"FIONA!"
"Liz..."
"Come in, Fiona." Liz, Fiona's cousin, opened the door wider and took Fiona's large suitcase from her.
"I'm glad I remembered to come here," Fiona said as she settled onto a long sofa.
"You surprised me when you called earlier, saying you were coming. I thought it was just a plan. Turns out, you were already at the airport. What happened that brought you to Cagayan de Oro?"
"I had a bit of a problem," Fiona replied listlessly.
"Tito Teddy mentioned you were getting married. Did that happen?"
"Yes," she answered.
"Why didn't you invite me?"
"It was sudden."
"When?"
"Just earlier."
"What?" Liz nearly fell off her seat. "Why did you come here alone? Where's your husband?"
"I ran away from him, Liz."
"Ha?" Her cousin was even more surprised. Liz was the daughter of Fiona's father's cousin and had been assigned to Cagayan de Oro for work at the DENR. "You just got married, and you ran away from your husband?"
"It's a long story, Liz."
"Just tell me a bit. I want to know what made you think it was okay to leave your husband on your first day of marriage."
Fiona let out a deep sigh.
Why was she even here now? Was she making the right decision?
---
"What you did isn't right, Fiona," Liz commented after Fiona shared her story. They sat across from each other at the coffee table on the balcony.
"I'm angry at him, Liz. My dreams should have been fulfilled if he hadn't interfered," Fiona said, recalling Hendrick.
"In the first place, you shouldn't have married him if your only motive was revenge."
"The truth is, I never planned to marry him. It just... it just happened. He wouldn't let me go. He proposed to me to make up for the chaos he caused and the embarrassment he put me through. So, I thought I'd ask for conditions in exchange for marrying him. I never expected he would actually be able to fulfill them. So, I couldn't back out."
"What you did hurt him even more. You married him, and then you left him."
"Part of my revenge, Liz."
"You know, cousin, your reasons for marrying a man are always wrong. With Julian Zaavedra, it was because he would take you to fulfill your dreams. And with Hendrick Moreno, it was about getting back at him. Don't you think all of this stems from your bitterness over your mother leaving you?"
Fiona fell silent. Liz's words struck a sensitive part of her.
"Don't go through with your plan," her cousin advised. "Go back to your husband before he finds out you've left him."
"No, Liz. I've made my decision. I've planned everything. I'm also leaving for Paris."
"Forget what your mother did to you. Don't let your resentment toward her affect your life."
"My plans won't change. I've already sold the diamond ring Hendrick gave me. That's what I'll use to get to Paris."
"What if your husband finds you?"
"He won't be able to find me. When I boarded the plane to come here, I used a different name. So he won't be able to check the manifest to see where I went."
"I'm worried about what you're doing, Fiona. Think carefully before you proceed with your plans. It will only complicate your life."
---
But nothing would change Fiona's decision. She was determined to go to Paris. She would use the two hundred thousand pesos she got from selling the diamond ring Hendrick had given her.
With the help of the Internet at Liz's office, Fiona gathered the information she needed for her trip to Paris. She also secured a tourist visa.
Afterward, she sought out her mother's relatives in Tagbilaran City. With the help of an old address book, she traced the location of her mother's aunt.
"Your mother would love to see you, Fiona," the woman named Amaida Hernandez said.
She would? Why hadn't she visited the Philippines? Why hadn't we received any letters from her? Fiona wanted to ask.
"I just want to get her address in Paris."
"Why don't you call her and tell her you're going there? She would surely be happy."
Happy? She probably wasn't even interested in knowing if we were alive.
"I don't think that's necessary."
"But it would be better so she can greet you."
"I just want to surprise her."
Fiona didn't stay long at her mother's aunt's house after getting the address. She quickly returned to Cagayan de Oro.
---
Currently, Fiona was eating at a fast-food outlet near the airport in Cagayan de Oro when she noticed two men looking for someone.
Her attention was caught because they were holding a picture. She felt a rush of anxiety, especially when she heard one of them speak.
"She's morena, somewhat tall. Slim build. And we believe she's in Cagayan de Oro. There's a reward of fifty thousand for information leading to her whereabouts."
Fiona's gut twisted. Oh my God! They must be looking for me. But how did they know I was here? And why was there a reward for anyone who could lead them to me? Hendrick couldn't be wealthy enough to hire someone to find me and offer a reward.
Fiona's mind raced. She quickly finished her meal and headed into the ladies' room, locking herself in for several minutes.
Once she was sure the men were gone, she hurriedly left the place.
---
"You shouldn't have done that, Fiona," Liz said after Fiona recounted what had happened. "Don't go through with your plan."
"I don't know. But I have a strong feeling they're looking for me, Liz."
"It's really difficult to be on the run, Fiona. You should go back to your husband."
Fiona remained silent. The truth was, she was torn between fear and guilt over what she had done to Hendrick. She knew her decision was unfair to him.
It would have been better if she hadn't married him at all.
"But I've long dreamed of going to Paris and meeting Lili. I've taken care of everything, Liz. I'm leaving two weeks from now."
---
The day of Fiona's departure for France arrived. She returned to Manila to catch an international flight to Paris.
However, there was a three-hour gap between her flight from Cagayan de Oro City and the international flight that would take her to her mother's location. So she had to wait at the airport for a few hours.
She thought about dropping a letter for her father. After that, she called her friend Vikki.
"I'm leaving."
"You're leaving? I thought... your dad mentioned you were getting married to someone else. What happened?" Vikki asked, confused from the other end.
She was in a telephone booth.
"I don't know, Vikki. So much has happened in the last six weeks. Things that I don't even know were right. I suddenly married a Hendrick Moreno. I'm not sure about my feelings for him. All I know is that I'm angry because he blocked my dreams. Plus, he put me in a humiliating situation. Julian and his family rejected me because of that Hendrick's audacity."
"What's the name of the man you married, Fiona?"
"Hendrick Moreno. Why? Do you know him?"
"The name rings a bell. I think I know him—wait! Let me check with Alejandre."
Vikki talked to her husband, who was sitting next to her. Fiona waited, curious to find out if the couple knew Hendrick.
"Fiona, is it really Hendrick Moreno you married?" Vikki asked for confirmation.
"Yes. Why? Do you know him?"
"We know a certain Mr. Hendrick Moreno here. He's a villa owner in Villa Royale."
"What?" Fiona reacted in disbelief. "That's impossible! He's a taxi driver, Vikki. It must be someone else with the same name."
"Maybe so. But you must be very lucky if Hendrick Moreno is your husband."
"Why? Who is the Hendrick Moreno you know?"
"He's a millionaire's son. The only son of Don Rufus Moreno, the shipping and tobacco magnate. Besides that, they're also in the land transport business. In fact, Don Rufus is ranked among the top ten highest taxpayers. This means he's one of the wealthiest men in the country."
Fiona felt her throat tighten at what she heard.
But it's impossible! If the Hendrick she married was the same Hendrick Moreno Vikki was referring to, why hadn't he told her the truth?
"Where did you meet the Hendrick Moreno you married?" her friend asked.
"In front of Isabelle Hotel."
"Is he handsome?" Vikki asked curiously.
"Yeah. If we're talking about looks, on a scale of one to ten, he's a perfect ten."
"Really? So why did you leave him?"
"I have unresolved issues with my life, Vikki. You know that. I could fall in love with him, even though he seems like an ordinary guy. But he probably came into my life at the wrong time."
"Do you think you can just leave him that easily? You're his wife."
"He has wronged me, so he should suffer. Bitter is the fruit of forced intentions."
Fiona wanted to share everything that had happened to her life with Vikki, but she couldn't because there were many people waiting behind her. After saying goodbye to her friend, Fiona returned to the departure area to wait for her flight.
Finally... I will see you, Lili.
She bit her lip as she remembered a certain incident from her childhood. She had just come home from school. She was in first grade. Her father had been drinking for days. When she entered the house... it was dark. When she turned on the light, she found her father foaming at the mouth.
It was a nightmare she wished to forget. Thankfully, her father's life was saved. But in her young mind, she understood why her father thought to do that.
Tito Ansel, Liz's father, had said that her father could not accept the news that her mother had married a Frenchman. For sure, he would be surprised to see me... A bitter smile crossed Fiona's lips.
It was incredibly hard growing up without a mother. That was the most painful part of her life and the biggest void in her identity.
She was starting to doze off when she felt a heavy hand land on her shoulder.
"Going to Paris, huh?"
Fiona was startled. Her gaze fell on the expensive leather shoes in front of her, and a wave of intense anxiety washed over her.
When she looked up, she felt as if she had swallowed her tongue in shock.
"Don't you plan to take me with you to Paris, my beloved wife?" Hendrick's voice dripped with sarcasm, especially on the last word he emphasized.
Fiona felt her heart race, blood running cold in her veins, as she recognized the man in a black business suit standing right in front of her.
He wore small eyeglasses; he was handsome and dignified in his appearance.
Was this really Hendrick?
Her blood ran even colder as Hendrick sat down next to her.
"You really thought I couldn't find you, huh?"
"H-Hendrick?" Her voice barely came out, still shocked. How did he know she was there and about to leave for Paris?
"I wonder if I should spank you for trying to escape me like this. Well, if you had only known me better, I doubt you would dare to do this to me." Hendrick's tone was calm, but his clenched jaw showed his anger.
Fiona felt weak, like a candle burning out, unable to move.
"You're making a mistake, Fiona Guevarra. Oh, if you think you can escape me so easily, think again, Mrs. Fiona Guevarra Moreno." Hendrick's voice was thick with contempt. "And you're going to face the consequences of what you did."
"H-Hendrick... I-I'll return the money I made from selling the diamond ring, as well as the other expensive jewelry you gave me. Please forgive me..."
Hendrick's mocking laughter only added to Fiona's anxiety.
"Money? Diamonds? Is there nothing more important to you than material things?" he said softly, almost swallowing her whole. His eyes burned with anger. "But it's too bad because I don't want money or a diamond ring, Fiona. I want you!"
"Hendrick... I- I'm sorry. But I can explain—"
"Explain what? Explain why you cheated me?" Hendrick looked around the area, then firmly grasped her arm and pulled her up.
"H-Hendrick, you're hurting me. W-where are you taking me?" Fiona protested, but she knew it wasn't her mind issuing the commands; it was Hendrick's power that was pulling her along.
"Where else do you think? You're my wife. And therefore, you belong to me."
"My things... wait!"
"Bino will take care of them."
A familiar man quickly grabbed her suitcases. He seemed to know exactly what to do with just one look from Hendrick.
Fiona was half-puzzled, half-confused. Why did Hendrick seem so different now?
This was a version of Hendrick who spoke like he was the law. A Hendrick whose mere gaze could leave her breathless and compliant. A ruthless, arrogant, and very powerful Hendrick Moreno.
Was this really the man she had married just a few weeks ago?