Chapter 41: The New Judas Iscariote

"Good morning Pareng Marco," Mike said.

"Where are they...Where's Ayah?"

"Don't worry she's with Edward and Vivian...and Lina too. They left together last night."

"Why she's not telling me?"

"You drink too much, that's why my friend. They will go shopping today."

"She's okay or still angry with me?"

"I don't know but she smiled when he saw you sleeping like a log."

"I see...okay...get dressed, we will take rounds with the fast-food stores today."

"Okay, Sir!"

"And why you're calling me Sir today?"

"Because... I played basketball yesterday night."

"You...cannot live without that basketball?"

"Marco...you like to eat breakfast?"

"No just strong coffee."

"Okay sir, your shower is ready."

I smiled and entered the bathroom with a feeling that Ayah will reconcile with me. We went first to the Al Riqqa branch; checked the store interior, staff, stock items, equipment, and the logbook. Mike and I continued our work to all stores' businesses that need uplifting of its operations.

"Mike let's go to Edward's place."

"Okay, Marco."

Edward and his family were not there when we arrived; we went to the nearest shopping mall to eat our lunch and observing the flow of customers from other business establishments. Dubai's heading to its highest level of development compared to some international standards. Foreigners were making Dubai's shopping hub; their presence was multiplying in every shopping mall we visited. At last, we came across Danielle, she's alone inside the famous coffee shop. I approached her at the table while Mike was watching us.

"Hello Danielle, you're alone?" I said smiling.

"Come, have a seat, Marco."

"Why?"

"I'm going to tell you something."

"What about?"

"We talked and I told her about you....and our relationship."

"Talked to whom?"

"Ayah of course!"

"When?"

"Just now...she left..."

"What you did to her?"

"She was hurt by the truth....about us!"

"You bitch!"

"By the way, you're invited to our wedding."

"You foolish devil!"

"You bastard....ha-ha-ha-ha-ha...."

I dialed Ayah's mobile phone number but she's not answering and dialed Edward's number, "Hello Edward."

"Marco, where are you?"

"Why Edward, what happened?"

"Ayah's leaving...going to the Philippines with Lina."

"What happened in the mall? She talked with Danielle?"

"They met accidentally in the mall and Danielle invited her to talk....I think Danielle said something about you..."

"Where are they now?"

"Just ten minutes ago."

"Okay Edward, thanks, I'll go after them."

Mike and I went hurriedly to the airport to possibly stop them from their flight but in vain. I decided to stay inside my flat thinking of solutions to my situation. I opened the TV and sat down watching the show when Mike came into my room, "Marco you're going to the Philippines?"

"Just what I'm thinking now, why?"

"I received the report about our selected staff, they needed your instruction."

"Okay, schedule a meeting tomorrow."

"Okay, Marco I'll do it."

XXX

The next morning I went directly to the Al Riqqa store where our meeting was scheduled. I studied the business folders that were given to me for the agenda of the meeting. The opening of the new fast food stores in Riyadh was slightly different from the Dubai environment. I considered some government restrictions for this purpose, but it showed the possible success with this endeavor.

I listed at least ten important persons that could put forward the business and needs my immediate actions. I had to form earlier the leadership of this business, to strengthen my foundation and development.

Ryan Mallari, Joel Arevalo, and Arnold Castillano were the staff that I selected to manage the business in Riyadh city. I was quite vague with my selection at this point, but I would rather invest trust in them than any applicants which I didn't know their true colors. Assigning my relatives was another option that I was angling upon in the future. But they need thorough training first before giving them vital responsibility in my business.

I received a call from Roger which shifted my focus to my personal worries.

"Hello Marco, this is Roger Ferrer."

"Yes Roger, what can I do for you?"

"As what I promised to you, I know where your children."

"Good Roger, where are they?"

"They are in Imus, Cavite...in Villa Verde Subdivision and studying in Manila but guarded."

"Roger, thank you for the info....your wedding with Danielle..."

"What about it?"

"I'm invited?"

"Yes, of course, four days from now."

"Okay, I'll try....in St. Mary's Church?"

"Yes, same place with Edward's wedding....the reception in Holiday Inn Hotel."

"Okay then, bye!"

I closed our conversation, spotted some staff was coming and asked Mike for a double-shot espresso coffee. The thing about Roger Ferrer was not on his relationship with Danielle, but because I wanted to explore his vulnerability to me. I could have done much damage to him if I want to keep my jealousy on hold. I fingered my mobile phone and dialed Roger's telephone number.

"Roger, by the way, could you come with me to the Philippines for this matter?"

"Marco, you know our wedding's fast approaching and I have to prepare for this occasion. Are you that serious?"

"Well, if you want to help me..."

"Marco, after the wedding, I can be with you."

"Okay then, thanks a lot!"

Mike asked me about the call and I lied to him. Given the chance to be with Mike was not the best option for the moment, but left him here in Dubai for other jobs. I told Mike to prepare my luggage for my travel going to the Philippines. My options were to talk to Ayah Isabel about our differences and to locate my children in Imus, Cavite.

"Marco, your luggage's ready, I'll drive you to the airport."

'Thank you Mike....take good care of the stores, and report to me at once if there's a problem, okay?"

"Yes, Marco."

I left Dubai with a feeling that I could get what I want to be settled and can give positive results for my children with Danielle. In the airplane, I was thinking of something different when it comes to Danielle's subject. It gave me the evilest things just for the sake of making her the she-devil.

It was midnight when I arrived in the Philippines, took a taxicab, and went to Intercontinental Hotel to checked-in. I did not go to our condominium unit but instead took a rest in the hotel. Walter the hotel's staff knew

me that he offered again the lady named Merry which I instantly accepted. I gave him the money, delivered Merry to my room, and left.

"How are you, Merry?"

"I'm fine Marc, glad that you come back."

"Yes, just to solve a problem....you know, part of the business..."

"I'll make you forget tonight...handsome...."

"Okay, tonight, you work for me, okay?"

"As you wish handsome..."

I ordered our food and drinks, went to the bathroom where Merry follow me and undressed me. I immersed myself into a half-full bathtub for a minute and rest for a while. I looked at Merry while she undressed herself while my mind still focusing on what strategy I had to apply with my children from Danielle and Ayah's forgiveness.

"Yes, Merry...yes...tomorrow can you come with me to Imus, Cavite? We rent a car going there."

"Sure, I'm glad for that Marc."

"You'll sleep with me tonight here."

We ate and chatted to each other like husband and wife. She knows the game of this trade which she even offered some extra job just for me. She's young, beautiful, and intelligent, but she needs money for her schooling that I understood her situation so well. We slept together where she held me tightly kissing my neck and lips throughout the night. My desire for her heightened that I immersed myself in the ecstasy that has been offered to me.

The next day, Merry and I had our breakfast together hoping that the future of putting our lives forward could never be a failure. She wished me luck for my endeavors, in the same way, I wished her the best of everything on her goals. Last night, we talked about my children with Danielle, that I needed to find them at Imus, Cavite. She wanted to help me with this one because of her sympathy for my situation.

I hired a car in a rent-a-car company nearby, bought some snack foods, and drove towards Villa Verde Subdivision in the Imus area. We located the place and asked about Governor Gustilo's residence. We were prompted to where the guard led us and observed the surrounding for any possible disturbances with our operation. I saw a servant near the gate that I instantly approached her and asked about the Governor. She answered that they were on vacation for a month now.

We tried our very best to stay for more hours to watch but the guard prompted us to leave the area. I drove past the guardhouse, got my ID, and thanked them.

Merry and I spent our time together roaming around; from Cavite up to Makati City. We enjoyed ourselves together the whole day and I dropped her in the commercial center.

"Merry, thank you so much for your time....hope we can see each other again..."

"You helped me...I want you and hoping to see each other in the future my handsome Marco...bye!"

I went home to Global City in Taguig where the guards helped me to get inside our condominium and slept on a sofa.

The servant woke me up the next day that I asked the whereabouts of Ayah Isabel and the children. They said nothing about them but instead prepared my personal belongings. I took a bath, dressed up, and went directly to the office. I met Bryan and my two brothers in a conference room. Each of them submitted their reports to discuss among ourselves about the business in the Philippines.

Alone in my office room, I cannot disregard my thoughts touching the life I was treading on at present. It's not the way I decided by my choices but the way I felt about what I can create history within myself. Really frustrating that what I wanted in life was actually showing up, the disintegration of my values, family problems, and the way I handled them. Am I making mistakes with the way I handled Danielle and my two children? And the way I treated Ayah with our five children?

I summoned Bryan Gonzales again to talk with my personal undertaking about Ayah and the children.

"Yes, Marc what can I do for you?" Bryan asked me after he seated in front of me.

"Honestly, I want to know the present situation with Ayah and the children. Can you tell me their overall undertaking from your point of view?"

"Really, I'm very much focused on the business, but also I expanded my mind for your family here in the Philippines. When Ayah arrived a week ago, I observed that she was agitated with something. I don't want to interfere with her personal concerns instead I've got her moving to put forward the businesses. The children were fine...they're schooling properly. Are you expecting something negative?"

"To tell you frankly, Ayah and I...I mean...we're not in the good term when she left Dubai, that's why..."

"Oh, I see...better to ask your brothers about it."

"Okay, Bryan thanks."

I called up my brothers through my mobile phone which they answered negatively about Ayah's whereabouts. I dialed her number, waiting for an answer but in vain. I got a bottle of whiskey inside my office fridge, drank it in half, and thought to call Anne instead of Ayah Isabel.

I was very anxious to hear her soft voice for the first time. I fingered my cell phone, looked at it closely for a few seconds, moved around the sofa, and walked slowly towards the office bar. I poured an aged wine while looking at the hole of the bottle, swirled the wine in the glass, and drank the refreshing liquid into my ever-quenching thirst. I slowly walked towards the windowpane, I thought about Anne...my beloved beautiful Anne..."Great! Hell!"I shouted with rage in my heart while simultaneously throwing the wine glass at the wall. I cried inside my office with nothing to hold on to except myself. I had what I wanted in life, but now I felt the harrowing experience of family disintegration. It's because of me...because of my ambitions!

I hurriedly drove home heading in Taguig to our condo units, hoping that I could talk to my children. The guards open the door for me; walk inside while looking for Ayah or the children, instead Eduardo my brother was there waiting for me.

"Brod...are you alright?" Eduardo asked me surprisingly.

"Yes...but first I want a bath...," as I hastily undressed in front of Eduardo and went straight to the bathroom. I opened the shower, the cool water neutralized my thoughts that I stayed for a long time. When I went outside, my brother was still there waiting for me, "God...you're still here Eduardo?"

"Marc, I want to clear some personal things with you. You know, as your eldest brother, I want to know what's bothering you...I mean with your life as a whole..."

"Don't worry brother; I can manage to solve these things on my own. It's such a hard thing to think that...life is not as what you think to be...that's all."

"Brother Marc, I know your Ayah and your children because I'm the one who takes good care of them when you're away. They're intelligent...diligent and very ambitious for their future. They've asked me to talk about transferring school...I mean the school outside the house for their social upbringing must be maintained. I think you knew how being schooled inside these premises...?"

"Brother Ed...I'll see what I can do tomorrow. I'll give you a call okay? Thanks for reminding me about this matter."

"One more thing, I observed that Ayah's been very agitated these past days, anything wrong my brother?"

"Yes, there's something bothering me....and Ayah too, but I want to talk to her personally. Where is she right now?"

"She's outside with the children to meet the university head. They're with the three security men. Don't worry I gave strict implementation with them with regards to your family."

"Brother thank you so much, I'll wait for them here."

I took my time inside our room where I slept without knowing it. I woke up but still, Ayah's not around, and the children too. I went outside the condominium, hailed a taxi cab, and went to a shopping mall near Global City. I consumed two-shot of espresso in a coffee shop, rent a car, and drove to Villa Verde Subdivision in Imus, Cavite at the Governor's house. I asked the guard about the Governor and the children, but still the same answer I've got. I went outside the subdivision and drove back to SM Shopping Mall in Makati. I sat down in one of the coffee shops when I saw Ayah and the children walking past the shop. I hastily paid my bill and followed them.

They went inside the pizza restaurant where I still followed them. When they sat down, I appeared in front of them. The children kissed and greeted me while Ayah did not mind us. I sat beside her.

"How are you, my love?" I whispered to her but she didn't answer me. "Anne, Kent, what do you like today?"

"Daddy I like Hawaiian pizza...but we'll be having three pizzas for all of us and two pitchers of cola drink."

"Yes, that's fine call the waiter..."

XXX