12: Snake Bite

Hype music. An audience clapping in unison.

The announcer with a baritone voice introduced the host of the famous late afternoon show.

"Ladies and gentlemen, let's all welcome your host, Melissa Parker." A glamorous middle-aged woman emerged from the studio's neon-lit stage.

"Hello~ hello and welcome to Talk to Me- lissa! Alright, let's welcome our guest for tonight. She is known as the face of Mevious during her modeling career and as the badass Katlyn Turner in her blockbuster movie, Cry in my Grave. Let's all welcome, my loving friend, Regina," Melissa introduced as the audience cheered.

"Hi, everyone!" Regina greeted as she waved and gave them flying kisses.

"Hello," Melissa cheerfully welcomed her as they greeted each other. "You look stunning!"

When the clapping and cheering subsided, Melissa asked her first question.

"I haven't seen you for months, but look at you~ all tanned and still beautiful. So, how's your shooting going?"

"Well, thank you. So, we began shooting Cry in my Grave 2 a couple of months ago and we transferred from one place to another. For the past days, we've been shooting in Ibiza giving me this sunkissed complexion," Regina answered sweetly.

"Wow, can you tell us some details about the movie. Like what's new?" Melissa asked.

"Uhm... I wish I could! I am just sure that it would be a fantastic movie," she answered. Her fans cheered the loudest. "Thank you," she told her fans.

"Well, of course. Anyway, I know that this year has been bittersweet for you, but we would like to ask, how's your heart?" she asked changing her cheerful mood into a melancholic one.

Regina was quiet for a while.

"Uhm... well... I am trying to move on after that incident. I just want to focus my strength on my career. You know, why would I waste my time chasing a man who clearly doesn't love me?" Regina answered in a sad tone.

"Well... we are here. We will love you honestly and sure not to ever betray you," Melissa uttered. The audience shouted encouraging words such as "We love you", "You don't deserve him", "We're here for you" and so on.

Regina smiled at them.

After the show, Melissa and Regina had a toast in Melissa's dressing room.

"That went well. I am sure your kindness will be the headline on tomorrow's papers," Melissa stated before taking a sip from her wine glass.

"I know and thank you. Luke will soon come crawling to me. Mark my word," Regina said while laughing crazily.

"Hmmm. How certain are you?" Melissa asked, feeling skeptical of her words. Regina gave her an evil look.

"Well, my friend listen to me. My PA dug into Luke's wife's past and she found some interesting information about her. Some of that woman's co-workers revealed that she's pregnant with another man's baby before marrying Luke," Regina uttered.

"What?! Meaning... she fooled Luke? This is a big scoop. I'll tell this story to my friend and I am sure that he'll go nuts," Melissa said excitedly. Regina nodded with a grin on her lips.

Meanwhile, in Isla del Fuego, Arabella and Sheryl were in the living room talking about her baby.

"Ate Arabella, when you were pregnant with Saraknib, what did you crave for?" Sheryl asked while carrying Saraknib in her arms.

"Hmmm... I think I am a lucky mom. I didn't have that extreme craving for something or morning sickness. I just enjoyed eating midnight snacks. Like literally, I had to wake up at midnight to eat, so I often prepared sandwiches beforehand," Arabella replied.

"Oh, Saraknib is a very good baby," Sheryl said cheerfully, but in Arabella's eyes, there was a glint of sadness in Sheryl's voice.

"Do you love Kuya Luke?" she asked, Arabella was flustered. She wasn't prepared for that kind of question.

"I am sorry. My question is personal," Sheryl said apologetically.

"No, it's fine," Arabella uttered. Then, her phone rang. She looked at the unregistered number.

"Hello? Who is this?" she answered. There was silence. "Hello?" Still, no one answered. She was about to end the call when a familiar voice spoke. She went pale, Sheryl noticed.

It was her ex-boyfriend.

"J- Jason?" she struggled to say. She couldn't understand her emotion at that time. Part of her was happy. Part of her was angry.

"Can we talk?" Jason's voice was full of worries and pain.

Arabella kept quiet.

"Please. I want to say something. And--- I want to say sorry," he added.

"Okay. Tell me the location and I will go there," she replied with no emotion. She ended the call without even listening to his reply.

After receiving the location, she asked Sheryl if she'd look after her son for a while. She agreed after Arabella explained why. Sheryl's face was full of worry as she looked at Arabella left the house.

She drove to a hotel 30 minutes drive North of the island.

"Thank goodness! Luke taught me to drive," she thought. Thinking of Luke, she was tempted to tell him her situation but eventually didn't as she didn't want him to be worried. Anyway, it's broad daylight so she doubted that Jason might do something bad to her.

After parking her car in front of the hotel, she went to the lobby and asked Jason's room. He was there. She called him. She decided to see him and get answers to why he abandoned them. She wasn't sure what to expect or how to react when she met him. However, her thirst for answers won over her anxiety.

"Come down here. I'm at the lobby," she said.

"Can we talk in my room, please?" he asked.

"No. If you want to talk, talk to me outside your room," Arabella firmly replied. One thing she learned from Luke, "Never fully trust anyone, especially those who hurt you once."

"Arabella, please. Can we talk here?" he pleaded.

"I said no. If you won't come down here, I will go," she said. He sighed.

For a long time, Arabella stared at Jason. He changed a lot. His handsome face and charming smile were replaced with a troubled look. He also lost a lot of weight.

"I missed you," Jason said softly as he threw his arms around her to a tight embrace. She stood still. Then, she pushed him away.

"Why?" Arabella asked unaware of the tears running down her cheeks. He reached for her cheeks to wipe her tears.

"I am sorry. It's just that--- I am already married," Jason said with his head down.

"What?!" Arabella asked, utterly shocked by his answer.