"Baby, we are going to be late."
"Are you sure Dylan would be ok there?" Michaelle is really worried about their newly adopted puppy.
"I'm sure of that. Your neighbor will take good care of him. And besides, we will be back later today."
"Alright." but it is still apparent that she's worrying.
"Don't worry. Dylan is a good puppy. And he's really cute. They can't say no and ignore such a cute thing." His assurance.
Michaelle smiled. "I know your right. Maybe we should go now. Before I change my mind."
Rein hold her hand and guided her to the passenger seat. "Thank you, Ice prince."
He sweetly smiled at her. "It's my pleasure." He paused to stare intently to her eyes. "You look stunning," he whispered.
"That's because I am with you."
"Did I compliment you?"
"No." she chuckled. Obviously, she's joking. "But you brought the best out of me."
"I'm happy to hear that."
"Let's go. You know, even though we are definitely the most beauteous couple of the century, still we can't keep them waiting." She winked at him which make them both laugh hard.
-------------------------------
Clara's (POV)
Clara was staring at the mirror, scrutinizing how beautiful she is today. Her make up artist emphasized her big brown eyes, which makes her more attractive than before. Her eyelashes are naturally long and curl so only little enhancements were done on it. She was wearing a red Chinese-cut evening dress that was custom-made for her, showing the curve of her slim body. She paired it with red pumps shoes. She is now more than physically ready for tonight. But emotionally, she is not really sure. Tonight is a big night and she is very nervous about it.
"I'll let you be alone for a while. Just give me a call if you need me." the makeup artist bid goodbye to her.
When she was left alone, a tear from her left eye fell. She doesn't know why, but she is really feeling sad. When she heard soft knocks on the door of her hotel room, she immediately took some facial tissues and wiped out her tears. She calms down herself before she let the person come in.
"Who's out there?" She softly said.
"It's Lily, can I come in?"
"Yes of course." then she stands up to meet her friend.
"Wow!" Lily said out of amazement, she was covering her mouth with her left hand.
"Is it good?" Clara shyly asked her friend.
"Of course! You look so beautiful!"
"Really?"
Lily nodded while wearing a genuine smile.
"How's everybody?" She curiously asked her friend.
"Well, Henry is still in his room with his best friend Chen. Your parents have already arrived. Your in-laws are also here. By the way, I saw Michaelle. Did you invite her?"
Clara shook her head. "Henry did."
"So they really became that close?" Lily maliciously asked.
"I don't know. Maybe? But she told me that they were just friends. Nothing to worry."
"Maybe you're right. She's with Henry's brother when I saw her."
"Who's brother?" Clara surprisingly uttered.
"I think he's the doctor. Brown hair, tall, handsome."
"It could be Rein or Migs. But Migs is not that tall. But that's possible since Michaelle is also a doctor like you. So, it is not wrong to be friends with your colleagues right?"
"Yeah. I guess you have a point there." Lily replied. "So are you ready to come down to see all of your guests?" She smilingly asked her friend.
"Yes, Lily. But before anything else, I want to see Henry first. Please tell my parents and in-laws that I'll be there in a few minutes."
"Alright. Don't worry too much. Everything is under control." She smiled before she left her friend.
----------------------
"Are you alright? You look tense." Jeffrey asked Henry worriedly.
"Yeah. I'm fine." He said while taking a glass of brandy.
"When people said that they were fine. It really means that they are not."
"I don't know Chen. But I think this is wrong. Or maybe this engagement is not the best decision to do." He is getting serious.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Actually, I couldn't figure out the problem. I just felt it."
"Don't tell me your attraction towards Michaelle turned to something serious?"
Henry didn't respond. He took another glass of brandy.
"So am I right?" Chen seriously asked him.
"I don't know. But I can't help myself not to think of her. Her face always shows up whenever I closed my eyes. She was in my dreams. And how will you explain to me that more than 3 times, we bumped into each other accidentally? Is it destined to happen?" Henry anxiously said.
"Hey calm down Dude. I didn't know that you believe in that. Destiny? Really? Are you going to put all your hopes on that word?"
"Yeah, I didn't. Until this."
"So what will you do now? Everybody is waiting for you, including Clara."
"Maybe I should do this. I can't hurt her and besides, I can't do anything about this, Michaelle is with my brother Rein."
"Alright then. Let's get out and meet them."
The door was ajar, Clara silently crying from behind. She heard everything. She's right. There's something wrong with this engagement. She thought it was about her being paranoid but she's right, her instinct is right. Henry fell for that girl. The truth hurts her like hell.
--------------------------
Everybody was sitting on their respective table waiting for the party to start. They already greeted and catch up with their friends. The couple, Henry Lee and Clara Soo were seated on the stage. The set up is like a wedding reception. The host invited everybody to pray and feel the presence of the Lord. Everybody closed their eyes and calm themselves except for Clara. She can't think right. She was breathing very fast. She was preventing herself to cry. She was standing in front of many people and she cannot afford to put her family in an embarrassing situation.
"Please give a warm welcome to the beautiful and talented couple, Dr. Rein Lee and Dr. Michaelle Yoon." the host introduced the performers.
Clara was pulled back into reality upon hearing the name of Michaelle Yoon. She saw the two smilingly climbing the stairs of the stage, walking towards a large piano on their left side. The two take their seats and looked at each other. They were obviously in love with one another. Then she turned her gaze to her fiancé, he was looking at them, specifically to Michaelle. Clara looked at Rein. The way he looks at his girlfriend is the same way how Henry looks at Michaelle. She cannot withstand the scene. She was about to stand up when she heard them play. The song was familiar to him. Ohh, she remembers, it was the song that Rein used to play to her when they were just kids. She decided to listen. Maybe it is ok if she will shed some tears. After all the song is very moving.
Everybody was teary-eyed and was moved by the song that the couple played.
"Jeffrey, that Michaelle, did the host says that her surname is Yoon?"
"Yes, mom."
Mrs. Nica Chen gasped. She looked at her son shocked, "You know it's her."
"Mom, this is not the right time and place."
"Jeffrey...I waited for more than 10 years. When is the right time to-"
"Mom, forget about it ok? We could talk to her some other time. Let's respect Henry and his family."
Her mother didn't say a word. He didn't bother to speak, he knows that she is crying.
After the host thanked the couple, everybody clapped their hands. Clara, who is sitting beside Henry stands up and walks towards the center of the stage.
"Good evening everyone." Clara started.
The host walks near her and whispered. "Ms. Clara, according to the program, it's not time to-"
"It's ok. You don't need to follow what is written in there." She cut him while her eyes were still on the crowd. The host moved backward.
"As I said earlier, thank you for coming tonight. I'm so glad that you will witness this engagement party...ru- ruined by me."
Everybody was all puzzled. They don't understand what did Clara is trying to say. Rein, who is walking back to their seats with her girlfriend stopped.
"Honey, what are you doing?" it was Henry. He is now standing behind her.
"Let me do this Henry. I don't want you to suffer anymore."
"What are you saying, Clara?" But the woman seems deaf from his words.
"Let's stop this nonsense. I can't marry a guy who doesn't love me anymore."
While everybody was shocked by what Clara had said, she immediately goes down the stairs and runs towards the exit.
Henry didn't know what to do, or even what to say. He was left standing on the stage where Clara left him. Without hesitation, Rein removed his hand from Michaelle's grasp and run after Clara. Without looking back at her.
Michaelle froze. What the hell is happening? She looks around the room. Clara left the hall and run. Her boyfriend is running after her. Henry was standing on the stage, shocked and doesn't move at all. She was thinking of some logical things to do. But with all these confusions and pain, that would be impossible. She decided to follow them. She runs outside the room. Her eyes started to get wet. What's happening to her.
She ends up in a man-made garden. She walks slowly because the tears coming from her eyes are blurring her sight.
Michaelle noticed two human figures, standing a meter apart from her. The man is hugging the woman who is apparently crying hysterically. The man is telling something to her but she can't clearly hear the words, only "Hush Clara. I'm here. I'm here for you."
When the woman finally calms down, Rein tightly hugged her. Michaelle, who is standing a few meters away from them saw his boyfriend kissed the woman's forehead. The scene makes her remembers how he used to calm her when she was the one who gone hysterical before.
She doesn't want to see the next thing that might happen. She quickly turned her back around and immediately left the place.
She wanted to scream. This pain is unbearable. This is way worse than what she felt before. Even from the pain that her dark past had caused her. This is way too painful. She wanted to destroy everything around her. Like how they destroyed her feelings. Michaelle runs. She doesn't want to stay in this place. Then she stopped. Thinking of what had happened earlier. Then everything flashed back. The sight of Rein worriedly run after her first love. The time that he released away her hand, up to the sight of them hugging and Rein kissing her forehead. She is breathing very fast. 'Why did she wanted to indulge herself to someone who obviously truly loves somebody else.' There. The logical thing that she must do. Stop and walk away from them. She can't withstand the thought of them hugging, Rein kissing and comforting her. After all, she is his first love. Michaelle decided to turn her heels and walk back in the other direction. She is walking slowly, thinking nothing, while wiping her tears... looking down the floor. She can't feel anything.
"Shobe.." She heard from a familiar voice. The voice that she will never forget. She lifts up her face. The woman is standing in front of her. She was also crying. Then he noticed the man standing a few meters behind the woman, it was Dr. Jeffrey Chen.
She looked at her face. Her face was the same. She didn't look 10 years older from the time she last saw her. She missed her. She wanted to hug her. But then, she remembers her father, the mental state of him when she left them. Her father who suffered a lot because of her. She slowly moves backward. No. It is not right to feel happy. She should be mad. When the woman started to come closer, Michaelle didn't move. The woman holds and pulled her closer to her chest. Still crying, she kissed her forehead.
"Shobe... I waited ten years to do this, to hug and kiss you." The woman said between her sob. "I missed you so much."
Upon hearing the word 'Ten Years', Michaelle was pulled back to her consciousness.
"TEN YEARS. Right. Ten years of loneliness, pain, and suffering from what I have lost. A mother." She whispered. She grabbed her hands and pushed the woman away from her.
The woman was so shocked. "Shobe..."
"Shobe!" it was Dr. Jeffrey Chen.
She looked sharply to the woman and to Jeffrey Chen. "Don't call me Shobe. I am not part of your family anymore." Tears started to fall down to her cheeks. "The child that you left 10 years ago was already dead."
"Don't say that please..." it was the woman. She tried to come near her but she blocked her with her trembling hands.
"No! You don't know how much it caused me. The time that you left me, is the time that I buried you like the dead. My mother was already dead, so as your child. So don't you dare come near me!"
"No baby! Don't say that. We love you so much. Please forgive mommy-"
"Don't say that. You don't love me. You only love yourself, that guy and Ahia." She said in a deep angry voice.
"No. No. No...Shobe please..." the woman hug her. Michaelle cried even louder. She closed her eyes tightly. She grabbed the woman's shoulder and forcefully pushed her away. The woman fell on the ground.
"Shobe! That's enough! You don't have the right to hurt our mother!" it was Dr. Jeffrey Chen. He was so surprised by what Michaelle had done to their mother. He walked and kneeled to help her mother stand up.
"But you have all the right to hurt me?" She firmly said and walk away without looking back at them.
--------------------------------
Rein's (P.O.V)
Yesterday is a very bad day for everyone. The engagement party was ruined. Clara was emotionally hurt and Michaelle didn't wait for him and left without giving him a call. And now, he is in his office, trying to figure out what to do next. Clara told him something about hiring Michaelle to seduce his brother. He was really confused at that time. How come Michaelle knows her. He can't really believe everything she just said and yet, he knew that Clara is not lying. Then, she also said that Henry fell in love with his girlfriend. How come? He could be attracted to Michaelle, but to fell in love? Is that even possible? If Henry loves Michaelle, how about Clara?
Rein held his forehead. The things that happened yesterday are driving him crazy. His thoughts were cut by several knocks on his office door. A female fellow doctor came in.
"Yes Janna," he said without looking at her.
"I heard everything. Clara told me that-"
"Forget it." Rein cut her. "I know everything."
"Even about Dr. Yoon?"
"I said I already know everything. If you have nothing to say about work-related matters, it's better to leave me alone. I am not in the mood." Rein coldly replied.
"Alright. By the way, Dr. Yoon is on Emergency Leave. Just so you know." Then the fellow doctor turned her heels and walk outside his office.
Rein stared blankly on his desk. "Chaelle..." he uttered to himself. Yesterday, when he came back to the apartment, it was empty. He stayed there until this morning hoping to see and talk to her, but Michaelle didn't come home.
"Maybe I should give her another call." He gets his phone from his pocket and press number 1, his speed dial to his girlfriend's number. This was the nth time of calling her. But still, she doesn't answer it.
After trying another several time, He can't still reach her. "Alright, that's it!" He yelled. He stands up and walks outside his office.
------------------------------
*Brrrriiiinnnggggg....* it was also the nth time that he pressed the doorbell of Michaelle's apartment. Hoping that she will open the door like she used to do. He was losing his patience.
"What an idiot I am. How will pushing the doorbell gonna bring her back to me? Seriously, I am getting crazy." At last, he decided to just come inside the apartment. He immediately gets the key and carefully open the gate. He was currently staying here and yet, he's nervous about what he might see. He's still hoping that Michaell already returned and just sleeping in her bed.
"Chaelle?" he called her. But no one is around. Her bed still looks the same as how he left it this morning. He runs his eyes in every corner of the room. He sits on the chair in front of her study table. He stared at a picture frame on top of it. A man in his late 40's, he guessed, was standing beside a bubbly face Michaelle, wearing her white coat while hugging his left arm. He smiled.
"We never had a picture together." he is talking to the picture frame. He stands up and lies down on her bed. "Where are you, princess?"
------------------------------------
Michaelle's (POV)
Michaelle alighted from the provincial bus that she rode for several hours. In the terminal, she waved to a taxi driver that immediately noticed her.
"At Claire's Diner." She said to the driver.
The driver nodded. The trip from the terminal up to her destination took 30 minutes, including the traffic.
"Thank you, sir. Just keep the change." She said to the driver.
"Thank you very much, mam." He gave her a wide smile.
"Chaelle?!" She knows it was her Auntie Claire, their landlord for 10 years.
"Aunt Claire!" She yelled back and hugged the woman.
"How are you? Why did you come home without giving us notice?" the woman curiously asked her.
"Well, I wanted to surprise you and my father. By the way, how is my handsome man?" She said. Wearing her usual bubbly face to them.
"He is in your place. You must be hungry. You go in first so you could meet your father. Then I'll bring food for both of you."
"Thanks, Auntie Claire. You're still the same. The best of the best!"
"Don't mention it. I just love you so much."
"I love you too." She chuckled.
"Go, go, go... take some rest."
"Alright, Auntie. Thanks for everything." She smiled widely.
The woman just smiled back and secretly wiped her tear in the corner of her left eye.
--------------------------------------------------
2 weeks later...
It's been two weeks since Michaelle came back to their province. She was eating with her father when she accidentally mentioned to him her encounter with the woman.
"You s-saw her?" he stuttered because of so much nervousness.
Michaelle nodded.
"W-what did she say to you?" he was still stuttering.
"Nothing." Her short response.
"Nothing?"
"Actually, I didn't want to remember. I don't really care about her. I hate her so much."
"Don't say that Chaelle."
"Dad? Did you already forget that-" she paused to release a long sigh."That woman left us for someone else? She chose that man over us. And she left us alone for some money!"
"Chaelle." He stopped, so he could breathe some air. "I have something to tell you. But promise me that you will forgive me."
Michaelle didn't reply. She intently looks at him.
"Please promise me Chaelle." Her father pleaded.
"Dad." She sighed. "I can't promise anything. I am so full of everything...if that is another thing that might hurt me, I can't promise to not get mad. But I surely will forgive you. You are my only family."
"About your mother and me. Actually she doesn't have a choice back then since that guy is her husband. Her real husband. I was the other guy."
"Dad?" She was very shocked.
"Your mother, Nica, left him because he was hurting her physically. He was abusing her in many ways that you could think of. So, she runs away from him with her son Jeffrey. I was in the market when I saw them. She runs towards me to get some help. That time, I was mesmerized by her beauty, so I helped her. I gave her food, shelter, clothes, everything, including my heart. Then after 2 years, you came to our life. That was the best thing that happened to me. You were so tiny, yet beautiful, like an angel from heaven. I thought everything was perfect." He paused to assessed how Chaelle is handling the information. Then when he saw that she was listening, he continues.
"But then, her husband found us. He forcefully gets her and Jeffrey. Nica wanted to get you. But I can't give the only light of my life to her. So even though she pleaded, I never gave you. Almost every week, she was coming back to our house to get you. That's the time that I decided to hide you. That's why we ended living here." Her father was crying. "I'm sorry. Daddy was very selfish." He said between his sob."I'm sorry Chaelle."
Chaelle didn't say a word. She was entirely shocked by what she just heard.
After minutes of silence, she finally talks, "I need to breathe some air." She stands up and walks outside their house.
-------------------------------------------------
"Dr. Yoon is still out of town." Dr. Kim informed Dr. Chen.
"Do you have any idea where she is staying?" Dr. Jeffrey asked his friend. They were talking in the common hallway.
"I don't know. She just said that she had an emergency. I can't reach her after she called me two weeks ago."
"I see. Please tell me if you got some news."
"Alright. No problem."
"I'll go ahead. I need to see some patients. You know, no assistance for two weeks." Dr. Chen jokingly said.
"Goodluck!" Then they bid goodbyes.
Dr. Jeffrey Chen was heading to the nurse station when he saw Dr. Rein Lee. The young fellow doctor looked at him with a cold expression.
"Good morning Dr. Lee." Dr. Chen greeted him. The ice prince just nodded to him as his response.
Since the time that Dr. Yoon was on leave, Dr. Rein Lee was back to his old self. Cold, expressionless and aloof to everyone. He also heard from Henry that he gets his own place now. He secluded himself even from his own family.
Dr. Lee was about to leave when Dr. Jeffey Chen said something that struck pain into his chest. "It was your fault that Michaelle left you."
Dr. Lee stopped. He clenched his fist. Dr. Chen was expecting a punch from him but he did nothing. He just walks away without looking back.
He was about to say something when he heard his phone ringing. He gets it from his coat's pocket and was shocked by the caller's name. "Michaelle." He accidentally uttered.
Rein was just about 2 meters away from him heard him said his girlfriend's name. He froze. 'Did he hear that her girlfriend is calling Dr. Chen' When he looked back, Dr. Chen already left.
"No, that's impossible." He uttered to himself.
-------------------------
"Clara."
The beautiful woman looked at him. She invited him to see her at their favorite restaurant to talk about what happened 2 weeks ago.
"Please take a seat." She calmly said.
Henry seated across her. She smiled at him as if nothing really happened. "What do you want us to talk about?"
"Could we eat first Henry?" She softly whispered.
"I'm not hungry. Please let's start this, so we could end it early." His cold response.
"I see. Uhmm... Actually this is about us, and." She paused. "And Michaelle."
"What the hell do we need to talk about this shit? Huh?" He angrily whispered.
"Please calm down."
"How do you expect me to calm down?"
"Please Henry. Just for this time. This would be the last time. I promise."
Henry released a deep sigh. "Alright. What is it?"
"First of all, I wanted to say sorry about what happened to our engagement. That time, I was not able to think right. I was really nervous. So before heading to the venue, I decided to do and see you first. And that's the time when I overheard you and Chen." She looked down to hide her emotion.
Henry was shocked. He didn't know what to say.
"I hope you understand why did I do such a thing. I was badly hurt. I can't think anymore because of the great pain."
"Clara.."
"Don't worry Henry. It's partly my fault." She's weighing what's the best words to fully explained what really happened. "There's this crazy thing that I asked Chaelle. This is all because I'm afraid to settle down without fully sure of your intention to me. If you truly love me and no other woman could snatch you away from me. So the thing is, I asked her to seduce you. I gave the information about you. Even your schedule."
"So your pointing that-"
"That it's not about destiny. You and Chaelle met because of our deal."
Henry is digesting everything that she told him.
"I have proofs if you-"
"No need. I don't care anymore." He was about to stand and leave when Clara hold his hand.
"Please Henry. Don't leave me. I need you. Please come back to me."
"Clara."
"I will do anything for you. For us. I'll forget everything. Let's start a new life together again. Please. I still love you. I do." this time, she can't help to not cry.
Henry look at her. "Clara. Don't do this."
"Please.."
He takes his seat and smiled. "Ok. Let's see what we could do about this."
Clara smiled. But she didn't stop crying. "Thank you, Henry. Thank you."
------------------------------------------------------
Michaelle was seating on the sand, staring blankly at the ocean. Since the surroundings are quiet, she clearly heard that someone is walking towards her direction. The wind whispered it to her. She didn't stand up and waited for him to take a seat beside her.
"This ocean witnessed all the pain that I endured for the past 10 years. He gets all the rants, shouts and curses that I made to release the pain that you and mom have caused me."
"I'm sorry.."
Michaelle leaned her head over his shoulder. "I was really hurt when you left me." tears started to flow down her cheeks. "I don't know what to do at that time. I was about to end my life here when I realized that doing that will only make me a loser. So I lived. I decided to take medicine because of you. I saw you on the news. A renowned surgeon in FEGHMC. So I follow your footsteps. I did that to show you that what you left is not a sole loser. That you might realize my worth and regret what you did to me. Then I met you. I thought it will bring me a good feeling. But I was wrong, the pain is still there, and I realized that I was still a loser despite my achievements. You know why?" Michaelle paused to take some fresh air.
"Shobe..."
"Because I can't get mad at you. I missed you so much that instead of hurting you, I wanted to hug and kiss you. Ahia..." She felt his arms around her shoulder. "Did mommy hate me?"
"Of course not. She loves you. She will never hate you."
"I want to apologize for what I did to her. I pushed her...I hurt her..." She cried.
"Hush...Don't mention it. It doesn't matter anymore. Actually, she is in your house, waiting for us to come home."
Michaelle lifts up her eyes. "Ahia...I need to say something important to you. Before anything else."
"You could tell when we get back to your house. It was getting darker."
"No. I can't tell it in front of them without telling this to you first. This is really important."
"Ok then. What is it?"
Michaelle took a deep breath. "I.." She cried even louder. She took a deep breath before she continues. "I am.. I am pregnant...and Rein is the father."
Jeffrey froze. He felt like he swallowed her tongue.
"Ahia...please don't tell anyone. I don't want them to know about it."
"Alright." At last, he found his word. "I'll respect your decision. Don't worry, I'm here. We're here to guide and help you." then he pulled her closer to him. He kissed her forehead. "I missed you Shobe." he started to cry. After 10 years, the long wait is over. He finally could hold his younger sister.
"I miss you too Ahia."