Chapter 5 Nothing is free in this world

I just looked at the canned beers that my friend Jasmine put on the table I was sitting at, and then I quickly took one of them and opened it forcefully.

"Jeez. If you don't have a big problem right now, I assure you, you won't entice me to drink this evening."

By the way, she is Jasmine Santa Mesa, one of my friends here in the province. We did not lose our connections even though I left this town long ago, so our relationship is still strong. She is a preschool teacher in our town, so she had second thoughts when I persuaded her to drink this evening. Of course, she must keep her respected name here as a teacher.

"It's a good thing it's Saturday tomorrow, so I don't have to go to school with a hangover," she added, sighing.

I just drank almost halfway through my beer without realizing it. A few seconds later, I felt like Jasmine was staring at me, so I didn't even look at her because I already knew what she was thinking. Maybe she felt sorry for me, or she pities me.

"Ellouise, I don't want to get in the way of your situation, but... these days, the city lawyers put the money first. They're mostly greedy. They will not entertain you if you cannot satisfy their needs or show your capacity to pay them," she spoke gently to me with concern.

I sighed loudly. That is not what I am thinking right now because my problem is what happened earlier between Hiro and me. But because she already mentioned that topic, I can't help but think about it.

And I still don't know if I'll tell Jasmine about our unexpected confrontation with Hiro because she knew him.

"You know Ellouise, this is just my opinion, okay? You're twenty-five, and getting married at that age is common. Why don't you accept Aze's proposal? He has pursued and courted you for a long time and repeatedly proven his love. Why don't you consider him this time?"

Because of that, I throw her a serious look before I speak, "I will not leave my land, Jasmine. I will not give it up without fighting. You probably know how important this is to me."

She nodded lightly and held my hand. "All right, it's given that it's really important to you. You know it is difficult to find a huge sum of money in your circumstance, right? You don't have a job, and finding one is difficult," she said, full of concern.

Because of those facts that she said, I started drinking my beer again. I didn't know what to do anymore. But because Jasmine and I are also talking about serious things- maybe I should tell her about Hiro; she's a teacher, so I know she can understand my situation. Besides, I also have no intention of telling her everything about the personal thing that we had talked especially about that thing. You know what I mean.

"The truth is... I saw Hiro earlier." The weakness in my voice was immediately noticeable.

Jasmine almost choked because of what I told her. That is a piece of shocking news; that's why I already expected her to be that surprised. I drink the remaining of my beer to avert my gaze at her.

"H-Hiro? You mean, y-your ex?" she asked incredulously.

"Yeah. He's the lawyer I confronted earlier." I gave more information on what happened.

"So he became a lawyer now."

"He wasn't simply a lawyer; he claimed to be one of the BEST attorneys in the country," I said, drinking the last drop of my canned beer and then opening another.

"Is he mad at you? Did you explain why you left? Did you say the reason why?" I could not help but lift the edge of my lip.

"He never asked, almost like he doesn't give a damn at all," I replied, hurt by that fact.

I could see earlier that he seemed to be in pain, and there was also hatred in his eyes, but the fact that he didn't ask, I knew that he didn't care anymore. "And one more thing, even if he asks, I have no desire to respond."

"What? Why? He has a right to know," she asked frowning.

"You're right. Hiro has a right to know, yet there is nothing more to say. I left! And I walked away from him without saying goodbye. Five years, and I believe it is pointless to explain why. I saw the size of his changed earlier, making it tougher than before to get close to him. And people like him, It's completely absurd."

"What's your ex's full name again? Because if he's outstanding, then I should know him." Jasmine asked randomly after a few seconds of silence between us.

"Hiro Del Fierro."

I noticed the automatic enlargement of her eyes and the covering of her hand over her mouth. Wait! Is she shocked?

"Oh my god! As in, OH MY GOD?!"

"What? Why?!"

"Girl, you will win your case when he becomes your lawyer. With his help, you will prevail in any situation."

I stopped drinking for her and gave my full attention to Jasmine. "So- how can you say that? How sure are you?"

"Hold on to your seats tightly because after you hear what I have to say, you wouldn't be able to explain why you left this man," she said with complete assurance.

"You are so dramatic," I replied defiantly.

"Whatever you say so!" she even rolled her eyes. "So let's start; first, he topped his bar exam. After that, he entered a law firm in Quezon City as a criminal lawyer. He won the first four cases; the other two were serious, followed by the two more cases he handled as a trial lawyer. And even once, he has not lost any of his cases. Because he quit the previous firm where he worked, he established his own. Everyone respects him even more as a result. Imagine that, despite being a new lawyer, he has already established his firm; that's impressive." With every word she utters, she seems very impressed by Hiro, "A Lawyer-with-No-Failed-Cases is his moniker. Due to his successes, Hiro's business experienced rapid growth in just one year, and nearly all newly admitted attorneys work there. That's more impressive. Additionally, the case he manages nets him MILLION. Your ex is damn successful, Ellouise."

I gulp hard from what I heard. I don't care how much Hiro earns. I'm just proud of him for the things he achieved, and where he is right now. I also didn't think he would have developed a more assertive personality than I expected. I guess my decision to leave him is worth it.

"How did you learn that information about him?" I asked her after I got silent for a few seconds. It's good that she said something about Hiro because, to be honest, I've had no idea about him since we broke up.

"He is frequently shown in online publications and magazines. Most articles are about him and the cases he wins, so try to read them. I can assure you that you will be amazed," she explained. "But what did he say to you when you first met? Can he assist you with your case? Because he must if I am the one to ask! You two have a past. As I said, Ellouise, I'm optimistic you will prevail when he takes on your case. Because it is only a matter of the land, it will be simple for him to defend you in court. If he could win his serious cases, yours will be easy."

I just swallowed and drank again before answering her, "Well, h-he did offer to assist me...."

"That's it? Just like that? It's highly improbable that he will only request payment from you if he's willing to assist you as you claim, Ellouise. Did you know that a signature of a good lawyer like him reaches a million?"

"He promised to assist me without charge."

Jasmine automatically frowned at me. "What? Are you kidding? IS HE KIDDING? Free? My ass," she said as if she didn't believe what I said, and she rolled her eyes.

As a matter of fact, it's not free. You probably know what Hiro told me earlier when I talked to him; nothing was free about it. He's asking for a more significant thing in return for me. But as I said, I will not mention everything we discussed to Jasmine, especially that thing.

"Oh dear, nothing is free in this world, okay? Be smart about that term; sometimes, the return is even bigger when it says 'free.' He is your ex-boyfriend, but so what? We weren't sure if what he wanted in return went against moral standards; you see what I mean. Ellouise, I don't want to scare you, but don't be foolish about what he said. Okay. Let's say you two previously dated and broke up, which hurt both of you. Despite this, it doesn't imply he has the right to act against your will." She holds my hand tightly.

Even if I didn't say everything to her, it seemed like she had a hint right away. Why is she so smart, and she knows a lot about it?

"I-I'm not sure," I replied, even though what she said was true.

"I'm only trying to remind you since you're my friend, Ellouise. You are of legal age, and I am confident you already know what to do, but it is still up to you to make a choice. Just ensure he doesn't abuse you and take advantage of your current circumstance." We are silent for about a minute until she speaks again, "But seriously, Ellouise, what are you up to? Are you already thinking of accepting his offer?"

In response, I slowly shook my head, "I want to stay out of his life for as long as I can; I don't want to be around him again. I hurt him, as you mentioned, and I don't want to be around him again for fear that I'll leave him once more...."

Shit! I don't want to cry, but the pain in my heart is increasing right now.

My tears were already dripping without me being aware, so I quickly looked up to stop them. I also felt Jasmine's immediate soft patting behind me.

"Because, to be completely honest, I no longer see my future- with him. Everything had changed. But I might forget everything I've told you today when it comes to my land. You know how important that land is to me; Mom gave it to me, so I can't just give it up," I said; she just nodded as if she understood me and then hugged me as I hugged her back.