DARK CHOCOLATE SERIES 6: TRIPLE TREAT, LOVE REASSURED

Prologue - Mrs. Filomino

Deceiving someone for his own good is a responsibility that should be shouldered only by the gods.

- Henry S. Haskins

I could think of a hundred different things that motivate a person to do either bad or good. But the greatest of all is love.

I only wanted what's best for my Isabella. Sino bang ina ang hindi naghangad ng lahat ng mabuti para sa anak? Unconditional love they say is only a lie. Ang isang asawa, kapatid, kamag-anak na ilandaang ulit na nagkasala ay maaring hindi na mapatawad o mahalin pa.

I have always consided myself lucky, finding Armado who loved me despite and in spite of everything. That's unconditional love. I must admit my love for him was not as absolute. For I turned my back on him and decided to die to protect my daughter, to protect a secret that could destroy her sanity, her faith in everything, her soul.

Is there anything in the world as hauntingly horrible as losing one's soul?

Iyon ang bagay na ayaw kong mawala sa anak ko. If there was one person I loved unconditionally, it was Isabella. She did not know this. And I hope, when the time comes, if it ever does, that she would find out about everything I had kept from her she would understand and somehow forgive me.

Pero maganda nang hindi na niya malaman pa.

Salamat na rin kay Armado, mukhang hindi na niya malalaman pa. Malaki ang nagastos ni Armado para iligaw si Isabella. Binayaran niya ang isang private investigator para magsinungaling sa anak ko. Sinabi ng private investigator na ito kay Isabella na ang mga taong matagal na niyang hinahanap ay wala na. Dekada nang namatay. Armado made up an elaborate story, complete with evidence---most were tampered, to make Isabella believe.

And Isabella did. Only she could not shake off the feeling something was not right.

Nang malaman niyang pumanaw na ang mga taong hinahanap niya ay agad siyang nagpunta sa libingan ng mga ito.

It was a lazy afternoon when she went to the graveyard. Nagtatago man sa ulap ang araw ay maaliwalas kapaligiran. There were dry flowers on some tombstones. Dead leaves were scattered all over.

She felt nothing, except for that lingering sadness she had always felt. As if there was a void in her chest. And no matter how she busied herself, it was there. For a while, when she met a man a few years ago it was filled. But only for a while.

All these years, she had lived to find herself. She thought, when she found the answers, she could finally be set free. But now she was there, right in front of the answers she had been looking for... And she felt the same. So empty.

She felt as if the gods were playing with her.

Ibinaba niya sa tapat ng tatlong lapida ang dala niyang bulaklak. Tumulo ang mga luha niya, subalit hindi para sa mga pumanaw, kundi para sa kanyang sarili.

Her psychiatrist adviced her to search for answers. Ang sabi nito ay makakatulong iyon sa kanya. Subalit hindi. Kung ganoon ay ano pa?

Habang sinusubukan niyang lunukin ang katotohanang iyon na lamang talaga ang kasagutan sa katanungan niya ay naghahanap naman ng kasagutan si Leticia De Dios.

A thousand miles from where Isabella was, Leticia De Dios was readying herself to confront my husband. She knew Armado killed her sister. Now she was a hundred and one percent sure of it, thanks to Alexandra's triplets who told her, very innocently, that they saw Armado put something inside Marcus' toolbox. And the whole Sweet Homes neighborhood knew what was discovered inside Marcus' toolbox---Leticia's sister's jewelries.

She knocked on Armado's door. She let herself in, not waiting for Armado's invitation.

"Let me fix us something to drink, Armado," she said.

"The kitchen's right over there," Armado said, trying to ignore the lump that formed in his throat.

Leticia calmly heated water and made them tea. She sat on a chair and laid photocopies of Gracia's diary on the table.

"I have the original somewhere safe. I am not as careless as my sister, you see."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Of course, you do." She smiled a bit. "You killed my sister. I want you to admit the crime you did. I have three very credible witnesses. I have hard evidence here. And I know Cecilia's secret."

Armado showed no emotion.

"The poker-face would have worked if your forehead isn't sweating, showing what a guilty murderer you are. Look at the papers. There's your motive, right there. I marked it."

"If you had this all along---"

"I needed something stronger. And I have it now. I understand you, of course, loving your wife as much as you did. That's why I want you to surrender by yourself."

Patlang.

"Alam ko ang iniisip mo, Armado. Ngayon pa lang, sinasabi ko na sa 'yo---'wag mong gagawin. Hindi ka makakatakas sa akin. Nandiyan lang si Isabella. Kayang-kaya kong sabihin sa kanya lahat ng bagay na itinago n'yo sa kanya."

"Paano mo---"

"Hindi ako tanga. It's not hard to put two and two together. Did you know I was the one with Isabella and Cecilia that night eighteen years ago? Poor child, out of her wits, her eyes bloodshot and wide open, telling me what happened---while her frail body was almost dying of the pain. I would never forget her. I would never forget what she said either. I know what happened to Roberto."

That was when Armado's body trembled and he broke down. "Please don't tell her anything. Please."

"Oh, I will. If you don't surrender."

"No, please. Cecilia died for that."

"Sa akin niya malalaman ang lahat kung tatakas ka at hindi susuko. I'm giving you three months, Armado. I know you need to fix a lot of things first---your business, your properties. Say goodbye to all those."

"No. Let me explain. Give me a chance to explain things to you. Please give me more time---"

"Did you give Gracia more time?" Tumayo na si Leticia at nagtungo sa sala. Tiningnan niya ang larawan ko doon. And then the urn on the shelf caught her eye. She looked at Armado. "That's a nice looking urn, Armado."

Armado didn't breathe a word. But it was useless. Leticia was an intelligent woman. She knew.

"I think that belongs to Isabella. Don't you?"

"Please, Leticia---"

"Three months, Armado."

She left. She went back to her sister's house that belonged to her now. Naroon na si AJ, ang kababata ni Isabella. Nakaempake na ang mga gamit nito. Nagpaalam na ito sa kanyang lilipat na sa ibang bahay.

She was happy for the young lady. Nakatagpo ito ng lalaking para dito. Somehow, though Isabella had not been a great part of her life, she wished she could find someone to love her as well.

But peace of mind was all she could give her soon---and that's only if Armado would not surrender himself to the authorities.

AJ said goodbye to her. She said PJ, her sister, had already moved out earlier that day.

Nagtuloy si Leticia sa kusina at kumuha ng tsokolate. Nagtungo siya sa bahay ni Alexandra. Naabutan niya ang tatlong witnesses niya sa labas ng bahay, naglalaro ng suntukan ang mga ito.

"You, boys, are very athletic," she said. Where's your mother?"

"She's inside, cooking."

Alexandra was inside, but she was not cooking. She was crying, regretting the day she decided to deceive her husband...