Naomi is now on the way to the airport; she quickly searched Lorenzia’s social media account and found the details of her psychology clinic. She dialed the office’s number and begged the receptionist to hand over the telephone to her ex - friend. Lorenzia’s eyebrows furrowed as her assistant kept forcing her to attend to the phone. “Is that the complaining patient again?” she asked. Her assistant shook its head and answered, “No doc, the person on the other line introduced herself as Doc JL’s girlfriend”.
Lorenzia’s eyes widened and hurriedly went outside to accept the call. “Hello? Is this a scam?” she frankly asked. Naomi sighed on the other line, “Lorenzia, listen to me. This is Naomi and I am bound to go back there right now” she answered. Lorenzia scoffed and replied, “Are you a con artist? How can a Naomi Nievez who is currently a bride right now come back here for some reasons?”.
“I will tell you when I get there. I am bound to the airport now” she said while breathing fast. Naomi dropped the call and it left Lorenzia speechless. She opened her social media account to see the latest news posted. The headlines stated, “New Empire International and Borderless’ Media’s tying of connections interrupted because of a Runaway Bride Case”.
Lorenzia leaned to the information desk and took a screen cap of the news headline. She quickly dialed JL’s phone but no one answers. She received a friend request from Naomi; she wants to decline it but something pushed her to accept it. She feels that there is something going on between her cousin and her ex best friend. For Naomi to leave Luke, she thinks of one thing – that Naomi really never moved on from her ended relationship with JL.
Luke can’t keep his eyes off the running Naomi not far from him. She held up her long wedding gown and proceeded outside the church. He felt a pinch in his heart while seeing her go. The guests stood up to intrigue with the situation. Their parents and even the future investors stood in disappointment. Luke’s mother touched his arm and asked, “What are we going to do now?”. Luke shrugged, “She will surely go back home” he replied and so he ran to drive back to their house.
When he got back, he saw no one aside from the servants cleaning the house. “Did Naomi go back here?” he asked. The servants shook their heads and it made him feel hysterical. He drove to the hotel they reserved before the wedding. Naomi’s room is open and it contained no one. Her things are scattered on the floor and it made him wonder where will Naomi go after running away from their wedding.
He is totally confused at the moment. He thinks that he is being played since it feels so untrue. His phone beeped with Therese’s name on the screen. “Have you found my daughter?” she asked. Luke weakly sat down in the lounge of the hotel. He loosened up his tie and answered, “No, she is not in the house and in the hotel”. Now he knows what heartbreak means; he is one step closer to tying the knot with Naomi but it all failed.
JL carefully sneaked out of their main door. It’s one a.m. and he needs to go to work. He got startled when someone talked.
“Where are you going?” Dior asked while holding a mug of coffee. JL answered, “I have to work. And you? Why are you up?” he asked back. “I am waiting for the result” DK answered referring to his board exam. “Oh, best of luck” JL said and eventually left the house.
JL took the road using his car. A 12-hour shift is waiting for him and after that, he will meet the anonymous girl who called him while he’s in Pride.
JL took out his phone while having his lunch break. He dialed the girl’s number and it started ringing. Naomi immediately picked up; JL talked first. “I’m at the hospital’s cafeteria. You can come now; I still have an hour to spare”. The girl agreed and just as quickly, he’s now facing the anonymous girl. She’s indeed pregnant.
“How many months?” JL asked. The girl answered, “Two and a half months. But wait, can’t you recognize me?”. JL answered, “That’s big for a 2 - month - old. Actually, I know you. I once loved you, way back 2009. Right, 2009 almost ten years ago. Honestly, I doubt that child is mine. Can you prove it to me with timelining?”
The girl smirked, “I can’t testify that. But someone I brought can make it”. JL chuckled, “Come on Naomi, did you bring a lawyer?”. Naomi called someone. JL was surprised when he saw someone who’s very close to him. JL who’s still shocked uttered, “What the hell Lorenzia!?”. Yes, it is Lorenzia Tiueco - her cousin.
Naomi spoke, “Why? Are you afraid to ruin your perfect family bloodline? You caused a mess that your family has been avoiding for centuries!”. Lorenzia added, “Don’t worry JL, this secret is only between the three of us”.
“Can you please explain how these things happened?” JL said in confusion. Lorenzia explained, “Okay. So, four months ago, we went to our university’s alumni homecoming, right? And it became a reunion for us. Naomi here is my pal who became your girlfriend because of my doing too. In that party, you two had a one - night stand. And you nutjob, you’re so clueless that your malicious act bore something”.
JL acclaimed, “Wait, why are you attacking me and not her?” while pointing at Naomi. Lorenzia answered, “She already got a mouthful from me. Anyways, I’m sure that this kid is yours”. JL had a lot on his plate already. Prideus, work, even this incident.
He looked at his wristwatch, his lunch break is almost done. “I’ll pay for your maternity check - ups and meds until the time comes when we need to make the DNA. For now, excuse me… I have to go back”. JL left the two downstairs; he immediately packed his things and went home to drive his cousins back to their hometown.
FLASHBACK
Lorenzia believed in Naomi and so she picked her up in the airport. “Don’t make my cousin a fool again, Naomi. I am telling you this because your situation is not that mild” Lorenzia said while her eyes are on the road. “This time, I am sure. I escaped everything I have in Australia just to keep the baby inside me a peaceful environment away from the greed of my parents” Naomi replied.
“JL is busy right now. Aside from the loads of surgeries he is performing, he also manages the family legacy” Lorenzia uttered. Naomi scoffed, “So, that petty legacy is really true, huh?” she asked. Lorenzia replied, “Yes. And if that kid is proved to be JL’s own, it will surely be forced to join the legacy as well. After all, it is a Tiueco’s destiny”.
Lorenzia’s car stopped in a tall commercial building. “For the meantime, you should stay here. I will keep you updated with JL’s schedule. If the right time comes, I will make you face him” Lorenzia said and made Naomi enter a condo unit owned by her. Naomi carefully unloaded her things and went straight to read international news in her phone.
She saw statements of Luke finding her across the whole country; she made a last - minute decision but she never regretted of choosing to follow her heart. She caressed the engagement ring in her ring finger and decided to remove it. She carefully touched her womb and talked to the fighting life inside her, “Please help me get close to your dad again for us to have a complete happy family”.
Three months came and still no signs of Naomi are seen by Luke. He is currently drinking a glass of rum while leaning to his room’s couch. He watches the daily news that flashed his and Naomi’s prenuptial photos. He is getting crazy of thinking what is the reason of Naomi to leave him right before their wedding ceremony could start. He threw the glass in the wall and its brittleness scattered the glass particles.
He went to the drawer to get his e - cigarette when he noticed something unusual inside it. He handed up the card holder and saw his passport stacked alone in the organizer. He clenched his fist tight, “D*mn you, JL Tiueco. I know you are involved with this” he whispered.
For three months he made efforts on finding Naomi everywhere in Australia. He thought everything is already good in terms of his history in cheating but he assumed it wrong. He grabbed his passport and quickly dialed the office’s phone. He immediately informed his secretary, “File me a travel leave. I have to find Naomi no matter what” he said. “Copy that” the secretary replied.
He spread the travel luggage in his bed and abruptly filled it with his clothes. He booked an urgent plane ticket using his phone and went downstairs while pulling his luggage. He was greeted by his dad, “Where are you going with that huge baggage?” he asked. Luke did not give his father a glance, “I have to go to the Philippines. I saw Naomi’s passport missing and I know that she will only go to one place” he answered and immediately went out to drive to the airport.
Luke is furious on JL’s involvement even though there are still no proof handed to him. He viewed to the airplane’s window and whispered to the wind, “I will make you pay for this if you are really involved, JL Tiueco”. Luke and Naomi’s parents are already suppressing the issues and still, they are dismayed on the sudden postponement of the two company’s legal and official collaboration.
Everything that Luke dreamt of suddenly got crushed by Naomi’s sudden departure. The dream they planned for ten years snapped out in just a few seconds. Naomi’s number cannot be reached now and there are no clues of her leaving the country except for her missing passport.
END OF FLASHBACK
At lunchtime, JL met again Naomi – the girl who makes him claim the fetus she is carrying. JL is still doubtful and he still believes his guts that nothing more happened in their one-night stand.
“The OB is available for consultation now. Get registered with Lorenzia” JL said while getting something in his wallet. “Here’s my card, use this to pay your bills, buy your needs, and more. Don’t give it back until you give birth” he said while having lunch with Naomi.
Naomi uttered for the first time in that hour, “I am convincing myself that you’re caring but in reality, you’re not”. JL said coldly, “I’m just doing this because things are uncertain yet. Maybe it’s mine, and maybe it’s not. I’m doing this so once it is proven that it’s mine, at least I gave my support from the start. And if ever it’s not mine, think of it as a token of our closeness before and besides, you are friends with Lorenzia”.
Naomi felt a pinch in her heart, “Right, we are ex - lovers. It surprised me when you prioritized that. You’re doing this to save your image from your family’s eyes. You already considered that even before we started a relationship”.
JL had his hands off the food he is eating. He sat back and looked at Naomi with blank stares. “Okay, let’s say I’m favorable with my family. Let’s say I’m into them, I’m more of them and I’m less of you. We fought multiple times because of my family, you hated that topic and I don’t understand why. Is it because I’m focusing more on them and not on you? Can you be practical now, Naomi? I think you’ve grown reversely since our breakup” he said and left her alone in their table.
Lorenzia who’s sitting two tables away from them, heard some of the words. She saw everything. When her cousin left already, she grabbed the chance to talk to her friend. “Naomi, why didn’t you fight for yourself? It will be hard for you to rebuild connections once it is proven that you’re carrying his child” Lorenzia said.
A tear fell from Naomi’s eye. “He is not the same JL I knew in high school. This is the first time he acted cold after our breakup”. Lorenzia comforted her friend. “Naomi, JL has a lot in his plate already, just give him time. Promise after Prideus, I will help you on getting back to him” she said while patting her friend’s back.
Naomi is now holding JL’s credit card. She never missed a maternity check up in the hospital where JL is working. She glanced at him from afar; he looks friendly while approaching the lined patients. If only he can be that approachable to her. Her baby bump is increasing in size and it showed that she is already in her third month of pregnancy.
She sees JL seldomly and still, the ‘perfect timing’ Lorenzia says is still not nearby. She went back home and started organizing the prenatal pills the gynecologist prescribed her. Lorenzia visits her often after her work in the psychology clinic. She is clueless that Luke is somewhere in the country already and is now starting to look for her.