THE NOMINAL WIFE

CHAPTER 7: Their Pain

On the other hand, Gerard and Natasha had an argument as they boarded their car after parting ways with Voltaire, Iryn and Wallace.

Natasha expressed her disappointment, "You really even bragged of meeting Winona several times at her clinic. Were you jealous that she had already found someone new?"

Gerard denied it, "Why should I be jealous? I married you and you are now pregnant with our baby. I haven't seen her ever, after I broke up with her last May up until today. She is nothing to me already, babe. I dumped her and chose you. Is it not still enough for you? What else must I do just to prove to you of my love?"

Natasha then softened up. She leaned towards her husband and hold on to his right arm, "I am sorry, babe. But you still had ten years with her. "

Gerard said, "But the rest of my present and future will be with you. Just focus on your health and that of our baby. I am yours until the last day of my life."

Natasha childishly requested, "Don't you ever talk to her again?'

Gerard said, "I had not seen her or talked to her since we ended things between us. This morning was the first time I had seen her again after so many months. I didn't even talk to her. I talked to her boyfriend."

Natasha then commented, "Voltaire seems to be very serious about her. She is the first lady he dated after the death of his wife even if his elders were already lining up upper class socialites as his second wife. If Voltaire marries her, your ex will be very rich."

Gerard responded, "Let us just not talk about them." But in his mind – You are a hypocrite, Iryn. You had criticized me of giving up our ten-year relationship because of my selfish ambition to be married into a rich family but here you are dating a very rich man as well. You even chose a bigger fish. And he seems to be so much into you. You dressed up like you're just his maid this morning but he took great pride of announcing that the two of you are dating. His son, who had been mute for more than a year, seems to adore you as well. He is even calling you Mommy. Why do you always have to outlast me in everything? Even when we were just college students, your grades were higher than mine. You even managed to synchronize working at the HR department of STU and pursuing your masters degree along side with being a psychometrician all with flying colors while I struggled in Law School. You even got hired as part-time psychology professor in several prestigious universities here at Missi while you were pursuing your doctoral degree in psychology. So you had spent less and less time with me. You haven been able to reach for your dream of having your own psychological clinic. But you had neglected me. It was your fault that I had chosen to look for somebody else. My only fault was that I did not break things up with you much earlier.

When Iryn went home that late afternoon, Grace, who lives in the same building, had immediately come over to her place.

Grace immediately asked her, "Ivy told me that you are dating Winona's husband when I visited her for lunch. She seems to be very happy for you. Is it true?"

She told her the truth, "He lied to my sister. He also lied to Gerard and his wife."

Grace was confused, "I don't get it, girl. Please tell the juicy details. I am all ears."

Iryn then spoke, "Winona's son is that child with PTSD that Dr. Dy wants me to accommodate. He spoke for the very first time after the accident when he saw me and then he keeps on calling me Mommy. It is the reason why called you up this morning and asked you to accommodate him in our preschool. Winona's son needs us now more than ever, Grace."

Grace then asked, "What about Ivy?"

Iryn said, "I already told her that I will raise her child as my own and have her pregnancy completely a secret from everyone except us, Dr. Dy and Voltaire."

Grace was surprised, "So what does Winona's husband get to do with it?"

Iryn divulged, "He overhead my plans about Ivy about covering up her pregnancy and making it appear that I am the one pregnant and not her. Ivy also panicked upon seeing him and Wallace. Ivy is possibly pregnant with Shawn child. But it seems that she also had a one night stand with Vitto Lauchengco. Voltaire had come to know everything and warned me that my sister could be in danger once his stepmother and Shawn's family discovered about Ivy's pregnancy. He also rescued me from an awkward situation when we suddenly encountered Gerard and his wife at the elevator this morning. Wallace cried because Gerard's wife kind of slightly pinch his face. Wallace reached out to me again calling me Mommy over and over again."

Grace reacted, "I bet that douchebag was shocked."

Iryn confirmed, "He was. But then he asked if I was Wallace child psychologist and why Wallace is calling me Mommy. Voltaire responded by telling that we are dating. We then had gone an executive suite in Elysium Hotel just the three of us for a very private lunch. He provided me with this outfit I am wearing now. He seemed to have sensed me fidgeting when I saw Gerard and his wife. After taking a shower we had lunch and then he offered me a proposal that I cannot refuse."

Grace was very curious, "What proposal?"

She told her best friend, "He asked me to be his nominal wife and be a second mother to Wallace. In return, he will help me out in covering up Ivy's pregnancy and we will raise her child as our own together as a married couple."

Grace was shocked, "What?!"

Iryn –confirmed it, "You heard it right. I will marry Winona's husband the soonest possible time. He will not interfere with my work. I can still go on as usual with all my duties and responsibilities at the clinic, at the daycare center, and at the preschool. I will just be his wife in name. It is way much better than being a single mother. Ivy's child will have a much better family environment with us as a married couple. I also don't have to wallow on self-pity whenever I see Gerard and his wife."

Grace knew how hurt Iryn was about her breakup with Gerard. Her best friend trusted that cheating jerk and dumped her humiliatingly. So, she then stated, "Then you will have my full support."

She expressed her utmost gratitude to her best friend, "Thank you very much, girl."

Grace responded, "Anything for you, girl."

Her smartphone suddenly sounded. She received a message from an anonymous sender in the messaging app she was using stating – This is Voltaire, Iryn. Wallace just woke up from his nap and he won't stop crying. He is looking for you. Can we have a video call?

She accepted the friend request and then responded with – Okay. I will call you.

She pressed the video call button and the crying Wallace appeared on the screen with his father calmly talking to his son, "Mommy will now be calling, son. She just went to the hospital for a while."

She decided to speak – Bubba, Mommy is here now. Please stop crying

And so Wallace immediately stopped crying and then said – Mommy, come here

She responded with – I cannot come home yet, Bubba. Mommy will still attend the mass then go back to the hospital. Be a good boy and listen to Daddy, okay?

But the child insisted –I want Mommy.

He then decided –Then we will go to the mass and be with Mommy. There are a lot of people there. Will you still want Mommy?

Surprising Wallace said – Yes.

So he told his son – Then say bye to Mommy for now, Wallace. So we can prepare for the mass.

Wallace heeded to his father's instruction – Bye, Mommy

Then Wallace disappeared on the screen.

She asked – Where did he go?

Voltaire answered – Yaya Guada just arrived with a few change of clothes for us. We will be staying for the night here so Wallace does not have to wake up very early to prepare for his first visit at the preschool. He is excited to see you and want to change his clothes right away.

She said – I see. Then she remembered her best friend – By the way, I am with Grace right now.

Grace appeared on the screen – Good afternoon, Mr. Lauchengco.

Voltaire responded – Good afternoon too, Miss de la Torre. But please let us drop the formalities. You can just call me Voltaire.

Grace responded with – Okay. Then call me Grace. Then she stated – Your son is very much welcome in our pre-school. We have an available slot. Let us just hope that he will have a positive reaction on the school environment.

Voltaire positively expressed – He will be with two familiar faces there with you and Iryn. So I'm feeling positive that things will go well."

Then his phone rang so he told them – I got an incoming call from my father. I have to cut our conservation short. Iryn, I will just message you. Grace, it is my honor meeting you. Bye for now.

Before the video call ended Iryn and Grace uttered – Bye.

Grace then told Iryn when the video call ended already, "He seems to be a very nice guy just like Winona told as."

Iryn agreed, "Yes, he's a nice guy. He's also a good father. He's very patient with his son. But then he even had to bargain with his father so that his Sundays will solely be for Wallace. He has to diligently perform all the tasks assigned to him at Lauchengco Group of Companies from Mondays thru Saturdays just so his Sundays will be free from attending any business related matter or family-related social events like the wedding of his brother this morning."

Grace then deduced, "Then he really needs a partner in raising his son. I think he has found the perfect candidate in you. Wallace calls you Mommy. He even spoke for the first time because of you."

Iryn said, "But he's still not comfortable around other people. He doesn't talk much as well. So far he only speaks 1 to 4 words. And he just usually talks to me or his father. You may try talking to him tomorrow and let us see if he will speak to you."

Grace agreed, "Yeah, let's try it."

Iryn then asked her best friend, "Anyway, have you attended the mass this morning already?"

Grace answered, "Yes, I already did. I'm getting used to driving on my own again. The huge settlement fee that the lawyer Winona recommended got for me was more than enough indeed for me to start anew. He was too detailed with all those equipment needed by a paraplegic like me to have a life very near to my normal life again, like the standing wheel chair, the ultralight wheelchair, a modified car for paraplegics, and some other renovations on my residence."

Iryn said, "Yeah. You were very kind to just let him off the hook. You could have also gotten almost the same amount even if you push through with the case."

Grace reminded her, "It's all in the past now. Let us just leave it like that. Such accident had also made me realize who truly loves me."

Iryn knew that Grace was somehow hinting on the fact that she realized that her boyfriend back then really didn't love her coz he had chosen to leave her because of her disability. "Yeah. You still got me and your family."

Grace then divulged, "I also got myself a new man."

Iryn asked, "Who?! Why did I not know about this?"

Grace said casually, "Coz you're so focused with work. You have been working from 8 AM to 8 PM ever since that jerk ex of yours left you. So I'm telling you now, lessen your working hours even for just two hours. You need to spend more time with your sister and with Wallace."

Iryn responded, "Do not change the topic, girl. Tell me who is the guy. He should better be sincere to you."

Grace said, "He is one of those guys that Mama had set me up with, a former classmate in elementary school who also works at STU as an economics professor."

Iryn told her best friend, "If he is indeed a good man then go for it. You deserve to be happy with the man who truly loves you."

Grace shared, "Well, I just agreed to go out on dates with him morning. He is not the very chatty type of guy, but when he communicates, everything he says makes sense. He is a perfect gentleman. And he does not mind if I am paraplegic. His mom is also physically handicapped having been diagnosed of multiple sclerosis at the age of 40. His mom is already on her mid 50s. So compared to my disability, I'm much luckier coz other than walking I can still do a lot of things that I normally do before the accident. I am still capable of having children as well."

Iryn expressed, "Well, that is very nice to know that he has an understanding of how to be with a person with physical handicap. I wish you all the happiness in this world. You deserve every ounce of it because you are a very good person."

On the other hand, Voltaire phone conversation with his father.

Voltaire responded with – Yes, Dad. Why did you call?

His father replied with – Is it true that Wallace had spoken again?

Voltaire then assumed that Natasha or her Dad had already told his father – Yeah, just now. But he only talks very less and to a selected few.

Then the second question of his father was – Is it true that you are dating that psychologist?

He confirmed it – Yes, it is true?

His father immediately said – She is not the right woman for you. You must end your relationship with her immediately.

His response was – I am sorry, Dad. But I cannot do that.

His father's voice sounded irritated saying – Do you even know about the past of that lady?

He answered with – I already know everything I have to know about her, Dad. She is a good woman and that what matters the most to me. I don't care about her socioeconomic status or if she had a ten-year relationship with a man who cheated on her for a much richer lady. My son also adores her.

His father stood his ground – Break up with her if you don't want me to embarrass her.

He also stood her ground – I already requested you not to interfere with my personal life, Dad. If you embarrass her then I will resign from my post as the President, CCO, and CFO of LGC. I just accepted those positions out of filial piety. I can stand on my own two feet even if you disown me as your son. So please just stop interfering with my personal life.

His father did not expect such from him. Victor was quite aware of his sons' own fortune which come from his maternal grandparents. Voltaire and his sister from his mother, being the only two grandchildren, had inherited a large part of their grandparents' wealth. His first wife also distributed between them the inheritance she got from her parents. The private villa where he lived was an inheritance from his first wife's parents. Teresa's parents had also left Voltaire millions of money in the bank and several stocks in blue-chip companies.

His father then said – She could just be after your fortune.

He told his father – She is definitely not, Dad. So if you got nothing more to say, I will have to cut our conversation. I and my son have dinner plans with my girlfriend. Bye for now.

Victor was so furious when his son had hang up on him – You cannot do this, Voltaire. You deserved better than that middle class lady. She might be well-educated and financially independent. But you as my eldest son should marry into a prestigious family. We had already lined up heiresses for you to choose from. Why do you have to insist on choosing this lady? How can we secure your position in LGC if you choose to be with this lady? I cannot simply accept her to be in your life. Why don't you just listen to me? In the past I only allowed you to be married to Winona even if her parents are not so rich because she is the niece of Moira. But this lady is from an unknown family. Love is only for fools. That lady can be your downfall. Winona's death had already made you vulnerable. Then why choose another lady who cannot secure your position at LGC. I know you have a large fortune coming from your Mom and your maternal grandparents. But that is just small compared to what you can have as a Lauchengco. Vitto and Vaughn are both not as excellent as you are when it comes to business. They will not be able to continue on the success of LGC in the future. They are also not as responsible as you are. I need to remove this lady out of your life. She cannot help you with your future at LGC.