Pearl Of Wisdom

I had just finished my rounds, and my stomach was growling fiercely from hunger. I hadn't eaten since last night, and it was already past two in the afternoon. "Dr. Torres, are you done with your rounds?" asked Dr. Cruz, my brother's girlfriend and also a colleague here at work. I was actually heading to the pantry, hoping to at least grab something quick to eat, but then I literally bumped into her. "For Pete's sake, yes, I'm done. Why? Do you need something?" I replied, a bit sharply. "Perfect timing! Let's go to the pantry. We can also watch that famous live talk show everyone's raving about. I bet you'll like the guest they invited too. He's apparently a doctor, so come on?" She didn't even wait for my answer. She just clang her arms around mine and started dragging me towards the pantry. "What choice do I have? I didn't even get to answer before you pulled me away!" I muttered, shaking my head in resignation. She just laughed at my complaint. We continued our walk to the pantry. "Dr. Cruz, come on! The show already started a while ago!" Dave, another colleague, exclaimed, sounding disappointed. "Why didn't you turn it on yet? Hurry, switch on the TV!" Arminna, or Dr. Cruz as I called her, urged impatiently. She quickly plopped down on the sofa, her eyes glued to the TV the moment it flickered to life. I, on the other hand, headed straight for the counter to make some coffee and prepare my food. "This is the question most people are asking you right now: Are you currently in a relationship or not?" The show must have truly started a while ago because a direct question immediately hit my ears when the TV was switched on, but I didn't pay it much attention. "To answer your question, I just got divorced. I'm sorry if I didn't tell you about it," a man with a familiar voice said. His voice was familiar, but I still focused on heating up my coffee. "Is it okay to share it with us?" the host inquired, his voice dripping with curiosity. 'Gossip monger!' I thought. "I guess it's my fault because I told her that I have to leave her with our triplets for three months; my dad had something he needed me to take care of. Within those three months, I couldn't contact her because she blocked me on all platforms, but before I left, I did leave her a letter. I explained everything I had to say to her, and then when two months passed, her mother sent divorce papers saying that she wanted to end things between us. It's almost a year now since the last time I spoke to or saw her," the man said, his voice laced with regret. "Sounds familiar, huh!" I commented aloud, surprised. "Yeah, right?" Dave echoed, also sounding curious. "Just be quiet for now, both of you!" Arminna scolded us, annoyed. I focused intently on what the man was saying, without even looking at the TV. It was so weird because the situation he described felt eerily familiar. "Do you still love her?" "Well, to tell you the truth... I never stopped loving her. Though I tried to forget her, I failed, especially every time I saw our kids. I can see how beautiful her smile was, through our kids. Here are my sons," I heard the man reply, and it sounded like he was bringing his children onto the stage. "This is my eldest, his name is Lance. This is Cole, and lastly, Rence." I snapped my head up, my gaze locking onto the TV screen. My thoughts hadn't failed me. It was him. And he was there with our kids. My blood boiled because he had taken the children without even telling me! "They are really cute, but can you give us a clue who this woman is?" "She's a woman every man could ever dream of. She's also known for having a lot of issues during our college days, and honestly, even until now. She's been severely misunderstood by people who thought she was dating her own two brothers and only close cousin. I'm sorry, Tita and Tito, if you're watching this right now, but I can't bear to see her crying again because of those fake issues. It's also one thing that I liked about her; she's strong throughout those complicated situations. She's the daughter of my parents' business rival." "So, you mean she's the daughter of the Flores family?" "Yeah, she is. Now I just have to move on because I'm also getting married soon. I know everything's too fast, but that's how business works. I'm now happy with my fiancée," he chuckled, a hollow sound. What?! He's getting married? How can he say he never stopped loving me when he's about to marry someone else? He truly is an asshole! "Isn't it true that all her siblings are male—" Out of sheer rage, I hurled a glass cup straight at the TV the moment it spoke again. "That's bullshit! How could he even say that?! That man is a complete son of a b***h!" I screamed, storming out of the pantry. I had completely lost my appetite, and tears were already welling up in my eyes. The nerve of him! After taking the kids without even telling me, he dares to say he never stopped loving me? And now he's getting married? How could he even laugh after saying something like that? Why did I even expect anything good from him? The man who said he never stopped loving me... is marrying someone else? Did he ever truly love me? Did he really?