Chapter 4

Regret

Luisa's POV

"What in heaven's name did I do to myself?" I gasped in bewilderment, running my fingers through my long brown hair.

It's been hours since that stranger dropped me off, and I haven't stopped staring at the marriage certificate in my hand.

I desperately felt the urge to hit my head against a wall or smash it against a stone as memories of my actions from the roadside to the courthouse resurfaced. Stupid was an understatement of how I felt.

"Gosh, I can't believe I got married to a stranger!" I exclaimed, and pulled my hair out, gritting my teeth in pain.

I couldn't even recall the man's name nor could I spare a second to check the marriage certificate. I knew it was written in it, but I just didn't care.

"To hell with you, Diego, and your slutty assistant" I cursed and almost bit my tongue.

That traitor was the reason why I was in this mess in the first place. Still, I couldn't believe I lost my cool. Now, what I needed to worry about was how to get out of this dilemma I put myself in.

From the car he drove, the stranger seemed like a wealthy man. Men like that wouldn't find it hard to find a person.

Running away? No way! That was a crazy idea. I didn't build up my whole career in the Philippines just to let it go down the drain. Besides, I still have a lot of people to work with and new colleagues to meet.

Running away was out of the options. I wasn't drunk when it happened, so playing drunk was out of the options too. I badly needed to get out of this shit.

A thought suddenly popped up in my head, and jumped up from the sofa.

"Oh, no. Let it not be" I prayed silently, my breath hitched.

The ringtone of my phone instantly pierced through the room, drawing my attention.

I walked towards the dining table where I had placed it and picked it up. Seeing the name displayed on the screen, I almost dropped my phone.

With a deep breath, I answered the call and placed the phone against my ear.

"Hello, Mr. Torres" I greeted, forcing a smile he couldn't see.

I heard him snort in disgust. "What's all this about you running on the streets? I also heard you almost got hit by a car. Why would you be so careless knowing how important your image is?"

"Huh...." I pouted in shock, trying to understand what I had just heard.

"It's all over the internet, you dummy" Mr. Torres snapped and coughed slightly. "Pictures and videos of you running and shedding tears are spreading like wildlife. You better get your butt down here so we could find a way to control the situation. By the way, what exactly happened?"

"I....." I trailed off, the words getting stuck in my throat.

He had always warned me about Diego, but I never listened. I was so stubborn and blinded with love that I did stupid things that almost put my life and career in jeopardy, thanks to the insurance Torres helped me with before my trip to Maldives. I would have become homeless.

"Out with it, Luisa!" Torres roared, making my eardrums hurt. "If you don't tell me now, I'll find out myself."

"I... I...." I stammered, finding it difficult to put my words together. The pain doubled every time I tried to speak about it.

I just wanted to forget about that pain.

"I can't talk about it" I whispered, almost choking on my tears.

"It's alright. I'll talk to you later" Torres said with a softened voice. "I'll deal with the media myself. You have nothing to worry about."

"Thank you" I muttered, my voice barely audible.

As soon as Torres ended the call, I broke down in tears, crying hard till my eyes were swollen and puffy. I squeezed my chest, wishing I could pull out my heart to end the heart-wrenching pain. I couldn't even tell when I fell asleep on the sofa.

The next morning came in a twinkling of an eye. I woke up on the same sofa in an uncomfortable position. I had strained my neck and my waist was hurting.

Great. First, a heartbreak. Now, an aching body. It felt like the world had turned her back on me. Well, not like I relied on anybody for anything.

I wanted to take a warm bath to clear my head. I was about to do so when my doorbell rang. It got me on high alert because I rarely had visitors except in rare cases when I had to do my makeover and hair at home or when Diego or Torres came around.

I took slow and cautious steps to the door. Looking through the doorhole, I spotted the face of a young man that felt kind of familiar, but I couldn't quite place where I had seen him.

I opened the door and stood in the way, eyeing the man suspiciously.

"How can I help you, Mister?" I asked, my tone slightly aggressive. I subconsciously looked behind him and saw a fleet of cars all lined up in front of my house. "Who the hell are you?"

"Hahaha... Young Madame, you must have forgotten about me" the man laughed. "My name is Miguel Martinez, the personal assistant to the CEO of Santoria Industries, Adrian Gonzalez. We came to pick you up as promised."

"Ugh... I think you're mistaken. I know no one by the name Adrian Gonzalez or whatever you call him" I replied with a curt tone. "You might want to check the next building."

"Nah... I'm certain it's you" the man argued. "Let me help you recall...."

"That's enough, Miguel" an alluring voice interrupted, causing goosebumps on my skin. I felt I had heard the voice somewhere, and watched as the man, who spoke, alight from the Maybach with a smirk on his lips.

Hold on a second. A Maybach? That man. It was him.

"Oh, my goodness" I exclaimed, almost passing out.

It was the same man I had forced into marriage. A mix of guilt and fear crept into my heart as the man got closer to me.

"Hello, Mrs. Gonzalez" He greeted me with his signature smile, and I trembled.