Chapter 15 Married Once Again

BEFORE they could slap Elaine on the wrist, she managed to storm out of the restaurant, not even glancing back at them. The two of her superiors were left to watch with a flushed face. Kyla was almost ready to throw insults at her but Elaine continued walking out unconcerned.

By the time she reached outside, a familiar face of a man startled her a bit. He seemed to wait for her there for who knows how long.

"Why are you still here?" she asked, walking past him.

"Waiting for you," he replied, catching up on her steps. He then cleared his throat. "You got chewed out?"

The corner of her lips curled up. She just lost her job. But she had no regrets whatsoever.

He cleared his throat. "Do you want to grab a drink with me?" he asked as if he was able to read the situation.

Elaine halted, turned to face the man beside her. There was a thin smile painted on his face.

"You drink?" she asked, staring at him, head to foot.

He rubbed his nape. "I don't look like I know how right?"

Elaine suppressed a smile. The doctor looked more handsome when he smiled. The last time she saw him was in 2012. It was at the police station. Who would have thought that they'd meet each other again after three years?

"I thought that middle-class professionals like you only drink overpriced coffee at Starbucks," she shrugged. "Anyway, you come with me. I know a place."

His smile broadened as he followed her lead.

Good-looking or drop-dead gorgeous would not be an exaggeration to describe Dr. Tan De Marco. He was a head-turner. As soon as they entered the bar, all eyes flew on him. She could not blame them though. She'd probably take a second or third look just like these people did.

He snatched Tan's hand and led him towards the counter. She ordered beer and rum for him. She then raised the mug in the air.

"Cheers?"

He did the same thing. After clashing each other's mugs, they brought them to their mouths and poured the alcohol down in their throat in sync. An amused grin etched across her lips as she saw him wince. He wasn't even able to drink it all in, yet his face looked like he's about to give up. But he continued taking a few more shots until he finally got the hang of it.

They were drinking in silence at first. She poured another shot in her glass when he began to speak.

"Are you not studying?"

"I got kicked out last semester," she answered as if she was telling him that it was something of no value.

"Why?"

"Because of that woman back in the restaurant. She once said that she gets sore eyes every time she sees me. So, she made up a fake story about me that led me to my expulsion," Elaine pulled a face. "That unhygienic bitch. She had the gut to point a finger at me!"

Tan let out a fit of chuckles. A grin formed her lips as she watched him. This man's husky laugh can make her stomach flutter.

"If you truly are innocent, why didn't you talk to the school head and explain your side?"

"What for? Explaining was complete nonsense. I'll just end up wasting my saliva. Do you think they'll believe me? That bitch is the councillor's daughter so obviously, she was favoured. A part-timer like me is no match to them."

A couple of hours passed. She already cleared three bottles. While Tan's drink looked undisturbed. Maybe he didn't really drink at all. He just wanted to invite her because he was thinking she was completely upset. The thought of it calmed her a little bit.

"What is your dream?" he asked her.

"I want to be rich."

"Why?" his face looked amused by her answer.

Her brows furrowed as she looked at him in disbelief. "What kind of question is that? Is there anyone here in this world who wants to be poor for the rest of their lives?"

"How will you become rich if you don't pursue your studies?"

"Is education the only way to achieve that? There are tons of ways that are a bit more convenient to become rich."

"Such as?"

She grinned at him. "Marrying a filthy rich guy."

Tan chuckled flatly.

"Are you not going to ask me why I want to be rich?"

"To get out of poverty?" he tried to guess.

Elaine shook her head. "To slap those who insulted and looked down at me with my money. I have a long list of their names. I'll make sure they'll pay for what they did."

An amused laugh escaped from his mouth. "What's your definition of filthy rich guy?"

"A cool sum of millions in his bank account. The one who runs his own business company with competent, loyal and smart employees," she tried to answer as straight as she could.

"I'm afraid you'll end up being an old maid."

Instead of countering his comment, Elaine chose to ask him questions.

"Have you ever experienced being treated like shit and being looked down on because of your financial status? Did someone ever slap you on the wrist as if you never did something good your whole life?"

There was a moment of silence. He didn't answer but she could feel his eyes staring closely at her.

"For sure you have not. You're a doctor. You are educated. Perhaps you may not be that awesomely rich but I could tell that you are well-raised. That everything is served right before you on a silver platter and you don't have to worry about everything in life," a thin smile crossed her lips. "It's painful. But do you know what makes everything even more painful than it should? I was treated badly even in my own home. And the world outside is no exception to that, you know what I'm saying? " Elaine let out a short hollow laugh. She raised her face only to see Tan listening very intently at her.

He was a good listener. Elaine noted.

Elaine seldom talks about her life, especially to a person she just met. If there's someone who knows a lot about her, it must be Mr. Chito and Drew.

She didn't have any friends. All her life she's been trying to purposely keep her distance. The one who's more worthy of her care and attention was herself, no one else. No one's going to love and take care of her so she needs to do a good job taking care of herself.

"I know you're getting curious about me. I can't blame you if you think I'm a bit of a psycho. But it is me. I am still sane. Just tired and fed up acting real tough in this freaking damn world, you know."

Tan cleared his throat.

"We all have our own fair share of ups and downs, Elaine. I have experienced messy roads and a few roadkills. But those bumpy roads got me here. We're under the same page, only I didn't allow the rage to consume me fully."

Elaine grinned, patting Tan's broad shoulder.

"Good for you. . ." her beam turned wide. "Let me tell you what, doctor. Believe me or not, you won't know the real you just yet until you finally experience what real pain is.”

======END OF FLASHBACK=========

Tan slid the documents back in the brown envelope and focused his attention on his computer screen once more. It was ten in the evening. Instead of going to the hospital, he decided to spend the rest of the night in the executive's office, his father's old office in the Textile back in the day. His uncle Alissandro was the current director of the company. His office is situated on the 18th floor. He met with him earlier.

"I know it was a very hard decision to make but thank you for doing this for the sake of your grandfather's legacy, Tan," he remembered him saying.

Indeed it was. Just the thought itself brings pain in his heart.

Gilda peeped into the glass door, knocking gently on the wall. She made sure it was loud enough to get his attention. Gilda was his father's executive secretary. She was in her late forties and her hair was almost grey. She looked like Miss Minchin because of her thick-rimmed glasses, only short-haired.

"Are you not going home yet?" asked Gilda when she noticed he was still working when she walked past the room. "Don't overwork yourself yet, Tan. It will be more tiring once you start working as a real chairman. Trust me. Take it slow."

"Thanks, Gilda. I appreciate your concern. You can leave now. Paul's been waiting for you outside," he told her, referring to her eldest son who usually picked her up from work.

His back was beginning to feel sore from working in the Textile all day long. He was so busy he was not able to report his duty in the hospital. He will be filing his resignation this week. He had so much to take care of before the inaugural press conference took place.

"Yeah. I told him to come at eleven, yet he arrived at nine. That kid doesn't know how to keep his word, does he?" the old lady couldn't help but shake her head. "You should be going, too. You are bound to Makati, aren't you? That's quite a long drive. And you're a newlywed. Your wife must have been waiting for you."

There was a long pause the moment Tan heard it. After a while, he drew his attention back to the digital notes flashed on the screen, ignoring what he heard.

"By the way, I've already booked your flight to the US. Tickets are confirmed and issued successfully. I sent you the documents you might need through email. If you don't need anything, I'll go ahead now," the old lady finally said before she bid goodbye.

It was actually her third goodbye. Although he had been telling her that work's dismissed, she just could not seem to leave him just like that, especially since she handled most of the documents that Tan needed to read up on. It took almost an hour before Tan decided to call it a day. After putting the things in order, he grabbed the briefcase, ready to take off. His eyes darted towards the glass wall of a wide and modern office which made him halt for a moment. Gilda's words flashed into his mind.

Elaine was waiting for him.

Tan walked towards the closed door that leads to the viewing deck of the building. A cold breeze of wind brushed through his face the moment he stepped on the observatory's platform. Since the CEO's office was on the top floor, Tan could see Quezon City's amazing night view. This used to be Elaine's favourite spot in the De Marco Building.

They usually dine there along with his sister-in-law, Thera. Well, he was rather the only one eating, the other two were drinking buddies. At the back of his mind, they get along with each other pretty well. They must have been real sisters in their previous lives.

Six months after their wedding, it was Elaine's 22nd birthday. He surprised her with dinner together with his parents. Elaine was aloof and awkward the entire night. When he asked her what the problem was, she ended up getting angry. He patiently wooed her when she threw a fit, not knowing where exactly he made a mistake.

As time went on, Tan noticed how her patience wore thin towards him. One day, she demanded annulment and money that totally shocked him. Before that, he noticed her constant cash withdrawal using his bank account. He didn't ask her though because he knew it would lead to endless arguments. Elaine was always short-tempered and defensive. He didn't want to let her go. He tried to talk to her over a hundred times. He loved her so much he could not live without her. Until it hurts so much he was forced to let her go.

He had so many questions, but he could not dare ask one single question. How could she change so much after a few months of marriage? Why did she have to leave and hurt him like that? When did she stop loving him? No, the right question is, did she ever love him? Or did she only see him as an outlet to get out of poverty?

He began to doubt her love. He could not tell if she was being genuine in her feelings towards him. Every time he needed her presence and support, the only thing that was on her lips was money. After she left him, Tan did not try looking for her. He was left scarred and hurt and angry. Until he found out that she went to America. The love he longed to devote only to her turned into hatred.

But everything is all in the past now. The questions that piled up inside his mind had long sealed up. He won't be asking questions and he won't be looking for answers anymore. The past four years of his life had been very painful and tiring.

It was not the life he dreamt for him and Elaine. All he ever wanted then was to take her away from everything that was scaring her. He wanted to protect her, to always be by her side at all costs. But she kept pushing him away.

When he asked her to marry him, without hesitation Elaine answered yes. She was so certain as if she won't be regretting her decision. The conviction in her voice felt like a gentle hand that caressed his heart at the moment. He married her despite their huge age gap and indifferences. Despite the fact that he had no idea about women. He was a fool for believing she married him because of love. He was the only one left scarred.

Almost a few weeks before his 34th birthday, Elaine surprisingly showed up out of nowhere. After three years of hiding, she reappeared just right after the forthcoming business closure blew up in public. She offered help but Tan knew better. She came back to stash a huge amount of money she could get from him just like the last time. Tan believed this time that five million pesos won't please her anymore.

Now that she came back from his life for a temporary cause, he knew exactly what to do. For a moment his quiet yet lonely life will become hectic and chaotic again.

Tan slid his hand into his trousers' pocket. A thin smile formed his lips as he swung around and walked back to where he came from.