Office Diaries - Chapter 140

“Have you forgotten how he did you at the restroom? He said you enjoyed it,” the nasty girl egged and Jena’s sister hit the table and stood up in anger.

“Okay, that’s enough,” she said as she grabbed Jena’s hand and pulled her up.

“Miss, your order’s here,” the waiter said and Jena’s sister took a huge bill out of her bag and handed it to the man.

“Good,” the furious sister said as she took the glass of lemonade and threw the contents at the malicious bitches who screeched in shock. “Let’s go,” she said as she grabbed Jena’s hand and pulled her out of the café and back to their waiting car.

“Big Sis…” Jena spoke for the first time and her sister quickly turned to her.

Jena’s eyes were filled with tears, her body shaking as her hands covered her mouth.

“Jena…” her sister called out and she broke down.

“Big Sis, it’s not Alvin. It’s not him. I’m so dirty… Dirty!” she cried, and her sister’s heart broke into many pieces for her.

For a while, they remained in the parked car with the older woman holding the younger one to calm her down. She was totally torn. Jena wept in sorrow for she the truth she wanted to find was not the one she wanted.

At least, it’s what she thought.

Her sister, of course, knew the truth. But she also knew that it was not her place to say otherwise. She sighed as she secretly sent a message to her sister’s mother-in-law. She had to inform her of what happened. Her brother-in-law, although she understood why he still hadn’t informed her sister of what happened since coming out with a secret this huge was a scary thing, she really needed him to confess. Jena was pregnant. It would be bad for both mother and child if she continued to be tormented like this.

A few more minutes and it looked like Jena had no chance of stopping. It was not good. Her sister decided then to drive her home, hoping that tonight, Alvin would man up and tell the truth for everyone’s sake.

In an office in the heart of Taipei, Alvin paced restlessly in front of his desk. He didn’t know why but he really felt very uneasy. When his personal phone rang, his heart skipped a beat and he didn’t waste time to pick it up.

“Yes?”

“Alvin So, you get home this instant and fix your mess!” his mother screeched over the phone and he feared he’d lost his hearing for good.

It was a good thing his father took the telephone from his mother and explained things to him.

“Son, it seems Jena went to the club where you first met and found out about Sam’s father.”

“WHAT?” Alvin felt like being sick.

He knew it! He knew there was something wrong. Feeling weak, he sat down on his swivel chair as he raked his hair with his hand.

“Oh my God, she found out I’m Sammy’s father…”

“No,” his father answered which made him stop.

“What do you mean no?” he asked and his father sighed.

“She found out that you are not Sam’s father.”

“Ha?” How did that happen? “That’s bullshit.”

“I know son, I know. That’s why you should go home now and comfort your wife. Her sister said she’d been crying since they came home and refuses to eat. That’s not good for the baby,” the old man said and Alvin agreed and ended the call.

Jena…

Now his wife was suffering because of his secret. Worse was that Jena seemed to get the wrong version of the truth. Whoever said those lies, he would find them and show them how wrong they were to mess up with his family. For now— for now he’d go home and comfort his wife, and he prayed that she would forgive him when he told her the truth.

Pressing the intercom to his new secretary, Alvin’s decision was made.

“Please cancel all my appointments for the day until next week. I have an emergency.”

======

The clock ticked on the far side of the room, the only sound in the darkened chamber aside from her occasional sniffing. She had already exhausted herself crying most of the day. She knew she should pull herself together since her husband and son would be home soon but she just couldn’t.

For eight years, she had already resigned to the fact that Sam’s father was a stranger— someone who had violated her after falling under the effects of the drugs mixed in her drink. She knew that it was futile to wallow in her past and drown in her grief. She had Sam, after all, in spite of what might have happened or who might have done the deed.

But meeting Alvin gave her hope— an illusion that maybe— maybe it was her husband who had seen her that night. It was her husband who had taken her and it resulted in Sam. Since meeting him, these thoughts and wishes had filled her heart and mind that she badly wanted this to be the truth.

And for a while, she was almost absolutely, positively sure that it was the truth…

If that was the case, Jena was even willing to forgive him. But it wasn’t. The idea that Alvin was Sam’s father was just her delusion— the product of her subconscious mind which up until now couldn’t accept what happened to her. Even if she told herself that she was already over it, the truth was that she had never really moved on from that night. She shouldn’t have thought about it from the beginning. She shouldn’t have— but she did and it was hurting her heart so much and she cried once more.

Alvin found his wife crying on the bed. The sight of Jena lying on her side on a fetal position as she sobbed broke his heart and he blamed himself. He was the reason why she looked so pitiful, so upset. If anything happened to the baby his wife’s carrying it would be his fault.

“Jena?” he called out and he heard his wife’s sharp intake of breath.

She mustn’t have been expecting him to be home early. Alvin’s parents had long since picked Sammy up from school and their son would be staying with them until tomorrow. He was given ample time to fix things with his wife and he’d do it now, regardless of how afraid he was.

“Jena,” he called out softly again as he crossed the room and sat on the bed.

He didn’t wait for her to answer. He reached out a hand and touched his wife’s shoulder but she seemed to become more upset of his touch and she sobbed harder.

“I l-lied to y-you…” Jena cried and Alvin frowned.

She lied to him? How? Wasn’t it the other way around?

Before he was able to answer however, Jena continued to talk in between hiccups and broken sobs.

“I-I t-told you Sammy’s dad’s g-gone— dead! But he’s not. H-he is alive. I-lied…” she cried and Alvin couldn’t take it anymore.

“Eight y-years ago, I-I w-went to a c-club. M-my c-classmates drugged my d-drink and, and the n-next thing I knew I-I was already in b-bed with someone I didn’t even dare look at. I didn’t know who Sam’s f-father is. B-but now I do. I do and I f-feel dirty…”

“No! Stop saying that,” Alvin begged as he held her closer. “Don’t say that.”

His mind raced as he thought on how to tell her right at that moment. He was in a panic.

“But I c-can’t!” Jena continued to wail. “I was h-hoping it was you. I wished Sammy’s father was you. You look so m-much alike. Y-You were so g-good to him— t-to us! I p-prayed he was you…”

Oh God…

Alvin couldn’t understand but he felt relief washing over him. Jena continued to cry and so he leaned over to kiss her to stop her from saying more. His wife welcomed his lips in spite of her tears, and soon Jena had her arms wrapped around his neck, returning his kisses as if she too had thirsted for them.

The deep kiss ended when Alvin lifted his face and planted a kiss on his wife’s temple. “Jena, my love” he whispered against her hair as he tightened his arms around her. “Jena, I want to tell you about my first love,” he said and he felt his wife stiffen in his arms.

“No! I don’t want to hear it. If it’s about another person in your life, I don’t want to hear it,” she sobbed as she tried to push her husband away but Alvin wouldn’t let her.

“Love, it’s not like that. It’s not what you think. Please listen to me,” he begged and Jena stopped struggling and nodded although she still looked unwilling.

“Fine…”