EVELYN was surprised when her parents came for a visit. She was ready to go out as she and Amalia have an appointment to a party.

“You are going away?” Teresa asked her daughter.

“I do not know you are coming. Why did you not call?”

“They called yesterday but you are not home, I forgot to tell you.” It was Nelson who answered Evelyn as he walks toward them.

“You go out every day?” Carlos asked Evelyn.

“I have nothing to do here in the house. It is so boring!” Evelyn replied.

“How could it be boring when you have a child? We come because you never pay us a visit. We want to see our grandchild. How old is he now? Six months?” Teresa said.

Evelyn did not answer. Time travel fast. She had not realized that her son is already six months old.

“The Nanny is still feeding Sonny. She will bring him here afterwards.” Nelson said.

“I am very excited to see my grandchild!” Carlos said while at the same time observing Nelson and Evelyn. Carlos noticed something wasn't right between the couple, but he just kept it by himself.

“Your parents will stay for supper, maybe you can call off your appointment with Amalia.” Nelson asked Evelyn to cancel her appointment with Amalia as her parents will stay for the supper.

“I cannot cancel it. Mama, Papa I am sorry I cannot cancel it.” Evelyn replied to Nelson and apologized to her parents. Carlos’s face became red, while Teresa just looked at her daughter in disbelief.

“I am late with my appointment. The Nanny will bring Sonny so.” And Evelyn went leaving Nelson and her parents both embarrassed.

“I think something wrong with that woman!” Carlos said while looking Nelson as if saying why he, Nelson could not control his wife.

“Does she always so, just do what she likes?” Teresa asked Nelson.

“I let her because I think she had not yet fully enjoyed her youth. She will change.” Nelson replied.

“I hope so, I began to regret that I had spoiled my daughter.” Carlos said.

“Do not blame yourself. She is your only child. You did what you thought could make your child happy.” Nelson said to Carlos. She will change.”

Sometimes, I could not understand myself, doing things like I had done to my parents when they came to visit. I had no time for them because I am focus to things that made me happy. Did I do it because I have a hidden anger to them? Am I blaming them to all that had happened? Am I blaming my father of his bankruptcy? Because his bankruptcy I lost my friends, John Mar and I married an old man. Because my father sold me to Nelson, with my mother’s consent? I do not know! What I know is that because there is money, I can find my own happiness and seems I am right, that time, I neglected or had ignored my parents, in the party I meet Roy Sanchez.

“Roy Sanchez at your service, Ma’am.” Roy as he introduced himself vowed to Evelyn. Evelyn laughed; she finds Roy very charming. He just came to her and introduced himself.

“I am honored, Sir, by your noticing me.” Evelyn played with the gallant approached of Roy as she also bends to vow to him.

“It will be my pleasure Ma’am, to know your name.”

“Evelyn,”

“Evelyn, Evelyn Romano? The rich Evelyn Romano?”

“Oh. You had heard about me. I am not rich, my husband is.”

“Okay, what a pity!”

“Why a pity?”

“Because you are married.”

“Is that a problem?” and Evelyn looked at straight to Roy, calculating his reaction. Roy for a moment pause, also looked at Evelyn straight to the eyes, then he smiled.

“Well, if it is not a problem to you, all the less, not a problem to me. Shall we dance?”

“With much pleasure.”

Evelyn and Roy danced, and Amalia just shrugged her shoulder as her eyes followed her best friend with Roy on the dance floor.

I did not regret I had ignored my parents, not at all. That night I met the man I thought could make me happy. He was so gallant, so charming, and he immediately conquered my heart. I do not know if he felt the fast beating of my heart when we were dancing close together with the music Fascination sung by Nat King Cole.

The night did not end in that party. The fascination between Roy and me landed to his apartment, and there I really enjoyed the glory of intimacy with a man. It was different from what I had with my husband. I tell you, Doctor Edgar Montero, I am in heaven and had dance with the moon and the stars.

I stayed in the apartment of Roy the whole night and came home late in the morning.

I saw Nelson in the terrace sitting in his rocking chair as always. Also sitting there was Julia, the Nanny of my son Sonny who was sitting on a highchair. I ignore them and go straight to my bedroom and sleep.

I am frequently present at Roy’s apartment, day, and night. I heard no words from Nelson. He just let me loss, and if I am home, there is no talking, we were totally strangers to each other. It does not bother me. What he felt I do not care, important  was that I am happy, I am happy with Roy.

“Why not divorce your husband?” Roy said to Evelyn while they were lying together on bed.

“Why? If I divorce my husband, you will marry me?” Evelyn answered Roy with a question.

“Of course. That is why I am asking you to divorce him.” Roy answered.

“I think I cannot do it, to divorce Nelson.” Evelyn said.

“Why not?”

“If I divorce him, where will we get our money? You have no income?”

“Are you married with pre-nuptial agreement?”

“No.”

“Then you don’t have to worry about money.”

“What do you mean?” Evelyn asked Roy.

“If there is no pre-nuptial agreement, it means that when you divorce him, you got half of his money and property. Think about it; you will be rich.”

“I do not know how rich Nelson is.”

“I think he is very rich, because you spend money like water, and he does not mind it.” Roy said.

Evelyn thought what Roy said. Indeed, if she divorces Nelson, she can have the half of the wealth of her husband.

Roy suggested to me to divorce Nelson. For a while I thought about it. Nelson totally ignored me. He does not talk to me, so it is better to divorce him, and I told my parents about it.

“Are you out of your mind? Why will you divorce him?” Carlos, the father of Evelyn, was angry.

“We do not live as husband and wife. Even at home we are like strangers, not knowing each other! We even do not talk to each other anymore!” Evelyn replied to her father.

“And you find it strange? To all that you do? People knew what you are doing, and do you believed that your husband did not know it?” Carlos’s voice became high.

“I do not care. That’s why it is better that we divorce!” Evelyn replied to her father.

“Do you have no shame in you? Did Nelson do not threat you good?”

“Everyone is responsible to what he or she does. It is his right to be good to me, and it is my right to be happy. I am not responsible for Nelson’s action, nor he is responsible either for what I do.”

“I am now realizing; I have a daughter that is ruthless and no shame at all.” Carlos said.

“Like father, like daughter!” Evelyn said.

“What do you suppose to mean by that?” Carlos was angry.

“So clear as I say it, like father, like daughter. And if you want it for me to say it in simple words, I will say it. If I am ruthless and no shame at all it is because my father is so too.”

Carlos had not controlled himself. He slapped Evelyn for the first time. Evelyn was shocked.

“Carlos!” Teresa exclaimed.

“Ungrateful daughter! No respect to his father!”

“You want respect? How can I respect you when you sold me to Nelson? Remember what my value was, twenty-five million pesos! And you dare to hit me!” Evelyn was crying.

“Evelyn, please.” Teresa was crying too. She could not stand her husband and daughter throwing to each other nasty words.

“What is happening to me now was your fault. You made yourself bankrupt and it is me who rescues you. Did you not realize that you destroyed my life? And now that I had a chance to be happy you are against it. If you pity Nelson, then marry him because I will divorce him!”

“Go away! I will see you no more! You are not my daughter anymore!” Carlos drove Evelyn away.

“Evelyn, please go away.” Teresa also sent her daughter away.

When Evelyn went away, Carlos and Teresa hugged each other. They both were crying. They could not understand, how their daughter became a monster, and they began to ask themselves if they made a mistake in spoiling their daughter, giving everything to her that she grew seemed only loving herself.****to be continued****Remedios Dorio