"30%," Robert insisted.
"40%," Val also retorted.
"30% is our maximum," Robert said.
"Okay. Since we can't agree on this, we will have to proceed to court as planned earlier," Val said.
Robert and Alex looked at each other, and they consulted in whispers.
"Okay. 35% it is," Robert said.
The two parties signed the agreement forms before them, and their lawyers did as well.
"Let's see how far you will get without me. Someday you will pay for dragging dirty linen before the public eye," Alex cursed at his ex-wife.
"I didn't do it. You did during those nights out with various women. Karma will deal with you for what you did to your son and to me," Josephina spit back.
"Enough of that. Let's get out of here," Val urged Josephina as she pulled her up by the hand and pushed her out of the room.
Immediately after the meeting, Val left the office. In her car, she called Arnold and told him that she would be passing by Angie, who was in the hospital.
"I don't exactly know what happened. It's about Evans, though," Val said.
"Okay. You get there and keep me posted," Arnold said, and Val nodded as though Arnold could see her.
The following day when Karen got to the hospital, Angie looked like she had lost 20 kilograms in a night.
Karen hugged her friend and assured her that it would all be okay.
"What is the doctor saying? How did the accident occur?" Karen asked.
"Evans has lost lots of blood. He was coming from his parents'. It had rained yesterday, and he had a head-on collision with another car. The other car was being driven by teens who were just so drunk. They should not have been on the roads in the first place," Angie said. She was soaked in tears, and Val and Karen tried to console her.
"How are the other kids?" Val asked.
"They died on the spot," Angie said, crying more.
It had been a narrow escape for Evans. At least he was alive, but he was unconscious, and the doctors had said he hadn't improved since he got admitted the night before.
"We should be grateful he is alive," Val added, and Karen nodded.
Listening to Evans' story, Karen realized that she was worried about someone who was well but who had chosen to maybe deliberately avoid her.
What she didn't know then was that the second piece of her perfect world had fallen.
"I will stay here with you. Just you hold on there," Karen encouraged her more.
The door to the emergency room flung open, and the three friends rushed towards the doctor.
"We are stabilizing him. We can only continue with some of the treatments once he regains consciousness. We are doing our best," the doctor said, then excused himself.
"It's at this point that you will have to call his parents. It's important for them to know how their son is," Karen said and carried Frank, who was now calling for her attention.
"They will be so devastated. I can't talk to them. I can't do it," Angie said, shaking her head and weeping more.
"It is better for them to know now than later on. Things might turn for the worse, and they will hold it against you for keeping the information from them," Val said.
"Please don't say that. Nothing will happen to my man. He will come back to me. He will," Angie repeatedly said as she wiped the tears from her eyes, "I can't break such news to them. I can't hear the devastation in their voices."
"They will be devastated, but it's important for them to know. As a parent, I can assure you that you can never feel relaxed when you're not sure how safe your kid is," Karen said. "Maybe they have been trying to reach him to no avail. You need to talk to them."
Angie wouldn't make the call, and Val did it instead.
~
Carey walked into the office beaming with joy. He was smiling at everything and with everyone, and his joy was so contagious.
"You must have had a good break," Ken mentioned moving towards him.
"Yes. Thanks to you," Carey said, smiling slyly.
"Where did you go, by the way? You disappeared on me?"
"I got some company," Carey said, looking at his phone. Karen hadn't called or texted him again, and he had felt relieved and sad about that.
He looked at her contact and pressed on call before he had the chance to change his mind. Karen received the call, but she seemed so uneasy.
"Hello. Are you really okay? You sound stressed," Carey pointed out.
"No, Carey. Am fine. Frank is also fine. Why haven't you been talking to me? Did I do something wrong?" she asked.
"No. It's not about you," Carey said.
"If it's not about me, then why do you seem to be pushing me away?"
"Karen, I just have so much going on now. I don't want to bother you with my problems." Carey said. He had decided to use emotional blackmail.