Office Diaries - Chapter 142

“I don’t care!” Jena announced as she cupped her husband’s face.

There was a moment in her life that she was so down— down enough to consider taking her life. She had also been filled with hatred for a while— anger towards the friends she thought she had, anger towards the man who had taken her body, and most of all, anger towards herself.

She had thought that she had to do what other people did in order to belong. It was why she ended up in bad company. If she weren’t so stupid and naïve she wouldn’t have ended up being a victim that night.

But Sam changed all of that. Being able to have him was worth all the darkness she had to go through.

And in the end, Alvin was the father of her son all along. She didn’t care about the past anymore.

“I don’t care about anything else right now. As long as it’s you. As long as it’s you… I love you,” she sobbed as she and Alvin cried and smiled together as they held onto each other.

Now that all secrets were out in the open, they were absolutely, positively sure that everything would be alright.

Months passed, and the lives in their little apartment were peaceful. They passed by each day in bliss and contentment.

“Is this okay?” Alvin asked as he massaged his wife’s back.

At eight months pregnant, Jena was as huge as a house and felt like one too, so most times she’d spend it sitting in the living room with her feet propped up the table, watching her husband and son play on weekends. Usually, they spent their weekends at either Alvin’s parents or Jena’s parents’ houses. But since she entered her third trimester, both parties forbade her to go around like a fragile little thing and she had to listen to them nag her to be careful all the time.

Thus, the pregnant women quickly fell into her role of queen in their home— or a general. Since nobody would let her do anything, she had to order them, most especially her husband like a drill sergeant when she wanted something done.

“No, massage lower,” Jena replied with a pout and Alvin happily complied.

“This?” he asked as he pressed on her lower back making her groan.

“Ah yes,” she crowed in pŀėȧsurė and Alvin smiled stupidly in happiness.

These days, there was nothing else that could make him giddy than when he’s spoiling his wife and son.

“Ah, my foot feels itchy,” Jena complained and Alvin quickly walked around the chair to scratch his wife’s foot making her giggle, tickled by his touch.

Ah, this was life…

“Daddy, daddy, help me with my homework,” Sammy called out as he carried his book and placed it on top of the table.

“Wait a minute sport,” Alvin said as he brushed his son’s hair and then turned his attention back to his wife. “Do you want me to get you something?” he asked, his eyes turning warm brown as he looked at her bulging stomach.

These days, he couldn’t get enough of watching her. He had missed out a lot when she carried Sammy. This time he was with her every step of the way and there was nothing more humbling than tearing up as he felt the movement of his new child in her wȯmb with his hand.

“I want some orange juice with lots of ice,” she answered immediately and her husband grinned.

Lately she had been complaining a lot about the temperature and always asked for cold drinks, particularly orange juice.

“Okay,” Alvin answered as he leaned over and gave his wife a peck on the lips.

“Come sport, let’s go get mom some drinks,” Alvin called to their son who scratched the side of his head, another habit he got from his parent whenever he didn’t want to do something, making Jena laugh.

“Do I have to go daddy?” the little boy asked and Alvin grinned.

“Of course! We’re the men of this house. You and I should stick together, you know,” Alvin told his Minnie Me who bobbed his head and stood up next to his father.

According to the ultrasound she had months ago, they were expecting a daughter and so Jena laughed at her husband’s words again.

“Stick together!” Sammy squealed as his dad picked him up and placed him on his shoulders.

“To the kitchen!”

Alvin yelled as he pointed at the direction of the kitchen and Sammy mimicked his words as he raised his small hands up in the air as well. The dad marched to do his mother’s bidding with him giving out directions like a little sergeant.

Watching them, Jena couldn’t help but smile, her eyes shining with love. The past might have been tumultuous and dark but it gave her this wonderful child and that child’s father in the end. For her, there was no room for hatred. She was relieved and happy that everything turned out fine in the end. Now, she was absolutely, positively sure that regardless of problems ahead, they’d be able to face them.

“Ah mama, there’s no more orange juice!” she heard her husband yell from the kitchen and Jena pouted.

Uh-oh… That sounded like a problem.

“I want orange juice,” she complained as she lifted herself up from the sofa and marched to join her husband and child in the kitchen.

========

“That’s it…”

Jena ended her story with a soft smile, making Yanee mirror her serenity. It felt good. What could have been tragic story had ended beautifully and satisfactorily that she couldn’t ask for more.

‘It’s a very beautiful story,” Yanee commented, the smile still plastered on her face.

“You were not a bit disappointed?” Jena prompted curiously and Yanee shook her head.

“Why would I be disappointed?” she asked and Jena studied her face for a while before she answered.

“I asked because most people who heard my story were,” Jena answered with a shrug.

This made Yanee curious.

“Why?” she asked again and Jena sighed and gave out another shrug.

“Because it didn’t go the way they expected it would— at least by their standards,” Jena answered and when Yanee frowned, she explained. “Just think about it, why did you think that night happen to me? It was a TV-drama type kind of setup, right?”

Yanee thought about it for a while but then shook her head. She couldn’t see anything wrong.

“You went with those people because you thought they were your friends. What’s so wrong about that? It’s not like you asked to be drugged by them,” she said, and Jena smiled.

“But some people said that it’s my fault for choosing to be with those people when they were a bit wild,” Jena said. “They were known as the ‘it’ people back in the day. I was a quiet, mousy girl from the countryside. Even if I didn’t have other people I know in the city, I should have known better.”

Yanee still shook her head. “That’s not true. Regardless of where you’re from, those people still had no right to do bad things to you. Also, it’s not really your fault. Humans are social animals. Even if we say otherwise, there’s always a part deep within our hearts that longed for companionship— of wanting to belong. It was just unfortunate that those people broke your trust and did that to you.”

Yanee’s nose flared remembering those people who drugged Jena and lied about her child’s paternity when they saw her again.

“Ah I hope those idiots would get their just desserts. They’re so mean. If Alvin was not there that night…”Yanee couldn’t finish her words. Just thinking about the circumstances otherwise was too horrifying.

Jena nodded and smiled. “That’s why, when people say I shouldn’t have forgiven Alvin for not telling me the truth, I didn’t agree. It’s not that I forgave too easily. It’s because the opposite was unthinkable. Alvin saved me and he didn’t really abandon me. Why should I prolong both our agony by refusing to accept his apology?”

Yanee nodded. It totally made sense.

Jena then grinned mischievously. “You were asking me what happened to those people who drugged me earlier. The answer is Alvin and Tohru are cousins. They are totally similar in temperament. What do you think happened to those people?”

Ah…

Yanee felt she didn’t really need to ask. The potato might look mild-mannered and he’s totally gentle towards her now, but she knew his reputation as a no-nonsense cold editor before.

With an evil side…

“They are all in jail for something. Alvin had them followed. It was revealed that I was not their only victim. They loved taking people to clubs drugging them and having some people rȧpė the victims on film for blackmail material. Alvin made sure they got charged with everything including kidnapping.”

Yanee grimaced at Jena’s words. But one thing was for sure. “I do hope they rot in jail.”

Jena shook her head. “Death penalty,” she answered and Yanee remembered.

Taiwan imposed the capital punishment to rȧpė, murder, kidnapping and the likes. Those rich people who played with others like toys and looked at life in disdain habitually were beyond redemption.

“Good. They deserved it.”