Ten million pesos.

She gave up on Vince for ten million pesos. Ganoon na ba kababaw ang pagmamahal niya kay Vince? Siguro nga. But she couldn't accept the fact that he didn't tell her. His father told her that Vince agreed to marry this French woman. Marion Isabelle Deneuve. Even the name screams rich. French actress ito. Humanitarian. UNICEF ambassador. Kabi-kabila ang charity organizations na sinusuportahan. French ambassador sa Pilipinas ang ama nito at ang ina namam ay former actress sa France. Philanthropist ang buong pamilya ng Deneuve.

Nakakapanliit ng pagkatao.

It hurt more when she asked Rose about it at hindi nito iyon itinanggi. She told her na totoong pupuntahan ni Vince si Marion sa Paris. Parte raw kasi nang expansion ng business sa Europe ang pagpapakasal ni Vince dito. She left without anither word, with the check in hand. Hindi na niya pinakinggan ang sunod nitong sasabihin.

Dumiretso siya sa school ni Kelvin para sunduin ito. Pag-uwi sa bahay ay agad siyang nag-empake. Natataranta ang katulong sa kanya dahil iyak siya nang iyak. At nang sabihin nitong tatawagan nito si Vince ay bigla niya itong nasigawan. Kelvin mutely followed her orders. Natakot yata ito sa kanya.

She didn't tell anyone about it. Kahit kay Neri ay hindi niya ipinaalam. Malapit na kasi itong manganak. Ayaw na niya itong bigyan ng problema. Maybe Vince knows by now kung ano'ng nangyari. Rose will surely tell him. Babalik din kaya ito agad?

She shook her head. No. He won't come back the same. He'd push through with the engagement. Hindi nga ba't pumayag na ito sa gusto ng ama nito? When he gets home, hindi na sila nito maaabutan. Magpapakalayo-layo na sila. She's been right all along. This fairy tale has to end. Today, the other shoe fell. An expensive shoe at that.

Mabuti na rin siguro iyon. She could live another life away from him. Kelvin might hate her for it though. Saan naman kaya sila pupunta? They could go to the states, back to her parents, pero hindi niya sigurado kung tatanggapin pa rin siya ng mga ito. Ilang taon na rin ang nakalipas mula noon huli nilang pag-uusap.

"Mommy, where are going?"

"I don't know," she answered, wiping her tears away.

"Does dad know that we're leaving? Shouldn't we call him first?"

"Huwag nang maraming tanong, pwede?!"

Nagulat ito sa pagsigaw niya.

"I'm sorry, baby. Jusy stop asking. Please."

Kelvin wanted to go to Disneyland for his birthday. She could take him there. Doon na rin sila magpapasko. They don't have to go back to her parents anyway. Kaya lamang ay ayaw naman niyang gumastos ng malaki. Kahit sampung milyon pa ang perang hawak niya, hindi rin iyon magtatagal. She could start a business somewhere else, but where? At paano ang pag-aaral ni Kelvin?

Dala ang kakaunting gamit ay pumunta silang mag-ina sa bangkong sinabi ni Vic para ideposito ang pera. Mabilis ang pag-asikaso ng isang teller sa kanya, na para bang inaasahan na siya nito.

She was given a new ATM card. It was different from the usual cards. The teller told her that the money was already deposited in her account, pero hindi visible yung total sum kapag ichi-check. And she couldn't encash everything. May limit pa rin ang pwedeng i-withdraw per transaction.

Hindi na niya naintindihan ang iba pa nitong sinabi. Nagmamadali kasi siya. Gusto na niyang umalis. She wanted to start a new life somewhere far.

--

Moira found solace in Davao. May college friend kasi siyang nakausap at pumayag itong patirahin muna siya sa resort nito habang pinag-iisipan niya kung ano ang susunod niyang gagawin. Patay ang phone niya all week. There's no way that Vince can contact her. Nag-withdraw siya ng kaunting pera para may maipanggastos dahil nahihiya naman siya kung iaasa niya sa kaibigan ang lahat.

She also asked for work habang nandoon siya, without pay, para maibalik man lang kahit papaano ang tulong nito. Naging waitress siya sa isang establishment doon habang si Kelvin naman ang nag-aalaga sa maliliit na anak ng kaibigan niya. He's great with kids at kahit ilang araw pa lamang ay kasundo na nito ang mga bata roon.

But he couldn't hide the fact that he misses his father. Madalas kasi nitong itanong kung kailan susunod si Vince sa kanila o kung kailan sila nito susunduin.

Tuwing matatapos na ang shift niya sa hapon, pupuntahan siya nito sa restaurant para sunduin. Bantay-sarado siya rito dahil lapitin siya ng customers, lalo na ng foreigners.

"Who's this? Your brother?" tanong ng isang customer isang hapon.

"No," sagot ni Kelvin. "I'm her son!"

"Oh. You're married?"

Umiling siya at ngumiti. But Kelvin butted in again. "She's not married yet but she has a boyfriend. And that's my dad. And they're in love with each other so back off!"

"Kelvin, be nice!" saway niya sa anak.

The guy smiled. "It's okay, kid. I just want to be friends with your mom."

"Why? Don't you have friends?"

Umiling ito. "Here, I don't."

"I know a lot of people here. I'll introduce you to them."

Wala na siyang nagawa nang hilahin ni Kelvin ang lalaki palayo sa kanya. They went to another table and as promised, ipinakilala ni Kelvin ang lalaki sa mga nandoon. He ended up dining with them.

Binalikan siya ng anak at saka nginitian. "Can we go home now?"

--

Vince was so angry when he found out about what happened. He was angry at his father dahil sa pakikialam nito sa buhay niya. Galit din siya sa sarili niya dahil hindi niya agad sinabi kay Moira ang totoong pakay niya sa Paris. He didn't want her to worry, pero naging malala pa ang kapalit ng pagtatago niyang iyon.

Galit din siya kay Santina. He heard from Rose na ito raw ang puno't dulo ng lahat. Imbes na sa kaibigan nito ito tumuloy, kagaya ng sinabi nito, she headed straight to the mansion and told his dad about Moira and Kelvin. Moira. Sa lahat yata ng kinaiinisan niya ngayon, si Moira ang pinaka.

Hindi niya maintindihan kung bakit sinabi nito kay Santina na hindi niya anak si Kelvin. What was that for?

Pumayag lamang naman siyang pumunta sa Paris dahil alam niyang ubos na ang pasensya ng ama niya sa kanya. Bukod kasi sa mga blind dates na hindi niya sinisipot, unti-unti na ring nasisira ang professional relationship nila ng mga kasosyo sa business dahil sa pagiging negligent niya. He was arranged to be married for a reason, to create or strengthen ties. By not honoring the deal, he embarrassed the other parties. Sumama tuloy ang loob ng mga ito sa kanila.

Marion was his last shot. But he didn't go to Paris to talk about the engagement. He went there to personally inform her that he will not marry her.

When he got back, he found the house empty. Una niyang tinawagan si Neri para itanong kung nandoon ang mag-ina niya pero maging ito ay hindi alam kung nasaan ang dalawa. Ni hindi nito alam na umalis ang mga ito sa poder niya.

He then went to his father's house. Weekend noon nang dumating siya ng Pilipinas. Kasalukuyang nanananghalian ang buong pamilya nang pumasok siya sa bahay. Ariesa and Ela ran towards him, but eventually backed out when they saw the murderous look in his eyes.

"Kuya, what's wrong?" Ela asked, unsure if she should approach him.

"At may gana ka pang magpakita matapos ang ginawa mo?!" came his dad's booming voice.

"Vic!" saway ni Henrietta.

"You stay out of this!"

He felt bad for Henrietta. Over the years, sinikap nitong maging mabuting asawa sa ama niya at ina sa kanilang magkakapatid, kahit nga ba hindi siya nanggaling sa sinapupunan nito. But his father can't love anyone else more than he loved his mother.

"Dad, I need to talk to you."

"Don't call me that. You're not my son anymore. I am disowning you!"

He felt something sting. It was like he was taken back to many years ago, when he was first abandoned as a child.

"You're disowning me again?" buong pang-uuyam niyang tanong. "Bakit? Because I'm not good for your business anymore? Is that it, Vic? Ayaw mo na sa 'kin dahil wala ka nang pakinabang sa 'kin?"

"How dare you--"

"I tried to respect you as a father. I tried to love you for mom's sake. I even strived hard to make you proud! But all you did was take and take and take until I couldn't give anymore! I set aside my feelings for Moira because I knew that you wouldn't approve. Tiniis kong maging malungkot ng ilang taon. Tanggap ko nang hindi na ako sasaya because you fucking dictated how I should live my life!

"You were never a father to me and I was never a son to you! Para sa 'yo, isa lamang akong investment. Profit lang naman ang habol mo sa 'kin, di ba? You weren't even proud of me. You were proud of yourself for raising a gold mine! But you know what? You cannot dictate fate. She came back to me. And this time, I don't intend to let her go!"

"She has a son!"

"Yes! My son!"

Humugot ito ng malalim na hininga at saka umiling. "Don't try to be responsible for everything, Vincent. Santina already told me--"

"And you believed her? Bakit hindi mo ako hinintay, dad? Why didn't you give me the chance to explain? Si Santina na lang ba ang pakikinggan mo? You almost lost try because you listened to her. Are you really okay with losing me too?"

Hindi ito umimik. Taking it as his chance to make things clear, he explained everything.

"You should meet Kelvin. He's a wonderful kid. He looks just like me when I was his age. Naaalala mo pa naman siguro kung ano ang hitsura ko dati, di ba? That is, kung buo pa ang konsensya mo. Do you still remember how you abandoned me and blamed me for my mother's death? Then years later, you tried to take me back because you felt sorry for what you did. Pero may iba ka nang pamilya. I don't want Kelvin to go through what I went through. Hindi ko hahayaang lumaki syang iniisip na sampid lang sya sa pamilya. He's my child and I'm going to marry his mother and I am giving him my name.

"Moira lied to Santina because she doesn't want this to happen. She might have sensed that you're capable of disowning your children. What Santina told you is not true. Kelvin's my flesh and blood. I had a DNA test, dad. Para kung umabot man sa ganito, alam kong kaya ko silang ipaglaban. He's an Aragonza, like me. He's your grandson."