DK felt relieved upon hearing what the doctor said. He faced Joanna and King, ready to put the blame on them. “You have the guts to present me those divorce papers and yet you just proved that you cannot take care of our son?” he asked, putting the blame on Joanna whose eyes were still wet from crying.
King stood up for Joanna and answered, “DK, it is not Joanna’s fault. I fed DJ the cake that’s why he had allergic reactions” King took the blame for making Joanna feel better. DK scoffed, “That’s the man my son calls ‘daddy’. Do you even know how to be one? Or should I ask you… Does Aunt Rita know that you are taking care of a family that is not even yours?” DK asked that made King nervous.
Miss Elizaga looked at them and tried to calm things down. “King, DK, I think this is not the place for you to talk about personal matters. You three can go outside and talk about it. Me and Delia will take care of DJ for you” she said. DK exhaled and went outside to the nearest coffee shop. Joanna and King followed him to clear things up.
“I can’t believe you did not do what we have agreed. Didn’t you promise to take care of DJ?” DK asked while his fist was clenched on top of the glass table. King answered, “Honestly, who knows that DJ is allergic to peaches? Not even Joanna knows that!”. DK tsked, “Oh come on, King. Genetics… DJ is my blood. Think of the possibilities. You two could have been more careful. You both are so busy starting up your relationship that you forgot that my son is still with the both of you” he remained the rage.
Joanna spoke, “Maybe you are right. We were both preoccupied for kicking you out of our lives to start a new life. But is it the right time to point whose fault was it? It already happened!”. DK looked away and remembered the ace he had against King.
“By the way, King. You haven’t answered me yet. Does your family know what you are doing here? The last time I know, your mom is waiting for you overseas. Just like what you promised them that you will migrate there after college” he said to intimidate King. He crossed his arms and answered, “My personal matter is not the matter of my family. Besides, they don’t care of what I am doing here as long as my job is nice”.
“Oh really? Let’s see about that” DK said as if he was planning to do something. He stood up and left the two in the coffee shop. Joanna’s mind is filled with thoughts. Mixed emotions of worry, confusion, and fear. DK dropped a bomb in front of her that made her situation much worse. She failed to recognize King’s personal background in her decision-making.
Joanna asked, “What will happen if your family knows?”. King looked at her and held her hand. “I’m sure they will understand my purpose. They are nicer than you think” he assured and placed a kiss on Joanna’s hand. Joanna cannot help but be bothered by the things she started. She is close to cutting ties with DK but she also thinks that there is no definite way she can go after freeing from DK’s possessiveness.
King looked away; he was not sure of what his family would think about his doing, but he chose to live in the moment and feel the consequences all at once. DK pushed the coffee shop’s door with a smirk on his face. He surely got on King’s nerves that moment.
King touched Joanna’s hand placed on the table. Their eyes locked; Joanna slowly removed her hand from the table and looked away as if nothing happened. King sat back and sighed, “You know I am aware how you are trying to love me back, right?” he asked, making Joanna uncomfortable. Joanna sipped her warm black coffee and replied, “Will you believe me if I tell you that I love you?” she asked back.
King scoffed, “How can I believe it if I can’t feel it?” he replied. Joanna looked at him, “I am sorry” she weakly said with eyes full of sincerity. King felt his chest throbbing with emotions. “That’s the most painful thing I heard from you, Joanna. More painful than the times you repeatedly chose DK over me” he said in a sentiment.
Joanna does not know how to react to what King is saying. “I tried so much hoping I could get you away from your past” he added with a bitter smile on his face. Joanna leaned back, not knowing what would happen afterward. King deserves to get credit for giving her a good life after DK treated her like trash after impregnating her.
King clasped his hands on top of the table and concluded the talk. “Don’t worry, I won’t break my promise to you and DJ. I will remain by your side even though you cannot love me like how I wanted to be loved” King said, removing the tension between the two of them. Joanna just nodded and made an excuse to get out from the coffee shop. “I’ll just check on DJ. He might be finding me now” she said and left the coffee shop. King opted to stand up and followed her.
He offered to carry Joanna’s bag while they both returned to see DJ. They both saw DK holding pieces of paper while talking to someone on the phone. He immediately dropped the call upon seeing them. “I already settled the payments and arranged the discharge papers. You can take DJ home now if you want” he said and left the emergency room.
A thought slipped onto Joanna’s mind and decided to run after DK who was about to exit. “Dior, stay a little longer,” she said which made DK and King shocked. DK did not face them and replied, “I have some work to do. I know you can take care of DJ; I’ll see him next week at home. If it is about the divorce, I am not changing my mind”.
And just like that, King and Joanna saw DK slowly leaving the hospital. Joanna is now ready to step down and inform DK that she decides not to continue the divorce anymore. King held her arm as she aimed to follow DK to the exit. She resisted King’s force but he convinced her to stay. “Joanna, what came into you? Just a while ago, you were determined to refile your divorce with Dior! He cheated on you for damn’s sake!” he made Joanna realize that she is zoning out of her own plans.
Joanna forcefully removed King’s hand from her arm and replied, “I don’t know. I don’t understand myself”. She could feel her knees weakening as she sat down in a metal chair. “Seeing him and his genuine concern for DJ made me rethink filing a divorce. I just realized how hurtful and unfair it was for him. He did not do anything to our child; it is just a matter between me and him. It feels so inappropriate to take him away from my son” she added.
King sat beside her. “Tell me honestly. Is it still about DJ? Or is it because you still love him that your heart never forgot to beat for him?” he asked while expecting a worse answer from Joanna. She held back her tears and looked straight into King’s eyes, “I will be a liar if I tell you that I forgot to love him. He crosses my mind every day. And there is no single day that I did not think about him” she answered.
“How about me? Do I ever cross your mind even just a second of your day?” he asked. Joanna leaned to his shoulder; his heart skipped a beat. “King, you’ve been so good to me. I know you are a good and capable man. But I don’t want to destroy you to your family. You have a lot of love to give and maybe it is time for you to stop wasting it on me who can’t return your love” Joanna answered while wiping her tears.