The Rancher's Soulmate

CHAPTER 2: Separate

When Iñigo graduated as Summa c*m Laude at the end of the school year, Teia had rarely seen him. And whenever he would visit the university once in a while, she would just see him from afar. She also rarely visited their beach vacation home which was near their farm. Her parents had become so busy with work while her bother had also started schooling. Thus, most of the time, she would be the one going home to their residence in Palamaine City, Missi. 

She still had no idea why she felt so drawn to Iñigo. Nevertheless, a relationship between the two of them would not happen.  He was on a serious relationship. There was no way that Iñigo would fall for her. He seemed to be a very righteous man. He also seemed to be devoted with his longtime girlfriend. A friend once told her that his relationship with his childhood friend started when they were still in high school.

Also she had no plans of getting a boyfriend while she was realizing her dream to be a veterinarian. She had no plans as well to act on her strong attraction towards Iñigo. She was not the type of lady who would do the first move. She was already contented to have him as her inspiration. The only one who knew that he was her college crush was her paternal cousin/best friend, Kerri, who was also studying in UF – Palay.

Just a few days after the graduation, Noreen with her parents arrived at the Bermudez’ household to confront Iñigo. They just found out that Noreen was pregnant and she didn’t want to inform Iñigo and insisted he would not take responsibility of the baby.

Tatay Manuel, Iñigo’s educated farmer father, pacified Noreen’s parents, “Let us all sit down first and talk calmly.”

Noreen’s parents listened.

Nanay Pilar, Iñigo’s public elementary school teacher mother, asked calmly, “What is really the matter?”

Noreen’s mother said, “Noreen is pregnant and told us that there was no way Iñigo will take responsibility of the baby.”

Iñigo was shocked, “You are pregnant! How? We have not even done it. I have always respected your dignity. I will definitely not take responsibility of such coz I am not the father of the baby you are carrying.” 

Noreen’s father got angry, “But you are her boyfriend. Who else will impregnate our daughter but you?”

Iñigo responded, “I have not dishonored you, Noreen. You better tell your parents the truth. There is no way I will accept a child of somebody else. Who impregnated you? Coz it is definitely not me.”

Noreen’s mother seconded, “Yeah, tell us the truth once and for all. Is Iñigo the father of that child your carrying or not?"

Noreen just cried, “Tay, Nay, I already told you we should not go here. Iñigo is telling the truth. He is not the one who impregnated me. I cheated on him because he was the ever so perfect gentleman.”

Noreen’s father got so angry he slapped Noreen’s face. “You are a flirt!”

Before any more untoward happened, Nanay Pilar told Noreen’s parents serenely, “You should all talk about it calmly. Hurting her will not  solve this problem. You should all go home and wait until she is ready to talk about the real father of the baby she is carrying.”

Noreen’s parents seemed to have realized the embarrassment they had done.

Noreen’s mother apologized, “Yeah, we are deeply sorry for the disturbance. We will go now.”

When their guests had left already, Iñigo’s parents talked to him.

Tatay Manuel asked, “You really have not ever had s*x with her? You’ve been together for years.”

Iñigo confessed, “I really did not, Tay.”

Nanay Pilar asked, “Why? Most people at your age are already doing it no matter how we the parents are reminding you to be careful.”

Iñigo responded, “It just did not feel right. At the course of our relationship, I had something at the back of my mind telling me that she is not the one. So even if she seems to be ready for more intimacy, I tried not to give in. I do not want to be trapped in a marriage just because I accidentally impregnated her. As you said Nay, abstinence is the best form of contraception.”

His mother agreed, “True.”

The following school year, Teia heard from among the close friends of Iñigo in CVM that he had won multi-millions in lottery. A few months thereafter, Iñigo topped the licensure examination for veterinarians.

Teia was not able to attend the congratulatory dinner that CVM bestowed upon Iñigo and the other graduated who passed the licensure examination for veterinarians. She had a doctor’s appointment on a specialist in Missi for her problem on her irregular menstruation.

Years passed by with them just seeing each other rarely from afar. Iñigo attended graduate studies and numerous short-term farming trainings. He realized the vision that had kept on zoning him out and that was to be surrounded by lots of animals and plants. He started purchasing all the undeveloped vacant lands near their farm and slowly turned it into a ranch where all the plants and animals would be organically grown. He busied himself realizing such vision and attending to his graduate studies.  

Within four years of hard work, Bermudez Ranch was already a multi-billion worth agricultural business enterprise occupying almost half of the entire town of Jinan.  The entire ranch was powered by biogas and solar energy. The biggest area of the ranch was devoted to cattle farming focusing on beef production, dairy production, and breeding. There was also a big area devoted to hog farming engaged in meat production and breeding. Another big part of the ranch was a goat farm involved in producing milk and other dairy products, meat and fiber as well as breeding. There was also a big part for his poultry farm engaged in egg production, meat production, and champion line game fowl breeding. The manure of the animals and plant wastes were used for the production of biogas and organic fertilizer. The area near the Cirabi Gulf was devoted to aquaculture involving fish farming, inland pond culture, and aquaponics. The rest  of the remaining area of the ranch was for the greenhouses, vegetable farm, flower farm, palm and pine tree farm, and fruit orchard.

His last purchases were done on the beachfront hilly property beside the Sierra Vacation Home, his office space and condominium unit in Palay City, his condominium unit in Palmaine City, and his personal vehicles including: two helicopters, a bigger private jet for his international travels, a smaller private aircraft for his local travels, a private yacht, two speedboats, and a few more land vehicles.

On a school break before Teia’s sixth/final year in veterinary medicine, she had encountered a very ardent suitor, Christopher Poe, a brother of her co-ramp model, Cassandra Poe.

Teia really did not like to have a boyfriend while she was not finished with her studies yet but after almost year of zealous pursuing characterized by grand gestures, sweet deeds and thoughtful surprises, Christopher was able to convince her to be his girlfriend.  She gave him her answer two months after her graduation.

Teia graduated as c*m Laude. Iñigo, who already finished his master’s degree in veterinary medicine and MBA and was also a self-made billionaire by turning their one hectare farm into a five thousand hectare ranch by that time, was the commencement speaker. He had already given his commencement speech and the graduates were already being called one by one to come up the stage and received their diplomas. However, due to a family emergency, he had to leave the commencement exercises before it ended. He had to rush to the hospital because her father got seriously hurt in a farm accident thus he wasn’t able to participate in giving of diplomas to the graduates from the College of Veterinary Medicine and a few more colleges.

Teia also ranked top 8 on the licensure examination for veterinarians a few months thereafter.

Just as she was about to start with her dream animal clinic in Palmaine City, her mother’s friends convinced her to join the Binibining Filipinas – International Pageant. She joined even if Christopher did not like the idea. She did it because her mother’s friends were begging her. Missi representatives on Binibining Filipinas – International Pageant had never won for so many years. Her   mother’s friends, who were in charge of screening Missi’s representatives to national beauty pageants, were also fashion designers who had hired her to wear their creations on a fashion spread. They were the same people who had recommended her for TV commercial, and print ads modeling. The large amount her parents had saved from all her TV commercials and modellings would be the money she would use in establishing her dream animal clinic. So, she decided it can wait until she was done with the pageant. 

Christopher asked her when she decided to join the pageant, “Why did you join, babe? We will not have much time for each other should you win.”

She answered, “There was no guarantee that I will win, babe. I am just expressing my debt of gratitude to Mom’s friends by joining the pageant. You know that my priority will always be my career as a veterinarian and my personal life. After I am done with this pageant, I will only be accepting a few modeling jobs. I will just focus on establishing my dream animal clinic. And then I will have more time for you, my family and myself.”

Christopher argued, “You really do not need to work, babe. I can provide for you."

Teia bantered, “You very well know that I will not ask or receive for any financial support from you. I am not yet your wife. And even if we ended up getting married, I still want to have my own earnings separate from yours.”

Christopher felt negatively about it, “So you are not sure that we’ll end up being married.”

Teia immediately responded, “That is not what I mean, babe. But only time can tell. We have not even passed an entire year for our relationship. We still have a lot of things to know about each other before we can think of marriage.”

Christopher stated, “Well, I am quite positive that I want you to be my wife. And I will prove to you that I am worthy to be your husband.”  

Meanwhile, the next thing Iñigo heard about Teia after the graduation was her ranking top 8 on the licensure examination for veterinarians.  And then she joined the Binibining Filipinas – International Pageant. When she won the beauty title, it was revealed that she already had a boyfriend by the name of Christopher Poe.

Then she won the Miss International 2016 title and had been busy travelling the world for her Miss International duties. She stayed mostly in Tokyo, Japan and just got home in the country for some magazine cover shoot or product endorsement and other official functions.  

There were also times when he was out of the country for some business trips around Asia that Teia would also be in that country, but they never met.

A modern eight bedroom beach house was already built on his beachfront property he had recently purchased. It was situated up the rocky hill overlooking the Gulf of Cirabi. From such house, he still had the chance to see Teia even from afar. The property had its own modern dock for his yacht and speedboats, watchtowers, swimming pool, spacious garden, stable, airstrip, and vast dry dock/hangar/garage for all his vehicles.

Then a month before Teia stepped down from her reign, Iñigo had encountered from a Sunday broadsheet – lifestyle section her wedding engagement to Christopher Poe.

His younger and only sister, Ingrid, was an avid fan of Teia. Ingrid had followed Teia in all her social media accounts. Ingrid did not seem to like Christopher Poe for her idol. His sister would often say on some videos of the two together that Christopher Poe did not seem to be the doting boyfriend.

Some of her sister’s words were –

I do not think that Teia’s fiancé is truly, madly, deeply in love with her. He does not look at Teia the way a man in love really does.

He did not even guide her as she went up the stairs.

Why does he still hang around with Louisse Barretto? It was quite obvious. That condescending socialite is still in love with him. Does Teia not even get jealous?

His personal reaction regarding Teia's relationship was – Why is she in such kind of relationship. If that man is not genuinely in love with her, can she not fathom it? Why does she not even get jealous with the other ladies her boyfriend is hanging around with? Is she that confident with his love for her? Does she fully trust him not to cheat on her? Why did I let the chance to pursue her just passed by? Why did I not have the courage to pursue her back then? Was it because I am afraid that she would just reject me the way she had rejected all of his suitors. Her top priority back then was her studies so she wasn't entertaining any suitors. I should have pursued her and just patiently waited for her to be ready. I should have acted on my deep attraction towards her. I could have already done such when my relationship with Noreen had ended. Why did I not act on it immediately? Now, she is already  a girlfriend of another man. It really hurts knowing such. Oh God! If she has even an ounce of doubt with her relationship with that man, then let her be free from her relationship with him. If I and Teia are really not mean to be happy together then please do not give me the vision of us being happy together anymore. Seeing her with another man is so painful.   

It was from Ingrid that he heard that Christopher Poe was not able to attend the Miss International 2017 Coronation Night but instead attended an ad campaign with his sister, Cassie Poe; his brother-in-law, Piolo Dantes; and his ex-girlfriend, Louisse Barretto. There were even some snaps wherein Teia’s fiancé was very chummy with his ex-girlfriend.

His sister’s reaction was –

I hope Teia changes her mind about marrying that man.

I bet that man is cheating on Teia.

Why does he even allow his ex-girlfriend to be so clingy on him? He’s already engaged to be married with Teia for Christ’s sake.

And he couldn't have agreed more. He also wished that Teia would change her mind about marrying Christopher Poe. If Teia was not really the one for him then why does he keep on having a vision of them being happy together? It was like his trances when he had that vision about being surrounded with animals and plants. It just stopped when he had already realized his ranch.

If ever Teia would not end up marrying Christopher Poe, he would definitely do everything to win her heart so they could be happy together. In his mind – God, if we are really meant to be, please let her be free from her fiancé. I already lost my chance in the past because I was in a relationship with Noreen. Please give me another chance. I know that the vision about the ranch was from You. I have already realized such vision. I believe that the vision about Teia and me happy together is also from You. Please guide me the way You had guide me in realizing the ranch. Please help me in realizing that vision of a happy life with Teia. I will do my best to love and cherish her. I will be a good husband to her and a good father to our future children. But these will not be realized if she will marry another man. If she is really not meant to be with Christopher Poe then please let her be free from him. If that man is really cheating on her then let her see it for herself so that she can break up with him. Please do not let her be with a man who will just cheat on her. Being cheated on is not a very nice feeling. I might not have deeply loved Noreen but it still hurt me when she cheated. Although what she did had given me back my freedom, I have been more cautious with ladies since then. Most of the ladies who approached me since I won the lottery was really not interested with me. They were more interested with the luxurious life that I will be able to provide. I believe that Teia was not that kind of lady. She has lived a privileged life with quite loving and capable parents and yet she remain a lady of humility and kindness. So please lead her not to marry that man if he  does not love her genuinely. But if he is really the one meant to be together with him then I will be willing to accept such.