He only married me to show her that he already moved on Chapter 71 - seventy-one: Surviving the pain

The moment I stepped inside the huge and black wooden door, I saw my Dad almost running down the stairs just to go with me.

"Maiden! My baby!"

Tears flow from my eyes again as soon as I felt his embrace. Then I realized, I can never be mad to this man who had a great contribution to what I become right now.

He's crying when he pulled back, even his wife... Chesca behind him. She's been a good wife to him, and still accepted him despite what he did. 

"Daddy..." 

I hugged him again. I missed him. I missed him so much. I wish I had him beside me during those cruel times. But it's in the past, at least we still have time to be with each other.

"How are you, Maiden?" he wiped my tears using the hem of his shirt.

"Daddy?"

"Dad?"

"Honey?"

We all protested in unison, but it's too late. He already wiped my tears. Who's gonna use the hem of his shirt to wipe the tears of his daughter at this age of twenty-six? Well, only my Dad, and I felt like a seven years old again.

"What? I just wiped my baby's tears?"

The mother and son just shook their heads, while I bite my bottom lip to control my laugh.

"Madi." Chesca also pulled me into a motherly hug and I hugged her back.

"Okay, let's go to your room, baby. Just put your things there and let's go upstairs." he put his arm around my shoulders. "Honey, I'm gonna show my baby her room, is it okay if we just follow to the dining room later?"

"Sure honey."

Dad showed me my temporary room as he said, he's still renovating my own room. For me, it doesn't matter where I sleep, as long as I have a bed to lay at night.

I walked immediately to the large glass window of the room when we entered.

"How are you, Maiden?"

I turned around to see him sitting at the edge of the bed. 

"I'm fine, Dad."

"You're not. Bryan told in the phone."

I sighed as I walked closer to him and seated at his side.

"I'm not actually fine, Dad. I'm broken." 

I chuckled at the end of my sentence. He didn't say anything but he held my left hand and I heard him took a loudly sigh.

"I'm sorry, baby."

My head snapped at him. "No Dad! It's not you!"

"I know, baby. I'm just saying sorry for all of my shortcomings and failures of being your father. I know with those past years, your blaming me for what happened to me and your Mom. But believe me, Maiden. I can't control the things before, Your Mom was my first love before I married your Aunt Chesca. And that love I had for your mother, I hurt them both and I made a great mistake."

"So, you're telling me that I am your biggest mistake?"

"No! That's not what I mean!" he sighed. "What I mean is, if I were just as strong as you are before, maybe I can avoid those unwanted things that happened."

"Daddy, it's okay... it's in the past. Honestly, I'm thankful that things happened and turned into this, in its place right now. Because I can never be what I am right now if those things in the past didn't happen."

I smiled at him. 

"How's your heart?" he asked suddenly and I bitterly smiled.

"Well, still beating inside my chest." 

"Can you share to your old Dad even half of that baggage in your inside?"

I laughed again with the term 'old' that he used.

"Dad, you're like Mom. You're also using the word 'old' to describe yourself!"

"But I am. Look at me!"

"Yeah, but you don't have to mention it. I can clearly see that!" I complained and now it's his turn to laugh at me.

I sighed loudly before I started to tell him everything. I started from the very beginning, from Gabriel being my boss, the deal, my stupidity, his plan with his ex-girlfriend, to our marriage... and to what I really felt for him. But the reaction I got from him was exactly the opposite I got from my Mom when we talked about what happened.

"The f.u.c.k.i.n.g idiot! I'm gonna kill that motherf.u.c.ker for hurting you!"

I gasped when he quickly stand with his balled fists and clenched jaws.

"Dad? That's why I let him go." I tried to hug him but when I saw the rage from his eyes I was rooted from where I stand.

"Madielyn Davis! You married a f.u.c.k.i.n.g fool and a bastard idiot! And you're really the one who let them go? Huh!"

"Dad, calm down!"

And not after a minute, Bryan and his mother entered the room.

"What's happening here, honey? We heard your shouts downstairs."

"Dad? What's this?" Bryan pulled me into a quick hugged me before pulling me behind him in a protective manner, when he saw Dad in his balled fists.

"Your sister married a f.u.c.k.i.n.g idiot! He i.m.p.r.e.g.n.a.t.ed his ex-girlfriend while he's married to your sister!"

"What?" Chesca and Bryan asked in unison. If you will notice, they loved to ask me in a group.

"What's that Madielyn? Is that true... you're married? You didn't tell me about this thing when we are in Chicago!" 

Bryan hold me on my both shoulders and I nodded.

"The f.u.c.k.i.n.g man! That's why you're crying so hard?"

"Bryan, call our men! Tell them to report in front of me immediately!"

-'Oh God!'- 

I started to panic inside as I heard the word 'men'. My Mom told me once, that my father has his own private army.

"No!" I shouted at them when I saw my brother gets his phone. "You don't understand! I love him!" I shouted in tears.

"You still love him despite what he did to you?" Dad asked me in his narrowed eyes.

I gulped and looked directly in his eyes.

"Yes! I love him. I still love him Dad, like the way I loved you, despite everything and regardless of what you did."

And they all turned into silent.

"Maiden.." he tried to reach me but I stepped back in tears.

"Tell me, Dad.. how can I easily unlove the man who gave me feelings I've never felt before? How can you unlove and easily forget your first love? Answer me, Dad?" 

I know every single word of it were like a de Ja Vu to his ears.

"Maiden.."

I bite my lips. I don't want to open up this things but I don't have a choice. I love Gabriel so much that I can't even imagine him being hurt.

"He offered me a deal as I told you, and I accepted it. So, if there's someone who you should blame with this, it's me and no other than me! I fall in love with him, even though I know it's impossible for him to love me back. But I was such a fool and naive with my feelings so I stayed with him! He didn't do anything against the deal. He didn't even forced me into something behind that f.u.c.k.i.n.g deal! He just showed me care, his only fault was... he's too blinded into his revenge plan that he didn't notice that his 'fake wife' is already falling for him."

I cried and kneeled in front of them. But Bryan also kneeled beside me and pulled me into a hug.

"I'm sorry, Sis." he kissed my hair and made me sit at the edge of the bed.

I felt a familiar arms around me and I know it's my Dad. He's rubbing my back while repeatedly saying his sorry.

I stayed with them for almost one month, until I decided to visit my sister in Aurora, Colorado. And thanks God, her reaction was opposite from the two boys but the same with my Mom's reaction.

I also explained to her the two sides of our story, and the only thing she doesn't like was Gabriel's being a fool and a thousand jerk.

I met her husband, Joey and my only niece Sarah Faye Madrigal. She offered me to stay with them and I accepted it. I stayed with them in almost six months. Six months of crying every night and every time I remember him.. six months of being down, broken and shattered. But eventually... as time goes by, God didn't let me stayed in that state. 

One day, when I was watching some news on the TV, the name 'Be Strong' Housing Charity caught my attention. It's a charity institution for brain cancer patients. It's for children starts at the age of three to ten years old. And by that name, I learned to start my life again.

I donated my income from one of my restaurant to the charity. I also applied as one of their volunteers to help those children who were so strong to face that kind of challenges in their life despite their young age. Each one of them became my inspiration to move on and to fight the pain.

Until I started my new business again, a coffee shop near the institution... with the help of my new found friend and business partner.. Martin. We now have two branches in the city of Aurora and we're also planning to extend have a new branch in Colorado's capital city.... Denver.

End of flashback....

Chapter end