SPINSTER'S PLANS GONE WRONG

CHAPTER 8: Yam's Plan, Reavealed!

Tatay Romeo, being the voice of reason, then said, "I can sense your sincerity. So let us do things your way. We will pretend as if we did not know what happened. Her dignity will still be saved whether or not she gets pregnant. I give you my permission to win over her stone-cold heart. She had been betrayed by her own sister and ex-fiancé. Do what you must. But just promise me that you will never ever break her heart."

Oliver then acknowledged, "I promise in the name of my dead mother that I will do no harm to Yam, sir. I will never ever break her heart."

Nanay Marina then asked, "So when are you starting to pursue her?"

Oliver responded, "I already started on the first night that we met, ma'am. She asked me to accompany her on her birthday and I did. I knew somehow along the way in our conversation that she somehow felt sad being alone. So we talked a lot. And as a gentleman, I even gave her a way out of her plan to spend a romantic night with me. But she was decisive. Only now have I come to know about her baby plan.Getting pregnant was her plan all along. But I won't allow any child of mine to be born out of wedlock. For now, I am sending her flowers and some gifts. She is occupied with work, needing her full concentration on the case, and I am still in the process of ridding our hospitals of incompetent medical practitioners. But once I am done with my tasks, I will show up again in front of her. Be assured that she will be well protected from now on. I will keep her safe at all times. I am fully aware of what happened in her past. I had already asked some security personnel to protect her from afar. I recently got an intelligence report that her ex had been covertly following her since the night we met. As to when he had started following her, it might probably be much earlier. So far, Atty. Carlos Medina had never approached her but they were about to meet again in the family court of Madison City. It might just be their usual professional rivalry, but I am not taking any chances on her safety. I encountered him last Tuesday because his family's firm was hired by my father for the legal service needs of the hospital. I do not like his way of dealing with that general surgeon who was sued for medical malpractice. He counseled me to cover up for the doctor. You have raised a wonderful daughter, and it will be my great honor and privilege to have her as my wife. She is a morally upright lawyer, unlike her ex."

Nanay Marina then vented, "What you said about Carlos is true. But sad to say, our other daughter is married to him. Even if she was not telling us anything about her marriage, we knew about her husband's extra-marital affair. She kept on telling us that she chose that kind of life so she would stand by it. Anyway, the Medinas will not allow their marriage to be annulled, because they got two male heirs from our daughter. They would rather cover up for Carlos' affair than have his marriage with our daughter annulled."

Oliver empathized, "I can understand your worries as a parent, ma'am. My mother had always wanted what was best for me. I was still easygoing back then when she was still alive, but when she died, I became very serious about my life. But my grandmother just allowed people to think that I was still that devil-may-care kind of guy in the eyes of other people, because we still do not know who our enemies are."

Mariam's mother then asked, "Will Yam's safety be compromised if she gets involved with you?"

Oliver stated, "Being a lawyer herself is a dangerous job already, ma'am. She will be up against the state senator now because she is defending his celebrity wife. She might have more enemies than I do. She is a very good lawyer, so more and more big-time clients are seeking her legal expertise. But please don't worry. As I said, I have already asked some of our well-trained security personnel to keep her safe at all cost. Her career gives her a sense of self-fulfillment, so we should just let her enjoy it but still be protective of her."

Tatay Romeo said, "Thank you for looking after the safety of our daughter, Oli. Our worries for her will lessen knowing that she now has a reliable man caring for her."

Oliver acknowledged, "Thank you very much for your trust, sir, ma'am."

After that, Mariam's parents had invited him to have dinner with them to share the food that he brought. Samuel, who was with him, also ate with them. Oliver even exchanged contact numbers with Mariam's parents, telling them to contact him if they had some medical concerns.

When Oliver had already left with his bodyguard, Mariam's parents then talked.

Nanay Marina asked, "Are you sure about entrusting our daughter to that rich guy?"

Tatay Romeo responded, "He is serious about our daughter, mahal. He would not have come here in the first place if he was a bad guy. He even swore in his dead mother's name. That speaks volumes. Nine years ago, news about his mother's tragic death was televised. And indeed, an angle of foul play had been mentioned but no proof had come out. I saw him on that news. Perhaps he was just in his mid 20s. He had just earned his physician's license. He was known before to be easygoing and he admitted it. He partied a lot. He is the Del Castillo Heir after all, so the local TV networks were following his misfits and writing about them. But when he left for the USA, the news of him participating in poker tournaments was the only one the local TV networks could report on. They also confirmed that he did not continue his surgical residency at Johns Hopkins. Only seven general surgical residents are being accepted in that number one medical school in the USA. Their elders will not let such an opportunity go to waste. He was even willing to show us all of his medical licenses. But I don't think it is important anymore. He cares for our daughter. I can sense it."

Nanay Marina then asked, "Did you not sense any ulterior motive?"

Tatay Romeo said, "I did not. He is as clear as water, unlike Carlos. For a very rich man, he humbles himself coming here to our residence. He even ate with us and used his hands too. He had been to several places affected by natural and manmade calamities, and armed conflicts. I think those experiences have humbled him even more. He also respects our daughter's career. Unlike the Medinas, who just want to take advantage of our daughter's achievement being included in the top ten bar examination passers. Oli's grandmother, Doña Ofelia Quirino, doesn't easily trust people. If she hires our daughter's firm, then she might have found our daughter to be trustworthy. A work agreement with Quirino Matriach and with Louisse Manzano could open up better opportunities for Yam's firm. They are attracting big-time clients already. Her decision to open up her small firm three years ago was indeed a much smarter move than becoming a junior associate at the law firm of the Medinas. She is also surrounded by trustworthy peers like Julie and Kat. The three of them have come a long way. And I am sure that it will even get better. With Oli's willingness to let her just enjoy her career, then her wings will not be clipped."

Nanay Marina then asked, "How about if she gets pregnant? Do you think that she will agree to marry Oli?"

Tatay Romeo said, "Oli is our daughter's match. It will surely be a battle of wits, but I think Oli will win in that matter because it will involve their child together. Our daughter will surely not want her child to be illegitimate if she has a better option, even if it was her original plan."

Nanay Marina voiced out,"How did she get herself involved with another rich man?!

Tatay Romeo said, "I don't even think our daughter knew Oli personally when they first met. He was just a random guy to her. Perhaps she did not even expect that she would have to meet him again and even be hired by his grandmother. It is her destiny, I think. Kat's grandmother is the best friend of Doña Ofelia. Doña Ofelia owns the Odessa Commercial Building where our daughter has an existing leased office space. They meet in the bar owned by Oli's cousin. That is a bar that our daughter and her peers hang out to every Friday night. He had just returned to the country while our daughter was feeling a little melancholic, turning 30 and still not married like her best friend Kat. They both somehow had the need to connect with somebody and they did. It just turned out that Oli was seriously interested in her, while our daughter might have seen such an opportunity as her means to have the baby she wants."

Nanay Marina said, "I am not too happy about it. But I think Yam might get married ahead of Martin. Martin and Bea are not rushing. They even rescheduled their wedding for the following year when she had already given birth. But Oliver Del Castillo is different. He did not want his child to be born out of wedlock. He got me there. Even if I have misgivings about him being a rich man, I admire his sense of duty and responsibility."

Tatay Romeo said, "At least Yam will be with a man who truly adores her. That guy is dead serious about our daughter. I can see myself in him when I was in my youth, and I decided to pursue you with the main goal of having you as my wife."

Nanay Marina called, "Yeah. I also remembered that you asked my parents' permission to pursue me with the hope of having me as your wife. I didn't like you at first, but your perseverance has won me over."

Tatay Romeo stated, "I think that Oli is also like that. He has spent nine years traveling the world to enhance his medical skills and serving patients. He even managed to play poker and win jackpot prizes as part of his ruse. He had carefully planned his career moves because he knew that he would eventually take over their family hospital. But his enemies had been made oblivious of his true achievements. I think that he also has already carefully planned ways of winning our daughter's heart."

Nanay Marina asked, "What do you think Oli's way will be?"

Tatay Romeo answered, "The old-fashioned ways of declaring his love, like doing good deeds to her, to her family and even her friends. Their physical attraction towards one another is already given, so he would stress more on showing his personality.

Nanay Marina said, "Well, he does not seem to have that air of arrogance like Carlos."

Tatay Romeo affirmed, "Yeah, that is very true. Oli is very humble. And the way he treats his bodyguard is like Samuel is a family. Samuel even casually calls him Oli or boss, but more often it will just be Oli. We don't even have to serve him, because he even helped us with setting the table. And he even volunteered to wash the dishes. Carlos would not ever do that. His nose is always high up in the air, very smug. I don't even know why our two daughters were attracted to him."

Nanay Marina said, "Well, he is handsome, neat, and a gentleman at first. He could also be sweet and thoughtful if he wanted to," and then asked, "Do you think Oli can only be good at first too?"

Tatay Romeo said, "He washed the dishes with ease and mastery. He ate using his hands comfortably and not awkwardly. He did not even want us to tell Yam that he had visited us. He was kind of worried that Yam might take it the wrong way. He seems to be a very down-the-earth kind of rich guy. So let us just hope that he will stay that way."

Nanay Marian sighed and wished, "Yeah, I really hope so."

On the other hand, Oliver and Samuel also talked on their way back to Floria City.

Samuel asked him, "How did you convince Mr. and Mrs. Acosta to let you pursue their eldest daughter?"

Oliver recounted, "They were adamant at first because I am rich like Carlos Medina. But I told them that I am very much different from him."

Samuel assumed, "So that is why you let them see that your capable of doing household chores like setting the table and doing the dishes."

Oliver admitted, "Yeah. And I have to thank you for that. You taught me how to do household chores when I was still taking my residency and during our travels."

Samuel reasoned out, "That is because you will only learn to appreciate the work that ordinary people do if you experience it. You were used to being served back then. Everything was spoonfed on you. When I left you for a month in the USA, the house was a mess when I returned. You did not even know how to put things back to where they were before. I am your bodyguard and not your nanny or housekeeper."

Oliver recalled, "So you let me do all the cleaning myself. You also taught me self-defense, so I can also protect myself even if you are not around."

Samuel said, "You are a good man, Oli. But being born with a silver spoon, you somehow lack the understanding of what real life is for ordinary people. You will not know what they actually feel unless you put yourself in their shoes. And somehow, I feel very proud that I became part of making you a much better man. You did not allow the planned coverup for that incompetent surgeon who killed a family man due to his negligence and ineffectiveness. You even extended them financial support from your own pocket."

Oliver stated, "Dad made a mistake hiring that surgeon just because he was the cousin of his second wife. Yes, he passed the Filipinas Board of Surgery, but he was easygoing. He had already committed several mistakes before. But luckily, he had not killed anyone yet. Dad just let it pass. But I am not Dad. I won't allow patients to die because the doctor did not do his best. As for the wife and son of the patient who died, I can see myself with that young lad when I lost Mom. I talked to him and asked about his studies. He said he was doing well and he wanted to become a doctor. But then he also voiced out to me his drive to avenge his father. His perspective of surgeons was shattered when his father became the victim of an incompetent one. So I told him that the best way to avenge his father was to become a better man than that surgeon. He should study hard, and be a doctor who does his best to save lives. I even told him that I would support his studies but he should not put justice in his own hands, that he should be strong for his mother. I did not ask them to drop their charges against the hospital and the surgeon. However, they dropped the charge against the hospital but not the charge against the surgeon."

Samuel acknowledged, "Yeah, and you also asked a few of our men to watch over them and protect them. The last time I heard was that their lawyer was being bribed by the opposing party."

Oliver immediately said, "Then refer them to Yam."

Samuel stated, "Your grandmother already did. Atty. Kathleen Dy would personally represent them with your lady love as the supporting lawyer. They had it as a pro bono case."

Oliver remarked, "Who would have thought that Kat Dy would be a lawyer?! She was then just a pampered princess of the Dys, being the only daughter among four offspring of her parents. She is even Yam's best friend."

Samuel stated, "Miss Kat wanted to carve her own name in the legal system. She is doing very well with your ladylove. She handles most of their pro bono cases and Miss Yam will often be the supporting lawyer. They had all won their pro bono cases."

Oliver stated, "Yeah, I read all the results of the comprehensive background check on her. Yam has always been a high-achiever, but she has remained grounded. That could be the reason why her younger sister is envious of her, to the point that she stole Yam's fiancé. Yam has often been the center of adulation of their relatives because of her achievements," then he ordered, "I want you to assign men to closely watch her and her husband. I do not have a very good feeling about them. The ex's ego is being deflated because Yam always wins against him in the court. The sister is full of envious feelings. Both of them could possibly harm Yam."

Samuel acknowledged, "Yes, I will assign some of our men to do that. With you around again, all of them are happy that they will not be idle that much anymore. After years of training, they are all now very eager to be of service."

Oliver admitted, "I also did not expect that we would be able to deploy all of them. At first, when you and Lola told me about it, I was uncertain that we might need them all."

Samuel stated, "Well, we need to be ready for the worst-case scenario. As doctors usually say, prevention is better than cure."