237 Running Away 2 (1/2)
”She really planned all these last night! ” Anthon sighed.
The two held their gazes at him.
”She lied about Jaimie's music enrollment,hugged everyone of us and said something to me which I felt strange. ”
Aijohn shook his head. ”Yesterday,she called me up and we talked. She was crying and she said she could not afford watching the two of you hurting because of her. Never did I thought that she would go to this extent. ”
Jim finally broke his silence. ”John, if Hailey will get married again,how will you accept it? ”
Aijohn squinted as he looked at him.
” I will be very happy. All this time,I feel sorry for her that she's still alone, to the extent that I am already guilty. I want her to move on and be happy. ”
”For three years,my grief was almost killing me but everything changed when I met Gracie. ”
Seeing that Jim was silenced,as if contemplating on his own fate,he asked.
”How about you,Jim? ”
Anthon fidgetted at Aijohn's tactlessness. Jia wouldn't have run away if Jim didn't let her feel that he still loved her.
He looked at him,then to Anthon and back to Aijohn.
”Ton, it's all my fault that Jia ran away. I put her in a place where she felt torn between the two of us. Please,forgive me. ”
Anthon patted his shoulder to tell him that he understood. Many times before,he was also almost tempted to devour Jia and crush her in his arms.
”There in the ante room when you left us, I told her all about my loneliness and how I missed her. And I told her that all along, I still love her. ” He said remorsefully, fighting back his reluctance to confess.
”Ton,I promise that it would be the first and last. I come back for the children but not to destroy your marriage. Who knew I would still live?It's not your fault. ”
”What do you plan to do? ” Aijohn asked again without any hesitation.
”I could not move on if I won't make a step myself. And I think, that the way to cure a broken heart is to find another heart..” He chuckled.
”It's an old saying,right? ” He continued.
”In my experience,it's very true.” Aijohn seconded.
”Only when you teach yourself to love again,can miracle happen. If you chose to linger with your past,you will be stuck in it and you would not get out from the sense of bitterness and frustration. ”
”You're right,I will consider that. ”Jim agreed,. it was, indeed,an eye opener.
”Then how would you make the first step? ” Aijohn dared to ask again.
”I would go back with Hailey to our lab in the foreign land. And we would entrust back to you and Grace the task of managing the treatment course. ”
Aijohn looked at him with a spark in his eyes asa certain speculation dawned in him. It seemed that he guessed what's in his mind.
Meanwhile,at the gate's entrance to the port,the guard checked each of the passenger's ticket. When it was Jia's turn, the inspecting guard looked at her ticket then to her and the kids.
”Ma'am, I'm sorry, I just received an order to hold your departure. ”
Jia was astounded. ”Why? What's the problem?”
”I really don't know,ma'am,but I am only being told that you have unsettled issues with your company so you are not allowed to leave the country or in any place outside Cebu. ”
Jia was shocked. The hospital business grew remarkably under her management and how come would she have an unsettled issues?
Then, to her frustration,she saw tall men in black uniform walking briskly towards her. They were the airport police. She was boiling with anger. How could she be treated like a criminal?
”Miss Wayne,just explain your side to your company's board of directors. They are already waiting for you. ”