DANIEL turned his back quickly to the woman he was talking to. But he was just a few steps away when he heard her calling his name. He stopped and quickly turned to her.
"Please call me Mrs. Imperial, Daniel. My name is Bernadette Polintan Imperial," she said.
Imperial... Imperial... Bernadette Imperial…
He was stunned for a moment. The name was familiar, but he couldn't remember exactly where on earth he had heard it. Was she a relative or something? When he looked back at Bernadette, she was no longer at the table. When he turned around, he saw her walking out of the restaurant. He wanted to call her but decided not. He succumbed to confusion and fear brought by many things that were starting to mess up his mind.
"MAYBE you are mistaken, Bern. Daniel is not the person you're talking about—"
"But that's impossible! If he's not Leandro, who else is he? His twin?" Bernadette quickly went to her room to get something and then came back again to the living room where her friend Roxanne was. "There, look carefully. Then please tell me if Mr. Raymundo and the man in the picture have differences. Is there even the slightest difference?"
Her friend picked up the photo in front of her. Roxanne's face flickered with different emotions while staring at the picture. "I can't believe it. I thought you were just joking when you said that Mr. Raymundo is Andrew's father."
"Roxanne… do you really think I can make a joke out of this serious situation?"
She shrugged. "Well, you're right. What are you going to do now? Your ex-boyfriend denies you. "
"I don't know what his game is. But whatever it is, I will not allow him to include me in his play."
"What do you mean?"
Bernadette turned to her friend, then took the photo she was holding. She stared at the man in the picture and spoke sadly. "It's all over with us, but I can't deny that he left me a son. That's the reason why I have to withdraw from my agreement with his wife. "
"What are you talking about, Berna? Do you want to withdraw the agreement?"
"We haven't started the plan, so maybe I can still withdraw."
"How can you do that if you have a contract signed?"
Bernadette was stunned. Why had she forgotten that she signed a contract with Hasmin?
"Maybe Esme will understand me…"
"You will not have a problem with Esme, friend. But with Mrs. Raymundo, she will definitely get mad once you back out with the agreement."
"But I can no longer comply with the agreement now that I know Leandro is the man who I need to give my body for many nights until I get pregnant!"
"Then cover your eyes when you do that. Tell the couple that that is your condition. You don't want him to see your face while you're doing that."
"Do you think it's just that easy? Who am I fooling if I do that? Only myself!"
"If that is so, what are you going to do?"
"I've no choice but to back out, Roxanne. Don't you get my point? I'll just give Leandro another child when I successfully get pregnant! Andrew will have a sibling that he will not recognize ever!"
They looked at each other. Roxanne was stunned while she was shaking her head.
"There is another way, Bern. If... if we can work together to accumulate the amount of down payment that Esme gave you, maybe we can beg the client to let you withdraw from the agreement."
Bernadette did not speak. It was easier said than done. Where would she get the two hundred thousand pesos to return to Hasmin?
AS EXPECTED, Mrs. Raymundo got mad when Bernadette told her decision to withdraw from the agreement. She did not accept her alibi when she told her that her son, who just came from surgery, badly needed her.
"Ms. Polintan, you might have forgotten that if it weren't for the money I paid you, your child wouldn't undergo surgery! I have fulfilled the promise, so do yours, too!"
"But Mrs. Raymundo, I'm just asking for a few days only to— "
"I don't believe you! You were just asking me now for a few days, but who knows, one of these days I can't find you because you already left away. I shouldn't have trusted someone like you!"
"I'll find a way. Just give me two weeks to collect the amount you gave to me— "
"I don't care if you return more than the amount I gave you! We have an agreement, Bernadette! If you will not comply with the contract, I will sue you! And not only that ... I will also make sure you and your friend, including that Esmeralda, will be imprisoned! Maybe you are members of a syndicate, and you have been doing this illegal job for a long time!"
Bernadette shook quickly. "You're wrong! Roxanne and Esmeralda had nothing to do with my decision. I just can't really follow what is stated in our agreement!"
She was hopeless. Hasmin's voice gradually became louder. She didn't care if there were many people around who heard her.
"In the first place, if you can't do this task, you must not sign the contract. And you also did not accept the money Esme gave you. But you accepted it, didn't you? You already used that money for your child's operation. If you back off, that means you're a swindler."
"But I really can't do what you want me to do, Hasmin!"
She just sneered, then immediately opened her bag and pulled out a checkbook and ball pen. She wrote quickly in the checkbook, then tore the check, and gave it to her.
"Additional one hundred thousand pesos for you to fulfill our agreement, Bernadette. Don't give me headaches anymore. I don't want to hear your plan of backing out again. Otherwise, I'll bring you and your friends in this mess."
"Mrs. Raymundo... "
"If you continue to withdraw with our agreement, you are not the only one to be legally liable. Your friends will also be involved. Think carefully." After saying that, Mrs. Raymundo immediately stood up, turned her back from her, and left.
Bernadette could do nothing but chase her with an indignant look. Mrs. Raymundo did not witness it when she tore the check she had given into small pieces.