Chapter 34: Chapter 34

<Third Person>

"Oh, Lanvin how's Azaria?" That Plastic Surgeon who is his friend.

"She's doing well doc," Lanvin answered simply.

"By the way. Why are you here? It's a surprise that you're here. Are you going to make me face again, that's why you came to see me?" That Doctor.

"I just pass by," Lanvin answered briefly while looking straight ahead.

"Many people want retouching, and they want me to make them Heart Evangelista," laughed the Doctor's story, "is Azaria's face okay?"

Lanvin stopped at that question.

"Stop with my wife. She's doing good and she's mine," Lanvin said with a tense jaw.

"Tangina! You are possessive! I won't wonder why you do unethical things, eh. I also sympathize with what you are doing," said the doc, shaking his head.

"Stop with your nonsense," said Lanvin, "I'm having a gut feeling about my cousin Charles. Damn! He knows something about me,” said Lanvin covering his fear.

“You mean he knows the nonsense you did? Especially what you did to your wife?" Doc asked laughing. Lanvin clenched his fist.

"I didn't do anything. From the first place she's mine. I just took mine back," Lanvin said with a smile.

Doc taps Lanvin shoulder, "really? I know you took the original, eh," Doc joked while holding Lanvin's arm as they walked down the hospital hallway.

"Don't ever fucking mention that moron again."

Doc just laughed.

**

“What the fuck are you doing here?” Nick asked his cousin who was in the office with a tense jaw. He stopped typing on his laptop when the door suddenly opened.

"I'm here to take Azaria back from you," he answered her seriously.

"Just kidding!" He said throwing a folder on Nick's table.

Nick opened the folder and frowned.

"You can go alone. Report me about the result. I'll send my secretary as a substitute to my presence."

"Huh? Hatdog. You can't not go because you're the boss. Your presence is a must, and highly appreciated.”

"I'm the boss and my decision is final," Nick replied firmly.

"Why don't you want to go, huh! Japan is so close that you haven't been to it yet. You are needed there because you are the only one who knows about it," replied Charles Lanvin while sitting at the table.

"Impress your father if you want to run your company. You can do it cousin. My presence is no need and I believe in your ability and strategy to win the Japanese investor," Nick answered sarcastically.

“That's why you have to come and join me! And what do I know here?! You rejected all the proposals of the employees, then you want me to present them! How unfair that is! Come with me!" Lanvin's answer was grim.

"I'll be present through online."

"Are you stupid?! You just got married and you've become a fool, is it stupid to love Azaria, huh?"

"If you didn't shut your mouth I won't help you," Nik threatened his cousin. Her day is ruined every time she sees her cousin.

"Before I forget, Doctor came here and said he forgot to give you something. That envelope is on my table. I saw Azaria faces inside the envelope, what's the meaning of this, huh? The Doctor actually reached out, huh," Lanvin said suspiciously.

"Stop meddling with my business," Nick said slowly, "bring the folder here, and get out. Work for the meeting in Japan," Nick ordered coldly.

"So you're coming?" Lanvin asked again, making sure he didn't want to have another problem.

“Get the fuck out of here!”

**

<Azaria>

"Are you really leaving?" I asked him with a sad tone.

He was adjusting his necktie while I sat on the bed, looking at him through the full-length mirror. We were fine yesterday and earlier. Why did things suddenly change? Why do I feel so down? I played with my fingers, trying to hold back the tears in front of him.

Crying is cleansing. It feels good to cry because I can release all the emotions that I can't express.

I heard him sigh, and I looked up to see him approaching me, all dressed up. He looked handsome in his black tuxedo, with his hair neatly cut and styled with gel.

He bent down to be at eye level with me.

"I don't want to leave, but this is work, baby... this is important," he said, struggling to speak as if he's losing his voice.

"Why? Aren't I important? Is your work more important than me?" I asked him with a pout. He furrowed his brow.

"Of course not, you're my priority. Do you want to come with me?"

I paused to think about his offer. I shook my head as I thought about my own business.

"My funeral home business isn't finished yet. I need to take care of it, and I can't leave. You should just stay here," I said like a stubborn child, tugging at his navy blue necktie.

"Come with me to Japan. I'll take care of your funeral home business," he suggested.

I scowled and shook my head in response.

"No way! I don't want to! You'll just end up cheating there. And you know I'll be busy with my funeral home business, so you should just go!" I whined, but he just smiled.

"Hmm, come with me and watch over me," he said with a grin.

"Heh! If you were loyal, you wouldn't need watching!" I retorted.

"Come with me, wife, please?" he pleaded, "I don't want you to overthink. I'll call you from time to time, and I promise to update you every time," he assured me.

"Why do you have to go there in the first place, huh? Just send your secretary!" I said angrily.

He smiled at me, perhaps amused by my reaction. He quickly kissed me on the lips.

"I'll come back home as fast as I can. If I could, I wouldn't want to go either, but this is for the expansion of the company and our partnerships," he explained to me.

I buried my face in his shoulder and sighed.

"I promise that I'll keep in touch with you," he whispered while caressing my hair.

"I'll call you all the time," he added.

I lifted my head from resting on his shoulder.

"Don't you want to come with me?" he asked gently.

I shook my head as my response.

"Hubby, why don't you build a hospital and name it 'Happy Smile Hospital'? And for my funeral home, let's name it 'Jalibing' with the tagline: 'Long Live the Newly Departed,'" I said, laughing at my own idea. It's something I've wanted to tell him for a long time, but I always forget.

He smiled at me and said, "You and your silly ideas," shaking his head as he playfully pinched my nose.

"People will bash you if you name your funeral home like that. Are you really sure about the name?" he asked, slightly concerned. I confidently nodded at him with a wide smile.

"Let them bash. I'm grateful for my bashers because they're the reason I've become famous," I replied with a smile, "and besides, I don't care about them. I don't even read the comments. Why should I waste my time and attention on them?"

He shook his head at my response and quickly kissed me.

"I'm worried about you, baby. You're getting addicted to social media," he said with concern, "most of your time and attention is on your phone. I'm getting jealous."

He moved beside me on the bed, probably feeling a bit cramped.

"I'll be fine, don't worry. Besides, you have my full attention right now," I said reassuringly and leaned in to kiss him.

"Hmph! No way!" I protested, "I'm just thinking about how annoying they can be! They even bashed me for a grammar mistake. They're such perfectionists!"

"I thought you're not reading comments?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

He gently caressed my hair while I rested my head on his shoulder, and he would occasionally kiss my forehead.

"It's Heidi's fault! She keeps updating me and even reads the comments out loud in front of me! She's so annoying!" I complained to him.

"They say I'm stupid. They question how I could have a company and accuse me of having spelling mistakes all over. And they even mocked my company investment scam!" I vented to him, "If I get annoyed enough, I'll scam them!"

"Hmmm," he hummed, sniffing my hair.

He always asks about my interests, even if he doesn't fully understand or share my passion, he still listens. He became my rant buddy. I've gotten used to having him around.

"Hey, are you really leaving?" I asked him. He stole a quick kiss before responding.

"Come with me," he said in a deep voice, "I'll miss you," his voice broke.

"I don't want to! You'll be busy there, and you won't have time for me," I pretended to sulk, as I had other things I needed to do, and I didn't want to go with him.

"I'll bring you with me to meetings and everywhere I go."

"Really? Even if you need to go to the bathroom, you'll take me with you?" I teased, trying to hold back my laughter.

"If you want, why not," he shrugged, as if it didn't matter to him.

"Eww! You're gross!" I reacted.

He left, and I accompanied him to the airport. As soon as he arrived at his condo, he called me immediately.

“Babe, have you eaten? Do you want me to deliver food for you?” He asked me, and we had a FaceTime call.

“No, I’m pine. I’m going good,” I answered and he frowned

“When is your doing meeting?” I asked him and lay on the bed

“Pardon?” he asked while frowning.

“Don’t yours listening to English?” I ask again.

“Wife can you speak in Tagalog please?” Phe begged as his face could no longer be painted.

“I don’t understood Tagalog please so chatting in english speaking,” my english is straight.

“Hey bitch!” I called him a bitch in a sassy tone., “are you understood me? Or you 50/50?”

“Eat before you sleep. Ill call you tomorrow morning. I have early meeting,” uHe updated me, "I'm with my cousin, and he is in the other room."

“Ah! You still living. I thought you 50/50 dats why you nothing talking,” I response.

“What’s your plans for tomorrow? I already miss you wife,” His English is straight. Her voice is sexy. He also looks tired and sleepy.

“I miss you too,”I responded with a sarcastic tone, "Whatever!"

“I’m going to that’s company tomorrow. And I do visiting my funeraria business.”

“Baby please speak in Tagalog,”he said stressed while frowning.

“Don’t you liking me speakening in English?”

“I like your accent and you’re cute. But please speak in Tagalog I don’t understand anything,” he plead

“Why don’t you liking me. You ruding my probleming in English.”

I felt stressed as I waited for his response. I could hear him tapping on his phone. Why is he taking so long to reply? Is he talking to his mistress?

“Hey! Why you're chatting me! I’m speaking here and you’re not speaking. I’m speaking to you!” I whined.

"I'm asking for help from Google, wife," he sighed, "can you speak in Tagalog? I don't understand anything. My brain is bleeding," he said to me slowly.

I frowned.

“Give me four reasoning when you don’t want me speak english!”

He still had a frown on his face.

"Come here. I'll book you a ticket. I miss you so much," he said longingly.

I didn't want to go because I wanted to stay here. I've also gotten tired of Japan.

"No, I don't want to! Give me four reasons first," I replied.

He sighed.

"I don't understand what you're saying," he said with a frown.

I laughed at what he said. He was so cute. I wanted to tease him, but he's also handsome, huhu.

I furrowed my brows when I suddenly heard a crash from outside. I had forgotten to close the door of the room.

I stood up to close the door, and as I walked towards the hallway, I noticed another closed door at the end. I heard something break from inside that room. It was the only room that's locked here, and no housemaid enters to clean it.

What could be inside? Does it contain something valuable that Nik doesn't want to open it?

"Wife?"

I was startled when I heard a loud noise from that room, so I quickly ran towards it and covered myself with a blanket.

"Wife? What happened?" Nik asked me with concern, realizing something was wrong.

"Nick, there might be a ghost in the other room," I whispered fearfully to him, my palms sweaty.

"I have been living for decades in our house, and I never saw a ghost," he replied.

I lowered my voice, afraid that the ghost might hear me.

"Lanvin, please come home," I said tearfully, "there's a ghost in this house. I keep hearing things from the other room," I shared my scary experience with him. I had never brought up this topic before because I didn't pay much attention to it, and I thought it might just be my imagination due to hunger. But I'm really scared of ghosts.

"Shit!" He cursed suddenly.

"What else do you hear?" he asked.

"Strange noises, and sometimes things breaking," I answered.

"I'll call the maids to look after you. Do you want me to watch you sleep?" He was genuinely concerned about me.

I declined his offer. He knew I was scared of ghosts, so I didn't want him to worry too much.