SPINSTER'S PLANS GONE WRONG

CHAPTER 9: Yam, Confronted

August 31, 2018. Friday. Mariam and Dexter had already filed the petition for nullity of marriage in the family court of Madison City. Carlos had taken such an opportunity to approach and confront them.

Carlos had demanded, "Can you leave us for a while, Dexter?"

Dexter stood his ground, "No way. You are not my boss anymore, Carlos. You cannot simply order me around anymore. The mere fact that I am still allowing you to talk to us is just my courtesy due to the many years of friendship we had that you had just simply thrown away."

"Then you might as well stay," Carlos then said, ""I just want to talk to her about her pro bono case."

Mariam said, "I am not the head counsel in that case, Atty. Medina. So you should better talk to the head of our legal services department in our firm. But I bet you will never talk to Atty. Kathleen Dy because you want our firm not to handle that case against your father's cousin. Am I right?"

Carlos debated, "You are the boss of that firm and you always have the final say."

Mariam responded, "That is where you are wrong, Atty. Medina. Because in our firm, the client has the final say whether or not it is a pro bono case. We follow the wish of our clients without violating any law or applying any underhand tactics. And as the boss of our firm, I made it a rule not to turn down any client. As for our pro bono cases, we defend the defenseless and the moneyless. I do not care if that surgeon is related to you or not, Atty. Medina. He killed someone due to his imcompetence. The fact finding committee of the hospital has already forwarded to us the results of their investigation upon our request. There is no way you can cover this up even if you paid their former lawyer to drop the case."

Carlos denied it, "I did not pay anyone."

Mariam said, "Then it could be someone else. The point is, our firm accepted the case, so there is no way we will abandon our client."

Carlos then declared, "The Quirinos are just using you against us."

Mariam was shocked, "How can the Quirinos be involved in this, Atty. Medina? Doña Ofelia Quirino is an esteemed client of our firm. So please do not include her in this. She did not even mention anything about this case when I met her yesterday."

Carlos said, "Oliver Del Castillo is behind this. He wants my uncle ruined. You were with him last Monday. What have you talked about?"

She was surprised, "So you are having me followed now. Does your wife even know about it? Oh, of course, she does not, because you spend most of your time with your mistress. Anyway, I do not owe you an explanation about all the people I randomly encounter. So, even if I randomly encounter the President of the country, it is none of your damn business. As for your uncle being ruined, he did that to himself. A family man died because of his incompetence. Can your uncle still get that family man's life back?"

Carlos did not want to divulge more about the issue about Oliver Del Castillo with Dexter around, "Then at least, please tell them to amicably settle."

Dexter said, "My wife gave them that other option, but they still wanted to go on with the case. So we do respect their decision. If you have no other concerns, then please let us pass. We still have a lot of work to do back at the office."

Carlos let them pass.

Carlos was then thinking - What is your relationship with Oliver Del Castillo, Yam? You talked to him at the bar last Monday, and you also left together. I saw you ride his car. But then I lost track of that car, so I was not able to see where it went. Was it just indeed a random encounter? How did your firm end up working for Doña Ofelia? Louisse Manzano even personally asked you to represent her in this annulment case against our client. What is your tactic now? How can you prove a bigamous marriage or psychological incapacity?

As the Los Lillia Senator received the copy of the petition for nullity of marriage from his wife, he immediately contacted Carlos. Carlos had immediately met the senator at the latter's residence.

As Carlos saw the copy of the petition, he was surprised, "They are filing for nullity rather than annulment because your first wife is still alive and you even have a son with her that you support financially?! We filed a declaration of presumptive death when you were about to marry that fiancee of yours prior to Louisse Manzano. When did you find out that your first wife was still alive then?"

The Seanator answered, "After the declaration of presumptive death has been approved. Months after that, I think."

Carlos said, "Your marriage with Louisse Manzano is indeed invalid, senator. You even committed fraud," and then asked, "So what do you want us to do?"

The Senator said, "I do not want to contest it anymore. Yes, I am guilty of fraud and our marriage is invalid to begin with. Just make some arrangements so I can still see my son and my daughter with Louisse."

Carlos needed confirmation, "Are you sure about this?"

The senator answered, "Yes, the faster this case is finished, then the faster Louisse and I can move forward with our lives."

Carlos then said, "Then we will do as you wish."

But in his mind - You are indeed very good, Yam! All the while, I thought that I had the upper hand in this case. Psychological incapacity is hard to prove in any annulment case. But you have all managed to discover the fraud leading to a bigamous marriage. So you go for nullity of the marriage, which is a sure win! There is no way for this to be covered up. Even my client knows that. I should not have let you go, Yam. I should not have succumbed to temptation. And now, you might even be having a relationship with Oliver Del Castillo. He is an obstacle to Jonas' bright future in Prime Care. He did not even bother to save my uncle from that malpractice case. Instead, he decided for his immediate dismissal. He should have just stayed gallivanting for the rest of his life. Why did he have to return and take his place as a member of the Board of Directors? He is just an ordinary physician, while Jonas is an esteemed cardiothoracic surgeon. Why does Oliver have to be the Acting CEO? What is so good about him? Why were you with him last Monday night, Yam? Where did the two of you go after you left the bar together? You do not deserve to be happy with any other man, Yam. You ruined my life! I was forced to marry your sister because you broke up with me and called off our wedding. You did not believe me when I explained to you that it was your sister who seduced me. I don't love her. You are the one I love. Yes, I was not strong enough to resist the temptation, but if you were not too conservative about pre-marital s*x, I would not even be tempted to seek another woman's warmth. You led me into doing it because of your conservative outlook! We were already engaged to be married but you still did not allow us to have penetrative s*x. I am just a man and I was not strong enough to resist your sister.

On the other hand, when Mariam and Dexter reached the office, their client for the pro bono case was around. Mariam had wished to talk to them in private in Kathleen's presence as well.

Mariam said, "The lawyer of the surgeon approached me this morning in the family court claiming that the Quirinos are behind you for this case," and then she asked, "How true is this?"

The wife answered, "I do not know of any Quirino, Atty. Acosta."

Then Mariam asked, "Does the Acting CEO of Prime Care contact you?"

The son replied, "He visited the wake of my father, personally apologizing for what happened to my father at the hands of that surgeon. He said that he did not come there to ask us to drop the charges against the hospital and the surgeon. He just simply wanted to express his condolences, because, like me, he also lost a parent nine years ago and the doctors were not able to save his mother. I told him I wanted revenge and then he advised me not to take the law into my own hands. But he advised me just to be strong for my mother, for he would surely not turn a blind eye to that surgeon if he indeed committed medical malpractice. He also advised me not to lose hope in doctors because not all of them are like that surgeon. I want to be a doctor someday, but because of what happened to my father, I am already having second thoughts about whether to pursue such a dream of mine or not. But he told me that I should keep on persevering because the best revenge is to prove that I am a better man than that surgeon who killed my father. He even told me that if I still wanted to pursue medicine, then he would help me out financially through a scholarship."

Her next question was, "Why did you drop the case against the hospital?"

The mother said, "The CEO had humbled himself to apologize to us even if he is not a fault. The top management also created a fact-finding committee to investigate the malpractice case and they released the results to us prior to the official statement of Dr. Oliver Del Castillo last Tuesday. The hospital reimbursed us with the p*****t we had for my husband's operation. Doc Oli had also personally given us financial help for the funeral cost from his own pocket. We didn't want to accept it but he insisted. He even provided some of his security personnel to watch over our safety just in case some people tried to threaten or harm us, just so we would drop the case. But that surgeon never even apologized to us. They just want to pay us to drop the charges against him."

Then she inquired, "Who referred you to our firm when your lawyer did not want to represent you anymore?"

The wife showed the light blue business card, which was the color of the business cards that she gave to their clients or prospective clients. She remembered that she gave one to Oliver Del Castillo and she also gave one to Doña Ofelia, and then said, "The security personnel Doc Oli assigned to us gave me that card."

Kathleen said, "It is the color is light blue. So the card came from you, Atty. Yam."

Mariam was thinking - Are you simply helping this family, Oli? Or do you have any hidden agenda? Are you at war with the Medinas? Your stepmother is a Medina. Could she be behind your mother's death? Are you using me for your revenge? I hope not. I hope that you are just helping this family. You even advised the boy not to take the law in his own hands, pursue his dream of being a doctor, and be a better man than that incompetent surgeon. That was so nice of you if you are not doing this for revenge.

Marian said, "That is all I need to know. We just need to be ready with all the possibilities that the other party might throw at us."

The wife asked, "Will Doc Oli's name be dragged in our case? Should we return the donation he gave us?"

Kathleen then said, "It will just be a possibility that his name will be dragged in the case, ma'am. There are people who are against him taking the CEO position of the hospital corporation even if he got it fair and square. As an individual, he just empathized with your family. As the CEO, he acted based on the results of the investigation of the fact-finding committee. He is a righteous man despite the smear campaign regarding him. Just keep the financial help he gave you for now. He gave such out of the goodness of his heart. But if it becomes an issue, then we can just return it to him. I am sure that he won't mind if it will help your case."

The son then asked, "Is he indeed a good man?"

Kathleen answered, "He is. Even when he was still younger, he would usually help out the victims. He had just returned to the country after nine years of sabbatical leave. And the first thing on his agenda as a CEO is to rid all of their hospitals of incompetent medical practitioners. What he said during his official statement last Tuesday comes from his heart. His elders founded the hospital with the main goal of giving the best possible health care and medical treatment to all of their patients. So he is adhering to that as a doctor himself."

The son remarked, "I want to be like him. But I heard some people questioning his abilities as a doctor because he is but a general physician and they said that he had not practiced much."

Mariam then said, "News and hearsay could be deceiving. So, in order to know what is true, we must have proof. It is like in dealing with your case, we will stay with the facts backed up by evidence."

Mariam could not help but think - How did he enhance his medical skills with the nine years that had passed? Mamu did not divulge much about what he had really done for the past nine years to us yesterday. Did he practice medicine while he was away? Did he take his residency? Why am I so interested in knowing more about him? Why do I feel that he is somehow being judged unfairly by some people? Kathleen knew him even in the past. If she says he is a good man, then he is. She was one of those few people who told me before that Carlos was not the person I perceived him to be. But she did not say why. It was only later on when I realized Carlos' true colors that she told me that she knew his family was treating people unfairly and taking advantage of people but dropping them if they have no need of them anymore. Carlos was not able to do that to me because my sister tried to seduce him and he was not strong enough to resist her. For me, it only meant that his love for me was not strong. And now, he is even having a mistress despite being married to my sister. Somehow, I feel sorry for Margot, but she chose that path and she had to just swallow her pride for her two sons. She has actually saved me from having such a kind of married life with Carlos. He is now second in command to his father at their law firm. They won a lot of cases using not so honorable means. I do not like that kind of law practice. Dexter, his own best friend, was not even exempted from those people that they used and then discarded. And why does he seem to be following me? Why did he know that I was with Oli? How much did he know?

Before lunch time, a lunch package had been delivered to Mariam. The food came from the popular fine dining restaurant in Floria City. It came again with a message saying -

Yam,

Don't forget to eat even if you are too busy with your work. I am looking forward to seeing you again, my queen.

Your King.

In her mind - This is the same handwriting as before. Could it really be from Oli? Is he in Floria City now? According to Mamu, he has been visiting all their hospitals around the state. Will our paths ever cross again? Anyway, why is Carlos accusing the Quirinos of using me and being against them? Oli is also a Quirino. Are the Medinas and the Quirinos in some kind of a feud? Oh Oli! I just slept with you and now my ex is already insinuating that you are using me. But why did you approach me that night? Were you not just flirting with me? Do you have any ulterior motive? The s*x was definitely consensual. I was even the one who hinted at it because of my baby plan. But did you approach me because of a revenge plan you have for the Medinas? I do not have any grudge towards the Medinas. I am merely doing my job. It just happened that clients against clients represented by them are seeking our legal services. Wait! Could Carlos be thinking that I have a romantic relationship with Oli? And what if I have? It is none of his business. I am single and free to date whomever I want. I can also sleep with any man I want. Don't tell me that he still has feelings for me! That is definitely absurd! He already has a wife and even has a mistress. Oh, I almost forgot! He does not know how it is to truly love someone. I did love him in the past. But what did he do? He slept with my sister! He was capable of infidelity. So, it was not true love that he felt for me. Not marrying him is the best decision I made in my life other than deciding to establish my own small accounting and law firm with Kat and Julie three years ago.