“THE REAL ENEMY”

"HELLO, good morning!"

I heard the cheerful voice of a woman. I was in the living room at that time, reading a book. I was sitting on the rocking chair near the large window.

"Lena," that's all I managed to say.

I quickly felt the familiar discomfort. And since I didn't want to show it to Lena, I decided to focus back on my book.

"Did you come here to see Nana Lourdes?" I asked her formally.

Even though I didn't look, I felt Lena entering the room. Aside from that, the noise of her slippers against the narra plank floor also caught my attention.

"It's you I really came to see, Sam," she replied, causing me to quickly turn to her.

"Me?" I asked, raising my eyebrows in confusion.

Lena nodded, and at that moment, she was already sitting on the chair next to me. As I looked at her, I noticed a strong resemblance to Nana Lourdes. She seemed pleasant enough, but my instincts told me otherwise. I believed that some things were better left to instinct.

"Yes, I noticed that you don't pay much attention to me when I'm around," she said bluntly.

My eyebrows raised. Honestly, I felt like being a bit rude at that moment because of what she said. From my understanding, it seemed like she felt entitled to demand my attention. But I decided not to. I chose to remain calm because that's what a decent woman would do.

"Really? You know, Lena, I'm a bit of an introvert," I replied.

That was true. I was indeed a bit of an introvert. But at that moment, the truth that I didn't trust Lena overshadowed everything. I felt like she had feelings for Marius. That's what I sensed from her actions and the way she looked at my boyfriend.

I heard Lena release a soft laugh. Then her eyes suddenly darkened as she stared at me.

"You're a bitch, you know that?" she said to me.

I was taken aback by that. I didn't expect to hear that from Lena. But despite my surprise, I managed to compose myself.

"Yeah? So I was right, you have feelings for my boyfriend, don't you? Is that correct?" I retorted to her.

I was still smiling at that moment, even though my tone clearly indicated that I didn't like her.

"I love Marius! I've loved him since we were kids!" she exclaimed.

I shrugged my shoulders and then returned my gaze to the book I was reading.

"It's not new to me, Lena. Did you know that? People like you are the type who would do anything to get what they want. Is that why you still don't have a love life? Because you think Marius will eventually like you?" I said, maintaining the same tone.

"I already know the truth. Aunt Lourdes told me that you and Marius are getting married! And I won't allow it!" Lena responded angrily.

"Oh, and who are you to stop our wedding? Seriously, you're so cheap. No wonder my boyfriend never took you seriously even though you obviously threw yourself at him," I replied, followed by a soft but mocking laugh.

Lena remained silent, so I continued.

"Surely you know by now that starting today, you're not allowed here anymore. So leave. You've just wasted many years of your friendship with Marius. You should've just been happy for him," I added.

"Really? What if I tell you that the one Marius truly loves, even before, is Lana? Your sister-in-law!" Lena retorted.

Lena's words echoed in my ears like a loud thunder. I stared at her face for a long time, trying to discern whether she was joking or telling the truth. However, her expression showed seriousness in what she said.

I was immensely grateful that despite my overwhelming anger, I managed to keep my emotions in check. Perhaps it was because I was raised by my parents to maintain composure in such situations.

I will never lose my cool just because of an immature woman like Lena. And one more thing, I have no assurance whether everything she's saying is true. And even if it were true, so what?

"I wasn't informed about that, so thank you for letting me know. Anyway, that's in the past, Lena. Besides, he never had a relationship with my sister-in-law. So what if he once loved Lana?" I asked, with a hint of sarcasm in my tone.

I immediately noticed Lena's eyes narrow at my response. It was clear from her aura and tone of voice that she was getting irritated. At that moment, I felt a sense of victory. Seeing Lena visibly annoyed with me was satisfying because it meant she wasn't getting her way in trying to manipulate my thoughts and emotions.

"You seem unaffected," she remarked, her irritation evident in her demeanor. And at that point, I felt like I was winning. Seeing Lena visibly irritated with me was satisfying because it meant she wasn't getting her way in trying to manipulate my thoughts and emotions.

"Let's just say I have a more mature mindset than you, Lena," I casually replied. "But you seem older than me anyway. Age doesn't really matter, does it? It's probably more about upbringing or the environment we grew up in, or maybe even our own choices. After all, no one else can teach us to be decent but ourselves," I continued.

I glanced at Lena for a moment. She was seething with anger at that moment, and I could almost imagine her mentally slapping and pulling my hair.

"You've already disturbed me enough, Lena. Your intentions here are pointless, and yet you've managed to inconvenience me. I was enjoying this book so much, especially since it's about pregnancy," I said, delicately placing a hand on my stomach.

"We're not done yet, Sam," she threatened, standing up.

"That's an old line from TV villains or novels. Often, they're mistresses or home-wreckers," I said, raising an eyebrow as I looked at her. "But you can't take mine away, Lena. Remember that," I added, fixing a stern gaze on her.

If I'm not mistaken, I could see a surprise flash in her eyes, perhaps from the anger she saw in my aura. Well, that's good. It's good for her to feel a bit of fear, so she doesn't feel like she's winning.

"Now leave, and don't come back," I dismissed her, returning my attention to the book I was reading.

I could hear Lena slamming the gate loudly, confirming that she had indeed left. Meanwhile, I, in those moments, took consecutive deep breaths, trying to ease the pain that gripped my chest.

"Marius, Lana," I whispered, accompanied by a painful stab in my heart.

I struggled for a moment to control my emotions. Then, I moved and headed upstairs to our room.

I won't cry. That's what I resolved, even though deep down, I felt a surge of bitterness in those moments.

So that's why they were so close. And that's how much Marius loved Andrea. And... And...

Suddenly, a memory flooded back into my mind. I saw myself angrily packing all of Marius's belongings into his suitcase. It was in Baguio. It was my room in Baguio.

Then, one event followed another. And the last one, fear enveloped my heart as I vividly recalled seeing my car, the one I was driving, teetering on the edge of a cliff. I was screaming. I even remembered talking to Andrew on the other line.

Right... It was Marius's friend, Patrick, whom I heard talking to my boyfriend. It was he who revealed the plan of revenge, coming straight from Marius's mouth. Because Lana chose Andrew despite all he did and sacrificed.

And now, here I am, pregnant.

Once, I felt sorry for myself.

Am I this desperate?

I'm an intelligent woman. I've had men far better than Marius try to approach me when I was in London. But none of them succeeded. Why am I like this now? Why did I let myself fall for a man whose true motive from the beginning was revenge?

I couldn't help but cry.

My memories have returned. Yes, I remember everything. And along with all that comes the reopening of old wounds and the return of all the pain.

What should I do?