Chapter 1 Top-Notch Son

• I
• “Look Damian, your bastard top the bar!” Lucia with tremor threw the newspaper to the man she prided herself in calling husband but could not actually be hers. They are not married. Lucia has been married to someone else. She has two sons from her real husband.
• “What is there to be surprised of? He is my son; of course, he will inherit his father’s intelligence.” Damian looked at the newspaper and saw the face of Wilgreg; his abandoned and neglected son. Deep in his heart, he regretted neglecting him and his mother. But he was a jerk during his younger years; jerk in choosing Lucia, who is a married woman with two children, who are not even his. His action was out of necessity, selfishness, and irresponsibility and most probably out of fear of what Lucia’s crazy mind could do. One thing he is sure of, he was an idiot and a coward and still an idiot and a coward until now. He has no courage to face his son and his mother, Carolina. He is shrewd and brave when it comes to business, well respected but in facing his only son and his Mom, he is the most coward, to say the least.
• “Hah, so you are proud of your bastard now, wow!” Lucia’s sarcasm is overflowing. The birth of this bastard Wilgreg, made her life uncomfortable. She swore to make his life and his mother like a living hell, which she did and will do if needed again.
• Damian narrowed his eyes to Lucia with full disgust, “Stop it Lucia! He is my son, my only son, my flesh and my blood and my only heir!”
• Lucia’s mouth was hung open in total surprise to what Damian just fully uttered. With confusion and hate, she asked, “What do you mean?”
• “Lucia, you know for a fact Wilgreg is my sole heir. Your children are not my children. I did not even adopt them. We are not married and you know why you are married to somebody else until now.” Damian replied with a hint of a little insult. He regretted being with this woman, who manipulated him at the onset; but it is too late to regret it. He is old and he is sure, his son and his mother Carolina might have been cursing him and hating him for long.
• Lucia tones down as she came near and tried to embrace the man from his back. “Damian, you know why I cannot annul my first husband. It would be a great scandal, especially if I am at fault. It was because of you that we separated, remember?”
• “Yes, and I was aghast that time because I did not mean to ruin a family. You seduced me and then you blamed me, hit my conscience; worst you tried to commit suicide to wrap your fingers around me. You even threatened to kill my son and his mother. Satisfied now Lucia? You have me until now and I neglected my son!” Damian stood up and left the stunned woman, who could not mutter a single word.
• Lucia’s heart bleeds. All throughout those years that they were together and up until now, did Damian ever love her? She lost herself loving and adoring him like a God while he, on the other hand, was just being forced to be with her because of everything that she did. Did she really win over Carolina? Did she really get the happiness she wanted? Lucia’s heart answered yes because Damian is with her, but her mind knows better. She lost! She lost her family, she lost herself, she lost her dignity and she actually lost her mind. For what? Up until now, she cannot even say frank enough that Damian is hers.
• II
• “Congratulations my Unico Hijo, you never fail to make me proud of you!” Carolina Monaro embraced her son with so much happiness. She will never regret standing firm to raise him, even alone. Yes, Carolina Monaro is a single mom. A fierce yet loving Mom as her son Wilgreg would always describe her.
• “Because you never fail to make me admire you Mom; my fierce yet loving Mom.” Wilgreg embraced back her Mom and with much endearment kissed her forehead and top of her nose. Since childhood, that was already his endearing act to his Mom. His act would always take away his Mom’s anger and even sadness.
• “You top the bar Wil, what’s next?” Carolina asked her son with a smile on her refined aura.
• Wilgred winked at his Mother, “Secret Mom, you’ll see.”
• “Wil!, there you are!” A loud voice of a woman made the mother and son turn their heads to check who was calling Wil like there was an emergency.
• Wil’s eyes rolled when he saw who was calling him. “Lulu, what’s up?”
• “Congratulations Attorney Wilgreg Monaro!” Her voice is full of energy.
• Wilgred rolled his eyes again and shook his head. Lulu is a woman who seems to never run out of energy when it comes to him. “Thank you Lulu; same to you, you made it too.”
• “I was inspired you know hahaha. Hi, pretty Tita Carol you are such a wonderful woman to be able to raise a top-notch son.” Lulu then gently got Carolina’s right hand and kissed the same as a sign of full respect.
• Carolina laughed at the jolly woman’s joke. “Congratulations Lulu, your parents must be so proud of you too. They have their lawyer in the family now.”
• “Small thing Tita compared to what you have achieved.” The young new Attorney even made a gesture, making her thumb and next finger touched each other, like demonstrating the word small.
• “Where are your parents by the way?” Carolina made her eyes round the premises, trying to search for Lulu’s parents.
• A moment of sadness passed through Lulu’s face but she immediately lightened up, “Ahh they are outside the country Tita, you know checking our hotel’s problem in Indonesia.”
• Carolina saw the sudden sadness on Lulu’s face, which the latter immediately covered up with a smile. “I see, would you want to come with us, we will have dinner after this oath-taking ceremony.”
• “Yeah, come with us Lulu, only me and Mom anyway.” Wilgreg saw also Lulu’s sudden expression of sadness and in his intention to lighten up what she felt, he invited her. Lulu is a good friend for him and nothing more, although he knows very well that the woman love him since their first year of law school.
• “No thank you Wil and Tita, I have a booked flight this evening going to Indonesia, Daddy called this morning, saying he needs my legal expertise there.” Lulu smiled apologetically. She was sad deep inside because when her father called; he did not even congratulate or said he is proud of her. He just said that her secretary booked her a flight tonight going to Indonesia to help him with some legal issues in their Hotel.
• “I see, that’s great Lulu, your practice of law is now starting.” Wilgreg winked at Lulu with hope to lighten up her mood.
• Lulu’s mother is the youngest daughter of an Indonesian wealthy hotelier. His father, a Filipino, once worked as a Hotel Supervisor in one of the hotels of her mother’s family. It must have been fate that Lulu’s mother saw him and fell in love with him at the onset. That’s why Lulu always believed in love and first sight. It happened to her also, with Wilgreg Monaro.