Contract And Marriage

Sarina

I discovered that Ralph was obsessed with his wife. He loved her deeply, but she betrayed him. He couldn’t accept it, so even though he knew he was being cheated on, they continued to live together. The constant drinking eventually poisoned his mind, and he ended up killing his wife.

I feel sorry for him, but that doesn’t justify him changing my face and inflicting the same abuse on me that he did to his previous wife. I can never forgive Ralph for taking me away, which caused Maximus and me to be separated and led to my memory loss.

My past no longer matters to me. I can always ask my husband if there’s something I want to know. I don’t want to stress him out by making him worry about my condition; instead, I want him to enjoy spending time with me and our child, creating new memories we can treasure.

Mariano had already returned to Las Vegas, and I saw the sadness on my husband’s face when he said goodbye. I can’t blame him because I felt the same way. I also prayed that my brother-in-law would be okay in another country, and just as Maximus promised his brother, we would visit him more often.

It’s Friday, and I’m happily chatting with Lisa in the kitchen while preparing for our lunch later. Maximus has already left for his company and feels more at ease leaving us now. At first, he didn’t want to leave; he even wanted us to come to the office, which wasn’t always possible.

“Try this, Sarina,” Lisa said, handing me a spoonful of the dressing she made for the vegetable salad. I took it and tasted it.Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

“Hmm.. It’s delicious. It’s perfect for the salad,” I said with a smile.

“We also have some samgyup in the fridge. I’ll take it out now to soften it for lunch later. The seasoning must have soaked in well since I marinated it yesterday.”

“I’ll probably end up eating a lot again.”

“That’s okay, so you can gain weight because I think you’ll look even more beautiful.” I felt a little shy from her compliment, so I just smiled.

“Oh, it’s nothing…” I said with a laugh. Then we continued preparing the food in the kitchen while Rocel watched over the kids with Chase’s nanny.

Lisa’s family has become like caretakers for our family, and I’m happy they’re with us. It’s not just because Chase gets along with Jerome but because I genuinely feel at ease with them. It reminded me of what Maximus told me-that my parents greatly loved me. I wondered if I could ask my husband if we could visit them.

“Hello, my love.” Speaking of the devil, he suddenly called.

“Hi, I’m on my way home,” he said. I was surprised because it was only about lunchtime.

“Okay, I’ll get the table ready.” After exchanging a few more “I love yous,” our conversation ended.

Everything was ready, and we were just waiting for Maximus. Chase and I were already waiting on the porch to greet him. I like this-every time my husband comes home, we’ll wait for him so that, somehow, it eases his fatigue from a day’s work to provide for our family.

It wasn’t long before we saw Maximus’ car entering the gate, which wasn’t far away. My son and I smiled at each other and eagerly waited for the car to be parked.

“Dad!!” Chase shouted when he saw his father get out of the car. Maximus smiled at us, and to my surprise, the car’s passenger seat and backseat doors suddenly opened. He had companions.

An elderly man and woman got out of the car. I furrowed my brow when I noticed they seemed to be on the verge of tears upon seeing us. I didn’t know how to feel at that moment as if my chest was tightening for an inexplicable reason.

Because of the overwhelming emotion that enveloped me, I decided to just approach Maximus and greet him with a hug and a kiss. I was sure he would introduce me to his companions. “Let’s go inside, Mom, Dad,” my husband said to the two after our quick welcome kiss.

The elderly couple seemed surprised, then said, “What? Oh, sure, hijo.”

I went inside and was about to take Chase with me, but Maximus had already picked him up. I went to the kitchen to tell Lisa to set more plates because my husband had guests. After that, I went back out to face them.

“You’re home early, my love?” I asked Maximus before sitting beside him on the couch, facing the two elderly people who couldn’t take their eyes off me.

“We should have been home earlier. I just had a meeting that couldn’t be canceled, so we’re only just arriving now.”

“Ah, who are they?” I asked, puzzled. I couldn’t help but ask because they were on the verge of tears, and I felt something strange towards them. “Do I know them?”

Maximus smiled at me, still holding our child. On the other hand, Chase seemed very happy in his father’s arms.

“Sarina,” the elderly woman said.

“Yes?” I replied.

“Is that really you?” she asked again, and just as I was about to answer, she spoke again. “My child?”

I froze because I didn’t expect her to call me that. I looked at Maximus and saw tears in his eyes as he nodded slowly. She called me her child.

“Is that really you, Sarina, my child?” the elderly man asked. Suddenly, tears streamed down my face. I couldn’t stop them, so I stood up from my seat beside Maximus and went straight to my parents, who also stood up. We cried together as we embraced each other.

My chest tightened with overwhelming joy. There was no limit to the happiness brought by knowing that I still had parents, and they were right in front of me now. Because of what Ralph had told me, I had thought I was alone in the world. But here they were, in my arms, as I was enveloped in their embrace.

We stayed like that for a while, and if Chase hadn’t suddenly said, “Grandpa and Grandma,” we might not have separated from our embrace. My parents were overjoyed, especially when they finally held their grandchild. And now, I couldn’t ask for anything more.