Chapter 9
GINA
She is currently watching a television series with her mother and sister who are addicted to such shows. They were focused on what they were watching so she just watched it until the end. The three of them have more to talk about because of her surprising statement earlier.
FLASHBACK
When she returned to their house, she found her sister and mother crying while watching the television series. She finished the momentum between the two before she entered the scene. When her mother noticed her, she immediately greeted her with a hug.
“Gina, how are you? Janice and I miss you so much,” her mother said welcoming her.© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.
“Sis,” Janice said who suddenly stood up.
But when she saw Janice her eyes widened.
“What does this mean, Janice?”
“Sis, I’m so sorry,” her sister said, sobbing.
“Mom, why are you keeping it a secret from me?”
“Gina, we have no plans to hide your sister’s condition from you, we just waited for you to come here so we can talk to you in person. That’s why we let you come home on Valentines day,” her mother explained.
“But you still shouldn’t hide it from me. How many months has your pregnancy been, Jan? And who got you pregnant?”
“Six months, and Payton is the child’s father.” Janice said crying.
“Didn’t you and Payton split up? how about your study, Jan?”
“Payton and I got back together, and since the school closing is also near, I’ll just continue this semester. Payton also promised me that he will marry me and I will go back to study after I give birth.”
She sighed and continued speaking.
“And you believe in him, Jan?”
“Yes sis,” she still didn’t stop crying so their mother just hugged her.
She felt sorry for her sister and was also worried because the child might be affected. If they used to cry over the television drama series they were watching, but now it’s reality.
“Okay that’s enough Jan, stop crying. I’m just shocked… we can no longer do anything about that. Just remember that mama and I, love you and we’re just here for you.” The three of them hugged tightly.
“Thank you for understanding your sister, Gina,” her mother said.
“Thank you so much sis, and I’m sorry too because I preceded you.” Janice joked to her.
The three of them just laughed at what Janice said and she suddenly remembered the reason for her going to their house.
“Mom, Jan, I have something to tell you, too.”
“What’s that?” her mother asked.
“I’m getting married.”
At the same time, the jaws of her sister and mother dropped.
When they recovered from the shock, her mother immediately asked.
“Is that true, Gina?” her mother stammered.
She nodded. “Yes, Ma.”
She saw her mother almost in tears but Janice immediately took her on her shoulders and caressed her back. She seemed to want to retract what she had said when her mother’s tears began to fall.
She approached and hugged her to comfort her. “I’m sorry, Ma. I didn’t know you wouldn’t like–”
“Why are you so impulsive? First, Janice said she’s pregnant and second, you’re the one who said you’re getting married.”
“Are you pregnant too, Gina? So all of a sudden you’re getting married?” her mother asked tearfully.
“No.”
“Please don’t get married hurriedly. Sooner or later this sister of yours will also get married. So you will leave me, too?”
It was as if her chest tightened at what her mother said because she knew how it felt. It’s scary to be alone. She even remembers when her mother cried when her father passed away. They comforted their mother because of her incessant crying and promised that they would never leave her.
“Ma, I’m still here.” Janice interrupted the conversation and caressed their mother’s back. “Ma, let Gina get married. Aren’t you glad that she finally had a love life?”
She glared at Janice because she even got annoyed.
“Who are you going to marry, Gina?”
“Ace Durant,” she replied.
Janice eyes widened at the sound. Because she knows how much she likes Ace.
“Is Ace the one you’re marrying, sis?”
“No one else, Janice.”
“Ace, is that what you always tell me about Janice, your sister’s handsome co -worker?”
“Jan, what are you saying to mama?”
Janice just signed peace with her. Janice and Gina are so close, so she also confesses about Ace and how she feels about the man. What she didn’t expect was that Janice would also tell their mother.
“That’s why Gina, I told Janice to let the man you’re crazy about to come here on Valentine’s Day, so that I can meet him. Payton also came here.”
“Really, Ma?”
“You really love that man, am I right?”
She nodded and slowly saw her mother smiling.
“I am happy for both of you, even if I stop the two of you from getting married, I will be a stingy mother if I deprive you of your own happiness.”
“Thank you, Ma.” The siblings chanted and hugged their mother at the same time.
END OF FLASHBACK
“Come on Jan, tell me what’s on your mind.”
“How did you hide it from us, sis? We didn’t even know you had a boyfriend, we didn’t even hear that you and Ace were dating and then you told us now that you’re getting married.”
“Because everything happens so fast, Jan.”
“But a wedding in one month? Why are you in a hurry sis? Can you prepare for a month?”
“If only I could do that, Jan.”
“Tell me the truth sis, are you pregnant?”
her sister asked in curiosity.
She just laughed at her sister’s suspicion.
“Okay, I’ll take your smile as a NO. So why don’t you just hire a wedding coordinator? You can’t do it all. You have a lot more to consider.”
“All right.. all right.” She agreed with her sister’s suggestion. “There’s nothing to prepare for Janice, Ace and I just had a simple wedding.”
“Are we going to invite all our relatives? Of course you’re the first to marry among all our cousins.”
Her first thought about her sister’s question is if their relatives should really be invited.
“Maybe it’s just our close friends, Jan. I can’t imagine that all our relatives were invited. I hope papa is still here.”
“I’m sure papa is happy for you, too.”
“I miss him so much.”
“Me too sis, I miss papa, too, if only his car hadn’t exploded.” Janice said crying.
“If it weren’t for me, maybe papa would still be here.” She blamed herself.
“It’s not your fault what happened to papa sis, it was really an accident.” Janice hugged her tightly.
JANICE
She and Gina were shocked when her baby kicked hard. Her sister also felt it because they hugged.
“Oh, here it is sis, feel this.” She took Gina’s hand and placed it on her stomach. It’s one of the precious moments they shared together, then suddenly she asked her sister. “Sis, have you ever had intimate moments with Ace?”
“What do you mean?”
She didn’t think that her sister was even surprised by her question. “Sis, you’re so naive and innocent, you know.”
She could see that her sister’s forehead was furrowed, so it meant that she understood what she wanted to convey.
“If you mean that Ace and I had sex, well not yet. Unless we’re married.”
“OMG sister! Are you serious? Why isn’t anything happening to you yet?”
“Ace wants that. So I respect his decision.”
She laughed out loud at what her sister confessed, because she didn’t expect her answer. Their mother then entered her room because she might also be intrigued by the sound of her laughter. “What happened here and you seem happy?” Asked their mother.
“Nothing, Ma. Gina and I just had fun.”
“Okay, I’ll leave you now, Janice’s laughter is so contagious,” said their mother and turned her back on them.
“I’d like to tell Payton about the weakness of my sister’s future husband.”
“Try it, Janice.” her sister threatened. “Because I will cut your allowance.”
“This is priceless, sis. I know how much you really like the super hot Ace. I really can’t believe it. You know I still remember the first time you were heartbroken by Ace. You said that you were always together in the restaurant but not once did he even pay attention to you. Then you found out that he had dated a hotel heiress. Who is it, by the way? Oh, I remember now she’s the famous supermodel today, Ariana Lin.”
“Are you annoying me, Jan?” her sister said with a frown.
“Did you know that when I last visited you at the restaurant, I really teased Ace to admit about his relationship with Ariana, and I also asked him if Ariana was his type to marry. And do you know what her answer is?”
“What did he answer you?”
“He told me that he doesn’t want to get married like Ariana Lin because he wants that conservative woman. Oh my, it looks like he was referring to you before.”
GINA
“You talk a lot.” she said automatically and they laughed again, but only her mind wandered with curiosity. She thought deeply. So maybe Ace suggested her a marriage of convenience because he wanted her to stay pure, so that it wouldn’t make him feel guilty to leave her in case they split up. But whatever that meant to him, for him she would still be true to their marriage and she would still be true to being his wife.
—–
“We need to talk, Ace.” She said after Ace explained to her the newly installed security system in her house.
“Let’s sit down first, Gina.”
Ace waited for her to sit down before he sat down in front of her.
“Coward,” she said softly.
“What are you trying to say, Gina?”
“Janice noticed that there was something wrong between us.”
“In what way?”
“As if she can’t believe our sudden marriage, you’re not that loving boyfriend she said.”
“Why? Does he want us to kiss in front of her so that he will believe more? Tell her that we are not as showy as the others.”
“Because I told her nothing was happening to us yet, so maybe she just laughed at me now.”
ACE
“Why did you tell her that? And now I should be publicly affectionate with you, like that?” he asked sarcastically, watching her tap her foot against the floor.
“You’re the only one who wants us to be true to all this, aren’t you?” Gina is seemingly defensive to answer him.
“Okay. If I have to do that, then I will do it.”
“Don’t do too much Ace, because Janice will notice that, too.”
“Do you have anything else to say, Gina?”
“W-won’t you ask me Ace, if I’m still a virgin?”
*****