The CEO's Painted Skin

At the reception area...

John, Romeo, Sandra, and the bodyguards were eating pork lechon and drinking San Mig Light Beer, they were huddled in one table. A piece of slow rock music filled the air of the function room.

John looked at the people surrounding him. Although they were trying to cheer him up, no one can take the massive pain away from his heart. It's so painful that this big day had finally arrived yet the wedding was canceled at the last minute.

So ironic, he doesn't know if he will cry or laugh with the way how things were unfolding between him and Catherine.

Obviously, her family comes first, him~second only.

He took another gulp from his beer. He was not drunk yet if only the liquor can drown the sorrow he felt tonight he will welcome it with open arms.

He can't even feel sorry for Catherine's mother who is currently being treated in the hospital. He felt guilty a bit about it since he only cared about his feelings right now. He wanted to go and visit her mother but he knows it might only lead to more conflict or issues later on. So, he will just have to wait for the right time.

He already misses her!

Miss her smile, miss her scent.

While he was thinking of her...she magically appeared behind the door!

He thought it was just an illusion, but as she keeps walking toward him, followed by Grace from behind and Sandra was now shrieking in glee...

He knows it's not an illusion anymore, it's real!

"The Bride is here!" Sandra claps her hands.

They all turned to look for the bride entering the door still wearing her wedding gown.

"I'm sorry everyone," said Catherine breathless. Her eyes scanned John's gloomy countenance. Their eyes were now glued to each other, both have sadness in their eyes.

The group recognizes the couples need for privacy. They began abandoning the table and transferred to the table that was situated the farthest away from the couple and continue their eating, talking and drinking.

Catherine sat beside John. "Hey, husband..."

He was not saying anything, he just continues to stare at her.

She can't bear his palpable silence.

She hugged him tight and cried in his arms, his arms automatically wrapped around her. "I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry I ruined our wedding," she started sobbing, feeling so guilty and sad with everything that is happening today.

He can't bear her cries, it pierced his heart.

"Shhh...don't say that it's not your fault. As a daughter, you just follow your obligation and responsibility to your mother." He rubbed her back trying to make her feel not guilty. If it's very hard for him, then it's ten times harder for Catherine because she was in the middle. It's like choosing between him or her mother, in the end, she chose her mother over him, that is why the wedding did not happen today and that is the most painful part. She is not yet ready to give up everything for him.

He gulped another beer, he let her cry on his tuxedo as long as she wants. What more he can do? They were still not legally married. Why he suddenly feel so tired all of a sudden. He had been chasing her all the way from the village into the city, now that he almost had her, destiny plays a cruel joke again. After Dahlia, he was thinking that he could easily wed the next woman that he comes to love but this time he was wrong again!

He noticed that she was already wiping her eyes with the handkerchief she was holding in her hands. She already finished crying.

He was about to give her a drink...

"Have you eaten your dinner, Catherine?" he asked softly.

Catherine shook her head. "Not yet."

He intertwined his fingers with hers and pulled her to her feet. "Come, let's eat together."

They walked towards the table where the dishes were being served. John took two plates, spoon, and forks. They put some rice and dishes on their plates, walked back to their table and starts eating in silence.

While Catherine was eating her food, she took her time observing and roaming her eyes around the room. The winter theme decoration is indeed beautiful, it gave you that feeling like it's snowing inside the function room, the surrounding was heavenly white. It's just the way she imagined it to be, magical!

She released a deep sigh. She already loses her appetite but she doesn't want the food to go to waste. She forced herself to eat the remaining food on her plate.

They only stayed up until 8:00 PM in the function room. There still a lot of foods left. Sandra suggested that since the food was already paid they can bring it all.

John told her other bodyguards to drive Grace back to Cavite City using the SUV car later after they are done packing all the foods.

Grace, George, Allan, Romeo, and Sandra were left in the venue preparing and packing the foods to bring home.

John instructed Ramon to bring him and Catherine into the MysticBay Twin Tower. A few moments later, the three of them were already leaving the venue.

The ride all the way to the MayticBay Twin Tower was filled with silence. Ramon would cough occasionally just to break the heavy fog of silence that hung in the air. He would steal sneak glances at the couple, feeling sad for them. This is supposed to be a happy day yet the couple was looking miserable.

Finally, the trip to the twin tower was quick since the traffic was no longer congested.

As John and Catherine entered the elevator that would bring them to the 20th floor, the heavy silence accompanied them inside the elevator. They were not talking but John pulled her close to him.

Inside the flat, they went straight into the living room area.

John pressed the remote control and the curtain parted in the middle until the whole beauty of the ocean below filled their vision.

"What just happen today, Catherine?" he asked her in a cold voice.

"You just left me alone in there feeling like a fool!"

"You have no idea how painful it is when your bride left you alone in the altar!"

"So what will happen now? Your mother will demand that you will break up with me?"

Catherine was a loss of words on how to react to his outburst. She knew he was hurt badly, she had no idea how to appease his anger and hurt. She remained in silent mode just allowing him to vent all of his frustrations on her so that his pain will lessen a bit.

He continues staring at her downcast face...

"Okay fine. Your mother wants to break us apart. Then I will satisfy her wants. From now on let's break up...!"

Huh? WTF?

Catherine's face turned pale drained of color. First, her wedding was canceled, that was painful already! Second, her mother had suffered a heart attack which scared her to death. Third, her boyfriend is breaking up with her! This is all just too much bad things going on for her to absorb in just one day! She felt she can't breathe!