Chapter 34: Chapter 34

ESMERALDA hid in one of the cubicles of the restroom, suppressing her cry. When their parents died, she needed to be strong and hide her emotions for Jeremy. When she found out that her brother was sick, she did not show any weakness. She stood firm.

But she felt a different kind of pain tonight. A while ago, she felt like she was shot in the chest. Now, she could feel the bullet digging into her heart. Not only she gave herself to the enemy, but she also gave him a piece of her heart.

And tonight, he will show her that she was not the woman he deserved to love. Tonight, he will introduce the woman who owned his heart. Not a piece of trash like her.

Esmeralda felt like she was a dirty and stupid woman. She only wanted to free herself once. She let her emotions carry her away. And she did not know how to get over that nightmare.

She had no idea how long she had stayed inside the cubicle, dazed as tears dried in her eyes. She jumped when someone knocked on the door. “Esmeralda, are you there, hija?” Florida asked.

“Y-yes, I’m here,” she replied in a hoarse voice.

“Are you okay? Aiden is worried about you when you’re not back yet. You suddenly disappeared while dancing with Amadeus a while ago. Did something wrong happen?”

“I-I just don’t feel well.”

Florida knocked again. "Open the door, and I'll take you to the clinic."

That's exactly what she needed—to get away from Amadeus, so she did not have to see him introducing the woman he loved. She just wanted to go home and cry in silence.

She clenched her fist. If she let Florida bring her to the clinic, that meant she lost in the game with Amadeus dela Merced. She had to be strong. She needed to go back to Aiden’s side. He was more important than her emotions. Because he was Amadeus’ real target. He wanted to hurt Aiden using her. And he thought that he already won.

She cleared her throat. “I’m coming out,” she said and opened the door. She walked out slowly and weakly.

Florida suddenly caught her chest. “Hija, you look terrible!”

When she glanced at her reflection, her eyes were swollen, her makeup scattered, and she looked like a clown force to become dramatic. “We should bring you to the clinic right away. Then, I’ll tell Aiden to take you home.”

She shook her head. “It’s all right. My head is gone.”

Florida helped her up to the sink. “Can you really manage? Did Amadeus tell you something while you were dancing?"

She slowly shook her head and forced a smile. “N-nothing. But can you help me retouch my makeup? Aiden still needs me on his side.”

Florida nodded knowingly. “All right. Leave it up to me.”

It took her minutes to fix Esmeralda's makeup. Florida looked like a magician as she set her face. When she faced the mirror once again, she already looked presentable as Aiden dela Merced’s fiancée.

She walked firmly as she went out of the restroom and walked into the hotel lobby. Aiden met her and helped her sit. “Are you okay?” he asked.

"I suddenly feel unwell, but I'm fine now."

The host introduced Amadeus and people gave him a round of applause as he got on stage. “I know everyone’s wondering what this party is for. It is not my birthday nor the anniversary of Brava Hotel. This party is a toast for a new life. Little did you know that I almost lost my life to Typhoon Amihan a few weeks ago. I did not expect that the bridge would break while my car was crossing, it got swept by the flood, and I thought it was the end of me.”

She heard Aiden gasped beside her. “My brother almost died? Where? I didn’t know that. He does not spend breaks here in the Philippines.” He turned to Florida. “Do you know about this?”

“I-I don’t know. Your brother did not tell me any details about his vacation,” the old woman said.

Esmeralda subtly glanced at her. Did she know anything about Amadeus's deception? Was she an accomplice? She had a strong feeling that it was not a coincidence that Amadeus ended up in San Luis, but all she could recognize was shocked and worry on her face.

“But a brave and beautiful angel saved my life. She, with the help of her neighbors, saved me from the harsh river. They took care of me. I had nothing at that time but the clothes off my back and my stubborn pride. I lived in a place without electricity, no fancy food, no gadgets, no internet connection or network signal, and no one to serve my bidding. I tried to leave the barrio. I even tried to bribe the locals to help me get back to Manila despite the flood and landslide. My feisty angel put some senses into my head. She stopped me from getting into more danger."

Everyone laughed. “My brother finally met his match,” Aiden said and clapped. “That girl must be really extraordinary. You can’t just put my brother to silence like that.”

Esmeralda pressed her lips firmly as she restrained herself from shouting at Amadeus and grabbing the microphone from him. That was their story. She was the woman in the picture, but why was he sharing it with other people? She could not understand what that was for.

"Then we fell in love. Yes, you heard it right. A certified bachelor like me fell in love with a barrio lass." He looked in her direction. "I don't want to believe it at first that I could possibly feel it. But I did."

Esmeralda lowered her head to hide her teeth gritting. Esmeralda felt like getting sick for real. She wanted to throw up. What foolishness was Amadeus talking about? He told her he loves her, but she knew there was no truth in it. He was giving her false hopes. She waited, but it turned out he had no plans of going back for her.

The pain resurfaced in her chest. His lies were endless. Will he introduce the woman he loves and take the credit for their story?

“And I want you to meet the woman who owns my heart —Esmeralda Solomon.”