"What do you want me to do?"

That's when Tessa got up from the bed. Then she took the blanket and used it to cover her nakedness.

"What I want you to do is easy. Take revenge for me," Selena replied to the man who was actually her stepbrother.

"Are you loving that Ramil so hard that you're acting like this?"

That's when she angrily faced the man. "Robert, are you going to help me or not?" she asked irritated.

"Relax, you might be carried away by your emotions. What you want to happen is not a joke. In fact, you and I can go to jail if I fail," Robert answered her.

"Then don't flinch! And one more thing, don't you know someone you can pay for? What's the point of being your stepbrother if you can't help me, right?" the irritation in Selena's voice still hasn't disappeared.

That's when Robert stepped closer to her and then hugged her tightly. She was then standing near the window of the hotel suite where they checked in.

The man took his cigarette and lit it with the one in her hand using her.

"How long are we going to be like this, Selena?" Robert's voice suddenly became serious.

At that question, the girl sighed. "You know our parents will not be happy about this right?" she reminded me.

Robert replied to her with a dry laugh then he let out a heavy sigh.

"Don't turn to other people what you really feel for me, Selena. I know you love me too," he said in a tone of speech as if he was sure of what he was saying.

"You are only fooling yourself. You know that right?” she said laughing at the man afterward.

Robert gave her a hurtful look before he finished and killed the cigarette, he was holding in the ashtray.

“I can feel what's true, Selena. So, you can't fool me. You cannot lie with what your heart truly feels for life," he said to her. His tone still hasn't changed. There is still the assurance that all the words coming out of his mouth are correct.

"I love my father," answered Selena.

"And I love my mom too," replied Robert.

"See? That's why this won’t work. Because we will both hurt them if we insist on what we want. So this is better. And one more thing, if I don't love Ramil, why am I hurting now?"

"Only you can answer that," answered Robert.

"But I need your help. Really,” at that point, her tone returned to pleading.

Robert stared at her again.

She had known for a long time what his feelings were for her. Robert has been very much vocal about that to her.

Robert is four years older than her.

They were still kids when their parents got married so it was as if they were raising them like real siblings.

She has to admit that she has feelings for Robert. That's the reason why she was able to give her virginity to this young man. And that happened on the very night of her eighteenth birthday.

But just like she said. Their parents will be hurt when they find out what they are doing. So, in order to prevent that from happening, they decided to keep their mutual understanding a secret.

What they have is not like the usual kind between lovers who keep their relationships a secret. They don't have a label but the two of them can do the same thing that lovers or married couples can do when it's just the two of them.

That's better for Selena. To avoid being hurt.

"You know I can't refuse you, right?" Robert said to him.

A sweet and genuine smile broke Selena's lips.

"Thank you, stepbrother," she said.

"Life is so unfair," answered Robert.

That's when she hugged the young man and then pulled him back to the bed. At that moment, she voluntarily let her blanket fall to the floor. That's why her nakedness became free from his sight again.

"How long will we be like this?" Robert asked her.

She shrugged her shoulders and then pushed Robert to the bed. After that, she sat on his lap and then started to rub her front against his manhood which was starting to get angry.

"For example, if the time comes when you or I get married, can we still do this?" she asked Robert.

"So, you want us to cheat?" asked Robert in a tone that demanded clarification.

"Can be. Isn't it true that if it wasn't for our parents, we wouldn't need to do this, to hide?"

"So, you are in love with me?" Robert's eyes sparkled.

Selena shook her head one after the other. "I do not know. But the truth is I don't want to lose you and I don't want to stop what we're doing. So, if I ever get Ramil back from that girl, I'm willing to continue what we're doing. I hope you are the same for me even if you get married."

Selena didn't know and couldn't be sure why she was asking Robert something like that. Although everything she said was true. She still didn't know why she was willing to do such a thing just to be with him. She is not ready to lose him.

Is it because of the fact that he’s so good in bed? Or because of the fact that she gave him her virginity? Or maybe it's like what he's telling her, that she loves him?

The latter is something Selena doesn't want to admit to herself. So, to get rid of that in her mind, she decided to turn her attention to Robert, who at that moment was starting to warm her feelings by caressing both of her breasts.

"I want him back," she said even though she could feel the temperature in the room slowly warming up.

"Okay," Robert answered her.

Only that and they did the thing they had been doing secretly for a long time. Because just like she told Robert she gave her virginity. And she has no regrets about that.