Divorced at 20

"I ENVIED Ken because he has a loving wife like you, Laurie," Felix, the bartender in Ken's restaurant and bar in Paris, told Laurie with a kind smile. "Do you have sisters? I wanted to marry a woman like you."

Laurie laughed at the man's joke. "I have two brothers," she said. "But I have a lot of female cousins. Do you want to meet them?"

Felix groaned. "If Ken would allow me to go with you in the Philippines, then why not?" he said and smiled. "If all the women in your country are like you, I'd love to explore them."

"Now you sounded like a playboy. And, it's no, no," she said and put a ribbon on her anniversary gift for her husband. "Did you know why I fell in love with Ken and married him without having second thoughts?"

The man looked at her questioningly. "Aside from being handsome, are there any other reasons?"

"Of course!" she said with a chuckle. "I chose him because he showed me that he's willing to do anything to make our relationship happy and healthy. That he will love me until his last breath. And, that is what I only wanted for a man: Loyalty and his kind heart."

Whistles and giggles from restaurant staff roared inside the kitchen, making Laurie laughed. "We also witnessed how our Chef courted you. Chef Ken really loves you, Laurie. You really deserved each other," Felix said and tapped her shoulders. "And, I know that this surprise dinner for him will move him in tears again. Just like the night that you said 'yes' to his proposal."

A warmed smile formed on Laurie's lips as she remembered the day that Ken asked her to be his wife. As soon as she said 'yes' to him, Ken married her on the second day, and she officially became Chef Ken's wife at her age of nineteen. Laurie was still madly in love with Ken for over a year now.

"Ken is the only man that I will share my life with," Laurie murmured. "And, for our first anniversary as husband and wife, I'll make sure that he'll be the happiest man in France."

Laurie finished the plating of the garlic pasta. Every food on the table was Ken's favorite. She even asked all the staff to help her prepared for this day because she wanted to surprise her husband.

"Laurie, aren't you done?" Felix asked her when he saw her still looking at the well-designed fine dining table inside the kitchen. "It's perfect. You can now chill out and put on some makeup."

Laurie cupped her cheeks. "Do I look bad now?" She consciously fixed the strands of her hair that fell on her neck because she was too busy preparing the surprise dinner. She looked at her wristwatch, it's almost seven p.m, and she told Ken to meet her at his resto-bar at eight. She only has an hour to prepare.

"Ah, Filipa," she called one of the dining staff. "Could you check on here while I change at the comfort room?"

The French woman nodded and stood beside the table. "I'll take care of this," she said in the French language and smiled at her. "Look your best, Laurie."

Laurie returned her warm smile before she scurried towards the comfort room. All Ken's employees in his resto-bar were kind to her. That was also one reason why she adjusted quickly to the kind of living that Ken has. Laurie is a freelance makeup artist and has been working with different fashion events in Paris. At her age of nineteen, Laurie was on her way to reaching her dreams of being a cosmetologist. But, it all changed when she met Ken. In an instant, to be with Ken became Laurie's greatest dream. And, she doesn't have any regrets about choosing him over her career.

She put on red lipstick to make her smokey makeup look complimented her revealing black dress. The last time she wore a dress like this was on their first date. She intentionally chose this kind of dress because she wanted to seduce him, and she succeeded.

Laurie chuckled at the memory of Ken staring at her as if she's an angel from heaven. "I will make him drool over me again," she said and whisked perfumed on her pulse points.

At precisely eight p.m, Laurie walked out of the comfort room. All men in the dining area turned their heads in her direction. Her long and black hair was swaying on her hips as she walked towards the kitchen. But Ken hasn't arrived yet.

"Maybe Chef Ken was caught in the traffic," Felix said when he noticed her disappointment. "Filipa, can you call Chef Ken and ask where he is?"

"I'll do it," Laurie said and took out her phone. But she can't reach his phone. "Unattended," she said with a sigh. "Maybe he's on his way," she smiled. "I'm sure he won't forget our anniversary."

Two hours have passed, and Ken is still not coming. The nightshift staff has arrived and now preparing for their duty at the bar. Laurie looked at her wristwatch; it's already ten p.m...

"Laurie, I think Ken won't make it tonight," Felix told her. "Let's call it a day, okay? I'm sure Ken has a valid reason for not coming, right?"

Laurie tried her best to fight back her tears. "Of course..."

"Filipa and the other staff will take care of this. You should go home and have a rest," Felix said and gave her a peck in the cheek. "Do you want me to book you a cab?"

She raised from her seat. "No, but thanks, Felix. I'll just change my clothes and walked home. I need fresh air to breathe."

As soon as Laurie stepped out of the restaurant, her tears fell on her cheeks. This is the first time that Ken failed to show up on their dates. He always makes time for her, and if he wouldn't make it on time, he will call to inform her because he doesn't want her to wait like this. But now is different.

"And, of all the day, why on our first anniversary, Ken?" She hailed a cab and continued crying on her way home. Where are you, Ken? She tried to call him again, but his phone is still unattended.

When she got out of the cab and looked at their house, Laurie noticed the lights on their bedroom were open. With hopes that Ken prepared a surprise for her, Laurie hurried upstairs and slowly opened their bedroom door.

"Ken-" Laurie stopped and gasped. Her knees felt weak and her heart skipped a beat while staring at the two naked persons lying on their bed. "Ken...?"

Ken shifted on his side and looked at her. "Laurie...?" he sat up, making the naked woman on his side woke up and wrapped her hand on him. He looked on his side and was shocked to see the woman. "Laurie, I will explain-"

"No..." she cut off in between tears. "What I saw is enough..." Before he could speak, she pulled the door closed again and hurried down the stairs. She heard Ken called her name, but Laurie ignored him.

***

"I LIKE the smokey effect that you put on my eyes." Laurie's client complimented the makeup that she did for her. "I have no regrets in calling you to be my makeup artist for this special event. "

Laurie smiled at the woman. "I'm glad that you liked it, Mrs. Buenaventura," she said and started checking her hair. "You look perfect now that your hair is pulled up. It showed how sexy your shoulders are. And, I'm sure that all men here will turn their heads at you as you walked on that stage."

The woman beamed. "I'll pay you to double for a job well done," she said and took out the checkbook in her signature bag. She did quick writing of the amount and signed it without hesitation. "Here, I'm looking forward to working with you again."

She smiled excitedly as she took the check from her. "I'm always available to serve you, Mrs. B. Just call me, and I'll be there."

The woman laughed. "And, I love your humor too." She touched her cheek. "You even have smooth and supple skin. If you don't mind, Laurie, how old are you?"

Laurie tucked her hair behind her left ear and smiled shyly. "I'm already twenty-five years old, Mrs. B."

"No, you're kidding me, girl," she said and looked at her face closely. "You looked like nineteen!"

Laurie laughed. "I wish I'm still in my nineteen years of age," she said, then remembered that it was her age when she met and married the man that ruined her career. She sighed. "I wish to go back to that stage of my life so I could save myself from the biggest mistake that I made."

From the vanity mirror, Mrs. Buenaventura looked at her. "It seemed that it was also your biggest regrets in life?"

She smiled. "The decision I made when I'm nineteen years old is the one that I regret the most." She sighed. "I hope I didn't meet that man."

The woman narrowed her eyes at her. "Cheer up, Laurie. You were just nineteen back then. Young, wild, and compulsive. What matters now is you became a better version of yourself, right? Look at you now, you're one of the most recommended makeup artists here in Manila. Successful and beautiful."

"Thanks, Mrs. B," she said to the kind woman. "If not for you and my other clients, I wouldn't be in this position."

"I'm always your supporter, Laurie." She squeezed her hand. "Whatever you did before, learned from it and used it as your inspiration to go further in pursuing your dreams. You're a talented woman. And, whoever that man that hurt your young heart, he doesn't deserve you."

"Laurie, are you done?" Adelle, her co-makeup artist, tapped her shoulders. When she saw Mrs. Buenaventura, she smiled. "Wow, Mrs. B, you look fantastic!"

"Special thanks to this gorgeous woman that did my hair and makeup," she said with confidence.

"I have no doubt with that," Adelle said. "Would you mind if I borrow her for a moment? I need a hand in my area."

When Mrs. Buenaventura let go of Laurie, Adelle pulled her towards the other dressing room. They're in an anniversary event and was chosen mainly by Mrs. Buenaventura to do the hair and makeup for her co-teachers. Mrs. Buenaventura is the dean of a Chinese school in Manila and is known for being an influencer in the fashion industry because of her glamorous OOTD, even in her late thirties.

"How much did she pay you?" Adelle asked, her eyes were focused on the cheque on her hand. "Let me see the figures."

She tried to get the paper from her, but she hid it behind her back. "I'll tell you later," she said that made her friend groaned. "Where are the other clients?"

Adelle rolled her eyes ceilingwards. "Two students and three professors," she said, pointing at the people sitting in front of the vanity mirrors. "But before you start on them, I have good news for you."

Laurie knotted her forehead. "We got events again?"

Adelle nodded with a broad smile on her face. "Not just an event but a big event!" She took out a calling card in her back pocket and showed it to her. "One of the parents here is a fashion event organizer, and she asked me if we could facilitate their makeup artist in their fashion show on Saturday!"

Laurie gasped. "Fashion show?" She clapped her hands in excitement. "What clothing brand?"

_________________________

"I STILL can't believe that I became a part of this fashion show by FARAH," Laurie whispered to Adelle as they watched the models ramped on the catwalk wearing nude makeup that complimented their Parisian attires. "It's one of the famous clothing brands in France, right?"

Adelle nodded. "That's why I thought that you're perfect for this event because you worked in some fashion shows in France. I'm sure you're quite familiar with the makeup styles that French models preferred. And, I'm right, you really did well."

"And, I thought they're going to pay us in euros," she joked but fell silent when she noticed one of the male models approaching them. "Look, I think he has questions for you, Adelle."

Her friend looked at her back and gasped when she recognized the man. "That's Tyler Montreal-"

"Oh, you know me?" the man asked, looking at her instead of Adelle. "I'm Tyler."

Laurie hesitated because she's not sure if he's talking to her or to Adelle. But he was looking at her, so maybe, he's talking to her. Before the man could pull back his hand, Laurie took it. "I'm Laurie."

"I know you, Laurie Olivar," he said with a smile. His chinky eyes reminded her of somebody from her past.

"You know Laurie?" Adelle asked in disbelief. "How come? This is our first time attending this event."

"I know her because she introduced herself in the dressing room before the event started," the man replied and smiled again, flashing them his pearly white teeth.

Adelle nudged her in the waist. "He looked like Cha Eun Woo, right?"

"I get that always, but I am not a Korean," Tyler said with a chuckle. "So, I was actually looking for you, Laurie."

Laurie knotted her forehead. "Me? Why are you looking for me?"

"I wanted to offer you a full-time job," he said without a hint of hesitation. "Can you be my personal hair and makeup artist? I'll double your service fee on every fashion event that I'll be needing you."

Laurie scowled at the man who looked the same age as her. "Personal hair and makeup artist?" she repeated in disbelief. "Tyler, that's so generous and kind of you to offer me a full-time job, but I have to decline your offer."

"Why?" he asked, doesn't look bothered with her refusal.

"I prefer freelancing for now-"

"For your plan on putting up a cosmetic business?" he asked, and based on his expression, he looked as if he dropped his ace for this conversation.

"How did you know about that?" Laurie asked with furrowed brows. "Are you stalking me?"

"It just happened that one of your trusted clients is acquainted with me, and she recommended your service to me," he said and waggled his brows. "You know Mrs. B, right?"

Laurie gasped and nodded. "Yes, she's a client-turned-friend of mine."

"I didn't expect that I'll see you here in our event. And, since that you're here, maybe we're really destined to work together. So, is it a 'yes'?" When Laurie didn't answer, he spoke again. "I can also help you with your business. I'm willing to be an investor, or perhaps, business partner?"

***

"HAVE you thought about Tyler's offer to be his personal hair and makeup artist?" Adelle asked Laurie over the phone. She can hear a dog barking in the background, and Laurie guessed that Adelle's boyfriend might be in her house again with his dog. "You should take it, girl. That's a once in a lifetime opportunity."

"I haven't thought about it," she said with a sigh. "I don't know if it's practical to work with him," she added as she scrolled on the internet. "It says here that Tyler Montreal is a high maintenance ramp model raised by a France modeling agency."

"So?" Adelle asked. "It just means that he can really help you with promoting your business goals!"

"I'm talking about the time management, Adelle," she said with a roll of her eyes. "Being his personal HMU artist might take a lot of my time, and you know that I hate working with demanding clients."

"Laurie, I'm talking about the promotion and high salary," Adelle countered. "Did you hear what he said? He'll double your service fee on every event that he'll be needing you. And, you know how much would be your earnings in a month from working with him personally with a doubled fee? That's almost eighty thousand pesos."

"How come? Is he always occupied with fashion events?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "If working with him would disallow me to accept offers from other clients, then that would lessen my income and might lower my connection status."

"Laurie, Tyler is a famous model. If you are seen as his personal HMU artist, your value as a cosmetologist will accelerate, and so your service fee," Adelle insisted. "Come on, Laurie. Grab it. I have a feeling that he is the answer to your dream of becoming a cosmetics business owner. And, he can also be your endorser, investor, or a life partner. That's 3in1 like coffee."

Laurie rolled her eyes ceilingwards. "Stop romanticizing the situation, Adelle," she said and clicked the article that she found while searching for other details about Tyler Montreal. "Oh, it says here that she once lived in Paris. I wonder what year-"

"Why don't you ask him? Maybe you've bumped to him before while you're having a date with your ex-husband but just ignored him because you were so occupied with-"

"Did I give you the right to mention my past in conversations like this?" Laurie asked, beginning to get annoyed.

She doesn't want to hear anything about Ken. She can't even take to mention his name. For Laurie, her ex-husband had died when she closed the door of their bedroom after seeing him with a naked woman on his side. She heaved a sigh. That moment brought Laurie the most painful feeling that she never thought she'd experienced with him.

After that night, she ran away and hide from Ken. She stayed with her friends that Ken doesn't know as she processed their divorce papers. The last time they saw each other was when they talked about divorce in front of a counselor. Ken begged for her to change her mind and stay with him. But Laurie has made her decision. He hurt her badly on the day of their first wedding anniversary. He ruined her trust in him after all the sacrifices that she made just to be with him.

"Laurie, maybe it's the right time to step up on your goals," Adelle suddenly said from the other line. "Tyler is giving you a chance to reach your dream easily with his help. Don't you want to show off to Ken that you managed to live a happy and successful life without him?"

Laurie flinched at the sound of Ken's name. "Why do you have to mention his name?"

"Because it's time to move on and stop living from the shadow of your past," she said blatantly. "How many years have passed? Four? Five? You're not getting younger anymore, Laurie. You need a man like Tyler."

"What?" Laurie frowned at the latter. "I can't believe that you're linking me with the guy you said was your crush."

Adelle giggled. "I like him because he looked like Cha Eun Woo, but I'm taken," she said and heard her boyfriend protested from the background. "I'll go now. Call me for updates, okay?"

When Laurie lowered her phone on the table, she looked at her laptop's screen again. The curser was placed on the search bar and blinking as if telling her to type a word. And the first word that came to her mind is Ken's 3in1 restaurant in Paris. The restaurant was known in Paris because it offers pastries in the morning, pasta plates at lunch, and beers at night. That's where she also first saw Ken, dressed in a white chef's uniform and making a fantastic masterpiece with the used of dough and icing.

Laurie changed her mind before she could hit the search button. She's sure that Ken's photo will flood her screen because he's a bit popular chef in France too. "I have to stop thinking about him," she said to herself. "He cheated on me... I saw him in bed naked with another woman." She cursed under her breath. "Whirlwind romance ended up in a whirlwind too."

She picked up her phone and looked for Tyler's cell phone number. She took deep breaths before she pressed the call button. On the fourth ring, Tyler's groggy voice aired from the other line. Laurie looked at her wall clock. It's already one p.m.

"Tyler, I'm sorry, did I wake you up? Should I call you again later?"

"No, no. It's fine, Laurie," he said and chuckled. "I just have a sore throat."

"Oh, how do you feel? Do you have a fever? You should drink salabat. It can help to ease the soreness," she said continuously that made Tyler laughed from the other line.

"That's sweet," he drawled, and Laurie can imagine his eyes forming into a slit as he laughed. "But what's salabat? I haven't heard it before."

"You don't know what salabat is? Aren't you a Filipino?" she asked in a knotted forehead. "It's a tea made of minced ginger."

"Oh, I get it. It's a ginger tea in English," he said and laughed again. "So, I assumed you called me because you have made your mind."

Laurie cleared her throat. "Let's talk about it in person because I have some questions from you."

"Okay, I'll see you today-"

"Hey, Tyler, where's your rock salt?"

Laurie paused at the familiar deep tenor voice she heard from the background. No, of course, it's not him... She caught her forehead. Why do I even thinking about him?

***