LOVE RETRIBUTION AFTER DIVORCE

Mansion of the De la Vega family

Marco and his father, Philip Dela Vega, on the veranda of their mansion, are having coffee while facing each other. Marco silently observed his Father as he stared into the distance. A 50-year-old man like him appeared to have a younger face than his current age. Elegant and handsome as ever, he can still make any woman fall in love with him. But he knows he has never remarried since his mother abandoned them.

His Father called him, "Marco, how old are you? How soon are you getting married?"

"Marriage is not in my plans, Dad. Why are you so concerned if I amn't married?" He seemed annoyed to respond to his Dad.

"I'm getting old, son. When will you give me a grandchild? What if I'm too old to play them? You may be putting off your wedding until I pass away."

"Look at what you're saying, Dad! We're talking about my marriage; this is not food I would spit out if I did not enjoy it. Besides, you've taught me not to put too much faith in women." It was evident that he felt irritated in his response to his father.

"How long has it been now, Marco? Are you saying that you still haven't met your future wife after all this time? I told you not to trust women immediately because I don't want the same thing to happen to you as it did to me. But Marco, why do you always close your eyes? You didn't even like any woman your age?" To avoid a misunderstanding with his son, Philip stifled his anger.

"Let me manage my own life, Dad, I tell you. I'm not interested in getting married. I'm going to leave." He quickly turned his back on his Dad, but just as he was about to step off the porch, he heard him yell at him, making him stop in his tracks.

"Marco! Don't provoke my wrath! It doesn't matter if you don't want to, but you must get married! One month from now, I want to meet the woman you want to marry! If you don't find a woman who suits you, I will!" After hearing what his father said, he felt his blood boil inside his body.

Marco clenched his fist, attempting to block out his father's words. He tries not to be enraged by his meddling in his personal life. He slammed the car door shut and drove away.

"Boss, Boss, Boss! Boss, I'm still here!" As he watched the car speed away, the driver scratched his head. "Why did I take so long? I got left behind "As his boss's car sped away, he blamed himself.

**

Marco's entire day had been ruined by what his father had said. His anger affected his business partner, whom he had just met today. His steps were quick as he walked to his car when the woman slammed into him.

"Ahhhh, ouch!" Katleah exclaimed in shock and was thrown to the side of the drain. Fortunately, she avoided the drain itself; otherwise, she might have shown up to work reeking like a sewer. She glared at the person who had inadvertently bumped into her.

"Who are you, oh my gush!" She stopped what she was about to say as she stared at the man in front of her. With just one glance, she can see he is the most beautiful Adonis, the Greek god creature in the world.

"Hey, Miss...I'm asking if everything was all right? Have you had enough of staring at my face? Are you pleased with my appearance?"

Katleah frowned in response to what she heard. She denies the fact that he is attractive. The man in front of her had a thick face that turned her off immediately.

"And who told you you're attractive?" The depth of your self-esteem, man. I can't believe how thick your face is!" She was only irritated when she noticed him simply grinning at her. "This arrogant man still possesses a prominent dimple." Kathleah pondered.

''Huh? Am I the only one with a thick face? It was you that I told you to get to your feet earlier because you weigh so much. You've been lying on top of me for a while now. Are you going to stay here with me for the night?"

Katleah abruptly stood up when she noticed their awkward position. She was on top of him. She wishes to bury herself in shame by digging a hole in the ground. She could feel her face flushing with embarrassment.

"Why block my path when the road is wide?" She asked him as she agitatedly scrubbed the mud from her uniform and looked at him with a look of anger on her face.

"Is it still you who feels the need to lash out? If you're combing your hair, there's no need to walk like a horse. You're passing through this public space. Did you get what I was saying?"

His response irritates her even more. "Aaaahhhh! I've never seen anyone with a face as thick as yours! You're a monkey! No, the Monkey has a more appealing face than you!" She retaliated by insulting the man. She felt her face flushed red from over-restraint. She desired to leave and did not wish to ruin her day with the man in front of her.

She'd only taken one step when someone grabbed her hand. The man's grip was firm as if he feared losing his captive. Katleah turned, and their gazes locked. As he looked at her, she could feel his rage.

"Let me go." She gave the man an order while pulling her hand away.

"Where are you going, huh? Can you take me to your bad tactics, woman? I understand that's just one of your strategies for getting close to me. Do you need money? Say it; you don't need to think of any tricks to get noticed."

He told her bluntly as if she were of low social standing. What she heard made her frown.

"How dare you call me a trickster! Haler? Are you okay, Mad Man? Did you get your head stuck in the gutter earlier? Just let me go. I'm already running late for work, and you're not making it any better." She drew her hand once more. She tried to break free from the tight hold on her hand, but nothing happened. The man tightened his grip even further.

"Don't be so mean, because I know very well what kind of woman you are. You were acting innocently, pretending to meet a wealthy man so she could easily approach and be captivated to make money. You're all the same women; all you care about is money. "You have nothing else..."

Slap!

When she slapped him, he flinched in pain.

"That's not your business to tell me, and you certainly have no business passing judgment on who I am. Regardless of your hardships, remember that you are not the only one who has experienced more difficulties in life. And I'll say this, and you'll stuff it in your fat whore: You don't give a damn if I eat salt or sleep here anyway. Let's say you've made it big time and are desirable. Is that enough to let you judge me? Please don't think too highly of yourself; you are not the man of my dreams! Could you please snap out of it!? Just so you know, if you are wealthy, I have no plans to share!"

Katleah could no longer tolerate the man's sharp tongue, so she slapped him abruptly. She was trembling with rage. She couldn't take what he was about to say next. Assuming he is wealthy due to the presence of so many bodyguards, she disregards this fact and stands firm in her refusal to allow anyone to diminish her unique identity. She abruptly turned around and dashed to the mall where she worked.

As Katleah walked away, Marco's lips parted as he watched her back. She slapped him so hard that he still felt numbness and redness in his left cheek. Marco couldn't believe the woman he'd just met would hit him. What he said to the woman earlier was too harsh, and he knows it. She was correct. He only got a brief glimpse of her, so he had no basis for making any judgment. "Whoa, she's pretty cool. She's fearless and aggressive. She was the only woman he met who dared to challenge him."

Marco believed he might have been overly affected by his parent's divorce. He was only seven years old when his mother abandoned him for another man who was wealthier than his father. Since then, his father has always warned him not to put too much trust in women because they only want money from him. So he hardened his heart so that no woman could ever make him feel anything but cold and distant. When his secretary showed him a motive, he dragged her out of his office. His friends didn't bother trying to set him up with a potential girlfriend because they were afraid the same thing would happen to them. Let's say he dislikes commitment and has an allergy to women. He considers all women to impede his business expansion plans. He could take his family's business to the very pinnacle of success in just three years. Because of his high IQ, he became one of the country's most popular business magnates.

He looked deeply at his trusted assistant, James, and the latter grasped his meaning. He approached him quickly.

"Boss, tell me: do you want us to teach that girl a lesson?"

"I want you to investigate that woman."

Knock, knock, knock!

"Katleah! Are you completely deaf? Please open the door! I've been knocking for quite some time!"

"Yes, Mrs. Rosa, I'm already there. Just wait, and I'll open the door."

"What happened to you, and why did it take you so long to open the door? Do you want to hide something from me?"

Mrs. Rosa yelled as she pushed open the door.

"Mrs. Rosa, I have no reason to hide you. Why, what do you need?"

"Hah! Are you still asking? Have you forgotten? You still haven't paid your rent at home, and it's been two months. If you can't afford to pay, leave."

"Mrs. Rosa, please have mercy on me; I promise to make up for my two-month delay in payment this coming week. If you could just wait until next week, I could get paid then."

"What? Within the next week? No way! I'm immune to your pitiful charms now that I've granted you a two-month extension in the past; what were you thinking? How fortunate are you?"

"All right, Mrs. Rosa, this is the last one because I can't find a cheaper one anywhere except here at your house."

"Oh my goodness! Katleah! Just stop acting already! I'll put it off until tonight. Don't come crying at me if I have to kick you out if you still haven't paid me! I don't give a damn where you end up! I, too, am in desperate need of financial assistance, as I have numerous bills that require immediate payment. Remember Katleah, someone will rent out this room of yours tomorrow! If you still haven't paid me by tonight, I'll come and take your stuff from the curb tomorrow." At the same time, Mrs. Rosa turned away.

Katleah sighed as she returned her gaze to Mrs. Rosa, who was about to leave. She needs to find a way to get a loan to cover the rent. She sat on her bed, rummaging through her wallet. She was immediately disappointed to discover that she only had $500 in her purse. She'll work hard until she earns her first paycheck as a mall salesgirl. She has only been with the company for two weeks. Her first paycheck is due at the end of the month. Her problem now is where she can borrow to pay the house rent. Mrs. Rosa is still known for being a Tiger. She dislikes her boarders who do not pay on time. Katleah had already observed her landlady's behavior after four months of renting her home. She was not joking when she threatened to evict her the following day if she did not make a payment.

Meanwhile, at the Dela Vega President's Office,

"This is the information about the woman you want us to look into, boss."

Marco took the envelope that James had given him right away.

"All right, James, get back to work."

James immediately obeyed and left his office. When Marco opened the envelope, he saw Katleah's pictures. He was immediately captivated by the girl's angelic and beautiful face.

The woman is stunning in appearance, bright in mind, fierce in spirit, and solitary in personality but wise in matters of the heart. Despite facing many challenges, she is a woman who does not give up easily. When she was just ten years old, an accident took her parents' lives. Her grandmother has been her sole companion since then. Unfortunately, her grandmother died of a heart attack just a few months after she graduated from high school.

Marco couldn't figure out why he felt so sorry for the woman. She is the only one fighting the battle of life. He immediately regrets his initial judgment of the girl. He had no idea how much she was going through. He was only thinking about one thing right now: how to help her.

10:00 P.M

Employees are gradually leaving the employee mall exit. Katleah had decided to return home first and attempt to speak with Mrs. Rosa again. Her colleagues mocked her today because none of them she approached loaned her money. She was not surprised because nobody would lend it to her in the first place. She was, after all, a new employee. She decided to return home.

The following morning,

Katleah moved out of her apartment with just one suitcase.

Mrs. Rosa keeps her remaining possessions, such as the cheap ceiling fan and rice cooker she brought from the province because she needed more money to pay her two months' rent on her house. She refuses to listen, no matter how much she begs Mrs. Rosa. Her decision to give her room to the new tenant is final. But she was kind enough to let her stay there last night.

Her search for a rental home close to her place of employment has left her exhausted, but she cannot give up the search. Some are affordable but require a deposit equal to two months' rent, which is outside her budget. Does this mean she'll sleep on the sidewalk for the next five days? While she did not receive her salary, she had to find a temporary shelter. She sat on a bench at the edge of the large park to rest first. It had been only five minutes since she had sat down before she spotted the older man on the floor, unconscious. Many people have noticed the older man, but they ignore him. She went straight to the older man to double-check her assumptions.

"Hey! Miss, stay away from him. He might hurt you. There are numerous methods of operation these days." A lady chastised her.

Katleah completely ignored her. The older man was still breathing; maybe he passed out because he was in so much pain. She took a small bottle of white flowers from her suitcase and rubbed the contents beneath the older man's nose. He quickly regained consciousness. He was surprised when he saw her. She slowly got him to his feet and seated him on a bench beneath the tree.

"How are you feeling, Grandpa?" Why are you by yourself, by the way? Is there no one else with you?" She inquired of the older gentleman.

The older man shook his head while staring at her. She wondered why, now that the older man had regained consciousness, he couldn't take his gaze away from her and her necklace.

"He could not be a thief. Not to mention, the older man seems benevolent. But why does he have that worried expression on his face?" Katleah thought.

"Grandpa, which way are you heading back to your house? It'll help you with getting on the bus. It would be best if you took someone with you the next time you leave the house. I mean, what if something happened to you on the way?" When Katleah went to her feet, the older man grabbed her hand.

"I'm very grateful for your help. You saved my life. I might have died if you hadn't helped me. My vision went dark all of a sudden. I forgot to eat breakfast before leaving the house. That's most likely why my vision went black and I lost consciousness." The older man responded weakly.

"Oh!! It's okay, Grandpa; I'm sure someone else would have done the same thing. Are you feeling better now? I'll accompany you to the bus stop. "I'll get ready for work after I drop you off."

"Speaking of work, I'm still looking for a place to take a bath. You know, the one who says, "I'll just put ten pesos in the bottle, and your shower will be complete." She thought to herself.

"Don't worry. I'll bring it here myself. I'm feeling fine." The older gentleman elaborated.

"Are you certain, Grandpa? Will somebody pick you up?" She inquired hesitantly.

"I'm sure. I have a cellphone with me. I'll get in touch with the person who will pick me up. And by the way, what is your name?"

"My name is Katleah Sanchez, Grandpa. Alright, I'll leave you, Grandpa, as I still have work to do. Take care." She waved as she walked away.

As Katleah left, the older man's eyes trailed after her. He sighed and took his phone from his pants pocket. He was looking for their butler's phone number and then dialed it.

"Hello? Send a driver to pick me up at Forbes park, Lucas." The command of the older man's baritone.

"Yes, Sir." The other line responded immediately.

After 5 minutes, a black Bentley pulled out in front of the elderly gentleman. He entered the car while holding an old photograph.

"Madame was concerned about you, Sir Harry. You left unexpectedly and without anyone else." When the older man got in the car, Lucas immediately informed him.

"Where is she now?" He also worriedly inquired of the butler.

"She's still crying at Amarah Manor right now, sir." She's been waiting for you for quite some time." Lucas responded right away.

Amarah Manor is one of their vacation homes in the Philippines. And he bequeathed this to his long-lost granddaughter Amarah. He nodded and returned his gaze to the butler.

"Lucas, is there any information about what I've been looking into for a long time? "

The butler gave the nod. "The Private Detective I've entrusted with the investigation will arrive at the mansion later, sir. He claimed to know something about Amarah. He only worked on this case for a week, so we can expect the information he gathered to be incomplete."

"Hmm. I've been searching for my granddaughter for several years. How many private investigators have you employed? Are you certain you can rely on him? Perhaps he'll take money again and then provide false information, as others did before?" In a skeptical tone, Harry asked Lucas.

"I'm certain of him now, sir." Mr. Morris is one of the world's best private investigators. He works quickly to resolve all of the cases he handles. So when I heard he was returning from the Philippines, I called him immediately and entrusted the search to Amarah." Lucas elaborated.

"Okay, but wait to bring him to me until the data I've requested from him is sufficient; in addition, Lucas, have him look into the woman named Katleah Sanchez. I'm curious about her family background. If you need to increase the payment to Mr. Morris, go ahead and do it." Harry placed his order solemnly.

Lucas needed clarification as to why his boss felt compelled to look into Katleah Sanchez's situation. He didn't ask any more questions and immediately agreed with his boss. "Ahh, Mmm... " Okay, sir, I'll tell him."

At the mall

Katleah had just exited the employee entrance when she noticed a tall, muscular man approaching her.

She had never met him.

She isn't that significant. Why would anyone be interested in her if she didn't have any money? She ignored him, thinking she was overthinking, but why did she still feel the man was following her? She looked at him.

"Are you following me, Mr.?" She asked the man right away.

"I'm sorry, Ma'am, but the boss would have invited you to eat dinner outside. He said he just wanted to talk to you," the man said hesitantly.

"Huh? B-Boss? Oh, sir, perhaps you approached me by mistake." She immediately turned her back on him.

"No, ma'am. Aren't you Ms. Katleah Sanchez?" the man replied, still following her.

She halted in front of the man and said, "It's me. Why is your boss interested in me? "

"Come along, ma'am, so you can find out," he continued to persuade her.

Katleah was perplexed by this man's alleged boss, so to find out who this boss was interested in talking to her, she drifted to what he wanted. They got into a black Maybach, and she was nervous about what might happen later.

She is new to Manila and doesn't know much about it. She was thinking of what she'd do to defend herself if they did something terrible to her. If that happens, she can use what she learned in taekwondo in high school.

The car halted in front of an opulent restaurant near the sea. This place's beauty and atmosphere wowed her. Everyone here was nearly wealthy and a business magnate in the country. She felt embarrassed to go in. She appeared to want to leave because everyone who entered wore formal and elegant clothes.

"Should I return home? Wait, why did I forget I had nothing to go home to later? My suitcase is still there. I have to take it back from Mrs. Bebang's store. Oh! No, she might doze off later. So, why did I come here in the first place?" She blamed herself, but the thought struck her right away.

"Anyway, it's okay, I can now get free food, even if only tonight," she told herself.

"We have arrived, ma'am. The boss is already waiting for you inside."

"Brother, I have a problem. Isn't it a shame I'm wearing this? I'm still dressed as a saleswoman." She inquired shyly.

"That's fine, ma'am; no worries. It doesn't matter what you're wearing; what matters is that you speak with the boss." He comforts her.

"Why is this boss so enigmatic? What exactly does he expect from me?" She thought to herself.

Despite her shyness, she went inside and noticed many pairs of eyes staring at her as she passed. She ignored their thoughtful looks. The waiter led her to a private room surrounded by crystal walls, which stunned her as soon as she entered. Her gaze landed on the man sitting on the couch, staring at her.

"Shocks! What the hell happened?" She chastised herself when she realized the man who had invited her to dinner was the man she despised and didn't want to see again. As he stood up and approached her, her heart rate increased. ''Shit! that this man conned me," she cursed.

She was about to flee when he suddenly grabbed her hand and pulled her back.

The tightness of his grip on her made her wince. She was irritated as she looked at the man.

"Let me go! What the hell happened? You! what!? Do you want to be slapped once more? "She shot back at the young man.

Marco's brows furrowed in response to the woman in front of him.

"Why is this girl so grumpy? I have yet to say anything. Do I appear thick in her eyes?" Marco, surprised, kept asking himself.

"Woman, easy. Take it easy...how can we talk properly if you're not listening to what I'm saying?" He quickly explained to Katleah.

"You appear to be easy! What happens next? You're going to say I'm an easy woman. A dragging woman, that this is another of my ploys to get close to you? Huh! No way!! I'm leaving right now." (Even though, in her mind, she has nothing to go home to.) "Your dinner is all yours! I might even owe you!" She yanked her hand away from Marco's grasp.

"No... hold on!" Marco restrained the lovely woman. "Sorry, Katleah! Okay? Please accept my apologies for anything I said to you previously." He even went so far as to make himself cute while saying the word sorry.

Katleah couldn't decide whether to laugh or be angry at this man's apology, and he had no intention of letting go of her hand.

"Ah!! Is it me who's playing tricks here, or is it you? Because, even if you're sorry, I believe you have a lot of tricks hidden inside your clothes. "Say what you want; tell me so I can go home," she grumbled.

Marco had given up on the woman in front of him's chatter. He said sorry, but she still didn't believe it.

"Do I appear to her as a clown? I believe her body is too fiery. I believe she was conceived of a tiger while still inside her mother's womb. Keep your cool, Marco. Keep your rage under control because you are the one who needs her." He reminded himself of this.

"What happened? Should I expect you to be flabbergasted? Are you going to remain silent? Will we just stare at each other?"

"Can you come inside first, Katleah? Other customers are staring at us outside, especially since you're still dressed in uniform; unless you don't care what they say, it's okay to talk here because you don't want to eat either." Katleah realized he was correct after hearing his response.

Katleah looked around at the many customers who were staring at them. She is unaware of their sentiments about the two of them. She dashed inside and sat on the couch to hide her blush from the embarrassment she had caused by raising her voice earlier.

Marco smiled inwardly at the girl's reaction. "Place your order for whatever you'd like to eat." At the same time, he handed the menu to Katleah.

Katleah is not ignorant of the dishes on the menu because she previously worked in such high-end restaurants in the province, allowing her to order a lot.

Marco only smiled. Can you eat it all? "He asked the girl.

"'Sure. My stomach is small, but there is plenty of room for food inside. On the other hand, why are you concerned if I don't consume everything I ordered? Surely I can place an order and save the rest for later consumption? Right? Is it not free? It's not going to happen again tomorrow...hehe "She replied to the man with dead malice.

Marco shook his head in response to Katleah's reasoning. He expected her to be hesitant to eat earlier, but she had the most orders. "Tsk.Tsk." But he didn't make her look pathetic. He was only thinking about himself at the time.

Soon after, the waiter arrives to deliver their order. They both ate quietly. Katleah was the first person to speak up.

"By the way, what is the important thing you're going to tell me that you had to bring me here?"

Whoops, I forgot about myself." pointing to herself, "You are already familiar with me and my name. I'm not surprised because you're wealthy. You could have me look into your men, but it would be unfair because I don't know you yet. I don't even know what your name is." Katleah said one after the other while chewing food in her mouth.

"Mhmm. Why does this woman speak in this manner? My business partners and competitors would not dare to speak in front of me this way, so why does this woman seem to live in her world where she is free to do and say whatever she wants to me? But why am I not enraged by this? Isn't it even cuter that she spoke such things to me?" He shook his head at his thoughts.

He has no control over the woman in front of him. He figured that she must be why his business failed in the end. But he must give it a shot to see if she is the woman he will one day marry. He persuaded himself.

He took his license and handed it to Katleah.

"This is my form of identification in case you have second thoughts and claim that I made up my name." he gave the girl a card at the same time.

Katleah carefully examined his identification card. Her eyes seemed to well up with surprise, and she couldn't believe that the man she despised was the country's Business Magnate.

"Oh my!! Goodness! "She thought to herself. "Ahem. I've had bad luck. I've added a lot of tangles to my life, "She pondered. "

But she pretended she didn't recognize him.

"So, your name is Marco Dela Vega, which is a nice name. What exactly are you going to tell me?" Katleah acts as if she is not guilty.

Marco frowned as the girl spoke.

"This girl is awful. What mountain did she grow up on, and she still has no idea who I am?" He questioned himself, but he still tried to explain what he meant.

"Marry Me," he said flatly.