C2 Chapter 2 - The Offer

I

Damian Lincuja, remembers the time that he first held in his arms his only son. He was only two years old at that time. As many said, his son was his little replica. They were actually happy way back then. Caroline did not force him to marry yet, even if they had a son. He was still struggling then with his small engineering firm and getting married was not yet in his plans. Until he met Lucia. For him, it was just a play, a momentary sexual urge, no strings attached. Lucia is a married woman, so what the heck? She cannot demand anything from him. She offered herself to him, so why not give her the pleasure she wanted? But that was his greatest mistake. Lucia was not the woman he thought she was. She never accepted rejections or defeats. She is one hell of a crazy, desperate woman. She clung to him and left her husband; brought her children to her parents and asked them to take care of them temporarily. She said it was him that she deeply loved and she could never live a happy life without him. He just laughed then with Lucia and shook his head. He would not see her again. Lucia was nothing to him. He was just one of his many flings. He was wrong, however; Lucia found out about Carolina and their son. She did everything to harm Carolina and their son. So many times, she tried to humiliate Carolina in public and threatened to harm her and their son, should she continue to live with Damian. Worst, Lucia sent Carolina their intimate videos and photos in bed, which he did not know that she took. Carolina was not able to take his infidelity. She left, together with their son. She never contacted him from then on. As he was full of pride and conceit and at the same time he thought it would be better to lessen his responsibilities, he dared not reach out to them. He did not even try to defend them from Lucia.

"She was the one who left, then she should be the one to come back crawling", he thought that time.

Carolina, however, is a woman of pride and dignity; she never came back. She proved to him that her decision to leave him was the best decision she had ever made. It was not only Lucia; Carolina suffered so many deceits and infidelity from him. For so many times, she tried to understand and accepted everything, even if he never had any remorse for his infidelities and wrongdoings. But like the old adage, when a woman’s heart has been truly hurt and she runs out of patience, she will leave and never look back.

His last information about Carolina and his son was when he heard that Carolina became a best-seller romance novelist and their son continuously became her mother’s pride. Carolina was able to raise their son well, alone.

Damian got his phone and dialed a certain number. “Attorney Ferrer, please visit me tomorrow in my office at ten in the morning. I have something to discuss with you.”

“Of course Sir, I will be there on time.” Atty. Ferrer replied on the other line. Atty. Ferrer is Damian Linjuco’s most trusted lawyer.

As expected, Atty. Ferrer visited Damian Linjuco in his office the next day.

“Sir, Atty. Ferrer is here already.” Rowell, Damian’s long-time executive secretary, informed him.

“Let him in, Rowell, and by the way, check a flight for me to Palawan one week from now.”

“Well noted Sir.” Rowell excused himself and then guided Atty. Ferrer at the CEO’s Office.

II

Carolina had a visitor and she was surprised because she had never known a man named Atty. Ferrer.

“Should I let him in, Madam Carol?” her maid asked her again to confirm.

“Ahh, yes, take him to our first-floor veranda and give him any drinks he wants. I will just fix myself.

After excusing herself, Marla, her maid, immediately went out of her workroom. She is finishing a new novel. She can actually retire and stop writing, but she cannot do it. She did this now, however, as a mere hobby and not anymore as rigorous work, unlike when she was just starting.

“Atty. Ferrer, good morning. I am Carolina Monaro. What can I do for you?” Carolina offered a handshake to Atty. Ferrer out of professionalism.

As the lawyer sits again comfortably, he opened his attaché case and brought out a brown envelope. “Ms. Monaro, I am here to discuss a very important matter with you. My client, the Shipping and real estate Magnate, Mr. Damian Lincuja, wanted you and your son Wilgreg Monaro, to read these documents for consideration.” He then handed to Carolina the documents in a brown envelope.

“Should I read this now?” Carolina’s forehead narrowed.

“No, No, I will return three days from now to know you and your son’s decision about whatever is written in the documents inside.” Atty. Ferrer stated with a smile on his kind face.

He seemed to be a good lawyer and not a shrewd one, Carolina intimated to herself while assessing the lawyer in front of her. “Very well then, Atty. My son and I will check these documents.”

Atty. Ferrer nodded and left after a while.

“Son, please read these documents and let me know your thoughts later.” Carolina handed Wilgreg the brown envelope given by Atty. Ferrer this morning. She had read the contents already and she was truly so surprised by the contents of said documents.

“Alright Mom, hmm, did you buy another property?” Wilgreg said teasingly, while he got the documents from her mother.

“Nope, those documents are from your father, Damian Lincuja.” Carolina had spoken softly but her son’s eyes narrowed upon hearing his father’s name.

Immediately, Wilgreg opens the brown envelope, sits on the sofa, and focuses his attention, on reading it.

His forehead’s creases started to come out as he read the documents. “What the hell is this Mom? Damian Lincuja wanted me to be the new CEO of any of his companies. What is he thinking? Did he think that he could bury the past by doing this?” anger was evident on Wilgreg’s face.

“Calm down Wil, Atty. Ferrer will return after three (3) days to know our decisions on this matter.” Carolina tried to pacify her son.

“No Mom! I will never recognize him as my father! I would rather practice my law profession than waste my time in his company! Sorry Mom, I need to rest.” He then excused himself after kissing Carolina on her forehead.

Carolina’s tears fell. It had been a long time since she cried about anything related to Damian. She hated Damian but to make peace with herself, she tried to forgive him even though he never sought her forgiveness. But her son, she never thought that he had this deep hate for his own father. He cannot blame him, he grew up without a father; he was bullied in school so many times, he envied his classmates when he was small every time there was a family day in their school and he would cry during his birthdays asking why his classmates have fathers, but he does not have one. Through time, she tried to explain to her son about everything, but as he was growing up and been hearing news about his father, who became known in the shipping and real estate industry, while they were then trying to make both ends meet, curtailing the urge for luxuries so that he could send him to a good school, she observed that he never ever mentioned again the word Daddy and more so, the name of his father.

In his room, Wilgreg’s emotions are overflowing. Why would he come back now? They do not need him. They are okay. He is fine. They were able to surpass all hardships without him. They don’t need him!