Chapter 7 Babe

THERA forced herself not to gape because of what Sean said. Should she protest? Should she insist that he was not her ideal husband? But the man looked stern. She would feel bad if she’d debunk his belief about her first love directly.

She was married to this man for almost ten years, yet he looked nothing but a stranger now. She could not remember their wedding anniversary or how they met, or the real reason why they got married early.

Love? What else? They probably would not last ten years if they were not in love.

But who is Babe? What about the possibility that Sean was having an affair? Did her twenty-nine-year-old self know the woman who called Sean’s phone? They said whoever was involved was the last one to know. Should she pity the older Thera because she had no idea of her husband’s mischief?

Thera glanced at the man’s hands on his sides. He sure was wearing a ring. It was stuck on his ring finger. Sean said that their rings were twins. Was that their wedding band or the other pair of his ring was with the woman who called his phone the other day?

Why should she bother? Thera refused to care. The ring was not an issue to her, especially that she could not remember a thing about the man. Was she still in the denial stage? Well, it was actually hard to accept. It felt like she had fallen asleep shortly and woke up as a twenty-nine-year-old woman married to a man she did not know.

But Thera looked like she was out of that part already. It was like a big part of her had already accepted the life that welcomed her when she opened her eyes. Because no matter how her lips deny it, deep down inside her, she felt like Sean was indeed a part of her life. Not only because it was what the news said. Or because that’s what Nurse Kai had been telling her. It was bizaare but she could feel it on her bones.

Did she really fall for him before? Thera would never marry any man if love was not involved. But what if it was because of money? What if she was in desperate need and Sean was the only one who could help her then?

The question was, where would she use the money for? She had no debt aside from the gratitude she owed Uncle Jaime.

Because of good looks? Was she a sucker for such?

Sean was in his thirties already, but if you line him up with the heartthrobs and the campus crushes in DM University, there’s not a doubt that he would still stand out. He was in his prime. Every girl or lady around him would swoon at his good looks even after one glance.

Was she one of those who swooned over him before? If she was twenty years old and he was twenty-four when they got married, could it be possible? For a man as stiff and cold as Sean, it was impossible. He did not look like someone who had a little sweetness inside that hard body of his. He was the kind of guy who would never give a damn even you were freezing cold – the exact opposite of her type.

Thera was certain that Sean was not the type of man who would make her heart beat and the butterflies in her stomach flutter—if there were really such a thing just like the women in their town believed.

Thera retrieved Sean’s phone, which she kept inside the drawer of the side table. She only needed two ways to prove Sean’s charms had no effect on her.

1. She does not feel nervous when talking to him. That’s already proven.

2. She’ll return Sean’s phone without confronting him about the woman who called his number.

“There’s...”

She gasped, her eyes widened a little when she found him already standing in front of her. Sean’s masculine and sensual scent assaulted her senses. She froze. If she was holding a fresh egg, it would have probably crushed from her grip.

Thera held her breath when Sean smiled at her a little. He could flaunt his stellar and gorgeous smile effortlessly, but it was so quick that she doubted if he ever smiled.

“It was ages ago since I last saw you this surprised and startled, Thera,” he said in a formal tone.

“H-huh?”

Sean’s lips curled into a grin. That smirk was familiar. Did her husband wear that kind of smile every time they were together?

“Never really thought that this old man can make a seventeen-year-old heart flutter, huh?” he said, stressing the word ‘old man’ in a mixed sarcasm tone.

Thera blushed. Could he read her mind?

While she had taken note of Sean’s sarcasm at the back of her mind, Thera wanted to protest for her weakness. Seemed like her heart could not stop somersaulting every time the jerk open his mouth, his fresh breath fanning her face. Her heart could not help racing though no one was running after her.

Sean dropped something inside the pocket of her hospital gown. He stared at her confused face before taking a step backward to distance himself from her.

“Pack your things. We’re going home after I settle your bills,” he said, back in his formal tone after a while.

“Go home? Where?”

“To our house. Unless you want us to stay in a hotel while you recover.”

Hotel and their house. Was there even a difference? They would stay together under one roof and share one bed just like typical married couples do.

Her face flushed. She and Sean... in one bed. Thera frowned. Goodness, since when did her innocent mind become polluted?

“Aren’t you going to return that thing in your hand?” Sean asked. He put his hands inside his pockets as he stared at her hand.

It was only then that she remembered his phone. She gave it back, lifting her chin. “Someone called the other day, but I did not pick it up.”

Sean took the phone and checked the call log. He stared at her. “Why did you not?”

“What do you mean why did I not—”

Did he want her to talk to his Babe? Goodness, he did not even take care of her when she was hospitalized. Yet, he wanted her to ignore his extramarital affairs?

“I don’t remember being a jealous wife, but next time, don’t ever leave your phone to me. What if my memories come back? We might quarrel the next time your woman calls.”

“As far as I can remember, I’m the more jealous type, Thera,” Sean said. “Don’t worry, I don’t think the girl who called will ever call me again.”

She scoffed. “Worry? Me? I don’t—”

“I brought you clothes inside the bag, so get dressed. I’ll come back once I settle the release papers.”

Thera cocked her head. Won’t he deny or explain about the woman she mentioned? If she could prove that Sean had a mistress, she’d do everything to annul their marriage.

Her older self would thank her someday. Why would she lock herself with a handsome but boring man who was not contented with one woman?

But was he really boring? Sean could make her heart skip a bit. Thera gruffly grabbed the bag Sean brought. She pouted? Skip? Huh? Only frogs do that.

Thera went out of the bathroom. She was already dressed. She found white long sleeves and denim jeans inside Sean’s paper bag. The clothes still had tags on them. It was newly brought and the price was no joke. She had never worn such expensive clothing in her life.

She was not completely surprised when the blouse and jeans fitted her. Ten years of being married to Sean, it was impossible for him not to know her size.Thera sat down on the sofa. She had been sitting for a moment when she remembered the phone that Sean dropped inside the pocket of her hospital gown a while ago.

It looked like the phone belonged to her. Her smirking face was there on the homescreen. She grimaced. She looked like a greedy devil in the photo. She opened her phone and scanned through the text messages there. It looked like she did not text a lot. She found two names in the inbox. Laida and Sec. Yumi.

She dialed Laida’s number. She was exchanging messages with her more frequently. She was curious of the two. Sean could have briefed her so she would not be clueless about herself.

She felt excited when someone answered on the other line.

“Madam, I thought you’re not going to call anymore!”

“W-who’s this? I mean...”

“Your PA, Ma’am, it’s Laida.”

“PA? As in personal assistant?” she asked. Shucks. So she really was rich. She had a PA.

“Personal assistant, but yes, I could be your personal maid, too, Madam. How are you? We heard what happened. I called the other day, but it was Sir Sean who answered.” She was catching for words. She looked like the talkative type. “Madam, what’s your plan? Sir Sean said he’s bringing you home in Baguio.”

Thera bit her lip. She remembered the things that had been making her uneasy for a while.

“I’m scared. I’m afraid he might do something to me. Y-you know...”

“You mean, you’re worried he might force himself on you?” Laida asked in disbelief.

Her face flushed. “Is that what married couples do? What if... I can always say ‘no’ because I’m sick, right? Right?”

“W-wait. C-can you really not remember anything?”

She doubted her?

“The last time I remembered was I was seventeen years old. It was my first day in college. That’s all.”

“OMG. Seriously, Madam? Are you real? This is not... you know?”

“What do you mean I know?”

“I just thought that The Palace’s anniversary is near. Your in-laws are coming from Italy.”

“Laida!”

Thera heard the reprimanding voice of another woman in the background. The line was cut.

The Palace’s anniversary. She had about that from a blog the other day. What was Laida going to say? Why did she have to remember before the anniversary of the mall and hotel? Because she was the vice-president of the company, she was as important as Sean, was that it?

Wait. Laida mentioned her in-laws. They’re coming. From Italy. Was Sean Half Italian-half Filipino?

Why was she lazy to dig out his biography and family background from the internet?

“WHAT DO my in-laws look like? Do they like me?” Thera asked Sean when they were inside the car. Sean was driving while she was seated beside him. “Are they nice?” she asked once more when her husband did not answer her first two questions. “You were rich. Do your parents look down on the poor? Did they find a hard time accepting that you married a poor woman?”

She faced him. She won’t stop asking him until he tells her if she was accepted and treated right by his family.

“You know, I have a neighbor who was married to her soldier husband for three years, but during those years, her in-laws did not like her. Her husband died in a war, she was not still accepted into the family. Then, my schoolmate’s sister, Becca, even though she loved her husband very much, she broke up with him because her in-laws are monsters. Especially the woman. She had Becca’s sister cursed by a witch.”

“I don’t believe in witchcraft.”

“What about love potions?”

Sean shook his head.

She pursed her lips. Her old neighbor taught her how to make a love potion before. Did she use it on Sean, so he fell for her?

“Was the meeting with your parents all right? I mean, did they not pour water on my head or offered me millions of pesos—”

Thera almost slumped into the dashboard when Sean harshly hit the break. He turned to her, his thick eyebrows knotted.

“Darn it, Thera. Can you really not remember a thing, or are you just pretending? You want to stay married to me that bad?”