TWENTY SEVEN
“L-Ley, what are you doing here?” I asked Ashley who was sitting on the sofa with her hand outstretched with a wide smile.
“Surprised!” she shouted then stood up and hugged me.
“Stop it, Ley, I asked you, what the hell are you doing here?”
“Tss! stop calling me Ley, I’m not Hailey. But it’s okay also since she passed me her crown as a Queen of all bitches.” She smiled at me then went back to sitting on the sofa. “Don’t you miss me, brother?”
Ashley is my younger sister. She’s one of the brats who also frequent the bar that Hailey hangs out, based on my informant who investigated Hailey. As far as I know, they knew each other and sometimes they hang out together when Ashley comes home to the Philippines.
“Why are you here and what did you do to Kyla?” I’m not mad at her, I just want to know what happened to Ky. For sure she did something before so Kyla shouted.
“Wow! I didn’t do anything to her huh! I just pinched her lips. I said I would surprise you and then I caught her talking to you.” I looked at Kyla who was holding her bloody lip. I first closed my eyes to calm myself and looked back to Ashley.
“Ashley!” annoyed I said but remained calm. “Kyla’s lip crack and then you said, it’s nothing?”
“So, it is my fault that her lip is fake and she makes it thinner than usual? Well, I guess all of hers is fake even her attitude. Besides, I don’t like her. She knows you’re married, but she can curl up with you like a snake,” she said without restraint in front of Kyla. I was just holding back my annoyance with her, after all, she is still my sister.
“Stop that nonsense shit Ashley,” I scolded her.
“Why, are you affected Ky?” she asked Kyla instead of me.
“I Just want to remind you Ashley that Kyla is the victim here, She was the one who got stolen by Hailey,” I said then approached Kyla. “We’re the couple. We’re supposed to get married, aren’t we? So can you please not mess her up.” I just reminded her that Kyla should be her sister-in-law.
“If she’s not the one I’m mess up, then who isn’t, You? Well, it also depends if you want to.”Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.
“Ashley, you’re overdoing it!”
“Wow, you know how to argue and get mad at me to defend your woman. Level up brother huh! All right, I like that. Let’s test how good you are at defending your mistress,” she said then stood up. “I don’t care if you became lovers, because Hailey is still your wife. Wife! Not mistress, not a live-in partner. Wife on paper, in the eyes of everyone, in the eyes of God.” She covered her mouth and then looked at Kyla.
“Ow, sorry, you don’t have a God, I think. By the way, why are you forcing yourself on my brother? What’s the reason you’re chasing Hunter? Because of his dick? Do you have a lot of American guys in the US and other races that you do one-night stands? And your partner —” She looked at me first and raised an eyebrow before looking at Kyla again.
“Never mind, don’t tell me there’s nothing bigger than my brother’s snake, or maybe you just really want to stand up for being a snake.” Unable to answer Kyla remained to stare at Ashley not knowing what to say.
I couldn’t hold back anymore because she seemed to be overreacting. I held Ashley’s hand to stop.
“Stop it. Don’t insult us face to face.” But she didn’t seem to be affected and she didn’t care because she just held back her hand.
“Wow! And haven’t you been insulted by what you’re doing? You know, Kyla. You’re not really a bitch. Because the real bitches were like me and Hailey when she wasn’t married to Hunter. We are the real bitches slash liberated—– Well, it’s just me because Ley is clean and still pure. Anyway, do you know what should call you? Hoe, Harlot, Whore, for easy understanding, you are a dirty slut. ”
“I said stop.” I was about to slap Ash but I couldn’t continue either. She just smiled as if she knew I couldn’t do that. She touched my cheek and tapped me lightly.
“You can’t, I’m still your sister and you do everything to protect me. Whether I am kind or shameless, I am still your weakness. I will still be with you when the day comes that our parents leave us.” Then she looked at Kyla.
“Bet it Ky. When I told Hunter to throw you away he would throw you away like a rag. But I won’t do that because I know he’s still crazy about you. I will let him, himself wake up to his stupidity. So, I have a reason to laugh at him.” Ashley let out an annoying laugh. I just avoided looking at Kyla when I saw her staring at me.
Ashley walked to one of the rooms but immediately stopped opposite my room. “This is your room. So I am here?” At the same time, she pointed to Ley’s room.
“Why don’t you go home to Bulacan?” I ask.
“Hmph! I really don’t want to. It’s more fun here in your house. Isn’t it Kyla, it’s fun here? That’s why you feel like you’re in a hotel here. You feel like the queen, fake queen.” Then she entered Ley’s room.
“Hunter, I can’t deal with your sister, she hurt me. I think I need to go home.” Kyla said tearfully as she sniffed.
She’s right, they can’t be together under one roof. But I also won’t let her go. I love Kyla and she can’t just leave just because my sister is here who doesn’t want her.
“Wait here and I’ll talk to her,” I said to Kyla and kissed her forehead which she just nodded. I followed Ashley inside to talk.
“Why did you come home to the Philippines?” I opened up to Ashley when I entered Ley’s room, she didn’t answer and just smiled at me. “Talk to me, Ash.” But she just changed the topic.
“Well organized and everything is in order,” she commented around Ley’s room then looked at me. “Did Ley fix it?”
“Ash, why are you here?” I tried to remain calm. “What’s the reason why you came home?” She sat on Ley’s bed. Take the perfume near there then spray it. The smell wafted throughout the room. I feel Ley’s presence because of what she did. This is exactly how she smells when she takes a new bath.
“Secret, but to give a clue. I am working with someone.” I frowned at what she said.
“Who?” I ask.
“I don’t want to say and you might just get hurt. Mom, knows I’m here.” Then she lay down on Ley’s bed. “How’s dad anyway?”
“Your working with who, and why would I be hurt?”
“You’ll find out soon,”
“Ashley!”
“You annoyed me a lot, Hunter.”
I want her to tell me what going on with her, but I know I can’t get anything on her. I know Ashley more than anyone. I can’t win over her.
So I chose to just leave her. Knowing her? Fuck my ass if she speaks.
—
“So you and Ley is annulled, babe?” Kyla asked excitedly. I hold the paper that the court sent me. Now I just noticed everything written as well as Ley’s reasons why she filed the annulment.
She said she could no longer fulfill her role as a wife. She said she had lost her love for me. It also states that she is no longer happy because she knows she is hurting me. She also said it was her fault why our baby fell.
All of Ley’s reasons are in my favor. But also attached are the records provided by Atty. Cruz proved that I hurt her but was also not used in court. Because Atty. Cruz did it the way.
I leaned against the headboard of the bed. I cannot understand myself. I don’t know if I’ll be happy or conscientious at all.
I knew in myself that Ley had not been a bad wife. She did everything for us and for me. If there’s anything wrong with our relationship, It’s me and not her.
But will she blame me for what I did?
She knows I don’t love her.
But why do I feel guilt, above all why do I regret it?
“Hey! Can you hear me? You don’t seem happy.” Then I just remembered that Kyla was with me.
“I’m sorry, I’m tired from the trip. I’m even more stressed because Ashley is here. Anyway, this is a copy of the annulment, and yeah we’re annulled but we still need to show it to the solicitor general. Solgen will further study whether to pass the finality or not if Ley’s reason is enough to annul our marriage. When approved, it will be finalized by Solgen. It will be forwarded to the National Statistics Office for attachment to the record. But if Solgen does not approve, we will need to file a motion for reconsideration again. But this is final the decision. We are canceled, we just need to be attached to the NSO so that when we get the record it will be included.”
“Does that mean you have been annulled in court but not yet in the NSO record? ” I nodded in response.
“It’s still valid. But I’m still married in the NSO. That means, I still can’t get married again because there’s no finality attached to it. When I get a Cenomar, I’m still married.” She looked disappointed. Then she sat down next to me.
“I wish Ley had just died.”
“When Ley dies while the annulment is not yet final. Years will be counted before I remarry.”
“What?” she asked in shock. “Why?”
“That’s the law to make sure there was no foul. In other words, to make sure I had nothing to do with her death.”
“Tss!” she said angrily. “Baby, I missed you. Did you miss me?” Kyla caressed me and lay on my chest while hugging me.
“I am, every day,” I said and kissed her torridly.