FATED

PROLOGUE

Regina San Carlos, was from a wealthy business/political clan in the State of Ilid, a state in the east area of the country known for its rich aquatic resources and hydroelectric power plants as well as shipping lines. Her family owns the electric power distribution company that provides  electricity to the entire State of Ilid.

Regina San Carlos was just eighteen years old when she got pregnant. She was a liberated type of lady who loves partying and hanging out with friends. In an eighteenth yacht birthday party of a friend, she had an unprotected one-night stand with a very handsome man in his late 20s or early 30s that lead to her pregnancy. She did not even know the man. 

Because of such unexpected pregnancy at a young age, her parents had this decision for her unborn child. 

Amador San Carlos told her daughter, “No one should know about this pregnancy. As soon as the school year ends, then you will not enroll yet until your baby is born. You and your sister-in-law will have to stay in our rest house in Branei Island. We will make it appear that your brother and her wife are the biological parents of your baby.” 

Regina asked her father, “Did Kuya Arman and Ate Brenda even agree on this? They already have two sons and one daughter.” 

Rosario San Carlos, her obstetrician mother, answered, “We already talked to Arman and Brenda. They already agreed on this matter. You can start anew after delivering the baby."  

Regina then insisted, “Why can you not just agree for me to terminate this pregnancy? Yes, I am at fault for being stupid and making myself pregnant.”

Her mother said, “What you are saying is killing a life, Regina! Do you not even fear God with what you are thinking? We cannot correct a mistake with another mistake. You will have this baby whether you like it or not. Arman and Brenda will be your baby’s parents.”

On the other hand, Arman and Brenda were having this conversation at their residence located at the San Carlos Compound.

Brenda asked her husband, “Why did you agree for us to be the biological parents of your sister’s bastard child? We already have three children.”

Arman told his wife, “I am the oldest son, mahal. Regina’s pregnancy will be a big scandal once it became known publicly. It will not be good to Papa’s political career. You and Regina will have to stay at our rest house in Branei Island. You can bring along our sons and daughter. Mama will visit every month to monitor Regina’s pregnancy. You need to make sure that she will not do anything despicable just to lose the baby. She wants the baby aborted. That will be an even greater scandal for the family if our Papa’s political rivals discovered it. I will also be staying there most of the time overseeing the family’s fishing business from time to time. Once Regina gives birth to her baby then we can all return here in the capital. By then our twin sons will start kindergarten.”

Brenda responded, “Do I have any other choice? Clearly, you have already agreed on the setup. I am already finding it very difficult to take care of our three children then we will have another one.”

Arman tried to convince his wife, “We can always get nannies for the kids to help you out but you keep on insisting to take care of them. We can get a nanny for Regina’s baby if you don’t want to take care of the baby personally but Regina’s child must grow up knowing no other parents but us.”

Brenda had agreed out of her love for her husband. So every time she had to go out, she had to wear a fake baby bump just to appear that she really had a third pregnancy while Regina was not allowed to come out of the premises of their rest house. 

Regina had eventually grown attached to the idea of having her baby. She did not like the idea that her baby would be raised by her brother and her sister-in-law anymore. But she knew that her parents would not allow her to keep her baby as he own. She just need to stay as an aunt to her own child to avoid any scandal. 

Whenever her friends would ask regarding her whereabouts, her parents would just say that she had taken a long vacation with her aunt in Australia and might already consider studying there.     

February 29, 1996. Thursday. Queenie San Carlos was born and orphaned at the same time. Her mother, Regina died, from a pregnancy complication just a few hours after she was born. 

Arman and Brenda had accepted Queenie into their family.

At the same day, Brent, a boy eight years of age, was orphaned as well. He was with his parents in a freak car accident that ended their lives. He miraculously survived.

He had no other relatives. So his godfather, Julian Crisostomo, a businessman, adopted him along with his wife, Divina. Divina is from a wealthy family owning a shipping line in Calginne City, the capital of the State of Ilid. 

Julian Crisostomo used to work as a junior executive at the shipping line of his wife’s family. Bust just a few months into their marriage, they found out that Divina could never ever get pregnant. 

Upon knowing such, Julian became so heart broken. He loved his wife but then the thought of not having a child had pained his heart. He attended the eighteenth birthday yacht party of his wife’s cousin that night. When a young lady had flirted with her, they decided to leave the party and hooked up in his car. 

He had other one-night stand affairs after such with random ladies. When his wife found out about such, she was also heart broken. 

Divina told her husband, “I might be barren but am I not capable of satisfying you in bed anymore that you had to have random hookups with a lot of women? You have changed when you found out that I cannot have a child. Don’t you love me anymore? I am willing to set you free rather than being cheated over and over again.” 

Julian loved his wife and so it hit him when she asked him of such. He knelt down in from of his wife and asked for her forgiveness, “Please forgive me. I have forgotten of our wedding vows for quite some time.  Knowing that we cannot have a child just pained me so much. I still love you.” 

Divina responded, “Don’t you think that such pained me even more? I want us to have lots of children but then I am not capable of giving you even one.” 

Julian asked again, “So please forgive me. Let us start anew. I will never ever be unfaithful to you again. We can adopt if you want.” 

Divina had given her husband another chance, “Okay, I will give you another chance. And yes, we may adopt a child or two.” 

And so when Brent was orphaned, Julian and Divina decided to adopt him. They had already adopted a newly born abandoned baby girl a few months back. But since Brent had no one else to depend on after the death of his parents, they also decided to take him as their own. It was Divina’s idea to legally adopt Brent. 

Divina told her husband during the wake of Brent’s parents, “Brent had no living relatives except you. His grandparents adopted you when you had been orphaned. I think we should legally adopt him.

Julian knew his wife to be very kind and generous. Her magnanimous personality was one of the major reasons he fell in love with her. At such time, he was touched even more by her wife’s kindness. He responded, “I am just about to ask you if we can take him. Bernardo’s lawyer had already talked to me confirming that I am the designated legal guardian of Brent should this unfaithful event happen. Bernardo had been my friend since we were kids. As an orphan myself, his parents had taken me in when my relatives had abandoned me after taking all of my parents’ fortune. They didn’t have much back then but they still adopted me. Brent only  has me now. So thank you for considering the adoption.” 

Divina further said, “We already have Bernadette as our daughter. Then we can have Brent as our son. My parents might have disinherited me for accepting you back but you have managed to establish your own business and provide for our family. Our family will be more complete now with Brent as our son.” 

Julian responded, “I'm really so lucky for having you as my wife. Rest assured that I will work even harder to provide for our family.” 

Divina said, “I don't need all the luxury in life that my parents had provided me over the years. I'm now even much happier getting free from their control. We might not have much but that is not important. I'm just happy being with you.” 

Julian replied, “And I'm also  very happy with our life now away from the control of your parents, darling. I'll ask Bernardo's lawyer to process the adoption papers of Brent. As for the fortune which his parents left him, he could have such when he reached the legal age. It isn'tt that much, but at least he will still have something from his parents. It includes their house and lot which we can rented out to help us support him financially should we face some financial difficulty, some life insurance benefits and a trust fund that he can access when he reached the age of twenty-five. "

Divina agreed, "Yes. We can do such. Or we can just save the rentals and the insurance benefits as his personal savings."

Julian responded, "Yes."

Years had passed by, Brent and Bernadette grew up as siblings  Brent had been a very protective brother to his adoptive sister, and a dutiful and filial son to his adoptive parents, while Queenie grew up knowing that she is the youngest offspring of Arman and Brenda San Carlos.

Bernadette had come to realize that she was not the biological offspring of her parents because of the family of her adoptive mother while  Queenie had never known that she was not biological offspring of their parents. Nevertheless, Bernadette and Queenie had been the best of friends since they started kindergarten as classmates. 

Of course, Brent knew that he was just adopted. He knew that his godfather/uncle and his wife had just adopted him. He still remained a Crisostomo, with his godfather/uncle being and adopted son of his grandparents. As he grew up, he had also been aware that his adoptive parents were saving money for him.

The import/export business of his adoptive father had faced many financial setbacks but despite such, they still hadn't spend the money that they had saved for him. At the age of eighteen, when he was already able to access the bank account, he told his adoptive parents.

"Pa, Ma, we can use the money you have save for me as backup capital for our business."

His adoptive father's response was, "Just use such money on your college education, Brent. The business might not be doing very well but we are still earning more than enough. Just focus on your studies for now. Be wise in spending your money."

He answered, "Yes, Pa. I will just spend on my college education. So you don't have to support me financially anymore. I can also help out in our business during weekends and school breaks."

His adoptive mother said, "Do not mind about the family business for now, son. Your father and I just want you to focus on your education. Use your intelligence and the fortune your parents had left for productive endeavors in the future."

He responded, "I will do that, Ma. I promise to give you and Pa a more comfortable life. You both have sacrificed so much for our family. Ma, I will give you back the luxurious life you had enjoyed in the past. Pa, when I am already earning, you don't have to work anymore for our family. I will support Bern's education. I will give our family a much more comfortable life."

Julian told his adoptive son, "Your mother had turned her back on her rich family just to be with me and so that we can have our own happy family with you and Bern. We might not be rich but we have more than enough even if we are having some financial setbacks in our family business every now and then."

Divina added, "I have never regretted leaving that luxurious life behind, Brent, coz I got to have your father, you and Bern. I don't need all the luxuries in life if I am not with the people I love. Your father, you and Bern our my three most priceless treasures. Seeing you and Bern finished your college education will give your father and I immense happiness. Education is the best legacy we can provide to you and Bern. Such education will both equip you to survive in this world with or without us anymore."

Brent told his adoptive parents, "I will do well in school, Pa, Ma. Thank you very much for all the love and support you have bestowed upon me."

Julian told his adoptive son, "You and Bren had completed our family. I also owe you biological family so much. When I was orphaned your grandparents had took me in as well. Your father had been like a real brother to me. They had treated me as their own family member even if they did not have much when my relatives had exhausted all the fortune that my parents had left behind.  You are my godson even before you had been our adoptive son. And we are really proud of what you have become."

Divina stated further, "Who will not be proud as parents for having a son who has been a consisted top student in his class? We might not be your biological parents but you have always been a very loving and kind son to us. So just continue reaching for your dreams not for us but for yourself. You have a very bright future ahead of you with such exemplary intelligence and good heart. Stay humble and kind even if you already became a very rich man in the future."

Brent had decided to take up Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics major in Actuarial Science in University of Filipinas – Vienburg. He graduated with the highest Latin honor as Summa c*m Laude. He also topped every actuarial examination that he had taken to be a fully certified actuary. He landed a high paying job  as a Financial Analyst in multinational insurance corporation based in the State of Missi. For such he was able to support Bernadette's college education when she decided to take up  Journalism along with her best friend Queenie San Carlos in the most prestigious private university in the country, Athenaeum de Missi University, which is located in Maunni City at the State of Missi.

But at the age of twenty-eight, his adoptive father had fallen ill. Daddy Julian had a stroke. Their import export business was then doing very well because of his business expertise which he had often provided to his adoptive father so their family business will be successful.

He then decided to resigned from his job and just provide freelance actuarial services on different companies while he managed their family business. It was the only way he could think of to retain their family business, whom his adoptive parents had spent years on. It was also a way for him to spend more time with his adoptive parents who had shown him nothing but love since they adopted him. That way, his adoptive mother was able to focus on taking care of his adoptive father and their family while he worked very hard for their family business and his own professional actuary services, which he later on turned into an actuarial firm.  

After a year, he had already been a multimillionaire. He had established their family business as a stable and prestigious export and import business enterprise in the country. His actuarial  firm had also served several large corporations in the country. With both businesses doing very well, he had been already made himself a self-made billionaire after another year.

Rich families in the State of Ilid had then approached his adoptive parents for blind dating. For all the years that had passed, Brent had never focused on anything but his career. He might have already someone in his heart but his man focus had always been to be successful in his career and be a rich man so that he will be able to marry into the rich and powerful family of the lady he had fallen in love with.

His adoptive sister had just graduated from her journalism degree with the Latin honor of c*m Laude when his adoptive mother told him, "Brent, you are aware that several rich families approached me already to have their daughters matched with you. Yet, you have not agreed on one. Brenda San Carlos has approached me, they are also considering you to marry their daughter."